Sports
Fiesta Bowl an Appropriate Spot for Penn State’s Best Championship Shot Since 1986
State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, sits about 25 miles from Sun Devil Stadium, the original home of the Fiesta Bowl and the site of perhaps the greatest triumph in Penn State football history.
It’s fitting that, so close to where the Nittany Lions claimed their last national championship, Penn State took one of its most significant steps toward the college football mountaintop in the 38 years since the 1986 team shocked the Miami Hurricanes in Tempe.
In the same way that the location in which they were played isn’t exactly the same, the Nittany Lions’ 31-14 win in the December 2024 version of the Fiesta Bowl isn’t a direct comparison to the 14-10 victory over Miami in the game’s January 1987 installment.
The latter sealed the national championship, the second of Penn State’s two claimed titles, both won during the 1980s. Tuesday’s win was a step in a longer process, inching the Nittany Lions two games away from the crown.
But in a way, earning a spot in the gridiron Final Four is the closest any Penn State team has come to the championship since Shane Conlan and Co. shut down a boisterous Miami squad that arrived in Arizona wearing military fatigues.
Certainly, some reading the preceding statement are already pounding out a response: What about 1994? And it’s a valid point.
Penn State’s 1994 squad did indeed run the table, capping a 12-0 season with a 38-20 romp against Oregon in that year’s Rose Bowl. According to some outlets, Kerry Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, and the rest of that Nittany Lions squad were national champions.
However, none of the sources bestowing such a designation on Penn State were enough for the program to claim a title for 1994. Nebraska’s 13-0 finish, with wins over the end-of-season Associated Press Poll’s No. 3 (Colorado) and No. 6 (Miami) teams, trumped Penn State’s resume.
The Nittany Lions had no real control over their championship fate, as it was left up to pollsters. The situation’s bitter irony is that had Penn State joined the fledgling Big East before accepting its invite to the Big Ten Conference in 1990, a league matchup with Miami and a hypothetical Orange Bowl showdown with Nebraska would have allowed the Nittany Lions to settle this dispute on the field.
Given that this Penn State team controls its title destiny, advancing to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff is indeed the closest Penn State has come since the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
There have been plenty of seasons in the evolution of how college football champions are determined that can be pointed to as a definite turning point. The 1990s alone saw the split championships between Colorado and Georgia Tech, shrouded in controversy thanks to CU’s “Fifth Down” win over Missouri in October 1990; Miami and Washington running roughshod over all comers in 1991 but not facing off; and the Michigan-Nebraska shared crown in the final year before the introduction of the Bowl Championship Series.
One could contend that Penn State, not even sniffing a split championship in 1994—Nebraska garnered five times as many first-place votes in the final AP Poll—may have provided the strongest argument for a playoff system at the time.
Yet, while Penn State was among the programs most at the forefront of public sentiment pushing for changes to the championship process, the Nittany Lions never factored into the BCS title picture. During the decade of the four-team College Football Playoff, James Franklin-coached squads would have perhaps been the greatest beneficiaries of a slightly expanded field.
It’s hard not to consider the 2016 Penn State team that won the Big Ten, beat Ohio State head-to-head, was passed over for the Playoff in favor of the Buckeyes, before laying an egg in that season’s Fiesta Bowl, and not recognize that one flawed system was exchanged for another.
But now, with the chance in front of them, the Nittany Lions are running with it. And that’s not all Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton ran with, going for 134 and 87 yards against Boise State.
Drew Allar throwing touchdowns on almost a quarter of his pass completions—three scores out of 13—punctuated an impressive performance from the offense. And while the final score of 31-14 suggests dominance, which has been the theme of the inaugural 12-team Playoff, the Fiesta Bowl was anything but another one-sided rout.
Boise State, which enjoyed its own program highs in the Phoenix-area bowl game, seemed poised for more Fiesta magic when it drove deep into Penn State’s territory twice in the second half. The Nittany Lions’ defense responded both times, with Defensive MVP Zakee Wheatley’s interception of Maddux Madson in the end zone and Amin Vanover’s red-zone sack on the Broncos’ next possession.
Like the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, the opposition arrived in special garb: Boise State didn’t don fatigues like the ‘86 Hurricanes but instead wore shirts that read “Count Us Out.” And, like Penn State did in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, the Nittany Lions rose to the occasion.
“We were not counting those guys out,” Franklin said emphatically in his postgame press conference. “They had our attention, and I think that showed up today…When things don’t go well, [Penn State’s players] don’t panic.”
Next up for the Nittany Lions is the national semifinal in the Orange Bowl. It isn’t the same Orange Bowl where Nebraska celebrated a national championship that Penn State was denied 30 years ago, but that’s the least of the changes.
The biggest change is that the Nittany Lions now have the opportunity to win a title on the field for the first time since the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.
Sports
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Jan 31, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves wrap up a three-game road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon with a chance to improve their seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Minnesota has won the first two games of its trip and now faces a tough task against its Northwest Division rival.
Denver already secured the tiebreaker in the season series by winning the first three matchups. With both teams holding identical 37-23 records, the winner of Sunday’s game will have sole possession of fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The Nuggets have lost three of their first five games out of the All-Star break, including a 127-121 overtime setback at Oklahoma City on Friday night. Sunday’s game gives them a chance to get back some momentum.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic appears to already have a postseason mindset after mixing it up with the Thunder during the loss.
Jokic was knocked down when Luguentz Dort hit him with his hip in the fourth quarter and then confronted the Oklahoma City forward. There was pushing and shoving before Dort was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected.
Jokic, who leads Denver in points (28.7), rebounds (12.6) and assists (10.5), has a casual and deliberate demeanor on the court that belies his competitive nature.
“I think he was reacting to what was being done to him,” Denver head coach David Adelman said. “And his reaction’s not going to be to cower away. He’s competitive.”
Playing Minnesota again should keep that fiery spirit alive for Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets. The teams have forged a rivalry over the last four seasons, including two playoff series.
There is no question about the fiery nature and competitive spirit of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards missed the first game against the Nuggets this season but is averaging 35.0 points in the two games between the teams. That includes a 44-point performance on Christmas night before he was ejected in overtime for arguing foul calls.
Edwards, who leads the Timberwolves in scoring at 29.6 points a game, doesn’t confine his arguments to opponents and officials. He got into a verbal exchange with head coach Chris Finch after hitting a 3-pointer to seal a 94-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
It is a feature of their relationship, according to teammates.
“They go at it. Honestly, they do,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said. “They go at it… They have days where they’re getting ready to fight, and then after the game they hug each other.”
Finch confirmed that in an interview on Fox Sports Radio.
“We’re both fiery competitors. It’s been part of our relationship since Day 1. … We say these things to each other and we move on,” Finch said. “We don’t take it personally.”
The task of stopping Jokic will fall mainly on Rudy Gobert, who leads Minnesota in rebounds (11.4) and blocks (1.7). Nobody could stop Jokic when the teams met on Christmas, with the three-time MVP recording a 56-point triple-double, including 18 points in overtime.
Jokic has averaged 36.0 points 15.7 rebounds and 12.0 assists in the three games against the Timberwolves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) makes a basket from the two point line in the first half of a NCAA men’s basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Day Day Thomas heated up from long range, draining seven 3-pointers en route to a 26-point performance, Moustapha Thiam added 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and host Cincinnati rolled to a 91-68 home victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (16-13, 8-8 Big 12), which entered No. 54 in the NET rankings, have won five of their last six. Jizzle James and Baba Miller each finished with 11 points for Cincinnati.
Oklahoma State (17-12, 5-11), playing its first game since losing big man Parsa Fallah to a torn ACL, was overwhelmed throughout. Vyctorius Miller led the team with 15 points, while Jaylen Curry and Kanye Clary both added 11 points. The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven games.
The Bearcats seized control early, going on an 11-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Thomas and Thiam to lead 12-4 less than four minutes into the game.
Those early minutes foreshadowed the rest of the game.
Cincinnati dominated from the start, leading 51-33 at halftime. The Bearcats shot 53.1% from the floor, made seven three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 20-15 in the first half. They finished with a two-handed dunk by Thiam. Miller was credited with an assist on the play as he found Thiam open underneath.
In the second half, the Bearcats pulled away. They went on an 11-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Thomas to lead 65-37 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Cincinnati continued to extend the lead, reaching as many as 32 points, with an 81-49 advantage after another 3 from Thomas at the 8:22 mark.
Cincinnati finished with 14 made 3s, dished out 24 assists, and had a 24-7 edge in second-chance points. The Bearcats also led for 39:24 of the 40 minutes and improved to 14-3 at home.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday. Cincinnati hosts No. 19 BYU, while Oklahoma State travels to UCF.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bobby Durkin has career night as Minnesota tops UCLA
Feb 24, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Bobby Durkin (3) dribbles against Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Bobby Durkin scored a season-high 23 points with seven made 3-pointers and Langston Reynolds added 21 points with six assists as Minnesota claimed another victim at home with a 78-73 victory over UCLA at Minneapolis.
Cade Tyson also scored 21 points for the Golden Gophers (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten), who shot 62.3% from the floor and 52.2% from 3-point range. Durkin, who reached 1,000 points for his college career in the first half, went 7 of 11 from long range.
Minnesota improved to 12-4 at home this season with victories in its own building over a trio of ranked teams in Indiana, Iowa and Michigan State.
Tyler Bilodeau scored 32 points with eight rebounds and Eric Dailey Jr. added 18 points for the Bruins (19-10, 11-7), who failed to build off huge victories over No. 10 Illinois and rival Southern California over the past week.
Skyy Clark scored 17 points, while Donovan Dent had 15 assists but just three points, as UCLA now prepares for a key home game upcoming against No. 12 Nebraska.
With the game tied 61-61 with 7:59 remaining, Cade scored four points in a 6-0 run for Minnesota to give the Gophers a 67-61 lead with 6:15 left. The Bruins got within 76-73 on a three-point play from Bilodeau with 1:50 remaining.
The Bruins then missed four consecutive 3-pointers over the final 1:08, including two by Bilodeau, as the Gophers held on for the victory.
In a first half of swings, Minnesota led by as many as nine points early before UCLA went on a 17-3 run to lead by as many as seven points before taking a 41-40 lead into the break. Bilodeau had 16 points in the first half, while Dent had nine assists for UCLA.
Durkin scored 15 points in the first half for Minnesota and reached 1,000 points on one of his five 3-pointers before halftime. UCLA’s Clark reached 1,000 career points on a basket in the second half.
–Field Level Media
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
