USATSI Former Mississippi State running back Dontae Walker has died, the university announced Saturday. Walker was a Mississippi high school football star who played 41 games for the Bulldogs over four seasons, finishing with 1,875 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns. Walker’s best seasons with the Bulldogs came during his sophomore and junior campaigns, and the most memorable play from his …

Five 49ers to watch in Week 17 game vs. revenge-seeking Lions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The rematch of the NFC Championship Game will look nothing like last season’s NFC Championship Game. The 49ers rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit for a 34-31 victory on Jan. 28 at Levi’s Stadium to advance to the Super Bowl. This season, they …

Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski answer questions from the local news media during the first press conferences for the 2023 football season on August 1, 2023. The Texas Longhorns secured a spot in the Peach Bowl by defeating the Clemson Tigers at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. However, with every win, lessons are still to be learned, and defensive …

Saturday’s showdown between the Bengals and Broncos will feel like a playoff game because, in many ways, that’s exactly what it is for both teams, especially for the home team.  The Bengals’ playoff hopes are best summarized by Lloyd Christmas’ famous quote from the comedy classic “Dumb and Dumber.” Yes, the Bengals have a chance at making the playoffs, but …

No. 13 Miami and No. 18 Iowa State will clash in one of only three bowl games outside the College Football Playoff including two ranked teams. As you’d expect in this situation, it’s also a battle between two teams who came up just short of their goals. Miami began its season with nine straight wins. It was a favorite to …

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is back after briefly exiting today’s game for a concussion evaluation. Maye was hit hard in the head along the sideline and went to the locker room to get checked out. Jacoby Brissett replaced him, and the Patriots’ offense went three-and-out on Brissett’s lone drive. But once Maye was cleared to return, he got back on …

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN announcer Jordan Rodgers before the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images It’s college football bowl season in 2024! Woohoo! And in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl taking place in Orlando, we’ve got Iowa State playing against Miami — the Hurricanes are ranked No. 13 in the country, and …

Breer: Patriots must ‘modernize,’ add to front office around Wolf originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston It’s no secret the New England Patriots must improve their roster this upcoming offseason, but some of the most impactful changes could be made in the front office. When the Patriots moved on from Bill Belichick last winter, they lost a legendary head coach …

More than 60% of Power Four quarterbacks were transfers at one point in their career. That percentage has carried over into the College Football Playoff, where five of the eight starters in the quarterfinals — everyone but Gunner Stockton (Georgia), Drew Allar (Penn State) and Maddux Madsen (Boise State) — are former transfers.  So how did their portal recruitments go …

Getty Images The NFC West has been tight all season, but finally some separation has occurred with the playoffs on the horizon. The Los Angeles Rams bested the New York Jets in Week 16 to win their fourth straight, securing a division lead with two games to go. The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, failed to outlast the Carolina Panthers in overtime …

Photo: Isaiah Hole TAMPA, Fla. — Everyone was waiting for the ‘O.G.’ of the Michigan football defense to show up as he had in his previous roles, and as Wink Martindale tells it, things started to click for the Wolverines defensively in the second half of the Oregon game. That led to closer-than-expected games against Indiana and Ohio State, with the …

Drake Maye has injury scare in Patriots-Chargers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Saturday’s game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers couldn’t have gotten off to a much worse start for the New England Patriots. Their prized rookie quarterback Drake Maye took a helmet-to-helmet hit while scrambling near the sideline just five minutes into the first quarter. He briefly went under …

Cam Ward might be playing in Miami’s Pop-Tarts Bowl, but it seems he’ll be without his favorite receiver. Xavier Restrepo announced hours before the slated bowl game kickoff against Iowa State that he was declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft. Though he didn’t mention the game in his post, it likely means he has opted out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl. …

USATSI We are getting closer and closer to finalizing the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025. On Saturday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame released their 15 modern-era finalists — a list that started with 167 nominees, before being cut to 50, then to 25 and now, 15.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee may elect …

The No. 22 Army Black Knights and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are set to square off in the 2024 Independence Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 28. Army enters at 11-2 but is coming off a loss in the historic Army vs. Navy Game, falling 31-13, on Dec. 14. Louisiana Tech enters at 5-7 and coming off a 33-0 win over Kennesaw State …