Eagles to rest some starters in finale with No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs at stake

Washington (4-12) at Philadelphia (11-5)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 3 1/2.

Against the Spread: Commanders 6-10; Eagles 10-6

Series record: Commanders lead 89-85-5

Last meeting: Saquon Barkley ran for 132 yards and a touchdown, Jalen Hurts passed for 185 yards and two scores and the Eagles clinched the NFC East with a 29-18 win at Washington on Dec. 20.

Last week: Commanders lost Cowboys 30-23; Eagles beat 13-12.

Commanders offense: overall (21), rush (4), pass (24), scoring (24).

Commanders defense: overall (31), rush (31), pass (28), scoring (27).

Eagles offense: overall (24), rush (18), pass (23), scoring (19).

Eagles defense: overall (13), rush (T-20), pass (9), scoring (3).

Turnover differential: Commanders minus-12; Eagles plus-5.

Commanders players to watch

QB Josh Johnson. The 39-year-old third-stringer will start for the Commanders, who are eliminated from the playoffs. The veteran has played for 14 NFL teams but will be making just his 11th career start on Sunday. He replaced injured Marcus Mariota in the first meeting between the teams and completed 5 of 9 passes for 43 yards with a key interception. With Mariota sidelined, Johnson started in the Commanders' 30-23 loss to Dallas on Christmas and went 15 for 23 for 198 yards. Jayden Daniels was shut down by Washington after a series of injuries.

Eagles player to watch

QB Tanner McKee. With Philadelphia set on resting many starters while looking ahead to the playoffs, McKee likely will be under center in place of Jalen Hurts. A sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Stanford, McKee has thrown for 356 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in limited action in his two-year career.

Key matchup

Washington coach Dan Quinn vs. the Eagles

Quinn was not happy following the first meeting between the teams after the Eagles converted a 2-point conversion with 4:26 remaining to take a 29-10 lead. "If that's how they want to get down, all good," Quinn said when asked whether Eagles coach Nick Sirianni's choice to try to add on those two points instead of kicking for one was disrespectful. "We'll play them again in two weeks." The game got chippy after Philadelphia's conversion, with three players getting ejected following a brawl. Sirianni has downplayed any retribution when asked this week about the situation, mentioning the respect he has for Quinn and the Commanders.

Key injuries

Commanders: Mariota (quad) and LT Laremy Tunsil (oblique) are out.

Eagles: LB Nakobe Dean (hamstring) did not play in Sunday's 13-12 win at Buffalo and is out. Also out are defensive lineman Jalen Carter, tight end Dallas Goedert and offensive lineman Lane Johnson.

Series notes

The teams met last season in the NFC championship game, with Barkley rushing for 118 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' 55-23 win in Philadelphia.

Stats and stuff

Commanders: Mariota has made eight starts and 11 appearances this season because of injuries to starting QB Jayden Daniels and has thrown for 1,695 yards and 10 touchdowns. Daniels, the AP's 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, started just seven games but left three early and was shut down for the final four games of the season. … Washington has lost 10 of its past 11 games, including five by at least 20 points. … Rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries against Dallas last week, upping his team-leading rushing totals to 776 yards and eight touchdowns. … Deebo Samuel tops Washington's receivers, with 707 yards and five TDs, with Terry McLaurin just behind at 525 yards and three scores. … CB Mike Sainristill had a team-best four interceptions and Von Miller a team-leading eight sacks. DT Jer'Zhan Newton sacked the Cowboys' Dak Prescott three times last week, bringing the second-year player's total to five sacks on the season.

Eagles: Philadelphia could get the No. 2 seed with a win and a Bears loss to Detroit on Sunday, which would result in the Eagles hosting Green Bay in the wild-card round. The Eagles can finish no worse than the No. 3 seed, via either a loss to the Commanders or a Chicago victory over the Lions, in which case they would host either the Rams or 49ers. … Philadelphia will be making its fifth straight postseason appearance, tying the club record set between 2000–04. … Philadelphia is tied for sixth in the league in turnover margin (plus-5) and is 42-2 under Sirianni, including 8-0 this season, when winning the turnover battle. … Philadelphia's defense has been strong of late and leads the NFL in both opponent passing completion rate (56.5 percent) and opponent passing touchdowns (13). … LB Zack Baun has a team-best 123 tackles, along with 3 1/2 sacks and three takeaways. … OLB Jalyx Hunt has a team-best 6 1/2 sacks, with DT Moro Ojomo just behind at six sacks. … After slow starts, Barkley has rushed for 1,140 yards and WR A.J. Brown has 1,003 receiving yards. Brown is the only player in club history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in four consecutive seasons. … Dallas Goedert set a club record for tight ends last week against the Bills when he made his 11th touchdown reception of the season. … WR DeVonta Smith has 956 receiving yards and four touchdowns. … Philadelphia's offense leads the league in red zone touchdown rate at 70.7 percent. … Hurts most likely will be watching from the sideline after a regular season in which he passed for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns. His 33 total touchdowns rank fifth in the NFL.

Fantasy tip

McKee has shown to be an adequate backup when given opportunities, and the Eagles' backups likely will be hungry to show they belong in the NFL, especially with a chance to earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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January 02, 2026

Eagles to rest some starters in finale with No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs at stake

Washington (4-12) at Philadelphia (11-5) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 3 1/2. Against ...

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Parachutist Has Rough Landing After Seemingly Getting Caught by a Wire During Armed Forces Bowl Pre-Game

NEED TO KNOW

• The Armed Forces Bowl between Rice University and Texas State took place on Friday, Jan. 2

• During the preshow, there was a mishap involving the parachuting team called the All Veteran Group (AVG)

• The AVG said everyone was okay following the incident

Spectators at the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Friday, Jan. 2, were expecting to see a game between Rice University and Texas State. The game did take place, but after a shocking incident involving a parachutist.

According to avideo posted on Xby Keff Ciardello of theSan Antonio Express-News, a pre-show involving five parachutists ended with one landing outside the stadium while another, as captured in the clip, landed behind the end zone and onto the portion of the field that separates the stands from the field.

The person's parachute seemed to be caught by a wire, which ultimately left them suspended in the air for about a half-second before falling, theAustin American-StatesmanandCleveland.comreported, citing officials at the game.

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A spokesperson for the Armed Forces Bowl toldUSA TODAY Sportsthat "the parachutist immediately got up and off the field on his own power and no one on the ground was injured."

Information about the parachuter, including their name and age, was not immediately available, Drew Harris, the media director for the bowl game, told theAustin American-Statesman.

No injuries were reported among the fans or players on the ground, and the game started without a delay, Cleveland.com reported.

The parachutists were part of the All Veteran Group (AVG), which has been operating since 2011, according to itswebsite.

Mike Elliott, the AVG's team president, filmed a video onFacebookexplaining what happened, noting that "today the winds were a little tricky and one of the jumpers kind of got behind the power curve."

"He did the best that he could do," said Elliott. "He did not land in the crowd. He did land behind the goal post, but without a scratch, he walked away."

Elliott said that he wanted to let everyone know that the All Veteran Group is "100% no injuries and were just happy to be here supporting the Armed Forces Bowl."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The team reiterated the same sentiments in the caption of the post, writing, "If you haven't seen it yet, one of our jumpers had a hard landing today. He is ok. Hard as nails. And he did NOT land in the crowd. No one was hurt."

PEOPLE has reached out to a representative of the Armed Forces Bowl for comment.

Read the original article onPeople

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January 02, 2026

Parachutist Has Rough Landing After Seemingly Getting Caught by a Wire During Armed Forces Bowl Pre-Game

NEED TO KNOW The Armed Forces Bowl between Rice University and Texas State took place on Friday, Jan. 2 During the preshow, there was a mi...

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Anthony Joshua's driver faces 4 charges for fatal crash in Nigeria

Kayode Adeniyi, the driver involved in the crash that injured two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua and killed two members of his training team, was charged with four counts related to the Dec. 29 incident in Ogun State, Nigeria, on Friday.

Adeniyi was charged at Sagamu Magistrates' Court with counts of dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care or attention causing bodily harm and damage to property and driving without a valid national driver's license.

He pleaded not guilty to all four charges and was released on bail of 5,000,000 Naira ($3,480) ahead of his Jan. 20 trial date.

Joshua was briefly hospitalized after the incident before he was released on Wednesday. Personal trainer Latif Ayodele and strength coach Sini Ghami were the two members of Joshua's party who were killed.

A preliminary investigation indicated that Joshua's car, which was being driven by Adeniyi, was "over-speeding" when a tire burst, leading to loss of control of the SUV, which crashed into a stationary vehicle.

The incident occurred while Joshua was on vacation after his sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul on Netflix on Dec. 19.

--Field Level Media

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January 02, 2026

Anthony Joshua's driver faces 4 charges for fatal crash in Nigeria

Kayode Adeniyi, the driver involved in the crash that injured two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshu...

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Could Michael Porter Jr. be on the move ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline?

Since the unofficial start of the NBA's trade season on Dec. 15, much of the discussion surrounding which players might be on the move has focused on perennial All-Star and All-NBA-caliber performers with marquee names: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Ja Morant, et al. But with the Feb. 5 trade deadline now just over a month away, it seems like there's an increasing level of interest around the league in the availability of — and the potential market for — Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Justsix months ago, the Nuggets sent the Nets an unprotected 2032 first-round draft pick to take on the final two years and $79.1 million of the five-year rookie-scale-maximum contract thatPorter signed in the summer of 2021. After an excellent start to his tenure in Brooklyn, though — one that has seen him play his way intopotential All-Star consideration— Porter may well have gone from distressed asset into in-demand target.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports that the Nets have shown a willingness to"listen to pitches"on their veteran players, including Porter, but they haven't been"actively shopping"the 27-year-old swingman. It's entirely possible that, asESPN's Shams Charaniaand others have reported, the Nets eschew a big move in favor of just continuing to serve as a cap-space-renting waystation for other teams looking to get off money and willing to pay with draft picks to do so.

If and when conversations begin to perk up over the next few weeks, though,Fischer highlighted several teams to keep an eye onin the potential running for Porter's services: the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls. All four prospective suitors make at least some sense.

[Get more Nets news: Brooklyn team feed]

According to multiple reports, despite a dismal 14-20 start that currently has them outside the East's play-in spots, the Bucks' braintrust continues to signal an intent to try to add talent at the deadline rather than detonating their build through any much-rumored-but-never-actually-consummated blockbuster that sends Antetokounmpo away from Milwaukee. While the Pistons sit atop the Eastern standings, they're a middling 10-7 since their scorching 15-2 start, ranking 25th or worse in theshare of their shots that come from 3-point range,team 3-point accuracyandhalf-court scoring efficiencyin that span, according to Cleaning the Glass.

The Warriors, similarly, have struggled mightily to find a consistent secondary source of offense beyond the seemingly ageless Stephen Curry. And while attempting to discern the motivations behind the machinations in Chicago has long been a mug's game,Fischer notes that the Bulls and Nuggets had "serious discussions"about a swap that would've landed Porter in the Windy City before pivoting and shipping Zach LaVine to Sacramento; it's at least possible a fresh round of discussions could be struck up with Brooklyn brass, if Chicago's decision-makers are still fond of Porter's talent.

And judging by what he's put on film this season, they — and plenty of other front offices around the league — should be.

Porter's averaging a career-high 25.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 58% on 2-pointers, 41% from 3-point land on more than nine attempts per game, and 81.2% from the free-throw line. There are only 14 NBA players this season averaging at least 25 points per game on .600 true shooting, according toStathead— a list that includes five MVPs (Curry, Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, James Harden), three multi-time All-NBA selections (Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards, Donovan Mitchell) and two former All-Stars (Lauri Markkanen, Tyrese Maxey). Porter is on that list.

That'sthe kind of company Porter's been keeping offensively this season — the cream of the crop of high-volume, high-efficiency point producers. He has also more than doubled his previous career-best assist rate, dishing the helper on nearly 20% of his teammates' baskets during his floor time, and is clearing the defensive boards more consistently than he has since his rookie season. And while he's not a top-flight defender on an individual basis, Porterhasshown a capacity to play his part in a defense playing at a top-flight level. Sinceshifting to supersized long-ball lineupsfeaturing Porter at small forward alongside the 6-foot-11 Nic Claxton and 6-10 Noah Clowney up front with 6-8 rookie Egor Dёmin and 6-6 vet Terance Mann in the backcourt, with plenty of size coming off the bench, Brooklyn ownsthe NBA's No. 3 defense since the start of December— all with Porterleading the team in minutes.

Add it all up, and by a handful of metrics —estimated plus-minus,value over replacement player,box plus-minusandplayer efficiency rating, among others — Porter has performed like a top-20-to-30 player in the NBA this season. A 6-10 sharpshooter who can contribute in a smaller role, can scale up his usage without a drop in efficiency, can cook with the ball in his handsandopen up both your playbook and the rest of the floor for his teammateswith his off-ball activity and gravitywould seem to have a lot of value around the league if he actually hits the market. Whether the fact that Porter's under contract for$40.8 million next seasonmakes him more attractive (not a rental!) or less attractive (big chunk of money on the books for a guy with persistent back problems and adrop-footissue!) likely lies in the eye of the would-be suitor.

The question the Nets have to answer between now and Feb. 5: Is this as good (and as healthy) as Porter's likely to be, making it the ideal time to sell high and try to getmoredraft capital and/or young talent for him in the perpetual game of asset arbitrage that rebuilding teams must play? Or is this really who Porter is, and what he can consistently be in Jordi Fernández's system — and, thus, maybe an ideal play-finishing building block for the upwardly mobile team that Sean Marks and Co. are trying to build with all those big, young playmakers?

The answer will likely depend on a number of factors: how Porter plays over the next month; how many teams think of themselves as just one moderately sized swing from playing more meaningful basketball come springtime; how motivated Brooklyn's front office is to do whatever it can to improve the chances of landing as high in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, given the fact that the Netsdocontrol their own first-round pick this summer, anddon'tcontrol it in 2027. (Though, asBrian Lewis of the New York Post notes, there could be other paths to dropping in the standings that don't include re-routing MPJ before February.)

Ultimately, though, it likely depends primarily on just how hefty a price other teams signal they'd be willing to pay for Porter.Fischer reports that"re-tradable salary and a future first-round pick … might not be enough" to pry him away mid-season, given the possibility that the Nets might have their sights set on making bigger, more aggressive additions to their roster come the summer — moves that might require a significant salary like Porter's as a financial make-weight. If someone ponies up a Mikal Bridges/Desmond Bane-style package of several legit first-round picks, then Porter will likely finish the season in a different uniform.

If not? Well, continuing to employ a top-25-to-35 player who fits what you want to do, and whoalreadynetted you an unprotected future first, doesn't seem like too bad a deal — even if it means one fewer potential deal for NBA observers to obsess over.

byAdministrator

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January 02, 2026

Could Michael Porter Jr. be on the move ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline?

Since the unofficial start of the NBA's trade season on Dec. 15, much of the discussion surrounding which players mig...

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Final week of the NFL's regular season arrives with No. 1 seeds still undecided in AFC and NFC

The NFL'sregular season has reached its final weekend with plenty undecided in terms of the playoff picture, including the No. 1 seed in both theAFCandNFC.

Here's what to watch over the next few days:

AFC playoff picture

The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars all have a shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which includes a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the playoffs.

The Broncos (13-3) have the clearest path — if they beat the Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) on Sunday, they'll earn the top seed. They could also sneak into the top spot depending on the results for the Patriots and Jaguars.

The easiest way for the Patriots (13-3) to earn the top spot is to beat the Miami Dolphins (7-9) on Sunday and hope the Broncos lose to the Chargers. There are also a few unlikely scenarios — including ties in Week 18 — where they could clinch.

The only way the Jaguars (12-4) will be the No. 1 seed is if they beat the Tennessee Titans (3-13) on Sunday and the Broncos and Patriots both lose. Jacksonville can also clinch the AFC South with a win.

The Houston Texans (11-5) are still in the mix for the AFC South title if they can beat the Indianapolis Colts (8-8) and the Jaguars lose.

The Baltimore Ravens (8-8) and Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) are fighting for the AFC North title and the final AFC playoff spot on Sunday. The Steelers need to win or tie while the Ravens have to win.

NFC playoff picture

The Seattle Seahawks (13-3) face the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) on Saturday night with the NFC's No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage on the line. The Seahawks have to win or tie while the 49ers must win.

The Carolina Panthers (8-8) face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) on Saturday for the NFC South title and final NFC playoff spot. Carolina's easiest path is to beat or tie the Bucs, but the Panthers could also sneak into the playoff field if they lose and the Atlanta Falcons (7-9) beat the New Orleans Saints (6-11).

Tampa Bay must beat Carolina and then hope the Falcons lose or tie.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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January 02, 2026

Final week of the NFL's regular season arrives with No. 1 seeds still undecided in AFC and NFC

The NFL'sregular season has reached its final weekend with plenty undecided in terms of the playoff picture, includin...

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Heave and hope: How Ole Miss pulled off one of the wildest College Football Playoff wins ever

NEW ORLEANS — The best stories are those unexpected.

The ones that defy logic, that go against every prediction or prognostication. This isn't only in sports, but in life as well. The moments we least expect are often the most bewildering, shocking and altogether fascinating of our fleeting time on this earth.

This year, in this college football season, in, of all states, Mississippi and of all teams, the Ole Miss Rebels, there is an unexpected story — improbable, unprecedented, incredible really.

On New Year's Day night inside a rocking Louisiana Superdome, the latest chapter of this confounding tale played out in a football game that delivered some entirely unlikely Mardi Gras magic to this party place.

With a former Division II quarterback and a head coach in his first month on the job, the Ole Miss Rebels, a touchdown underdog playing against the country's latest perennial power, with a staff of a half-dozen coaches bound for their conference rival, that Ole Miss team, the one left in the dust by Lane Kiffin, the center of perhaps the most unprecedented coaching move in college football history, that one, these Rebels, they did it.

Ole Miss beat Georgia, 39-34, to advance to theCollege Football Playoff semifinalagainst 10th-seeded Miami (12-2) in the Fiesta Bowl next Thursday — one win away from an unthinkable scenario and something that hasn't happened in more than 60 years: the Rebels playing for a national championship.

How they did it — with their former head coach an hour away in Baton Rouge, a quarterback who few knew just a year ago and a big-legged transfer kicker from Western Kentucky — is one of the most stunning happenings in the history of the sport.

"It's incredibly hard to put it in words," says Glenn Boyce, the Ole Miss chancellor, nearly in tears amid the on-field celebration. "The way you hold something like this together is, sure, leadership and leadership matters, but here's the other way: these players."

The players had been forgotten, victims of the giant shadow created by Kiffin's departure, resulting in one of the most bizarre staffing structures ever seen: Two former LSU staff members are now at Ole Miss and at least six future LSU staff members are still coaching the Rebels.

Caught in between the bickering adults is a group of players that helped sixth-seeded Ole Miss (13-1) storm back on Thursday from a nine-point second-half deficit against the third-seeded and SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs (12-2).

There's quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a former Division II passer who tore through Georgia's defense for 362 yards and two touchdowns and, in his final heave, found receiver De'Zhaun Stribling for 40 yards to set up the game-winning 47-yard field goal from another unlikely star, transfer kicker Lucas Carneiro, who swung that leg of his to field goals of 57 and 55 yards as well.

How about receiver Harrison Wallace? He caught nine passes on this night for 156 yards. There was also running back Kewan Lacy, banged up enough that in the post-game locker room he reminded a reporter not to tap too hard on that injured shoulder of his. He didn't seem hurt between the lines, gouging UGA for 98 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.

Don't forget about the defense, too. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins' sack on a Georgia fourth down put Ole Miss in position to take a two-score lead. And defensive tackle Zxavian Harris led the team in tackles (10) and broke up a key pass.

In fact, within that celebratory locker room, Harris, barechested with a towel wrapped around his sweaty head and a silver chain around his thick neck, had a message for his former coach.

"He's been trying to steal our shine," Harris said. "All of our coaches could leave now and we'd still operate as a close team. We are our own team. Coaches can only do so much."

Later on, Harris quipped, "I heard [Kiffin] was trying to get [on TV] with the announcers [at the game]. We're not worried about Kiffin. Kiffin gone."

Gone but not forgotten. Afterward, Kiffin's departure still lingered across the post-game celebration. While he didn't appear at the game,Kiffin posted congratulatory messages to his former squadon social media. But on the field and in the locker room, during these mayhem moments, no one seemed particularly complimentary of the man who helped build the roster and then left it amid a playoff run.

"Eat s***!" one Ole Miss official said amid the postgame celebration. "He can eat s***!"

Kiffin's impact on the Ole Miss team isn't necessarily done. In fact, it remains unclear if the six Ole Miss assistant coaches who have signed to coach next season at LSU will remain with the team. Many around the program expect all or some of them to permanently join the LSU staff and end their run with the Rebels.

Asked about the future of the LSU-bound assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told Yahoo Sports, "I don't know."

In the meantime, on Friday, the transfer portal opened, potentially setting off whatone Ole Miss staff member described as a multitude of potential "player swaps" between the two programs.

It's one of the most bizarre situations to ever happen in the sport.

But, alas, don't let it take away from the unexpected, from the unpredictable, from the unprecedented that unfolded here at the Superdome, where an Ole Miss Powder Blue Party carried on deep into the night — their athletic director and new head coach, Pete Golding, at the center of it all.

"I think we all lost a few years off our lives tonight. But, man, it was worth it," Carter said. "It's one of the most mature groups I've ever been around in that locker room. For us to come back and win that game, it shows character."

Carter pulled aside Golding after the game and whispered to him, "What you've done the last few weeks is unbelievable."

On Thursday night, the Rebels trailed 21-12 before their comeback. They amassed two long touchdown drives to take the lead and then their defense stuffed the Bulldogs on fourth down at the UGA 30-yard line when Perkins mauled quarterback Gunner Stockton, popping the ball free and setting up Chambliss' touchdown to Wallace for a 10-point lead with nine minutes left.

But Georgia tied the score late on wild drives of its own. All that did was set up more Chambliss magic. On third-and-5 and with 32 seconds left, he hit in stride a streaking Stribling for that big gain and Carneiro booted his field goal.

"This is awesome," the kicker said afterward. "Something I dreamed about. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

But before the party could really begin, drama unfolded in the final seconds. In fact, Ole Miss players and fans celebrated the win three different times. The Rebels were even awarded a safety in the final seconds as a backward throw on a kickoff bounded into the end zone and an official review also put one second back on the clock.

In a wild scene, Ole Miss players were twice ushered off the field and the stage, wheeled onto the playing surface for the trophy presentation, needed to be shoved back onto the sideline.

Finally, after Georgia's last-gasp — a play of nearly a dozen laterals — the party could begin.

The crowd boomed Golding's name, "Peeeete! Peeeete!" Players carried around the giant Sugar Bowl trophy. The band played. And people cried.

Do players realize the story in which they are a part of?

"They'll realize it when it's all said and done but right now, they're playing football in the backyard," said Eric Wood, the school's deputy athletic director. "They're playing backyard football. I don't know if they realize it, but I do know that they are fighting like crazy to not have it stop."

It's all so unexpected.

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January 02, 2026

Heave and hope: How Ole Miss pulled off one of the wildest College Football Playoff wins ever

NEW ORLEANS — The best stories are those unexpected. The ones that defy logic, that go against every prediction ...

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Beniers scores twice in Kraken's 4-1 win over Predators

SEATTLE (AP) — Matty Beniers scored twice during the Seattle Kraken's three-goal first period and Philipp Grubauer stopped 24 shots in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

The win gave the Kraken five victories in their past six games, coming on the heels of a stretch where they lost 10 of 11.

The Kraken took the lead when Beniers scored his first at the 3:48 mark of the first on a shot from near the blue line.

Jamie Oleksiak made it a two-goal game at 10:41, and Beniers added his second goal just 10 seconds later to make it 3-0.

Oleksiak left the game briefly in the third period after taking a puck off the back of his knee, but returned to the ice later.

Roman Josi scored Nashville's goal on a power-play late in the second period, with assists from Luke Evangelista and Ryan O'Reilly.

But Jared McCann scored on a long distance empty-netter with 2:13 left in the game for the final score.

Juuse Saros had 19 saves for the Predators.

Jordan Eberle, Ryan Winterton, Ryker Evans, Jacob Melanson, Kaapo Kakko, and Ryan Lindgren each had an assist for the Kraken.

Nashville: Play at Calgary on Saturday.

Kraken: Play at Vancouver Friday night.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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January 01, 2026

Beniers scores twice in Kraken's 4-1 win over Predators

SEATTLE (AP) — Matty Beniers scored twice during the Seattle Kraken's three-goal first period and Philipp Grubauer st...

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