Alabama
Alabama NFL roundup: Najee Harris’ TD lifts Steelers
Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris picked a good time to score his first touchdown of the 2023 NFL season. It made the difference in the Steelers’ 24-17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Harris had four carries for 21 yards on the game-deciding drive, which covered 80 yards in 10 plays. He capped the series with a 3-yard touchdown run as Pittsburgh broke a 17-17 tie with 7:20 to play.
Harris ran for 53 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries and caught three passes for 15 yards against the Rams.
Harris scored 10 touchdowns in each of his first two NFL seasons, with seven runs and three receptions for scores in both.
Harris was among the 45 former Alabama players who got on the field on the seventh Sunday of the NFL’s 104th season.
Three other former Alabama players were involved in the Pittsburgh-Los Angeles game:
· Minkah Fitzpatrick started at free safety for the Steelers. Fitzpatrick led Pittsburgh with 11 tackles.
· Rams tight end Miller Forristall is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Levi Wallace started at right cornerback for the Steelers. Wallace made three tackles.
In the other Sunday games:
Baltimore Ravens 38, Detroit Lions 6
· Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis made one tackle.
· Lions defensive back Brian Branch made two tackles and recorded one tackle for loss in his return to the field. The rookie had missed the previous two games because of an ankle injury.
· Lions defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs made four tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
· Jahmyr Gibbs started at running back for the Lions. After missing the previous two games because of a hamstring injury, Gibbs ran for 68 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries and caught nine passes for 58 yards. The rookie’s first NFL touchdown was Detroit’s only TD of the game and came on a 21-yard run with 13:59 left to play. Gibbs became the third Lions running back with at least nine receptions in a game as a rookie. Billy Sims had 11 receptions in a 17-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 2, 1980, and Jahvid Best had nine receptions in a 35-32 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 19, 2010.
JAHMYR GIBBS SCORES HIS FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN
· Marlon Humphrey (Hoover) started at cornerback for the Ravens. Humphrey made three tackles and broke up one pass.
· Jameson Williams started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams had no receptions even though he was thrown to six times.
Chicago Bears 30, Las Vegas Raiders 12
· Bears safety Eddie Jackson was designated as a game-day inactive. Jackson missed his fourth game in the past five weeks because of a foot injury.
· Josh Jacobs started at running back for the Raiders. Jacobs ran for 35 yards on 11 carries and caught a 6-yard pass.
· Raiders defensive tackle Byron Young did not record any stats.
Cleveland Browns 39, Indianapolis Colts 38
· Colts cornerback Tony Brown did not record any stats as he returned to the field after missing last week’s game because of a back injury.
· Amari Cooper started at wide receiver for the Browns. Cooper caught two passes for 22 yards.
· Jerome Ford started at running back for the Browns. Ford ran for 74 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries and caught two passes for 20 yards. On the third snap of the game, Ford ran 69 yards for a touchdown. Ford has two 69-yard runs this season. The rest of the NFL entered Sunday’s games with three runs of 69 or more yards. After the touchdown run, Ford had nine carries for minus-3 yards in the remainder of the contest.
· Colts safety Ronnie Harrison is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Ryan Kelly started at center for the Colts.
· Browns offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Dalvin Tomlinson started at defensive tackle for the Brown. Tomlinson made four tackles.
· Jedrick Wills Jr. started at left offensive tackle for the Browns.
New England Patriots 29, Buffalo Bills 25
· Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore made three tackles and recorded his second sack of the season.
· Bills running back Damien Harris is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville) started at linebacker for the Patriots. Jennings tied his career high with six tackles and recorded one tackle for loss. Jennings had his third six-tackle game, including in back-to-back contests.
· Mac Jones started at quarterback for the Patriots. Jones completed 25-of-30 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Jones threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne with 7:36 to play and a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Gesicki with 12 seconds remaining.
LIKE MIKE AND KOBE, MAC JONES COMES THROUGH IN CLUTCH
· Bills wide receiver Tyrell Shavers is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson (Carver-Montgomery) made two tackles and forced a fumble on the final snap of the game.
New York Giants 14, Washington Commanders 7
· Jonathan Allen started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Allen made three tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
· Commanders running back Derrick Gore is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Giants center J.C. Hassenauer is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Xavier McKinney started at free safety for the Giants. McKinney made three tackles and broke up two passes.
· Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal was designated as a game-day inactive. An ankle injury kept Neal off the field.
· Daron Payne (Shades Valley) started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Payne made four tackles and recorded one tackle for loss. Payne also forced and recovered a fumble at the Washington 8-yard line with 7:46 to play and the Commanders trailing by seven.
· Giants cornerback Aaron Robinson is on reserve/physically unable to perform and not eligible to play.
· Giants defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson made three tackles in his 100th NFL regular-season game.
· Brian Robinson Jr. (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa) started at running back for the Commanders. Robinson ran for 23 yards and one touchdown on eight carries. Robinson scored Washington’s touchdown on a 4-yard run with 10:21 left in the third quarter.
Atlanta Falcons 16, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
· Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams recorded one quarterback hit.
Seattle Seahawks 20, Arizona Cardinals 10
· Jarran Reed started at nose tackle for the Seahawks. Reed made two tackles and recorded one sack. Reed has four sacks this season, all in the past four games. Reed’s sack on Sunday came on a fourth-down snap from the Seattle 47-yard line with 1:06 to play.
Denver Broncos 19, Green Bay Packers 17
· Kareem Jackson started at safety for the Broncos. Jackson made five tackles and broke up one pass as he became the fourth Alabama alumnus to play in 200 NFL regular-season games. Jackson was ejected with 13:49 to play on an unnecessary-roughness penalty.
KAREEM JACKSON EJECTED AGAIN FROM MILESTONE GAME
· Jerry Jeudy started at wide receiver for the Broncos. Jeudy had five receptions for 64 yards.
· Broncos inside linebacker Drew Sanders did not record any stats.
· Patrick Surtain II started at left cornerback for the Broncos. Surtain made two tackles and broke up one pass.
Kansas City Chiefs 31, Los Angeles Chargers 17
· Chargers punter JK Scott averaged 52.2 yards on five punts with a 42.2-yard net. Scott had a 46-yard punt for a fair catch at the Kansas City 17-yard line, a 47-yarder downed at the Kansas City 4, a 56-yarder out of bounds at the Kansas City 3, a 45-yarder for a fair catch at the Kansas City 8 and a 58-yarder returned 50 yards to the Los Angeles 35.
Philadelphia Eagles 31, Miami Dolphins 17
· Dolphins guard Lester Cotton (Central-Tuscaloosa) had played 12 offensive snaps in Miami’s first six games. But he saw extensive action at left guard on Sunday night after Isaiah Wynn left with an injury.
· Raekwon Davis started at defensive tackle for the Dolphins. Davis made two tackles.
· Landon Dickerson started at left guard for the Eagles.
· Dolphins defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand did not record any stats.
· Jalen Hurts started at quarterback for the Eagles. Hurts completed 23-of-31 passes for 279 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and ran for 21 yards on 11 carries. Hurts also lost a fumble. Hurts threw touchdown passes of 19 yards to Dallas Goedert with 11:25 left in the first half and 14 yards to AJ Brown with 15 seconds left in the third quarter and ran 1 yard for a touchdown with 3:10 left in the first half.
JALEN HURTS, EAGLES TOO TOUGH IN MATCHUP WITH TUA TAGOVAILOA, DOLPHINS
· Eagles cornerback Josh Jobe did not record any stats.
· Eagles wide receiver Julio Jones (Foley) had a 3-yard reception in his debut for the 2023 season. Jones practiced with Philadelphia for the first time on Wednesday, and he was elevated from the practice squad to be eligible to play.
· Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks broke up a fourth-down pass on the final snap for the Miami offense.
· DeVonta Smith started at wide receiver for the Eagles. Smith had four receptions for 49 yards.
· Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen did not record any stats.
· Tua Tagovailoa started at quarterback for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa completed 23-of-32 passes for 216 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Tagovailoa threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyreek Hill with 39 seconds left in the first half as Miami cut Philadelphia’s lead to 17-10.
· Jaylen Waddle started at wide receiver for the Dolphins. Waddle had six receptions for 63 yards. Waddle missed a chunk of the game when he departed for the locker room in the first half. He came back out in the third quarter and returned to the field.
Week 7 started on Thursday night, when the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the New Orleans Saints 31-24.
Week 7 concludes on Monday, when the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
Alabama
Alabama A&M University names construction adviser for new science, student amenities buildings
Alabama
Alabama guard Chris Youngblood finds form in win over Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, TX — Nate Oats’ continued faith in Chris Youngblood was rewarded Saturday. The fifth-year guard had his best performance of the season during No. 5 Alabama’s gritty 94-88 win over No. 10 Texas A&M, helping the Crimson Tide notch a massive top-10 victory.
Youngblood finished with a season-high 14 points and tallied five rebounds, one assist and a steal in just 18 minutes on the floor. He was one of four double-digit scorers and made a few big shots in the second half to help Alabama survive on the road.
Most critical for Youngblood, and Alabama’s ability to come away with a win, was his 3 of 6 clip from the 3-point line. While the Aggies made things difficult for the Tide with its pressure defense and ability on the glass, Alabama shot the ball superbly well from beyond the arc in the first half, going 10 of 22 from deep.
Youngblood was responsible for a pair of those makes. His three total triples are the most he’s made in a game for Alabama and he finished in double figures for just the second time this season.
“It’s the best feeling,” Youngblood after the game. “But what really helped me do that was just getting lost in the game. Like [Oats] said, the blue-collar points and I knew if I focus on that the offense, that’ll come.”
Youngblood’s focus on the blue-collar plays was crucial as the Tide cooled down slightly from 3 in the second half. He played a vital role in Alabama’s 8-0 run that pushed its lead to 15 points with just under 11 minutes remaining. Youngblood first drilled a 3 to make it 65-55, then stole the ball from Aggies guard Zhuric Phelps, converting an and-1 layup on the other end.
When Texas A&M gutted and ground its way back into the game, it was Youngblood who answered the call when Alabama needed it most. Oats has previously praised Youngblood for his ability on the glass, and he grabbed a big rebound off a Phelps miss with 2:51 remaining and the Tide up by 3. He did the same thing on the offensive end for Alabama, putting himself on the line and making two free throws to put the Tide up 90-84.
“I told him we were gonna get him some shots this game,” Oats said. “We kind of tried to put him up with the press to have some other guys handle it, get him open. He goes 3 of 6. He made a bunch of tough plays too. He’s a winner. He’s a competitor. He’s a leader. You want him in.”
Alabama has high expectations for Youngblood. He was billed as a player who would make a big impact on the offensive end after he averaged 15.3 points per game and shot 41.6% from 3, winning Co-American Conference Player of the Year at South Florida.
Youngblood suffered an ankle injury this offseason after transferring to Alabama. He missed the Tide’s first nine games of the season and has struggled to regain that form since coming back. Being able to step up on the road in one of the Tide’s biggest games of the season will do wonders for Youngblood’s confidence going forward and his performance showcased what kind of a difference-maker he can be on both ends of the floor.
“I thought he did the best job on Phelps tonight and that’s with him still not 100% because he’s still trying to get back from the ankle surgery,” Oats said. “So, his competitiveness, his winning attitude and then, boy it was great to see him drop some shots tonight.”
Going forward, Alabama will continue to depend on Youngblood’s leadership and ability, especially with fellow veteran guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. out for the season with a torn Achilles.
Oats’ confidence in Youngblood never wavered, and that faith was re-paid in a big way Saturday as Alabama notched another big win in the race for the SEC title. As Alabama looks ahead to No. 23 Ole Miss on Tuesday, Oats is confident that Youngblood’s performance isn’t a blip, but a sign that he’s turned a corner at a critical time for the Tide.
“We knew what we were getting with him from South Florida. He’s the conference player of the year. He shoots at a really high clip. He just had to get off that surgery, get himself back comfortable.
Alabama will take on Ole Miss at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday night inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN U.
Alabama
South Alabama adds former SEC offensive lineman via transfer portal
South Alabama on Saturday added a transfer portal commitment from former South Carolina offensive lineman Ni Mansell.
Mansell (6-foot-3, 300 pounds) played in two games for the Gamecocks this past season after redshirting in 2023 due to injury and has one season of eligibility remaining. A native of Anderson, S.C., he played three seasons at Mercer — starting 10 games at guard in 2022, with the 2020 season not counting against his eligibility due to COVID.
Mansell (whose full first name is pronounced “Nye-ju-won”) is South Alabama’s fifth portal commitment in the current cycle, joining linebacker Tre’Mon Henry (Southern Miss), defensive end Tirrell Johnson (Harding), wide receiver Brendan Jenkins (Samford) and defensive back Dallas Young (Arkansas). The Jaguars are expected to add a few more portal transfers before spring semester classes begin on Monday.
South Alabama went 7-6 in 2024, beating Eastern Michigan 30-23 in the Salute to Veterans Bowl.
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