Connect with us

Sports

Penn State drops third consecutive game, grapples with star player Drew Allar’s season-ending injury

Published

on

Penn State drops third consecutive game, grapples with star player Drew Allar’s season-ending injury

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Penn State returned to State College, Pennsylvania, looking to bounce back from last week’s upset loss against the UCLA Bruins. But the Northwestern Wildcats had other plans on Saturday.

Wildcats running back Caleb Komolafe sprinted for 72 yards and scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to help lift Northwestern to a 22-21 win at Beaver Stadium. The narrow victory secured Northwestern’s third consecutive victory, while Penn State dropped its third straight.

“I truly believe that our football team expected to win today,” Northwestern coach David Braun said. “Ultimately, the message was you’ve got a football team that’s got their back up against the wall, but also a football team that may be questioning who they are.”

Advertisement

Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone, left, celebrates his team’s win over Penn State on Saturday in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

The Wildcats ended their 11-year windless drought at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State got the ball back with just under five minutes remaining following Komolafe’s touchdown, but quarterback Drew Allar suffered an apparent leg injury on a third-down play. 

After the game, Penn State coach James Franklin confirmed Allar would miss the remainder of the season with an unspecified injury. Backup Ethan Grunkemeyer replaced him, was stopped on a fourth-down run, and the Wildcats ran out the clock.

QB TY SIMPSON SHINES, ALABAMA OUTLASTS MISSOURI IN 3RD STRAIGHT RANKED SEC WIN

Advertisement

Backup Ethan Grunkemeyer replaced him and was immediately stopped on a fourth-down run and the Wildcats ran the clock out from there.

Allar finished 13 for 20 for 137 yards passing and added 25 yards rushing and a touchdown. Allar returned for his senior season to make better of the season-ending interception he threw in last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar sits up on the field during an injury timeout Saturday at Beaver Stadium.  (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)

The Nittany Lions committed six penalties for 71 yards in the first half.

Franklin took responsibility for Penn State’s recent struggles. “I take full responsibility for all of it,” Franklin said. “I hired all the staff, I recruited all the players. I believe in all of them. But we’re not getting it done right now.”

Advertisement

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium on Saturday in State College, Pa. (Matthew O’Haren/Imagn Images)

Iowa will host Penn State next week, and Grunkemeyer is expected to start at quarterback for the Nittany Lions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Sports

Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur as final head coach hire complete across NFL

Published

on

Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur as final head coach hire complete across NFL

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The NFL coaching carousel came to an end on Sunday, as the Arizona Cardinals’ hire marked the last team to fill its vacancy.

The Cardinals announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur, the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator, on a five-year deal.

After it was reported Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will be taking the Las Vegas Raiders’ job following the result of Super Bowl LX, the final two head coaching spots left in the NFL were filled. 

The rest of the coaching hires are as follows:

Advertisement

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur of the Los Angeles Rams looks on in the second half of the preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on Aug. 26, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler Schank/Getty Images)

  • New York Giants: John Harbaugh
  • Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski
  • Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken
  • Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady
  • Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy
  • Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley
  • Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh

The Cardinals stayed in the division, poaching another coach from the coveted Sean McVay coaching tree. McVay has now had four offensive coordinators since he’s been head coach of the Rams.

RAIDERS ZEROING IN ON SEAHAWKS ASSISTANT KLINT KUBIASK FOR HEAD COACH: REPORTS

All four of them are now head coaches, including Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings), Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Matt LaFleur, Mike’s brother, who coaches the Green Bay Packers.

“We had the opportunity to speak with an outstanding group of candidates during this very thorough process and gathered tremendous insight from each of them,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “At the end of that process, it was clear that Mike LaFleur possesses all the traits necessary to lead this team to success as its head coach. He is highly intelligent with an exceptionally sharp, creative football mind. Mike is also a dynamic and innovative leader and exactly the type of person we were looking for to guide our team as its head coach.”

Advertisement

Head coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur of the Los Angeles Rams follow the joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers at The Bolt on Aug. 4, 2024 in El Segundo, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

General manager Monti Ossenfort added: “In his career, Mike has been around some of the best and brightest coaches in football and has been a key contributor to highly successful teams. He understands what winning football looks like and what it takes to achieve it. Mike is a strong communicator with a detail-oriented teaching style that has always gotten the best from his players and we are incredibly excited for him to bring that to the Cardinals.”

With LaFleur in Los Angeles, the Rams’ offense has been one of the best units in the league, ranking fifth in passing yards (244.9), first downs (21.4) and offensive touchdowns (144) since taking over the role. The Rams also averaged 361.8 yards per game, which ranks sixth in the NFL.

“I couldn’t be more fired up to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and am beyond grateful to Michael (Bidwill) and Monti (Ossenfort) for this opportunity. Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness the team has and cannot wait to get to Arizona to hit the ground running,” LaFleur said in a statement.

Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur interacts with Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams prior to the NFL divisional playoff football game at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Advertisement

Before working with the Rams, LaFleur joined Saleh with the New York Jets, leading their offense in the same role. He was with Saleh in San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers regime as well.

With all head coach roles filled, the coaching dominoes will continue to fall as they build out their staffs for the 2026 NFL season, which will officially start next month. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Sports

Cardinals hire Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as head coach

Published

on

Cardinals hire Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as head coach

Rams coach Sean McVay goes through it nearly every year.

The Rams have a successful season and other NFL teams raid his coaching staff.

Mike LaFleur, the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, is the latest to parlay his time with McVay into an NFL head coaching opportunity.

The Arizona Cardinals on Sunday hired LaFleur as head coach.

LaFleur, 38, is the seventh former McVay assistant to land an NFL head coach job.

Advertisement

LaFleur’s brother Matt, was the Rams’ offensive coordinator in McVay’s first season in 2017 and then called plays for the Tennessee Titans in 2018 before he was hired by the Green Bay Packers.

The LaFleurs are the second tandem of head-coaching brothers currently in the NFL along with Jim (Chargers) and John Harbaugh (New York Giants).

Rams assistants who made the jump directly to head coach were Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals, Brandon Staley (Chargers), Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings), Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons) and Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars).

This will be Mike LaFleur’s first job as a head coach at any level. LaFleur, like McVay, began his coaching career working under Kyle Shanahan.

LaFleur coached with the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers before he became offensive coordinator and play-caller for the New York Jets in 2021.

Advertisement

LaFleur was let go after the 2022 season and joined McVay’s staff in 2023. McVay is the Rams’ play-caller.

With the Cardinals, LaFleur inherits a team that finished at the bottom of the NFC West in 2025 with a 3-14 record — well behind the Seahawks, Rams and 49ers at the top of the division.

LaFleur’s Rams exit could create an opportunity for passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase to move into the offensive coordinator role. Scheelhaase has interviewed for multiple head coaching positions.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson fined for ‘berating’ and ‘making contact’ with an official

Published

on

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson fined for ‘berating’ and ‘making contact’ with an official

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 for “aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact with a game official,” the NBA announced Saturday. 

The league’s announcement said the incident happened with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns Friday. 

Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game when he stormed the court after a no-call against Sam Merrill for driving on Collin Gillespie after he bumped into an official before being escorted off and ejected from the game. 

Advertisement

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat April 28, 2025, in Miami.  (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)

Atkinson whipped his arm against the nearby referee before the whistle was blown. 

Atkinson ripped the officials in a postgame news conference. 

PGA TOUR STAR JUSTIN THOMAS RIPS NCAA FOR CURRENT STATE OF COLLEGE SPORTS

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during Game 2 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 6, 2025. (David Richard-Imagn Images)

Advertisement

“We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that [is 26th in fouls],” Atkinson said. “And the second free throw we got was after a flop. I’m not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly. Parts of the game seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league.

“Certain characters in this league take liberties, and we don’t stand up to them. And the game turns into reviews, challenges, go to the monitor for 20 minutes when we’re just trying to play basketball. I don’t think it’s good for the league, and I know it wasn’t good for us tonight. Thought they let the game get out of hand.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the first half against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 4, 2025. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

The Cavaliers fell to 29-21, while Phoenix improved to 30-19. 

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending