NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden scored 31 points, Kawhi Leonard had 26 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-105 on Friday night.
Reserve guard Jordan Miller made his first six shots and added 21 points. John Collins had 16 for the Clippers, who bounced back from their loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday to win for the eighth time in 10 games. Leonard, questionable earlier in the day with a sprained right ankle, started slowly but had 19 points in the second half.
Rookie guard Egor Demin scored 19 points for the Nets, who lost on a buzzer-beater in overtime against Orlando on Wednesday. But it was quickly clear this one would never be close.
Michael Porter Jr. struggled to 18 points, missing all nine 3-point attempts.
The Clippers scored the first eight points, and after Nic Claxton made two free throws, Harden scored the next six in an 8-0 run that made it 16-2. Demin made a 3-pointer to snap Brooklyn’s 0-for-8 start, but then Leonard and Harden scored to make the Clippers 8 for 9 and give them a 21-5 lead.
The Clippers opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run to make it 45-25 on former Nets center Brook Lopez’s three-point play. Los Angeles led by 22 before taking a 63-47 halftime lead.
The Nets, playing four of their five first-round draft picks, often had at least one rookie on the floor and it appeared Harden was looking to punish any of them who had to guard him. The three-time NBA scoring champion shot 10 for 13, and when the Nets started sending a second defender at him, he found the open man and finished with six assists.
Brooklyn outscored Los Angeles 11-4 to start the third quarter and get back within single digits, but Leonard made a 3-pointer and the lead remained in double digits the rest of the way.
Trae Young spoke about running the pick-and-roll with Alex Sarr and throwing a lob to the second-year standout center. He discussed delivering passes to a cutting Bilal Coulibaly.
During the four-time All-Star point guard’s introductory Washington Wizards news conference ahead of Friday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the 27-year-old Young was visualizing what it will be like playing for his new team when he returns to the court.
Young is currently sidelined with a right quad contusion, and he missed 23 games earlier this season with an MCL sprain in his right knee that’s reportedly caused residual pain.
“Coming over here doing these physicals, they want to make sure I’m right and things like that,” Young said, alongside Wizards general manager Will Dawkins.
“I don’t want to come back and not be myself for this team and for this city. So I’ll just leave it up to them to make sure they let you know when I’m coming back — hopefully soon.”
The Dallas Mavericks selected Young No. 5 overall in the 2018 draft before immediately trading him and a first-round pick to the Hawks for the draft rights to Luka Dončić.
Young spent seven-plus seasons in Atlanta. He was eligible for a four-year extension, but the Hawks didn’t make him a long-term offer this past offseason. After leading the NBA in assists per game in 2024-25, Young is now in the fourth year of a five-year, $215 million deal.
He talked Friday about wanting to see through Capital One Arena renovations and how he’s taken notice of an organizational transformation under Dawkins and team president Michael Winger.
“Just being able to watch from afar and just some of the pieces that they’ve gotten since [Dawkins and Winger have] been here and the headaches I’ve had these last couple of times playing against them, you kind of see the difference and feel the difference from the way they play.”
Young added, regarding the Wizards’ franchise: “It’s on its way up, and I hope I’m a piece of this puzzle on the way up with it.”
Why the Wizards traded for Young
Dawkins and Young go way back.
Before Dawkins became the Wizards’ GM in 2023, he spent 15 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, ultimately serving as the team’s vice president of basketball operations from 2020-23.
Young, who played at Norman North High School before starring at nearby University of Oklahoma, went to his fair share of OKC games when he was growing up.
“Probably saw him come to one of our games when he was like 12, 13 years old, and people are like, ‘Hey, he’s a young talent.'” Dawkins said.
“There’s a lot of ties there being in Oklahoma City. It’s a small town. He’s from Norman. My wife’s from Norman. Her whole family lives there. He went to OU. My wife’s family all works at OU, went to OU. So I’ve known him for a very long time. When you’re in a city like that, and you have the player of the year-type candidates in high school and college, it’s very easy to see him.”
Dawkins continued: “So you see him in the different gyms, and then you learn his family and you know what he’s about and you know the fiber that he comes from. Always kept in touch with the family, kept in touch with him once he became a professional player and watched him through the ranks.”
Dawkins described trading for Young this season as an “easy decision.”
The Wizards haven’t had an All-Star since Bradley Beal in 2021. Young hasn’t gone two straight seasons without earning that recognition in his career.
He’s criticized for his defense, and the value of his offense has been questioned in a league where points no longer come at a premium.
Young pointed out Friday that even though he no longer has a baby face, he’s not a finished product. It’s clear the Wizards see his upside, too.
“When Michael [Winger] and I got here two-and-a-half seasons ago,” Dawkins said, “we wanted to emphasize a few things: the importance on remaining flexible throughout the rebuild, the importance of thinking and thinking in layers and stacking things up, and then I would say being opportunistic and doing that while finding players that fit toward our long-term vision, which is sustained success.
“And I think looking back on the trade, that reflects well on all those principles.”
Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards reacts on the bench with Bilal Coulibaly #0 and Khris Middleton #22 during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Capital One Arena on January 9, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Scott Taetsch via Getty Images
The franchise has won 50-plus games only five times, and not since 1978-79 when it was still going by the name “Washington Bullets.”
Despite a bundle of young talent — including Sarr and Coulibaly as well as second-year forward Kyshawn George, second-year guard Bub Carrington and rookie guard Tre Johnson — the Wizards are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings.
And yet Young was interested in taking his talents to D.C.
“There’s a lot of different directions I could have went as far as my goals and what I want my legacy to be at the end of the day,” he said.
“Just being able to have an impact on my teammates and people around me … being able to be a vet and doing it with these young guys here, I feel like I have more experience and more things that I can give these young guys.”
Young later said: “D.C. is overlooked as far as a big market. In the NBA, I feel like this is a big market. And I just feel like I’m being able to come into an opportunity to be myself. I’m around people that obviously have known me for a long time and know the type of person I am and the type of winner I want to be.”
Young makes jersey change, reminisces on John Wall days
Young is going from wearing No. 11, which he donned at Oklahoma and then with the Hawks, to wearing No. 3 with the Wizards.
It’s not a totally new number for him, though.
He told reporters Friday that he wore it during his freshman year of high school.
Young is turning back the clock, and he hopes to help return the Wizards to the success they enjoyed with Beal and, of course, five-time All-Star guard John Wall in the 2010s.
“I walked into the arena yesterday, and I was telling Will [Dawkins] how I want to see this place sold out,” Young said. “I remember seeing this place, and we’re about to retire John Wall’s jersey, and just seeing it as a kid packed out.
“I want to get it back to that. And it’s not just me. It’s going to be this team and everybody [as] a part of it. So I just am super excited to have this feeling. I’m glad that the fan base is excited, and we going to give them something to be excited about going forward.”
Those Beal-Wall teams maxed out at the Eastern Conference semis. Young went to the Eastern Conference finals during the 2020-21 season, his third in the league.
Now a veteran, Young wants to help the Wizards’ young core reach that stage, and then make a run at the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“I understand where we’re at right now and where we want to go. This is a day-by-day process,” he said.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead or set expectations on when this will happen because you never know. It happened faster than I expected in my last place. So you never know when it can happen. But if you focus on the daily stuff, I mean, things are going to work out.”
Trae Young spoke about running the pick-and-roll with Alex Sarr and throwing a lob to the second-year standout center. He discussed delivering passes to a cutting Bilal Coulibaly.
During the four-time All-Star point guard’s introductory Washington Wizards news conference ahead of Friday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the 27-year-old Young was visualizing what it will be like playing for his new team when he returns to the court.
Young is currently sidelined with a right quad contusion, and he missed 23 games earlier this season with an MCL sprain in his right knee that’s reportedly caused residual pain.
“Coming over here doing these physicals, they want to make sure I’m right and things like that,” Young said, alongside Wizards general manager Will Dawkins.
“I don’t want to come back and not be myself for this team and for this city. So I’ll just leave it up to them to make sure they let you know when I’m coming back — hopefully soon.”
The Dallas Mavericks selected Young No. 5 overall in the 2018 draft before immediately trading him and a first-round pick to the Hawks for the draft rights to Luka Dončić.
Young spent seven-plus seasons in Atlanta. He was eligible for a four-year extension, but the Hawks didn’t make him a long-term offer this past offseason. After leading the NBA in assists per game in 2024-25, Young is now in the fourth year of a five-year, $215 million deal.
He talked Friday about wanting to see through Capital One Arena renovations and how he’s taken notice of an organizational transformation under Dawkins and team president Michael Winger.
“Just being able to watch from afar and just some of the pieces that they’ve gotten since [Dawkins and Winger have] been here and the headaches I’ve had these last couple of times playing against them, you kind of see the difference and feel the difference from the way they play.”
Young added, regarding the Wizards’ franchise: “It’s on its way up, and I hope I’m a piece of this puzzle on the way up with it.”
Why the Wizards traded for Young
Dawkins and Young go way back.
Before Dawkins became the Wizards’ GM in 2023, he spent 15 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, ultimately serving as the team’s vice president of basketball operations from 2020-23.
Young, who played at Norman North High School before starring at nearby University of Oklahoma, went to his fair share of OKC games when he was growing up.
“Probably saw him come to one of our games when he was like 12, 13 years old, and people are like, ‘Hey, he’s a young talent.'” Dawkins said.
“There’s a lot of ties there being in Oklahoma City. It’s a small town. He’s from Norman. My wife’s from Norman. Her whole family lives there. He went to OU. My wife’s family all works at OU, went to OU. So I’ve known him for a very long time. When you’re in a city like that, and you have the player of the year-type candidates in high school and college, it’s very easy to see him.”
Dawkins continued: “So you see him in the different gyms, and then you learn his family and you know what he’s about and you know the fiber that he comes from. Always kept in touch with the family, kept in touch with him once he became a professional player and watched him through the ranks.”
Dawkins described trading for Young this season as an “easy decision.”
The Wizards haven’t had an All-Star since Bradley Beal in 2021. Young hasn’t gone two straight seasons without earning that recognition in his career.
He’s criticized for his defense, and the value of his offense has been questioned in a league where points no longer come at a premium.
Young pointed out Friday that even though he no longer has a baby face, he’s not a finished product. It’s clear the Wizards see his upside, too.
“When Michael [Winger] and I got here two-and-a-half seasons ago,” Dawkins said, “we wanted to emphasize a few things: the importance on remaining flexible throughout the rebuild, the importance of thinking and thinking in layers and stacking things up, and then I would say being opportunistic and doing that while finding players that fit toward our long-term vision, which is sustained success.
“And I think looking back on the trade, that reflects well on all those principles.”
Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards reacts on the bench with Bilal Coulibaly #0 and Khris Middleton #22 during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Capital One Arena on January 9, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Scott Taetsch via Getty Images
The franchise has won 50-plus games only five times, and not since 1978-79 when it was still going by the name “Washington Bullets.”
Despite a bundle of young talent — including Sarr and Coulibaly as well as second-year forward Kyshawn George, second-year guard Bub Carrington and rookie guard Tre Johnson — the Wizards are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings.
And yet Young was interested in taking his talents to D.C.
“There’s a lot of different directions I could have went as far as my goals and what I want my legacy to be at the end of the day,” he said.
“Just being able to have an impact on my teammates and people around me … being able to be a vet and doing it with these young guys here, I feel like I have more experience and more things that I can give these young guys.”
Young later said: “D.C. is overlooked as far as a big market. In the NBA, I feel like this is a big market. And I just feel like I’m being able to come into an opportunity to be myself. I’m around people that obviously have known me for a long time and know the type of person I am and the type of winner I want to be.”
Young makes jersey change, reminisces on John Wall days
Young is going from wearing No. 11, which he donned at Oklahoma and then with the Hawks, to wearing No. 3 with the Wizards.
It’s not a totally new number for him, though.
He told reporters Friday that he wore it during his freshman year of high school.
Young is turning back the clock, and he hopes to help return the Wizards to the success they enjoyed with Beal and, of course, five-time All-Star guard John Wall in the 2010s.
“I walked into the arena yesterday, and I was telling Will [Dawkins] how I want to see this place sold out,” Young said. “I remember seeing this place, and we’re about to retire John Wall’s jersey, and just seeing it as a kid packed out.
“I want to get it back to that. And it’s not just me. It’s going to be this team and everybody [as] a part of it. So I just am super excited to have this feeling. I’m glad that the fan base is excited, and we going to give them something to be excited about going forward.”
Those Beal-Wall teams maxed out at the Eastern Conference semis. Young went to the Eastern Conference finals during the 2020-21 season, his third in the league.
Now a veteran, Young wants to help the Wizards’ young core reach that stage, and then make a run at the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“I understand where we’re at right now and where we want to go. This is a day-by-day process,” he said.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead or set expectations on when this will happen because you never know. It happened faster than I expected in my last place. So you never know when it can happen. But if you focus on the daily stuff, I mean, things are going to work out.”
The former Mets right-hander has signed a deal with the Cardinals, according to multiple reports.
Stanek, who was traded to the Mets in mid-2024 from the Mariners, had an up-and-down tenure in Flushing. Stanek made 17 appearances with the Mets in 2024, pitching to a 6.06 ERA. He appeared in seven games that postseason, allowing three runs in eight innings (3.38 ERA). Stanek elected free agency after the season, but the Mets brought him back on a one-year deal.
In 2025, Stanek made 65 appearances, pitching to a 5.30 ERA and even recording three saves for the Mets.
There was always a possibility the Mets could have brought Stanek back, especially with Edwin Diaz taking his talents to Los Angeles, but David Stearns had already brought in two high-profile free agent relievers in Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
Stanek joins Tyler Rogers (Blue Jays), Ryan Helsley (Orioles), Danny Young (Braves), Gregory Soto (Pirates) and the aforementioned Diaz as 2025 Mets relievers who are no longer with the team.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is one of the NBA’s most electrifying athletes. He is a blur with the ball. As he rises, there is no telling how he will score, only that it requires a great deal of contortion.
There is no telling how he will land, either. He has missed 190 games in his seven-year career and played more than 63 games in a season just once, his rookie year, when he missed a handful of games to injury. He has missed time in three of his four playoff appearances, all but one of which ended in the first round.
Morant has also been banned from the team on multiple occasions. He was twice suspended during the 2023-24 campaign for flashing guns on Instagram live videos, and he served a one-game suspension earlier this season for conduct detrimental to the team after allegedly challenging his coaches both publicly and privately.
When first-year Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo challenged Morant’s “leadership and effort” following a 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 31, he reportedly “responded in a tone deemed inappropriate and dismissive.” The two-time All-Star told reporters, “According to [the coaching staff], probably don’t play me, honestly. That’s basically what the message was. It’s cool.”
All of which is to say: The Grizzlies have faced a considerable conundrum. On one hand, Morant is a franchise cornerstone, one of the few potential faces of the league, and he has won 60% of his games, so long as Jaren Jackson Jr. is at his side. On the other, how do you trust him to fulfill his commitment to the team?
Surely, the Grizzlies would entertain serious offers, if only to avoid more headaches, but how will the rest of the NBA respond to his availability? Every other team knows the injury and attitude issues that have led to his undependability.
At the same time, every other team knows Morant’s contract situation. He is owed $42 million next season and $45 million for the 2027-28 campaign — about 25% of the salary cap going forward, or a fairly affordable figure. He is eligible for a massive contract extension at season’s end, when it is unclear if the Grizzlies will offer him one, and has been since June, per Substack insider Marc Stein. Sharks will circle.
Which team would be willing to take the risk?
“Many would be interested,” a league source recently said.
The Rockets and Timberwolves are both in need of a point guard. Would the Suns want to pair Morant with Devin Booker to forge one of the league’s most formidable backcourts? Might the Brooklyn Nets want their first building block for the next iteration of their super-team strategy? Countless teams find themselves in similar situations.
So, the interest could be widespread, if the Grizzlies ultimately decide that, while Morant may still be an All-NBA talent, he might not be one again for Memphis.
Trae Young’s time with the Atlanta Hawks is officially over. The Hawks and Washington Wizards announced Young’s trade shortly after the star guard posted a farewell to Atlanta.
“I’m walking into this next chapter with my head high and my eyes forward,” Young wrote on social media. “It’s time to see what’s possible when the support is real and the vision is clear. We move.”
In exchange for Young, the Hawks receive C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert, with no draft picks in either direction. Young is in his eighth season and had spent his entire career with the Hawks before being moved.
The deal was executed during a Hawks home game, while Young was on the team’s bench in street clothes. He quickly exited the court after receiving some last-second well wishes from teammates.
Trae Young leaves mid-game after his trade announcement 🥲
After playing in the first five games of the 2025-26 NBA season, Young missed the next 23 games with an MCL sprain. The Hawks went 13–10 without him, though he returned in mid-December. The 27-year-old dropped eight points and had 10 assists in his first game back, but has missed several games this month due to a right quad contusion.
The change of scenery for Young allows the Hawks to build around the core of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who are all signed through at least the 2027–28 season.
Young was not extended this offseason and is in his fourth year of a five-year, $215 million deal with the Hawks. He was eligible for a four-year extension, but Atlanta didn’t make him a long-term offer. He is making $46 million this season with a player option for $49 million next season.
The Hawks last made the playoffs in 2023, when they lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics.
The Wizards have a new star in Trae Young. Can they succeed where the Hawks didn’t?
Without context, this is an odd deal. Young led the NBA in assists per game last season and was basically salary-dumped. The Hawks got back two players whose main appeal was making the trade work. An actual NBA All-Star in his 20s requested a trade to the Wizards.
All of that reflects how much the Young era seemed to run its course in Atlanta. Yes, few players in the NBA combine scoring and facilitating like Young, but his limitations have only become more evident with time, and his offensive value never made the Hawks an actual playoff threat outside of a fluky Eastern Conference finals run in 2021.
This season, Atlanta is 2-8 in games with Young and 15-13 in games without him, leaning instead on players like Johnson and Daniels. And with McCollum and Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks have two large expiring deals that will let them be aggressive in free agency.
So the Hawks opted to move on with what’s been working and get out of Young’s contract. The Wizards didn’t mind the discount price, but what happens next depends on Young. The 27-year-old guard has the $49 million player option for next season and could theoretically hit free agency this summer, but the fact the Wizards were his preferred destination makes a longer-term deal feel likely.
At 10-26, the Wizards have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. They have some interesting talent for Young to work alongside in the short term, and also a significant amount of cap space and draft capital this offseason. The team hasn’t had an All-Star since Bradley Beal in 2021 and will be hoping Young can fill that void.
Pribula is expected to arrive in Knoxville as early as Jan. 10. He would be the second quarterback in the transfer portal to visit UT, following Leavitt.
Pribula is looking for his third school. He spent two seasons at Penn State and then started for Missouri in 2025. He completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,941 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games for the Tigers. And he rushed for 297 yards and six TDs.
Pribula is a 6-foot-2, 212-pounder from York, Pennsylvania. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
How Tennessee considers Beau Pribula, Sam Leavitt, Joey Aguilar
Tennessee needs a quarterback to start in 2026 while George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon develop. Coach Josh Heupel prefers transfer with only one season of eligibility, so the job can go to MacIntyre or Brandon in 2027.
MacIntyre is a former four-star recruit who will be a redshirt freshman in 2026. Brandon is a five-star signee enrolling at UT in January.
Leavitt, the Arizona State transfer, has two seasons of eligibility. But he could be an NFL prospect in the 2027 draft. As the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the portal, Leavitt is considering Tennessee, LSU, Miami and possibly Oregon.
Aguilar has no eligibility remaining, but he is trying to gain an additional year as a plaintiff on Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s federal lawsuit against the NCAA that challenges eligibility rules involving former junior college players.
There’s no resolution in that case. But on Jan. 12, Judge William Campbell, NCAA attorneys and lawyers representing Aguilar and other players will hold a conference call, according to court records obtained by Knox News. The reason for the meeting is unknown, but it could impact Aguilar’s eligibility.
Leavitt and Aguilar would be Tennessee’s surefire starter in the 2026 season if given the opportunity.
If UT gets Pribula, it likely would be a closer competition with MacIntyre and Brandon. MacIntyre has spent one year in Heupel’s offense, and Brandon is an exceptional talent. Pribula would be the frontrunner, but he’d have to earn the job.
The transfer portal closes Jan. 16 to new players entering it. Tennessee could still get a quarterback after that date, but there are few good options.
Why she was selected: She scored 19 points in a 46-39 comeback win over Stark County and helped the Steamers go 3-1 at Erie-Prophetstown’s Cliff Warkins Memorial Classic. Fulton trailed 19-4 before playing its way back to a win. The Steamers have won five of their last six games.
Hayton is the Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week. Here is a Q&A with the sophomore standout.
How did you first get into basketball?
Hayton: I have played basketball for as long as I can remember. I started in rec leagues and always played with my brother growing up.
What do you like about basketball? Have you learned anything from it?
Hayton: I like how competitive and fast-paced it is. Basketball has taught me resilience, discipline and how to be a good teammate.
Any specific strengths you feel you have? Anything specifically you have worked at improving this year? What things do you attribute your success to?
Hayton: My biggest strength is shooting. This year, I have been working on driving to the basket more. I attribute my success to listening to my coaches and always trying to improve every day.
What stands out about this year’s team?
Hayton: We work well together and push each other to be better.
Any highlights or standout moments for you and the team so far this season?
Hayton: Going 3-1 at the Warkins tournament.
What are your goals this season? Does the team have any goals?
Hayton: My goal is to attack the hoop more. As a team, winning conference was one of our main goals.
Do you have a favorite athlete, sports team or anyone else that inspires you?
Hayton: Caitlin Clark
Any other sports, hobbies or activities you are involved in?
Hayton: Volleyball, track and softball.
Do you have a favorite book or quote?
Hayton: “Success is not given, it is earned. You have to put in the work and stay focused on your goals.” — Caitlin Clark
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans met with Jason Garrett in person Friday, making the former Dallas Cowboys coach and current broadcaster the sixth candidate interviewed in the team’s search for a new head coach, according to a person familiar with the interview schedule.
The team also interviewed Denver defensive coordinator Vance Joseph on Wednesday, Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo all virtually, the person confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Titans are not commenting on individual interviews during the search.
Garrett, 59, has an 85-67 record over his 10 seasons with Dallas, and he is 2-3 in the playoffs. After he left Dallas following the 2019 season, he was offensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 2020 and 2021. He has been a broadcaster with NBC Sports since 2022.
That person also confirmed that the Titans requested an interview with Mike McDaniel, fired by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday. The Titans earlier Friday requested interviews with Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
That puts the Titans’ list of candidates at 15 with requests in to interview Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
NFL rules limit when teams can talk to coaches whose teams are currently in the playoffs. Coaches in the wild-card round can do a virtual interview of up to three hours beginning Tuesday, except for Smith who can’t until Wednesday with Pittsburgh playing Monday night.
This is the first coaching search being run by first-time general manager Mike Borgonzi, hired less than a year ago by the Titans. Tennessee is mired in a skid of four straight losing seasons. ___
Indiana football did not waste any time making a statement in its first College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.
On the first play from scrimmage of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hoosiers’ defensive back D’Angelo Ponds picked off Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and returned it 25 yards into the end zone for a walk-in pick-6.
Ponds’ pick-6 gave the top-seeded Hoosiers an early 7-0 lead over the Ducks in the Peach Bowl.
Indiana is looking to break a CFP trend in the Peach Bowl, which is how regular-season rematches in the CFP play out. A win on Jan. 9 would make Indiana just the second team to beat the same team in the regular season and in the CFP in the same season.
A win for the Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl would also send them to their first-ever CFP Championship game, where they would face No. 10 Miami on Monday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
