ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders finished the regular season with the No. 6-ranked total offense in the NFL and scored the seventh-most points in the league, as quarterback Derek Carr ascended into the NFL’s MVP conversation before suffering a broken fibula in Week 16. More
Check the scoreboard above for the final score and click on the stats link for game stats.
App users: For the best mobile experience, use the mobile web version.
Here’s the AP recap:
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Trace McSorley completed 17 of 23 passes for 376 yards and four touchdowns and No. 8 Penn State beat Michigan State 45-12 to win the Big Ten East on Saturday.
Penn State (10-2, 8-1 Big Ten, No. 7 CFP) edged No. 2 Ohio State for the East title, setting up a conference championship game against West winner Wisconsin next week in Indianapolis. The Nittany Lions beat Ohio State24-20 at home Oct. 22.
McSorley set single-season school record for total offense and sparked the Nittany Lions with multiple deep passes in the second half when Penn State outscored Michigan State 35-0.
He threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin down the sideline on Penn State’s first second-half possession and followed it with a 45-yarder to Mike Gesicki on the next drive. Godwin got loose down the middle minutes later and McSorley hit him in stride for 59 yards to give Penn State a 31-12 lead and cap a 21-point third quarter.
Andre Robinson added 14- and 40-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter for Penn State, and Saquon Barkley scored on a 1-yard run in the second. Barkley left in the third quarter with an apparent right leg injury and did not return.
Tyler Davis added a second-quarter field goal for Penn State.
Michael Geiger kicked four field goals for the Spartans (3-9, 1-8), the last giving Michigan State a 12-10 halftime lead.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Penn State: The Nittany Lions will get another shot to impress the selection committee in the Big Ten championship game. As for a shake up right now, the question is how far will No. 3 Michigan fall having lost two of its last three, including a double-overtime game at Ohio State.
THE BIG PICTURE
Michigan State: The Spartans’ run of nine straight seasons with a bowl appearance under Mark Dantonio was snapped weeks ago. Their chance to play spoiler was hindered by more…
At times, the Steelers’ 28–7 win over the Colts on Thanksgiving night felt like a microcosm of what has thus far been a frustratingly uneven season for a team that still has visions of a Super Bowl run. They start off looking as though nobody has a chance at ever stopping them, with three straight touchdown drives. Then, they’re forced to punt twice in a row to start the second half and their defense allows their opponent to stick around, the game feeling closer than it should be. And then, things swing back, and they firmly reclaim control, their defense making some big plays and their offense putting the game far out of reach.
Thursday night was the latest up in a season of ups and downs for the Steelers. But will they be able to avoid taking another tumble as their season heads into the homestretch?
That’s the great unknown. The flaws are there, even if they’re disguised by what was a pretty happy holiday for the Steelers and their fans. They beat the Colts by 21 points in Indianapolis. They put up 369 yards of total offense and the quarterback and receiver tandem that they are undoubtedly quite grateful for, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, connected for three touchdowns. They improved their record to 6–5 and as a result leapfrogged over the Ravens and into first place in the AFC North. And yet, it’s at times difficult to look at the Steelers and see a true Super Bowl contender.
Their defense leaves a lot to be desired, even on a night when it forced two impressive and crucial goal line stands that ended up being…