Kaytron Allen ran for a career-high 226 yards and a touchdown as Penn State beat Rutgers 40-36 for the 18th straight time to become bowl eligible after a tumultuous season.
The Nittany Lions (6-6, 3-6 Big Ten) retook the lead for good when linebacker Amare Campbell raced 61 yards with a fumble with 7 minutes, 27 seconds to play. Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis lost the ball without being touched.
Rutgers (5-7, 2-7 Big Ten) had moved ahead 36-33 early in the fourth quarter on a 46-yard TD pass from Kaliakmanis to Antwan Raymond. Raymond ran for 189 yards, and Kaliakmanis passed for 338 yards and three TDs. With the loss, the Scarlet Knights will miss the postseason for the first time since 2022.
Penn State hasn’t missed a bowl game since 2020 when the non-College Football Playoff bowl games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Nicholas Singleton broke ties with Saquon Barkley to claim the school career rushing TD record with his 44th and 45th, career total touchdowns at 55 and all-purpose yards with 5,586.
After losing to Notre Dame in the semifinals of the CFP last season, the expectations for Penn State were high. The Nittany Lions began the season ranked No. 2 and were led by quarterback Drew Allar, who was headed for a Heisman-caliber season before a season-ending leg injury in Week Six against Northwestern.
The following day coach James Franklin was fired after Penn State lost its first three Big Ten games, including back-to-back games in which the Nittany Lions were favored by 20-plus points.
Penn State would lose five straight before turning its season around by winning its last three games.
A 29-point night from Penn’s TJ Power pushed the Quakers past Big Five foe La Salle in a 73-71 win in the Cathedral Classic on Saturday.
Power scored 19 of his total in the second half and had six rebounds for the Quakers (5-2). Ethan Roberts shot 3 of 14 from the field, including 1 for 4 from three-point range, and went 5-for-9 from the line to add 12 points. Jay Jones had 7 points and shot 2-of-2 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line.
Justin Archer finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Explorers (3-5). La Salle also got 12 points and four assists from Ashton Walker. Jaeden Marshall had 12 points.
Power scored 10 points in the first half and Penn went into halftime trailing 44-38. Penn trailed by 15 points early in the second half then took the lead on a three-pointer from Ethan Roberts with 4 minutes left.
Both teams are back in action on Sunday in the final day of the Classic with La Salle taking on Merrimack at noon, while Penn closes out with Hofstra at 2:30 p.m.
NEW YORK — Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points, Jared McCain had 20 off the bench and the 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 115-103 on Friday night in an NBA Cup game.
Quentin Grimes added 19 points, and Paul George had 14 to help the short-handed Sixers snap a two-game losing streak.
The Sixers (10-8) played without starting center Joel Embiid (right knee management) and VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness), and then lost backup center Andre Drummond (sprained right knee) midway through the second quarter.
Drummond attempted to block Tyrese Martin’s floater and then tried to grab the rebound with his left hand, but fell on the court and immediately reached for his knee.
Egor Demin scored a career-high 23 points, and Martin had 16 for Brooklyn. The Nets (3-15) have lost three consecutive games and fell to 0-9 at home this season. They are the only team without a home win this season, with their last one at Barclays Center on April 8 against New Orleans.
The Sixers led by as many as 21 points in the first half and saw their lead cut to nine after Brooklyn went on an 11-2 run, capped by Denim’s 3-pointer that made it 74-65 with 4 minutes, 7 seconds left in the third quarter.
Brooklyn Nets’ Drake Powell (center) is defended by Sixers center Adem Bona, left, and Jared McCain during Friday night’s game.
Denim cut it to nine again with a three-pointer with 4:35 to play. Demin’s layup made it 112-103 with 1:13 left in regulation before Grimes found an open Adem Bona, whose three-pointer extended the lead for good.
Both teams were 1-3 in NBA Cup play.
The Sixers will host the Atlanta Hawks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday (6 p.m., NBCSP).
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster.”
As part of his Thanksgiving call to U.S. troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”
“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.”
The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.”
Trump used the announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” as he criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the United States. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Trump suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.
“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”
Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and Specialist Sarah Beckstrom.
The shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan
The suspect charged with the shooting is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan, according to two sources who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, and #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the U.S. during the two-decade war.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Webster Springs, where Beckstrom is from, will hold three prayer vigils Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, according to a Facebook post from the Webster County Veterans Auxiliary.
Pirro said that the suspect, Lakanwal, launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.
The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding: “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”
The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the eve of Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.
The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.
The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Shooting raises questions about legacy of Afghanistan War
A resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that he and his brother had worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal was a team leader and his brother was a platoon leader.
The cousin spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012, and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist.
Kandahar is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaeda attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.
Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA and also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal’s relationship with the U.S. government “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. service members from Afghanistan.
Lakanwal, 29, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.
The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
The Philadelphia region played a crucial role in supporting the largest resettlement effort since the end of the Vietnam War, as the United States evacuated thousands of allies from Afghanistan as Kabul fell to the Taliban.
Philadelphia International Airport served as the nation’s main arrival point for more than 25,000 evacuees, about 1,500 of whom needed immediate medical attention for everything from diabetes to gunshot wounds. The flights to Philadelphia came from first-stop, emergency evacuation centers in Germany, Bahrain, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and elsewhere.
Most arrivals to Philadelphia were bused from the airport to temporary living quarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey. Others went to seven other military installations being used as “safe havens,” from where they were resettled in communities across the country.
At one point more than 11,000 Afghans were living in a tent city, christened “Liberty Village,” on the South Jersey base. The Trump administration recently designated the base as one of two military sites where it intends to hold immigration detainees.
Ultimately at least 600 evacuees were resettled in the Philadelphia area, many of them living in the Northeast, which already had a significant Afghan population.
Almost everyone who came to Philadelphia and to this country served the United States in a military, diplomatic, or development capacity, or was the family member of someone who did. Others worked in media, women’s organizations, or humanitarian groups that faced Taliban retaliation.
Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Wash., about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.
The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said in a social media post Thursday that Trump directed him to review the green cards of people from countries “of concern.”
Edlow didn’t name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns. Green card holders and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or its allies in Afghanistan were listed as exempt.
Attack being investigated as terrorist act
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has previously questioned the effectiveness of using the National Guard to enforce city laws. Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment there, but the judge also paused her order for 21 days to allow the administration to remove the troops or appeal.
On Thursday, Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump’s policies.
“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bowser said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this article.
MIFFLINBURG, Pa. — Christmas went on the auction block last week in Pennsylvania farm country, and there was no shortage of bidders.
About 50,000 Christmas trees and enough wreaths, crafts, and other seasonal items to fill an airplane hangar were bought and sold by lots and on consignment at the annual two-day event put on at Buffalo Valley Produce Auction in Mifflinburg.
Buyers from across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were there to supply garden stores, corner lots, and other retail outlets for the coming rush of customers eager to bring home a tree — most commonly a Fraser fir — or to deck the halls with miles of greenery.
Bundled-up buyers were out in chilly temperatures to hear auctioneers hawk boxes of ornaments, bunches of winterberry, cotton branches, icicle lights, grave blankets, red bows, and tree stands. It was nearly everything you would need for Christmas except the food and the presents.
A worker transports holiday decorations at Buffalo Valley Produce Auction in Mifflinburg, Pa.
Americans’ Christmas tree buying habits have been evolving for many years. These days homes are less likely than in years past to have a tree at all, and those that do have trees are more likely to opt for an artificial tree over the natural type, said Marsha Gray with the Howell, Michigan-based Real Christmas Tree Board, a national trade group of Christmas tree farmers.
Cory Stephens was back for a second year at the auction after his customers raved about the holiday decor he purchased there last year for A.A. Co. Farm, Lawn & Garden, his store a three-hour drive away in Pasadena, Md. He spent nearly $5,000.
“It’s incredible, it’s changed our whole world,” Stephens said. “If you know what you’re looking for, it’s very hard to beat the quality.”
Ryan Marshall spent about $8,000 on various decorations for resale at Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon, Mass. Among his purchases were three skids of wreaths at $29 per wreath — and he expected to double his money.
“The quality’s good, and it’s a place that you can pick it out yourself,” he said.
Gray said her group’s research shows the main reason people pick a real tree over an artificial tree “is the scent. They want the fresh scent of a real Christmas tree in their home.” Having children in the house also tends to correlate with picking a farm-grown tree, she said.
An August survey by the Real Christmas Tree Board found that 84% of growers did not expect wholesale prices to increase this season.
Buffalo Valley auction manager Neil Courtney said farm-grown tree prices seem to have stabilized, and he sees hope that the trend toward artificial trees can be reversed.
“Long story short — we’ll be back on top of the game shortly,” Courtney said. “The live tree puts the real Christmas in your house.”
A survey by a trade group, the National Christmas Tree Association, found that more than 21 million farm-grown Christmas trees were sold in 2023, with median price of $75. About a quarter of them were purchased at a “choose-and-cut” farm, one in five from a chain store, and most of the rest from nurseries, retail lots, nonprofit sales, and online.
Anthony Black scored 27 of his career-high 31 points in the first half, Franz Wagner added 21 points and the Orlando Magic routed the injury-depleted 76ers 144-103 in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs was ejected with 27 seconds left in the first half after receiving two technicals during a heated altercation between the teams.
Tyrese Maxey scored 20 points to lead the Sixers, whose absences included Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Paul George (right ankle sprain) and rookie VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness).
Orlando improved to 3-0 in the Cup and the Sixers dropped to 0-3.
The game was tied at 35-all after the first quarter before the Magic took control in the second period. Philadelphia fans started showering boos on the court when Orlando went up 17 points with 5½ minutes left.
The frustration spilled onto the court with 27 seconds before the break when the altercation led to Suggs’ ejection.
A scuffle between Sixers’ Andre Drummond and Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr. led to Jalen Suggs’ ejection.
The Magic dominated the second quarter, outscoring Philadelphia by 26 points in the period to take an 86-60 lead at halftime.
Trendon Watford limped to the bench with just over four minutes left in the first half and did not return due to a left adductor strain.
Embiid missed his eighth game in a row and 11th this season. The seven-time All-Star and 2023 MVP began the season recovering from left knee surgery, limiting him to 20-to-25 minutes when available, but has since had issues with his right knee.
George, who signed a four-year, $212 million deal with Philadelphia prior to last season, made his season debut on Nov. 17 after offseason knee surgery. He missed the following game, played the next two before sitting out against Orlando.
For Orlando, Paolo Banchero was sidelined for his seventh consecutive contest with a left groin strain.
Up Next
The Sixers travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Friday night (7:30 p.m., NBCSP).
Oklahoma State has chosen North Texas’ Eric Morris as its new head football coach, the school announced Tuesday.
Morris has been the head coach at North Texas since 2023. The program went 5-7 his first season, but now is 10-1 and contending for a American Conference championship and College Football Playoff berth. The Mean Green are No. 21 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll.
Morris has a reputation for helping quarterbacks, having coached, developed or recruited Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, John Mateer, Cam Ward, Chandler Morris and Drew Mestemaker.
“For many reasons, including the kind of person he is and the lasting relationships he builds with his players, Coach Morris is the perfect fit as the next leader of Cowboy Football,” Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said. “The future is bright for OSU Football and I look forward to introducing him and his family to our team, our former players and all Cowboy fans.”
The hire is pending board approval.
North Texas leads the country in scoring offense and total offense this year, and the team has reached the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1959. Mestemaker, a redshirt freshman walk-on, leads the FBS in yards passing.
North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker leads college football in passing yards.
North Texas said in a news release that Morris will coach through this season.
“On behalf of the University of North Texas, I want to express our deep gratitude to Eric for everything he has done for Mean Green Football over the past three seasons,” North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley said.
Morris will step in for Mike Gundy, who was fired in September during his 21st season. Doug Meacham is 0-8 as the interim coach. Oklahoma State is 1-10 heading into its season finale at home against Iowa State on Saturday.
Morris was head coach at Incarnate Word for four seasons, then was an assistant at Washington State before becoming head coach at North Texas. He was offensive coordinator at Texas Tech, his alma mater, from 2015 to 2017 and has been an assistant at Houston.
North Texas will host Temple (5-6, 3-5 American) on Friday (3:30 p.m., ESPN).
LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was fired Sunday night after yet another rough offensive performance.
Kelly’s dismissal came less than four hours after the Raiders were beaten 24-10 by Cleveland. Las Vegas allowed the Browns to sack Geno Smith 10 times.
“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,” coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. “I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”
Kelly was the biggest-name assistant hired by Carroll, who’s in his first year coaching the Raiders after leading the Seattle Seahawks for 14 seasons.
Norman Powell scored 32 points while Kel’el Ware had 20 points and 16 rebounds to help the Miami Heat win their fourth in a row with a 127-117 victory over the 76ers on Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Sixers played without former MVP Joel Embiid for the seventh straight game. Embiid (right knee injury management) has missed 10 of 16 contests this season. In addition, rookie VJ Edgecombe sat out with tightness in his calf.
Jaime Jacquez Jr. scored 22 points, and Bam Adebayo contributed 18 for the Heat.
Miami controlled the contest throughout, but the 76ers got within 105-103 with 8 minutes, 28 seconds left after Trendon Watford’s layup. The Heat then scored 13 of the next 15 points, capped by Powell’s running layup with 4:40 remaining, to go ahead by 13.
The 76ers honored the 25-year anniversary of the 2001 Eastern Conference champions by wearing replica black jerseys from that era. Allen Iverson, who was named MVP that season, was in attendance. Theo Ratliff rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell prior to the contest. Ratliff helped the 76ers to a 41-14 record before a midseason trade sent him to Atlanta for Dikembe Mutombo.
STATE COLLEGE — Kaytron Allen ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and Penn State’s defense played its best game of the season to keep the Nittany Lions’ bowl hopes alive with a 37-10 win over Nebraska on Saturday night.
Allen, who racked up 181 yards rushing in last week’s win against Michigan State, became Penn State’s career rushing leader with 3,954 yards, passing Evan Royster’s 3,932 set in 2010.
The senior back plowed through and zipped around the Huskers all night. Allen passed Saquon Barkley on the school’s career rushing list in the first half before eclipsing Royster with a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.
By then the Nittany Lions (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten) had put the game out of reach, scoring on five-straight possessions while their defense stymied the Cornhuskers.
Allen ripped off a 50-yard run around Nebraska’s left flank on the Nittany Lion’s opening drive to help setup a short touchdown toss from Ethan Grunkemeyer to tight end Andrew Rappleyea.
Ryan Barker booted a 26-yard field goal, then Nicholas Singleton capped Penn State’s next two drives with 4- and 10-yard rushing touchdowns to make it 23-3 at halftime.
Emmett Johnson had 19 carries for 103 yards and eight catches for 48 for yards for the Cornhuskers (7-4, 4-4), who have lost three of their last five.
They didn’t give themselves much of chance in head coach and State College native Matt Rhule’s return to Beaver Stadium.
Nebraska mustered just 140 yards in the first half, turned the ball over on downs twice and punted twice more. Penn State forced three more turnovers on downs in the second half.
Kyle Cunanan kicked a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter, but the Cornhuskers didn’t find the end zone until quarterback TJ Lateef scrambled 11 yards through a broken play to cut Penn State’s lead to 30-10 with 0:55 left in the third.
Allen scored on a 3-yard run to open the second half. He added a 13-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth, which prompted bundled-up Penn State fans to chant “Terry, Terry, Terry!” as interim coach Terry Smith wiped tears from his eyes on the sideline.
The takeaway
Nebraska: The Huskers struggled to move the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and as a result, may have cost themselves a shot at a top-tier bowl game.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions won back-to-back games for the first time under Smith, but will need to win a third to extend their season and avoid their first losing full-season record since 2004.
