WACO, Texas (AP) — Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BaylorMBB/status/1882271226623889568">VJ Edgecombe scored 20 of his career-high 30 points</a>&nbsp;in the second half to rally Baylor to a 70-62 win over Kansas State on Wednesday night.

The Bears were down a dozen when Dug McDaniel drilled a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats up 40-28 less than four minutes into the second half.

Baylor was down nine when Jalen Celestine made a pair of free throws to ignite a 19-5 run for a 55-40 lead. Edgecombe had 11 points and capped the surge with a 3-pointer. Celestine also had a pair of 3s in that stretch.

Brendan Hausen hit his third 3 of the half to pull Kansas State within 57-56 with just under five minutes to go but Celestine and Edgecombe worked the Bears' lead back to nine with a minute left.

Celestine scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half for the Bears (12-6, 4-3 Big 12 Conference). Norchad Omier grabbed 13 rebounds for Baylor.

David N'Guessan scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Kansas State (7-11, 1-6), which has lost 15-straight road games and six overall. McDaniel and Hausen both added 12.

McDaniel hit a 3-pointer, Coleman Hawkins converted a three-point play and then McDaniel added a pair of layups for a 10-0 run that helped the Wildcats take a 30-26 lead at the half.

Baylor shot 25% in the first half but 60% in the second, when the Bears made 5 of 8 3s and 15 of 19 free throws with just one turnover.

No. 23 West Virginia plays at Kansas State on Saturday when Baylor plays at Utah.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737608015745.png" alt="Kansas State guard Max Jones attempts a shot over the Baylor defense in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State guard Max Jones attempts a shot over the Baylor defense in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Waco, Texas. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>WACO, Texas (AP) — Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BaylorMBB/status/1882271226623889568">VJ Edgecombe scored 20 of his career-high 30 points</a>&nbsp;in the second half to rally Baylor to a 70-62 win over Kansas State on Wednesday night.The Bears were down a dozen when Dug McDaniel drilled a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats up 40-28 less than four minutes into the second half.Baylor was down nine when Jalen Celestine made a pair of free throws to ignite a 19-5 run for a 55-40 lead. Edgecombe had 11 points and capped the surge with a 3-pointer. Celestine also had a pair of 3s in that stretch.Brendan Hausen hit his third 3 of the half to pull Kansas State within 57-56 with just under five minutes to go but Celestine and Edgecombe worked the Bears' lead back to nine with a minute left.Celestine scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half for the Bears (12-6, 4-3 Big 12 Conference). Norchad Omier grabbed 13 rebounds for Baylor.David N'Guessan scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Kansas State (7-11, 1-6), which has lost 15-straight road games and six overall. McDaniel and Hausen both added 12.McDaniel hit a 3-pointer, Coleman Hawkins converted a three-point play and then McDaniel added a pair of layups for a 10-0 run that helped the Wildcats take a 30-26 lead at the half.Baylor shot 25% in the first half but 60% in the second, when the Bears made 5 of 8 3s and 15 of 19 free throws with just one turnover.No. 23 West Virginia plays at Kansas State on Saturday when Baylor plays at Utah.

🏀 Freshman VJ Edgecombe scores 30 to rally Baylor over K-State

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 16 points to lead five Kansas players scoring in double figures as the 12th-ranked Jayhawks won 74-61 at TCU on Wednesday night after trailing by 14 points in the first half.

AJ Storr scored 10 of his 12 points after halftime for the Jayhawks (14-4, 5-2 Big 12). His stepback jumper with 11:30 left put them ahead to stay, right after the junior guard had turnovers on consecutive possessions, and ignited a 14-2 run he ended with a jumper.

Zeke Mayo added 13 points and Shakeel Moore 11. Flory Bidunga had 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving the 6-foot-9 freshman his first career double-double, along with four blocked shots.

Noah Reynolds had 14 points to lead TCU (10-8, 3-4), which has alternated wins and losses the past eight games. Vasean Allette had 13 points and Brendan Wenzel had 11.

After Kansas was down 14 midway through the first half, Mayo's jumper tied the game at 33 just before halftime. The preseason No. 1 team now has its lowest ranking this season.

TCU missed a chance for its second win in a row over a Top 25 team after a win Sunday at then-No. 25 Baylor.

Dickinson had the ball cradled into his body with both arms on an offensive rebound when TCU forward Trazarien White also grabbed at it. They remained tangled and both got technical fouls after officials reviewed the play. TCU had possession and White had an alley-oop dunk from Reynolds to make it 48-47 with 12:44 left, its last lead.

TCU missed its last six shots and only made two free throws over the final 3:37.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737597754433.png" alt="Photo Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 16 points to lead five Kansas players scoring in double figures as the 12th-ranked Jayhawks won 74-61 at TCU on Wednesday night after trailing by 14 points in the first half.AJ Storr scored 10 of his 12 points after halftime for the Jayhawks (14-4, 5-2 Big 12). His stepback jumper with 11:30 left put them ahead to stay, right after the junior guard had turnovers on consecutive possessions, and ignited a 14-2 run he ended with a jumper.Zeke Mayo added 13 points and Shakeel Moore 11. Flory Bidunga had 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving the 6-foot-9 freshman his first career double-double, along with four blocked shots.Noah Reynolds had 14 points to lead TCU (10-8, 3-4), which has alternated wins and losses the past eight games. Vasean Allette had 13 points and Brendan Wenzel had 11.<h2>Takeaways</h2>After Kansas was down 14 midway through the first half, Mayo's jumper tied the game at 33 just before halftime. The preseason No. 1 team now has its lowest ranking this season.TCU missed a chance for its second win in a row over a Top 25 team after a win Sunday at then-No. 25 Baylor.<h2>Key moment</h2>Dickinson had the ball cradled into his body with both arms on an offensive rebound when TCU forward Trazarien White also grabbed at it. They remained tangled and both got technical fouls after officials reviewed the play. TCU had possession and White had an alley-oop dunk from Reynolds to make it 48-47 with 12:44 left, its last lead.<h2>Key stat</h2>TCU missed its last six shots and only made two free throws over the final 3:37.<h2>Up next</h2>

🏀 No. 12 Kansas overcomes early deficit and beats TCU

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Quotes

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the injuries go, there’s really nobody to mention. Everybody will practice today. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Bills, (they’re) a good football team, as we know. (Bills Head Coach) Sean (McDermott) does a great job, as do his coaches, and they’ve got good players, so we’ve got to have a good week of preparation there. With that, the time’s yours.”

Q: DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown didn’t record a catch against the Texans. How are you going to try to get them more involved this week?

REID:&nbsp;“That’s the way it worked out. We want to use all of them so they’re all good players – there’s just one ball so it happened to go the other direction but not for any reason that it didn’t come their way. They’re all part of it.”

Q: On the difficulty of trying to find a plan that works when battling injuries throughout the season.

REID:&nbsp;“The last few weeks have been great. Everybody’s been up and ready to go so (it) hasn’t been a problem that way. They’re all getting in (and) having a chance to play (but) as far as the pass game goes, it just depends on where the ball is headed. We have full trust in all (of them) and they’re all really good players.”

Q: You said that you wanted to be better on third down against the Bills than you did last time. What are the challenges of doing that successfully against them and Bills QB Josh Allen?

REID:&nbsp;“They do a good job offensively on third down (and) likewise on defense but their third down offense is – first of all, their offense is very good, just in general, so it’s not just third downs, but it’s a big challenge. You have the flexibility of the quarterback (Bills QB Josh Allen) being able to throw and run (and) you have good receivers. They’re a powerful, strong offense.”

Q: On the Bills ability to force turnovers.

REID:&nbsp;“They do a great job with that. They’re one of the top teams in the league at that (forcing turnovers), year after year. (Bills Head Coach) Sean (McDermott) does a nice job with that. I mean, he’s got a great background with all that stuff, so he does a heck of a job – and (Bills Defensive Coordinator) Bobby (Babich).”

Q: How have you seen Xavier Worthy elevate into an almost second-year player?

REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Xavier Worthy) gotten better every week. He’s more familiar, Pat’s (Patrick Mahomes) more familiar with him, he’s more familiar with the offense and then what Pat expects from him. (Wide Receivers Coach) Connor’s (Embree) done a nice job of spending time with him to make sure that he has all the different types of looks. The main thing is he’s wired the way where he wants to be good and that’s a big part of it. He just wants to know and (not) let his ego get in the way or anything like that. He has good teachers in there, you’re in a (wide receiver) room with 8 (DeAndre Hopkins) and 9 (JuJu Smith-Schuster) and 84 (Justin Watson). I mean, those guys have all played a lot of football and they’re willing to share and so it’s a heck of a room to be in.”

Q: What’s the biggest advantage of having so many players who have been in these big moments?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, it normally doesn’t hurt for sure. I don’t know how you weigh out the advantage of it, but I feel like we play these guys all the time (laughter). They (the Bills) know us, we know them but I’m glad – to answer your question, I’m glad we have all those guys, and you’ll need all of them.”

Q: Does your past with the Bills and Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott even register with you going into the game?

REID:&nbsp;“No, other than you kind of look at the tape. He’s (Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott) looking at our games against them and we’re looking at our games against them. You see all that (and) you kind of get an idea that we’ve played each other quite a little bit.”

Q: Is there an added layer to the game since you and Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott both know each other like you do?

REID:&nbsp;“Oh I’m sure, yeah. You’re going to always give each other a different look. It’s like (Bills Defensive Coordinator) Bobby (Babich) either, he does a heck of a job with it, too. As (Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) does and (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags. The coordinators are the ones putting things together and making it go and then (Bills Head Coach) Sean (McDermott) and I get to stand and watch there.”

REID:&nbsp;“We’ll probably put him (Mecole Hardman) back on IR there.”

Q: What is the benefit of having Kareem Hunt on short yardage situations?

REID:&nbsp;“Listen, he’s (Kareem Hunt) a good player. I don’t want to just narrow him down to the short yardage part. To answer your question, I think he does a heck of job with it. He’s got a knack for that, he’s a big kid and (he’s) strong. I appreciate his willingness to get in there and go on that stuff and they’re normally real small cracks that’s he’s working through so sometimes you see him go through sideways. Not a lot of guys can do that with power like he does.”

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Quotes

Q:&nbsp;How would you describe the intensity of a Chiefs-Bills game?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think it’s just two really good football teams going up against each other. They (the Bills) have great players at every level on both sides of the ball, and they’re well-coached. When you play great football teams like that, it kind of usually ends with kind of that split-type of deal there. We’ve been able to beat them in the playoffs, and they’ve gotten us in the regular season but if you look at the games, every game’s close, so it just comes down to a play here or there that kind of usually makes the impact on the outcome.”

Q:&nbsp;How much do you appreciate the chess match between you guys after playing them so many times?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think when you look at the great rivalries of the NFL, it comes with this. It comes with playing each other every year in the regular season, it comes with playing in the playoffs. You have to combat, you have to look at your weaknesses and try to make those strengths and then your strengths, make them even better because you know that they’re going to go out there and try to take away those things. It’s a great football team, like I said, great players, well-coached, and we know it’s going to take our best in order to find a way to get a win.”

Q:&nbsp;What does a matchup with a quarterback of Bills QB Josh Allen’s caliber do in your own mind as you prepare for the game?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think you just have to know you’re going to have to play your best football. I mean, I’ve played against (Bills QB) Josh (Allen) enough times to know that he’s going to come out there and play great football, especially in those big moments. For me, I have to play my best football whenever I get the opportunity to and try to put our team in the best position to succeed. If that’s limiting turnovers, if that’s changing the field position – whatever that is, you have to find a way that day to win. When you go up against a great quarterback, it takes your best as well.”

Q:&nbsp;What did you see in the film of the Divisional Round that helped Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy get open?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think I said it after the game a little bit. I think just the – I mean, there was attention paid to them (Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeAndre Hopkins) and they made sure to put a shell over the top of those guys and that allowed the middle of the field to be open for Travis (Kelce). That’s kind of the – how you have to do in this league is whenever certain matchups are working for you, you go to those. Then, you still want to have that option though and I think we’ll try to be better this week of giving them more and more opportunities downfield, but I think even in the one where we didn’t complete it, the one down the field, it kind of scared them (the Texans) out of – I mean, the next play Travis hits one over the middle and makes a big play happen. That’s kind of the versatility of the offense and just finding that day and what’s working best.”

Q:&nbsp;What is it about Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense that makes it so hard to go against?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think – I mean, you see it when we play. It’s just everything looks so similar but then he (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) has so many different varieties of coverages and blitzes and different things that he can do. You can never get a feel for what he’s going to call because he’ll just throw in random coverages and stuff like that every single series it seems like. It’s hard to prepare for, it’s hard to go up against. Like I said, I’m glad I don’t have to do it during the regular season, but it prepares me for the season because I have to – kind of the mastermind that I go up against all training camp.”

Q:&nbsp;What do you think is the X-factor of being able to host the AFC Championship at home?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“First off, I think GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is just a special place. I mean, you get a feeling when you step in the stadium, and you know the history and the greatness that has been played at this football stadium. I think that kind of feeds the football team. Then, the crowd is great at being quiet when we’re on offense (and) being extremely loud whenever our defense is out there, and you feel that passion that the fans have. It’s true, it’s real and they want us to go out there and be the best that we can possibly be and so we want to go out there and put up our best fight every single time we’re on that field.”

Q:&nbsp;Was the Bills game this season a learning point for you?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“No, I just kind of continue to play football. I mean, if you look at the beginning of the year, I had some interceptions. I just had to try to clean those up as best as I can, but I’m going to still take chances, I’m going to give guys the chances to make plays and guys have been making plays. In that game, the early interception I felt like hurt the team just with the momentum of the game, especially being at their home stadium, but the guy was open, I just have to set my feet and make the throw. Then, the last one is – I’m going to go down fighting at the end of every game and I was trying to make a throw on a fourth-down play and the guy made a great play. I just go out there and play. I don’t worry about that stuff. I try to just put our team in the best positions to succeed, and if that’s taking a chance and giving a guy a chance to make a play, I’ll do that, and if that’s taking care of the football and letting our defense go out there and get a stop to put us in a better position, I’ll do that.”

Q: What has been the key to developing Xavier Worthy and your relationship?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think just repetition and then just seeing how he (Xavier Worthy) works every single day. He’s a guy that works extremely hard (and) practices extremely hard. The more and more chances and opportunities I’ve given him, he’s kind of taken them and ran with them. Just like the one (play) down the sideline early in the game, just putting the ball up there – one on one match up and letting him make a play. I’m excited for how he’s progressed throughout the season and hopefully we can progress for a few more games then – that will be a taking off point going into next year.”

Q: What are the differences between scrambling in the regular season versus the postseason?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think just – you just know that in the regular season, I don’t want to say you’re not trying to get injured but you’re trying to protect yourself knowing that it’s a long season. Whereas when you’re in the playoffs you might take a few more chances here and there to try and get those first downs (and) get those big runs and big moments. You want to protect yourself as well but at the same time you might try and run for a few extra yards to get that first down knowing that it’s such a big possession – every possession is a huge possession in the playoffs. I have some athletic ability, so I like to run sometimes in the playoffs, but I’ll try to protect myself as well.”

Q: Do you feel like you get special treatment by NFL referees?&nbsp;

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I don’t feel that way. I just try to play football at the end of the day. The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can – and all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results. For me it’s to go out there, play hard, try and do whatever I can to win the football game and then live with the results based off my effort and the way that we played the game – that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.”

Q: As a veteran do you get the benefit of the doubt with referees, or do you feel it has been the same over time?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I haven’t felt any different. We get new referees every year and you get new circumstances – you can never really tell because every play is different and that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I’ve just continued to play the game, and I just try to win and whatever happens kind of happens.”

Q: Have you learned anything new about Travis Kelce throughout this season?

MAHOMES:&nbsp;“No, not necessarily. I’ve always known how great of a leader he (Travis Kelce) is. I preach it every year and the way that he works every single day. It makes my job easier as another leader on the team – I knew he was going to do what he did in the playoffs – because every time the moment gets bigger, he plays better and he will do whatever it takes to win and that’s the type of guy’s you want on your football team and I’m glad he’s on mine.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you have any thoughts on the possibility of Travis Kelce retiring?

MAHOMES: “I haven’t, I mean that’s stuff you worry about in the offseason. Regardless I just appreciate every time I’m on the football field with him (Travis Kelce) and that started whenever I first got here – I knew how blessed I was to have that guy on my team. Every opportunity I get to step on that football field I appreciate it and hopefully that’s a lot more years, but I’ll appreciate every time I do.”

Q: What kind of issues does the Bills LB Von Miller still present?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesJanuary 22, 2025OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright, as far as the injuries go, there’s really nobody to mention. Everybody will practice today. (We) look forward to the challenge of playing the Bills, (they’re) a good football team, as we know. (Bills Head Coach) Sean (McDermott) does a great job, as do his coaches, and they’ve got good players, so we’ve got to have a good week of preparation there. With that, the time’s yours.”Q: DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown didn’t record a catch against the Texans. How are you going to try to get them more involved this week?REID:&nbsp;“That’s the way it worked out. We want to use all of them so they’re all good players – there’s just one ball so it happened to go the other direction but not for any reason that it didn’t come their way. They’re all part of it.”Q: On the difficulty of trying to find a plan that works when battling injuries throughout the season.REID:&nbsp;“The last few weeks have been great. Everybody’s been up and ready to go so (it) hasn’t been a problem that way. They’re all getting in (and) having a chance to play (but) as far as the pass game goes, it just depends on where the ball is headed. We have full trust in all (of them) and they’re all really good players.”Q: You said that you wanted to be better on third down against the Bills than you did last time. What are the challenges of doing that successfully against them and Bills QB Josh Allen?REID:&nbsp;“They do a good job offensively on third down (and) likewise on defense but their third down offense is – first of all, their offense is very good, just in general, so it’s not just third downs, but it’s a big challenge. You have the flexibility of the quarterback (Bills QB Josh Allen) being able to throw and run (and) you have good receivers. They’re a powerful, strong offense.”Q: On the Bills ability to force turnovers.REID:&nbsp;“They do a great job with that. They’re one of the top teams in the league at that (forcing turnovers), year after year. (Bills Head Coach) Sean (McDermott) does a nice job with that. I mean, he’s got a great background with all that stuff, so he does a heck of a job – and (Bills Defensive Coordinator) Bobby (Babich).”Q: How have you seen Xavier Worthy elevate into an almost second-year player?REID:&nbsp;“He’s (Xavier Worthy) gotten better every week. He’s more familiar, Pat’s (Patrick Mahomes) more familiar with him, he’s more familiar with the offense and then what Pat expects from him. (Wide Receivers Coach) Connor’s (Embree) done a nice job of spending time with him to make sure that he has all the different types of looks. The main thing is he’s wired the way where he wants to be good and that’s a big part of it. He just wants to know and (not) let his ego get in the way or anything like that. He has good teachers in there, you’re in a (wide receiver) room with 8 (DeAndre Hopkins) and 9 (JuJu Smith-Schuster) and 84 (Justin Watson). I mean, those guys have all played a lot of football and they’re willing to share and so it’s a heck of a room to be in.”Q: What’s the biggest advantage of having so many players who have been in these big moments?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, it normally doesn’t hurt for sure. I don’t know how you weigh out the advantage of it, but I feel like we play these guys all the time (laughter). They (the Bills) know us, we know them but I’m glad – to answer your question, I’m glad we have all those guys, and you’ll need all of them.”Q: Does your past with the Bills and Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott even register with you going into the game?REID:&nbsp;“No, other than you kind of look at the tape. He’s (Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott) looking at our games against them and we’re looking at our games against them. You see all that (and) you kind of get an idea that we’ve played each other quite a little bit.”Q: Is there an added layer to the game since you and Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott both know each other like you do?REID:&nbsp;“Oh I’m sure, yeah. You’re going to always give each other a different look. It’s like (Bills Defensive Coordinator) Bobby (Babich) either, he does a heck of a job with it, too. As (Offensive Coordinator) Matt (Nagy) does and (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags. The coordinators are the ones putting things together and making it go and then (Bills Head Coach) Sean (McDermott) and I get to stand and watch there.”Q: On Mecole Hardman’s status.REID:&nbsp;“We’ll probably put him (Mecole Hardman) back on IR there.”Q: What is the benefit of having Kareem Hunt on short yardage situations?REID:&nbsp;“Listen, he’s (Kareem Hunt) a good player. I don’t want to just narrow him down to the short yardage part. To answer your question, I think he does a heck of job with it. He’s got a knack for that, he’s a big kid and (he’s) strong. I appreciate his willingness to get in there and go on that stuff and they’re normally real small cracks that’s he’s working through so sometimes you see him go through sideways. Not a lot of guys can do that with power like he does.”Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes QuotesJanuary 22, 2025QB PATRICK MAHOMESQ:&nbsp;How would you describe the intensity of a Chiefs-Bills game?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think it’s just two really good football teams going up against each other. They (the Bills) have great players at every level on both sides of the ball, and they’re well-coached. When you play great football teams like that, it kind of usually ends with kind of that split-type of deal there. We’ve been able to beat them in the playoffs, and they’ve gotten us in the regular season but if you look at the games, every game’s close, so it just comes down to a play here or there that kind of usually makes the impact on the outcome.”Q:&nbsp;How much do you appreciate the chess match between you guys after playing them so many times?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think when you look at the great rivalries of the NFL, it comes with this. It comes with playing each other every year in the regular season, it comes with playing in the playoffs. You have to combat, you have to look at your weaknesses and try to make those strengths and then your strengths, make them even better because you know that they’re going to go out there and try to take away those things. It’s a great football team, like I said, great players, well-coached, and we know it’s going to take our best in order to find a way to get a win.”Q:&nbsp;What does a matchup with a quarterback of Bills QB Josh Allen’s caliber do in your own mind as you prepare for the game?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think you just have to know you’re going to have to play your best football. I mean, I’ve played against (Bills QB) Josh (Allen) enough times to know that he’s going to come out there and play great football, especially in those big moments. For me, I have to play my best football whenever I get the opportunity to and try to put our team in the best position to succeed. If that’s limiting turnovers, if that’s changing the field position – whatever that is, you have to find a way that day to win. When you go up against a great quarterback, it takes your best as well.”Q:&nbsp;What did you see in the film of the Divisional Round that helped Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy get open?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think I said it after the game a little bit. I think just the – I mean, there was attention paid to them (Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeAndre Hopkins) and they made sure to put a shell over the top of those guys and that allowed the middle of the field to be open for Travis (Kelce). That’s kind of the – how you have to do in this league is whenever certain matchups are working for you, you go to those. Then, you still want to have that option though and I think we’ll try to be better this week of giving them more and more opportunities downfield, but I think even in the one where we didn’t complete it, the one down the field, it kind of scared them (the Texans) out of – I mean, the next play Travis hits one over the middle and makes a big play happen. That’s kind of the versatility of the offense and just finding that day and what’s working best.”Q:&nbsp;What is it about Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense that makes it so hard to go against?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I think – I mean, you see it when we play. It’s just everything looks so similar but then he (Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) has so many different varieties of coverages and blitzes and different things that he can do. You can never get a feel for what he’s going to call because he’ll just throw in random coverages and stuff like that every single series it seems like. It’s hard to prepare for, it’s hard to go up against. Like I said, I’m glad I don’t have to do it during the regular season, but it prepares me for the season because I have to – kind of the mastermind that I go up against all training camp.”Q:&nbsp;What do you think is the X-factor of being able to host the AFC Championship at home?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“First off, I think GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is just a special place. I mean, you get a feeling when you step in the stadium, and you know the history and the greatness that has been played at this football stadium. I think that kind of feeds the football team. Then, the crowd is great at being quiet when we’re on offense (and) being extremely loud whenever our defense is out there, and you feel that passion that the fans have. It’s true, it’s real and they want us to go out there and be the best that we can possibly be and so we want to go out there and put up our best fight every single time we’re on that field.”Q:&nbsp;Was the Bills game this season a learning point for you?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“No, I just kind of continue to play football. I mean, if you look at the beginning of the year, I had some interceptions. I just had to try to clean those up as best as I can, but I’m going to still take chances, I’m going to give guys the chances to make plays and guys have been making plays. In that game, the early interception I felt like hurt the team just with the momentum of the game, especially being at their home stadium, but the guy was open, I just have to set my feet and make the throw. Then, the last one is – I’m going to go down fighting at the end of every game and I was trying to make a throw on a fourth-down play and the guy made a great play. I just go out there and play. I don’t worry about that stuff. I try to just put our team in the best positions to succeed, and if that’s taking a chance and giving a guy a chance to make a play, I’ll do that, and if that’s taking care of the football and letting our defense go out there and get a stop to put us in a better position, I’ll do that.”Q: What has been the key to developing Xavier Worthy and your relationship?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think just repetition and then just seeing how he (Xavier Worthy) works every single day. He’s a guy that works extremely hard (and) practices extremely hard. The more and more chances and opportunities I’ve given him, he’s kind of taken them and ran with them. Just like the one (play) down the sideline early in the game, just putting the ball up there – one on one match up and letting him make a play. I’m excited for how he’s progressed throughout the season and hopefully we can progress for a few more games then – that will be a taking off point going into next year.”Q: What are the differences between scrambling in the regular season versus the postseason?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“Yeah, I think just – you just know that in the regular season, I don’t want to say you’re not trying to get injured but you’re trying to protect yourself knowing that it’s a long season. Whereas when you’re in the playoffs you might take a few more chances here and there to try and get those first downs (and) get those big runs and big moments. You want to protect yourself as well but at the same time you might try and run for a few extra yards to get that first down knowing that it’s such a big possession – every possession is a huge possession in the playoffs. I have some athletic ability, so I like to run sometimes in the playoffs, but I’ll try to protect myself as well.”Q: Do you feel like you get special treatment by NFL referees?&nbsp;MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I don’t feel that way. I just try to play football at the end of the day. The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can – and all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results. For me it’s to go out there, play hard, try and do whatever I can to win the football game and then live with the results based off my effort and the way that we played the game – that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.”Q: As a veteran do you get the benefit of the doubt with referees, or do you feel it has been the same over time?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“I haven’t felt any different. We get new referees every year and you get new circumstances – you can never really tell because every play is different and that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I’ve just continued to play the game, and I just try to win and whatever happens kind of happens.”Q: Have you learned anything new about Travis Kelce throughout this season?MAHOMES:&nbsp;“No, not necessarily. I’ve always known how great of a leader he (Travis Kelce) is. I preach it every year and the way that he works every single day. It makes my job easier as another leader on the team – I knew he was going to do what he did in the playoffs – because every time the moment gets bigger, he plays better and he will do whatever it takes to win and that’s the type of guy’s you want on your football team and I’m glad he’s on mine.”Q:&nbsp;Do you have any thoughts on the possibility of Travis Kelce retiring?MAHOMES: “I haven’t, I mean that’s stuff you worry about in the offseason. Regardless I just appreciate every time I’m on the football field with him (Travis Kelce) and that started whenever I first got here – I knew how blessed I was to have that guy on my team. Every opportunity I get to step on that football field I appreciate it and hopefully that’s a lot more years, but I’ll appreciate every time I do.”Q: What kind of issues does the Bills LB Von Miller still present?

Chiefs Quotes: 1-22-25

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. –&nbsp;The College Baseball Foundation (CBF) has selected former University of Kansas baseball captain and longtime business leader and philanthropist Forrest Hoglund for the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award.

"The College Baseball Foundation is honored to recognize Forrest Hoglund with the 2025 George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award," said Tom Jacobs, CBF chief executive officer and executive director. "Mr. Hoglund was a team captain and standout at Kansas before embarking on a truly remarkable business career in the oil and gas industry. Along the way, his ardent support of numerous causes made a meaningful impact in his community and a difference in the lives of millions of people who have been touched by his generosity. He joins an illustrious list of previous recipients."

Hoglund was born in Lawrence, Kansas and graduated from the University of Kansas in 1956 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at KU, he played baseball from 1954-56, including serving as team captain as a senior. His options after graduation from Kansas were to play minor league baseball with the Yankees or to get married and go to work. He chose the latter but has enjoyed following the Jayhawks baseball team in the years since.

"I'm honored and humbled to be given the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award," said Hoglund. "College baseball has always been special to me, as is this award."

Hoglund Ballpark, the baseball home of the Kansas Jayhawks, opened in 1988, is named in his honor. Hoglund will be formally honored with the Geoge H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award at a banquet in Overland Park, Kansas on April 14. Additional information regarding the event, including opportunities to purchase a ticket or a table, will be made available soon.

"As a former baseball student-athlete and team captain, Forrest is an exceptional representative of the University of Kansas with a lifetime record of giving back," said University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. "We are honored to have his name on our baseball stadium, giving those student-athletes someone to emulate as they navigate their collegiate experience. He deserves this significant honor from the College Baseball Foundation as his impact has reached further than sport. I know everyone at the University of Kansas and Kansas Athletics is overjoyed for Forrest and the Hoglund family."

The Distinguished Alumnus Award, honors the accomplishments of college baseball players who achieved greatness off the diamond, is named after its inaugural recipient, George H.W. Bush, who played at Yale from 1946 to 1948 and was elected the 41st President of the United States. Bush, called "Poppy" by his teammates, played first base for the Bulldogs' teams that played in the first two College World Series. He also served as the team captain for the 1948 squad.

Hoglund is a veteran of the oil and gas industry. He served as V.P. of Worldwide Natural Gas Liquids for Exxon Corporation. He was founding Chairman and CEO of EOG Resources and President and CEO of Texas Oil and Gas. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of a Houston start up, SeaOne Holdings, LLC, which has a new, low-cost technology for transporting natural gas and gas liquids together.

Along with his successful business career, Hoglund has numerous philanthropic interests. He has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Hoglund Foundation was created in 1989, and he currently serves as Trustee Ex-officio. He also serves on the boards of the National Petroleum Council, the SMU Maguire Energy Institute, and the Center for Brain Health.

Over the years, Hoglund has raised over $1 billion for educational, civic, and charitable causes, two of which are the funding for the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Endowment Association of the University of Kansas. He has also been instrumental in advancing the game he loves, including serving as an early advocate and supporter of the College Baseball Foundation and Hall of Fame.

Hoglund has been given many awards in his career. The University of Kansas awarded him their top honor in 2005 with the Distinguished Service Award and then again in 2023 with the Lifetime Athletic Service Award. He was named to the Philanthropy World Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the Texas Legend Award from Texas Oil &amp; Gas Association in 2009. In 2014, he was honored to receive the Linz Award, Dallas' highest recognition for community involvement. In 2016, he received the SMU Maguire Energy Institute Pioneer Award and in 2017 he was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Past Recipients of the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award

Year: Recipient, City Honored, Schools Played Baseball2014: George H.W. Bush, Houston, Yale2015: Dr. Bobby Brown, Fort Worth, Texas, Stanford, UCLA, and Tulane2015: Congressman Roger Williams, Fort Worth, Texas, TCU2015: Vin Scully, Los Angeles, Fordham2016: Dr. John Olerud, Seattle, Washington State2020: Judge Thelton Henderson, Virtual, California-Berkeley

About the College Baseball Hall of Fame

Each year, more than 190 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 165 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitoverlandpark.com/college-baseball-hall-of-fame/hall-of-famers/all-inductees/" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.

About the College Baseball Foundation

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. –&nbsp;The College Baseball Foundation (CBF) has selected former University of Kansas baseball captain and longtime business leader and philanthropist Forrest Hoglund for the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award."The College Baseball Foundation is honored to recognize Forrest Hoglund with the 2025 George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award," said Tom Jacobs, CBF chief executive officer and executive director. "Mr. Hoglund was a team captain and standout at Kansas before embarking on a truly remarkable business career in the oil and gas industry. Along the way, his ardent support of numerous causes made a meaningful impact in his community and a difference in the lives of millions of people who have been touched by his generosity. He joins an illustrious list of previous recipients."Hoglund was born in Lawrence, Kansas and graduated from the University of Kansas in 1956 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at KU, he played baseball from 1954-56, including serving as team captain as a senior. His options after graduation from Kansas were to play minor league baseball with the Yankees or to get married and go to work. He chose the latter but has enjoyed following the Jayhawks baseball team in the years since."I'm honored and humbled to be given the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award," said Hoglund. "College baseball has always been special to me, as is this award."Hoglund Ballpark, the baseball home of the Kansas Jayhawks, opened in 1988, is named in his honor. Hoglund will be formally honored with the Geoge H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award at a banquet in Overland Park, Kansas on April 14. Additional information regarding the event, including opportunities to purchase a ticket or a table, will be made available soon."As a former baseball student-athlete and team captain, Forrest is an exceptional representative of the University of Kansas with a lifetime record of giving back," said University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. "We are honored to have his name on our baseball stadium, giving those student-athletes someone to emulate as they navigate their collegiate experience. He deserves this significant honor from the College Baseball Foundation as his impact has reached further than sport. I know everyone at the University of Kansas and Kansas Athletics is overjoyed for Forrest and the Hoglund family."The Distinguished Alumnus Award, honors the accomplishments of college baseball players who achieved greatness off the diamond, is named after its inaugural recipient, George H.W. Bush, who played at Yale from 1946 to 1948 and was elected the 41st President of the United States. Bush, called "Poppy" by his teammates, played first base for the Bulldogs' teams that played in the first two College World Series. He also served as the team captain for the 1948 squad.Hoglund is a veteran of the oil and gas industry. He served as V.P. of Worldwide Natural Gas Liquids for Exxon Corporation. He was founding Chairman and CEO of EOG Resources and President and CEO of Texas Oil and Gas. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of a Houston start up, SeaOne Holdings, LLC, which has a new, low-cost technology for transporting natural gas and gas liquids together.Along with his successful business career, Hoglund has numerous philanthropic interests. He has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Hoglund Foundation was created in 1989, and he currently serves as Trustee Ex-officio. He also serves on the boards of the National Petroleum Council, the SMU Maguire Energy Institute, and the Center for Brain Health.Over the years, Hoglund has raised over $1 billion for educational, civic, and charitable causes, two of which are the funding for the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Endowment Association of the University of Kansas. He has also been instrumental in advancing the game he loves, including serving as an early advocate and supporter of the College Baseball Foundation and Hall of Fame.Hoglund has been given many awards in his career. The University of Kansas awarded him their top honor in 2005 with the Distinguished Service Award and then again in 2023 with the Lifetime Athletic Service Award. He was named to the Philanthropy World Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the Texas Legend Award from Texas Oil &amp; Gas Association in 2009. In 2014, he was honored to receive the Linz Award, Dallas' highest recognition for community involvement. In 2016, he received the SMU Maguire Energy Institute Pioneer Award and in 2017 he was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.Past Recipients of the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus AwardYear: Recipient, City Honored, Schools Played Baseball2014: George H.W. Bush, Houston, Yale2015: Dr. Bobby Brown, Fort Worth, Texas, Stanford, UCLA, and Tulane2015: Congressman Roger Williams, Fort Worth, Texas, TCU2015: Vin Scully, Los Angeles, Fordham2016: Dr. John Olerud, Seattle, Washington State2020: Judge Thelton Henderson, Virtual, California-BerkeleyAbout the College Baseball Hall of FameEach year, more than 190 representatives nationwide vote on the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class. The voting body is comprised of national and regional college baseball media, active and retired coaches, former players, former inductees, college baseball historians and members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) collegiate baseball committee. The College Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2006. Since that time, 165 players, coaches, umpires, administrators and contributors have been selected for induction. Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitoverlandpark.com/college-baseball-hall-of-fame/hall-of-famers/all-inductees/" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for a full list of College Baseball Hall of Fame classes.About the College Baseball Foundation

College Baseball Foundation Names Forrest Hoglund as Recipient of The George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award

The words are framed and hang on the wall to next to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3a4ce04f-6005-4060-b064-594171e7d15b?elinkdata=17655">Dustin Sahlmann</a>'s desk:

It's the motto for the Kansas Wesleyan men's volleyball team and enunciates what Sahlmann wants from his team.

"We have to keep the perspective," said Sahlmann who is in his third season. "If we focus on the process and keep working on getting better every day, I think we'll be able to surprise some folks."

The Coyotes certainly "surprised some folks" in 2024. They posted the first winning record (14-13) in the history of the program that began in 2022. They also qualified for the Great Plains Athletic Conference postseason tournament for the first time, played their first home tournament match and notched their first tournament victory.

"I felt like we left a little bit on the court last year," he said. "Yes, we finished 14-13 and that was great but I feel like we had the potential to be further ahead of .500 than just one match."

The Coyotes will need to be better in 2025 as they begin play in the rugged Heart of America Conference after three years in the GPAC. It's a big step up.

"Going into the Heart is going to be super difficult, so many ranked teams within the top scope of the NAIA men's volleyball world," Sahlmann said. "Six of the top 12 last season are in the Heart of America and William Penn finished third in the country last year. We've got nine ranked matches built into just our conference schedule.

"But if you want to be the best you've got to beat the best and we're going to get to do that on a weekly basis."

The Coyotes open the season against Rockhurst on Friday in Kansas City, Mo. then play two matches January 31 against Westcliff and Goshen and two more February 1 against Central Christian and Jamestown in the Park Invitational in Parkville, Mo.

KWU plays fellow Heart newcomer Ottawa on February 11 in the home opener.

Sahlmann's steadfast and patient approach in building the program is paying dividends in terms of team experience.

"They've got freshmen experience; they've got sophomore experience," he said. "I've got a group of guys that play tough competition that are going to be sophomores and juniors. They know what to expect, they know what's coming and I think that helps us have a better practice environment on a daily basis."

Six key contributors from last year's team return in libero <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3cba47ea-f6cd-4723-bf63-09bc23a64983?elinkdata=17655">Jeremy Lapeze</a>, outside hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6f49bbfd-51d7-4ea8-bd7f-d98a42826766?elinkdata=17655">Justin Burras</a>, middle hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe70a9ea-fe7c-4537-920e-76fa7d6ef008?elinkdata=17655">Colin Lindo</a>, opposite hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b6fd0e5e-a7f4-40c2-a9e3-6bc4752647fb?elinkdata=17655">Zayin Martinez</a> and middle blockers <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5d134420-a43a-47a8-98f4-baac6ff0894f?elinkdata=17655">Ryan Wagner</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4c098ba7-8679-4e2e-94a3-66336f041504?elinkdata=17655">Cooper Stepp</a>.

Sahlmann and assistant coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b8ddab67-869b-4a67-8873-50dedce4d19a?elinkdata=17655">Julianna Yanez</a> bolstered the roster with the addition of several newcomers.

Outside hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2e395a43-b2f8-4ee6-884c-1471c6993b73?elinkdata=17655">Matt Lucas</a> competed in tennis and track for four years at Bethany and will play volleyball as a graduate student. Others new arrivals are freshman setter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3055b8a2-49bc-40d1-afc9-85d740457643?elinkdata=17655">Ethan Ricketts</a>, freshmen defensive specialists Barry Neff and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/daa90967-10fd-41ee-9b1b-2a3f5b1ef6f3?elinkdata=17655">Josh Kiely</a>, transfer outside hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a65abcc8-92a0-4568-80ff-b8996cb9d9b7?elinkdata=17655">Caiden Rodriguez</a> and transfer opposite hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/32252ffe-89d6-4702-8fd1-7a10fd365d8d?elinkdata=17655">Matthew Wagner</a> who stands 6-foot-9 as does his brother Ryan.

"We feel like we have the potential to look like some of the best (Division 1) programs in the country from a size standpoint when we need to," Sahlmann said.

The recruiting effort was aided by last year's progress.

The words are framed and hang on the wall to next to <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3a4ce04f-6005-4060-b064-594171e7d15b?elinkdata=17655">Dustin Sahlmann</a>'s desk:"Process over product."It's the motto for the Kansas Wesleyan men's volleyball team and enunciates what Sahlmann wants from his team."We have to keep the perspective," said Sahlmann who is in his third season. "If we focus on the process and keep working on getting better every day, I think we'll be able to surprise some folks."The Coyotes certainly "surprised some folks" in 2024. They posted the first winning record (14-13) in the history of the program that began in 2022. They also qualified for the Great Plains Athletic Conference postseason tournament for the first time, played their first home tournament match and notched their first tournament victory.Sahlmann was pleased but not satisfied."I felt like we left a little bit on the court last year," he said. "Yes, we finished 14-13 and that was great but I feel like we had the potential to be further ahead of .500 than just one match."The Coyotes will need to be better in 2025 as they begin play in the rugged Heart of America Conference after three years in the GPAC. It's a big step up."Going into the Heart is going to be super difficult, so many ranked teams within the top scope of the NAIA men's volleyball world," Sahlmann said. "Six of the top 12 last season are in the Heart of America and William Penn finished third in the country last year. We've got nine ranked matches built into just our conference schedule."But if you want to be the best you've got to beat the best and we're going to get to do that on a weekly basis."The Coyotes open the season against Rockhurst on Friday in Kansas City, Mo. then play two matches January 31 against Westcliff and Goshen and two more February 1 against Central Christian and Jamestown in the Park Invitational in Parkville, Mo.KWU plays fellow Heart newcomer Ottawa on February 11 in the home opener.Sahlmann's steadfast and patient approach in building the program is paying dividends in terms of team experience."They've got freshmen experience; they've got sophomore experience," he said. "I've got a group of guys that play tough competition that are going to be sophomores and juniors. They know what to expect, they know what's coming and I think that helps us have a better practice environment on a daily basis."Six key contributors from last year's team return in libero <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3cba47ea-f6cd-4723-bf63-09bc23a64983?elinkdata=17655">Jeremy Lapeze</a>, outside hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/6f49bbfd-51d7-4ea8-bd7f-d98a42826766?elinkdata=17655">Justin Burras</a>, middle hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/fe70a9ea-fe7c-4537-920e-76fa7d6ef008?elinkdata=17655">Colin Lindo</a>, opposite hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b6fd0e5e-a7f4-40c2-a9e3-6bc4752647fb?elinkdata=17655">Zayin Martinez</a> and middle blockers <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/5d134420-a43a-47a8-98f4-baac6ff0894f?elinkdata=17655">Ryan Wagner</a> and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/4c098ba7-8679-4e2e-94a3-66336f041504?elinkdata=17655">Cooper Stepp</a>.Sahlmann and assistant coach <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/b8ddab67-869b-4a67-8873-50dedce4d19a?elinkdata=17655">Julianna Yanez</a> bolstered the roster with the addition of several newcomers.Outside hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/2e395a43-b2f8-4ee6-884c-1471c6993b73?elinkdata=17655">Matt Lucas</a> competed in tennis and track for four years at Bethany and will play volleyball as a graduate student. Others new arrivals are freshman setter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/3055b8a2-49bc-40d1-afc9-85d740457643?elinkdata=17655">Ethan Ricketts</a>, freshmen defensive specialists Barry Neff and <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/daa90967-10fd-41ee-9b1b-2a3f5b1ef6f3?elinkdata=17655">Josh Kiely</a>, transfer outside hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/a65abcc8-92a0-4568-80ff-b8996cb9d9b7?elinkdata=17655">Caiden Rodriguez</a> and transfer opposite hitter <a href="http://kwucoyotes.com/services/go.ashx/32252ffe-89d6-4702-8fd1-7a10fd365d8d?elinkdata=17655">Matthew Wagner</a> who stands 6-foot-9 as does his brother Ryan."We feel like we have the potential to look like some of the best (Division 1) programs in the country from a size standpoint when we need to," Sahlmann said.The recruiting effort was aided by last year's progress.

2025 Men's Volleyball Season Preview: Sahlmann, KWU ready for challenges of new conference

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (January 22, 2025)&nbsp;– Continuing its 55-year tradition of celebrating the top achievements of each NFL season,&nbsp;The Committee of 101&nbsp;revealed the 2024 recipients of the annual&nbsp;101 Awards&nbsp;in an exclusive national announcement on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Wednesday morning.

The lineup of award winners includes Baltimore Ravens quarterback&nbsp;Lamar Jackson&nbsp;as AFC Offensive Player of the Year, Philadelphia Eagles running back&nbsp;Saquon Barkley&nbsp;as NFC Offensive Player of the Year, Denver Broncos cornerback&nbsp;Pat Surtain II&nbsp;as AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Detroit Lions safety&nbsp;Kerby Joseph&nbsp;as NFC Defensive Player of the Year, Kansas City Chiefs head coach&nbsp;Andy Reid&nbsp;as AFC Coach of the Year and Minnesota Vikings head coach&nbsp;Kevin O’Connell&nbsp;as NFC Coach of the Year.

The 101 Awards is the nation’s longest running awards program dedicated exclusively to the National Football League. Founded in 1969 by Lamar Hunt and a group of Kansas City business leaders, the 101 Awards have saluted the most outstanding players and coaches in the AFC and NFC each full season since the AFL-NFL merger. Award winners are selected in nationwide balloting of 101 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL throughout the season.

Jackson&nbsp;captured his second-straight AFC Offensive Player of the Year 101 Award and the third of his career (2019, 2023, 2024) after setting multiple regular season career-highs, hitting new marks in passing yards (4,172), passing touchdowns (41) and yards per attempt (8.8). He tallied a 66.7 completion percentage and recorded a league-high 8.6 passing touchdown percentage en route to earning first-team All-Pro honors from the AP. Showing off his dual-threat ability, he rushed for 915 yards on 139 attempts (6.6 avg.) and four touchdowns, marking the third time he’s rushed for 900+ yards in a single season, helping the Ravens secure an AFC North title and the third seed in the AFC playoff picture. Jackson cemented his name in NFL history in 2024 by bringing his career rushing total to 6,173 yards, surpassing former NFL QB Mike Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.

In his first year in Philadelphia,&nbsp;Barkley&nbsp;delivered a historic performance by becoming just the ninth player in NFL history to record 2,000 rushing yards in a single season, tallying 2,005 rushing yards to rank as the eighth-best single-season rushing performance in NFL annals. He added career highs with 13 rushing touchdowns and an average of 5.8 yards per carry in 2024, earning AP first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career as well as his first 101 Award. Barkley eclipsed 100+ rushing yards in 11 games this season, helping drive Philadelphia to a 14-3 record, an NFC East championship and the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12, Barkley accumulated 302 scrimmage yards (255 rushing and 47 receiving), setting a new Eagles single-game rushing record.

Surtain II&nbsp;was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the second time in his career and became just the third Denver Broncos defensive player to earn two first-team All-Pro honors in his first four seasons in the league since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. According to NextGen Stats, Surtain ranked first among NFL cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps in yards allowed (306), target rate (10.9) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.6). He tallied four interceptions on the season, tying his career high set during his rookie year in 2021. He recorded a career-best 132 interception return yards to rank first by all NFL cornerbacks in 2024, including a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, helping the Broncos earn a Wild Card spot in the 2024 playoffs. It marks his first career 101 Award.

After leading the entire league with a career-high nine interceptions on the season, including one returned for a touchdown,&nbsp;Joseph&nbsp;earned himself first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his three-year NFL career, and also earned his first 101 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Joseph was one of four Lions to receive first-team All-Pro honors, and the four selections tie the 1991 Lions for the most in franchise history since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. Joseph became the first Lions safety to log at least six interceptions and a pick-six in a single season since 1976, and helped the Lions defense tie the Bills and Colts for the fifth-most team interceptions during the 2024 season (16). He added 82 total tackles and 12 passes defensed on the season, helping propel the Lions to a franchise-high 15-2 record and secure the top seed in the NFC playoff bracket.

In his 12th season at the helm of the Chiefs,&nbsp;Reid&nbsp;led his team to a franchise-best 15-2 record and clinched a 10th-straight trip to the NFL postseason as well as a ninth-consecutive AFC West title en route to the first seed in the AFC playoffs in 2024. Reid helped steer the Chiefs to a 9-0 start, matching a franchise record win streak to start a season (2003, 2013, 2024) which has only been done two other times in franchise history, including once by Reid (2013). With 26 years of NFL head coaching experience, Reid has a 273-146-1 regular season record and is the only head coach in NFL history to be the winningest coach of two different franchises (Chiefs and Eagles). This is Reid’s fourth time receiving this honor (2002 NFC, 2013 AFC, 2015 AFC and 2024 AFC), making him the winningest coach in the history of the 101 Awards.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (January 22, 2025)&nbsp;– Continuing its 55-year tradition of celebrating the top achievements of each NFL season,&nbsp;The Committee of 101&nbsp;revealed the 2024 recipients of the annual&nbsp;101 Awards&nbsp;in an exclusive national announcement on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Wednesday morning.The lineup of award winners includes Baltimore Ravens quarterback&nbsp;Lamar Jackson&nbsp;as AFC Offensive Player of the Year, Philadelphia Eagles running back&nbsp;Saquon Barkley&nbsp;as NFC Offensive Player of the Year, Denver Broncos cornerback&nbsp;Pat Surtain II&nbsp;as AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Detroit Lions safety&nbsp;Kerby Joseph&nbsp;as NFC Defensive Player of the Year, Kansas City Chiefs head coach&nbsp;Andy Reid&nbsp;as AFC Coach of the Year and Minnesota Vikings head coach&nbsp;Kevin O’Connell&nbsp;as NFC Coach of the Year.The 101 Awards is the nation’s longest running awards program dedicated exclusively to the National Football League. Founded in 1969 by Lamar Hunt and a group of Kansas City business leaders, the 101 Awards have saluted the most outstanding players and coaches in the AFC and NFC each full season since the AFL-NFL merger. Award winners are selected in nationwide balloting of 101 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL throughout the season.Jackson&nbsp;captured his second-straight AFC Offensive Player of the Year 101 Award and the third of his career (2019, 2023, 2024) after setting multiple regular season career-highs, hitting new marks in passing yards (4,172), passing touchdowns (41) and yards per attempt (8.8). He tallied a 66.7 completion percentage and recorded a league-high 8.6 passing touchdown percentage en route to earning first-team All-Pro honors from the AP. Showing off his dual-threat ability, he rushed for 915 yards on 139 attempts (6.6 avg.) and four touchdowns, marking the third time he’s rushed for 900+ yards in a single season, helping the Ravens secure an AFC North title and the third seed in the AFC playoff picture. Jackson cemented his name in NFL history in 2024 by bringing his career rushing total to 6,173 yards, surpassing former NFL QB Mike Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.In his first year in Philadelphia,&nbsp;Barkley&nbsp;delivered a historic performance by becoming just the ninth player in NFL history to record 2,000 rushing yards in a single season, tallying 2,005 rushing yards to rank as the eighth-best single-season rushing performance in NFL annals. He added career highs with 13 rushing touchdowns and an average of 5.8 yards per carry in 2024, earning AP first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career as well as his first 101 Award. Barkley eclipsed 100+ rushing yards in 11 games this season, helping drive Philadelphia to a 14-3 record, an NFC East championship and the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12, Barkley accumulated 302 scrimmage yards (255 rushing and 47 receiving), setting a new Eagles single-game rushing record.Surtain II&nbsp;was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the second time in his career and became just the third Denver Broncos defensive player to earn two first-team All-Pro honors in his first four seasons in the league since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. According to NextGen Stats, Surtain ranked first among NFL cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps in yards allowed (306), target rate (10.9) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.6). He tallied four interceptions on the season, tying his career high set during his rookie year in 2021. He recorded a career-best 132 interception return yards to rank first by all NFL cornerbacks in 2024, including a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, helping the Broncos earn a Wild Card spot in the 2024 playoffs. It marks his first career 101 Award.After leading the entire league with a career-high nine interceptions on the season, including one returned for a touchdown,&nbsp;Joseph&nbsp;earned himself first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his three-year NFL career, and also earned his first 101 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Joseph was one of four Lions to receive first-team All-Pro honors, and the four selections tie the 1991 Lions for the most in franchise history since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. Joseph became the first Lions safety to log at least six interceptions and a pick-six in a single season since 1976, and helped the Lions defense tie the Bills and Colts for the fifth-most team interceptions during the 2024 season (16). He added 82 total tackles and 12 passes defensed on the season, helping propel the Lions to a franchise-high 15-2 record and secure the top seed in the NFC playoff bracket.In his 12th season at the helm of the Chiefs,&nbsp;Reid&nbsp;led his team to a franchise-best 15-2 record and clinched a 10th-straight trip to the NFL postseason as well as a ninth-consecutive AFC West title en route to the first seed in the AFC playoffs in 2024. Reid helped steer the Chiefs to a 9-0 start, matching a franchise record win streak to start a season (2003, 2013, 2024) which has only been done two other times in franchise history, including once by Reid (2013). With 26 years of NFL head coaching experience, Reid has a 273-146-1 regular season record and is the only head coach in NFL history to be the winningest coach of two different franchises (Chiefs and Eagles). This is Reid’s fourth time receiving this honor (2002 NFC, 2013 AFC, 2015 AFC and 2024 AFC), making him the winningest coach in the history of the 101 Awards.

The Committee of 101 Names Six Recipients of 55th Annual 101 Awards  for the 2024 NFL Season   

The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the four member Hall of Fame Class of 2025 to be inducted, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Manhattan. The 2025 class will be inducted during the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame ceremony at the Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter National Football Foundation Banquet. The event will be hosted at the Shamrock Plaza at Coach Bill Snyder Family Stadium at Kansas State University.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes:

• CJ Hamilton, Silver Lake H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl Coach (1977, 1985, 1986, 2003, 2004)

• Kent Sedlacek, Hanover H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl East All-Star (1979)

• Collin Sexton, Abilene H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star (2012)

• Dane Simoneau, Salina Sacred Heart H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star (2007)

The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame was established for the purpose of honoring those individuals who have gained recognition and fame for themselves and the Kansas Shrine Bowl as a result of their endeavors and accomplishments both on and off the football field. The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame consists of 32 inductees, with the 2025 class soon to join. To learn more about the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame visit <a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/HallofFame">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/HallofFame</a>.

Tickets to the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Ceremony and the Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter National Football Foundation Banquet in Manhattan on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, are available for $30. Please contact Jeff Bollig at jbollig84@gmail.com or call 913-449-1635 for additional ticketing information.

The 2025 Hall of Fame inductees will also be honored at the 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth on Saturday, June 21, 2025 in Dodge City.

The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces annual events and related activities with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children's.

Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2025

CJ HAMILTON – Coach, Silver Lake H.S. (1977, 1985, 1986*, 2003, 2004*)&nbsp; *Head Coach

• Coached in five Kansas Shrine Bowl games, including twice as East Head Coach, the five coaching appearances is tied for the 3rd most all-time in the Kansas Shrine Bowl

• Began his coaching career at his alma mater, Silver Lake H.S., in 1973

• Coached at Washburn University from 1977-1978, before returning to Silver Lake H.S. in 1979

• The all-time winningest high school football coach in Kansas history, with a career record of 447-98 (.820)

• In 47 years, he led Silver Lake to 40 state playoff appearances, 39 Mid-East League championships, eight state championships, and a state record 18 state championship game appearances

• From 2002-2008, led Silver Lake to seven consecutive state championship game appearances

• Member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, the Kansas Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and a 2025 inductee of the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame

• Also led Silver Lake H.S. to baseball state championships in 1975, 1977, and 1982 as the head coach

KENT SEDLACEK – Player, Hanover H.S. (1979)

• 1979 Kansas Shrine Bowl East All-Star from Hanover H.S.

• Played for Kansas State University (1979-1982)

• Member of the 1982 Independence Bowl team, the first bowl game appearance in KSU history

• Returned to his alma mater with the Kansas State University Foundation in 1989

• As a specialist in charitable estate planning, he has been involved in securing over $400 Million in charitable contributions for KSU for over 35 years

• Credits his experience playing in the Kansas Shrine Bowl, as an important moment in his desire to help children and make an impact with scholarships, buildings, athletics, arts, faculty and research to continue helping Kansans and mankind

• Has coached over 30 teams in many sports as a volunteer during his time in Manhattan

COLLIN SEXTON – Player, Abilene H.S. (2012)

• 2012 Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star from Abilene H.S.

• Caught a 54-yard touchdown pass to lead the West to a 14-7 victory in the 2012 Kansas Shrine Bowl

• Served as a public relations intern for the Kansas Shrine Bowl in the summer of 2015

• Played football at Kansas State University where he was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 recipient and a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times

• Joined the Kansas Athletics department in August 2021 and currently serves as the Deputy Athletics Director-Chief Strategy Officer, as well as the sport administrator for the Kansas Football program

• Has played a significant role in the first-of-its-kind Deloitte partnership efforts for Kansas Athletics, the $450M Gateway District Project at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and the renovated and expanded Anderson Family Football Complex

• Led the process and creation of Kansas Athletics Strategic plan, ‘To the Stars’, published in 2022

• Prior to coming to the University of Kansas, was the assistant athletics director for leadership giving at Northwestern and the director of football operations/chief of staff at Bowling Green State University

• Contributed to a record-breaking fundraising campaign of over $460M to Northwestern athletics

• Serves as a board member for the Wichita Sports Commission, representing Kansas Athletics

DANE SIMONEAU – Player, Salina Sacred Heart H.S. (2007)

• 2007 Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star from Salina Sacred Heart H.S.

• Ranked 2nd in Kansas High School history with 8,020 passing yards, while passing for 71 touchdowns in his high school career

• Started 42 of 43 career games at Washburn University (2007-11), while setting 35 Ichabod career, season and single-game records, including the top three passing season in school history

• A five-time consensus All-American who finished 2nd in the voting for the Harlon Hill Award (Division 2 Heisman) his senior season

• Named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and Regional Player of the Year as a senior

• Finished collegiate career 12th in NCAA Division II history with 11,291 yards passing and 15th on the all-time charts with 102 passing touchdowns

• Was also a four-year starter on the Washburn baseball team where he finished his career first in all-time doubles, fourth in at bats, sixth in RBI, and 10th in hits earning all-MIAA honors as a senior at shortstop

• Played professionally for the Salina Bombers of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (2012-13), where he was named the CPIFL Offensive MVP in 2013

• Currently in his fifth full-time season on the Washburn University coaching staff, moving into the role of Offensive Coordinator in the 2025 season

The Kansas Shrine Bowl has announced the four member Hall of Fame Class of 2025 to be inducted, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Manhattan. The 2025 class will be inducted during the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame ceremony at the Coach Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter National Football Foundation Banquet. The event will be hosted at the Shamrock Plaza at Coach Bill Snyder Family Stadium at Kansas State University.The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes:• CJ Hamilton, Silver Lake H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl Coach (1977, 1985, 1986, 2003, 2004)• Kent Sedlacek, Hanover H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl East All-Star (1979)• Collin Sexton, Abilene H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star (2012)• Dane Simoneau, Salina Sacred Heart H.S., Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star (2007)The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame was established for the purpose of honoring those individuals who have gained recognition and fame for themselves and the Kansas Shrine Bowl as a result of their endeavors and accomplishments both on and off the football field. The Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame consists of 32 inductees, with the 2025 class soon to join. To learn more about the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame visit <a href="http://www.kansasshrinebowl.com/HallofFame">www.KansasShrineBowl.com/HallofFame</a>.Tickets to the Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Ceremony and the Bill Snyder Family/Sunflower Chapter National Football Foundation Banquet in Manhattan on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, are available for $30. Please contact Jeff Bollig at jbollig84@gmail.com or call 913-449-1635 for additional ticketing information.The 2025 Hall of Fame inductees will also be honored at the 52nd Kansas Shrine Bowl presented by Mammoth on Saturday, June 21, 2025 in Dodge City.The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that produces annual events and related activities with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children's.Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2025CJ HAMILTON – Coach, Silver Lake H.S. (1977, 1985, 1986*, 2003, 2004*)&nbsp; *Head Coach• Coached in five Kansas Shrine Bowl games, including twice as East Head Coach, the five coaching appearances is tied for the 3rd most all-time in the Kansas Shrine Bowl• Began his coaching career at his alma mater, Silver Lake H.S., in 1973• Coached at Washburn University from 1977-1978, before returning to Silver Lake H.S. in 1979• The all-time winningest high school football coach in Kansas history, with a career record of 447-98 (.820)• In 47 years, he led Silver Lake to 40 state playoff appearances, 39 Mid-East League championships, eight state championships, and a state record 18 state championship game appearances• From 2002-2008, led Silver Lake to seven consecutive state championship game appearances• Member of the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, the Kansas Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and a 2025 inductee of the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame• Also led Silver Lake H.S. to baseball state championships in 1975, 1977, and 1982 as the head coachKENT SEDLACEK – Player, Hanover H.S. (1979)• 1979 Kansas Shrine Bowl East All-Star from Hanover H.S.• Played for Kansas State University (1979-1982)• Member of the 1982 Independence Bowl team, the first bowl game appearance in KSU history• Returned to his alma mater with the Kansas State University Foundation in 1989• As a specialist in charitable estate planning, he has been involved in securing over $400 Million in charitable contributions for KSU for over 35 years• Credits his experience playing in the Kansas Shrine Bowl, as an important moment in his desire to help children and make an impact with scholarships, buildings, athletics, arts, faculty and research to continue helping Kansans and mankind• Has coached over 30 teams in many sports as a volunteer during his time in ManhattanCOLLIN SEXTON – Player, Abilene H.S. (2012)• 2012 Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star from Abilene H.S.• Caught a 54-yard touchdown pass to lead the West to a 14-7 victory in the 2012 Kansas Shrine Bowl• Served as a public relations intern for the Kansas Shrine Bowl in the summer of 2015• Played football at Kansas State University where he was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 recipient and a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times• Joined the Kansas Athletics department in August 2021 and currently serves as the Deputy Athletics Director-Chief Strategy Officer, as well as the sport administrator for the Kansas Football program• Has played a significant role in the first-of-its-kind Deloitte partnership efforts for Kansas Athletics, the $450M Gateway District Project at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and the renovated and expanded Anderson Family Football Complex• Led the process and creation of Kansas Athletics Strategic plan, ‘To the Stars’, published in 2022• Prior to coming to the University of Kansas, was the assistant athletics director for leadership giving at Northwestern and the director of football operations/chief of staff at Bowling Green State University• Contributed to a record-breaking fundraising campaign of over $460M to Northwestern athletics• Serves as a board member for the Wichita Sports Commission, representing Kansas AthleticsDANE SIMONEAU – Player, Salina Sacred Heart H.S. (2007)• 2007 Kansas Shrine Bowl West All-Star from Salina Sacred Heart H.S.• Ranked 2nd in Kansas High School history with 8,020 passing yards, while passing for 71 touchdowns in his high school career• Started 42 of 43 career games at Washburn University (2007-11), while setting 35 Ichabod career, season and single-game records, including the top three passing season in school history• A five-time consensus All-American who finished 2nd in the voting for the Harlon Hill Award (Division 2 Heisman) his senior season• Named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and Regional Player of the Year as a senior• Finished collegiate career 12th in NCAA Division II history with 11,291 yards passing and 15th on the all-time charts with 102 passing touchdowns• Was also a four-year starter on the Washburn baseball team where he finished his career first in all-time doubles, fourth in at bats, sixth in RBI, and 10th in hits earning all-MIAA honors as a senior at shortstop• Played professionally for the Salina Bombers of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (2012-13), where he was named the CPIFL Offensive MVP in 2013• Currently in his fifth full-time season on the Washburn University coaching staff, moving into the role of Offensive Coordinator in the 2025 season

Kansas Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Announced

ATLANTA (AP) — The pass seemed to hang up there forever. Did it feel like seven weeks? Did it feel like 10 years?

What a great debate for Ohio State fans to have forever.

When that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OhioStateFB/status/1881552148040958413">teardrop of a throw</a>&nbsp;from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard on third-and-11 finally landed, light as a feather, in the hands of receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter Monday, Ohio State had locked up what would be a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for its sixth national title and first in a decade.

It was that 56-yard gain that snuffed out a feverish Notre Dame comeback and made the Buckeyes the champion of the sport's first 12-team playoff, just as they were champions of its first four-team tournament a decade ago.

“They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said of a play that felt about 100 years removed from Ohio State's once program-defining “Three yards and a cloud of dust.”

This was a win that hardly anyone thought possible a mere seven weeks ago — Nov. 30 — when a 13-10 loss to Michigan led to a near-riot on the field and questions over whether coach Ryan Day would keep his job when the calendar flipped.

“It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and at the point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out (they) just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said.

Buckeyes were on cruise control, then suddenly, ND came to life

It might be that much sweeter because of how it went down in a jam-packed stadium in the middle of SEC country that looked like a Christmas tree — Ohio State fans on one half in red, Notre Dame's on the other in green.

Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The in-stadium camera found legendary Irish coach Lou Holtz in his luxury box, and he ignored all those booing Buckeye fans and flashed a thumbs-up.

But Notre Dame's time was running out. After stopping the Buckeyes on their first two plays and using their timeouts, the Irish put Christian Gray — whose interception&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-notre-dame-orange-bowl-score-34fe8fc6414366145cfaa10f0147964c">wrapped up Notre Dame's semifinal win</a>&nbsp;over Penn State — in single coverage on Smith.

Smith got behind Gray on the right sideline and Howard dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.

It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest, and also helped Ohio State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-notre-dame-cfp-national-championship-betting-line-4e59407b67c901d23a06f511099c45bc">cover the 8 1/2-point spread</a>&nbsp;at BetMGM Sportsbook.

“It was do or die, it was that type of down,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s difficult to cover.”

Howard and Judkins make transfer portal pay off for Ohio State

Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.

The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.

“We felt at the end we wanted to give Jeremiah that shot,” Day said. “We really hadn't thrown it all night, but I thought, ‘Know what, let’s be aggressive, let's do this and lay it on the line.'”

Ohio State didn't really look like a team that needed to take risks after scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, then adding a field goal on its fifth.

When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.

It wasn’t, and now Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead; the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.

“I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better probability of getting 14 points than you do 16 points,” Freeman said.

Ohio State dominated most of the night, and all through the playoffs

Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. Ohio State punted a grand total of once.

The Buckeyes rolled through four games in the new, expanded playoff — what great timing for Ohio State that the tournament swelled to a dozen teams in a year it didn't even play for the Big Ten title — by an average score of 36-21.

Ohio State was seeded eighth, but the seedings were pretty much meaningless. The worse seed won every game in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and the Buckeyes dominated in this title-game showdown of No. 7 vs. No. 8.

A fine ending to a season that almost got away

It puts to rest, for now, any angst about that 13-10 Michigan loss in November — Ohio State’s fourth straight in the series — that ended with a brawl after Wolverine players tried to plant a flag at midfield.

The whole scene left a lot of folks, both in and out of Buckeye circles, thinking Day, in his sixth season, had outlived his usefulness on a campus that hadn’t tasted a title in a decade.

Instead, the Ohio State marching band can dot the “I” next time with the national-title trophy. And Day can join a list of title-winning coaches with Urban Meyer (2014) Jim Tressel (2002), Woody Hayes ("Three yards and a cloud of dust") and Paul Brown (who went on to become the namesake of the NFL's Cleveland Browns).

Also, Day’s .873 winning percentage coming into the game was third among coaches with 50-plus games — one spot behind none other than the Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne, himself.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737436647075.jpeg" alt="Ohio State celebrates after their win against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)" />
 <figcaption>Ohio State celebrates after their win against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — The pass seemed to hang up there forever. Did it feel like seven weeks? Did it feel like 10 years?What a great debate for Ohio State fans to have forever.When that&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/OhioStateFB/status/1881552148040958413">teardrop of a throw</a>&nbsp;from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard on third-and-11 finally landed, light as a feather, in the hands of receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter Monday, Ohio State had locked up what would be a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for its sixth national title and first in a decade.It was that 56-yard gain that snuffed out a feverish Notre Dame comeback and made the Buckeyes the champion of the sport's first 12-team playoff, just as they were champions of its first four-team tournament a decade ago.“They were running man coverage and I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna let this loose and let him make a play on it,’” Howard said of a play that felt about 100 years removed from Ohio State's once program-defining “Three yards and a cloud of dust.”This was a win that hardly anyone thought possible a mere seven weeks ago — Nov. 30 — when a 13-10 loss to Michigan led to a near-riot on the field and questions over whether coach Ryan Day would keep his job when the calendar flipped.“It’s a great story about a bunch of guys who have just overcome some really tough situations, and at the point where there’s a lot of people that counted us out (they) just kept swinging and kept fighting,” Day said.<h2>Buckeyes were on cruise control, then suddenly, ND came to life</h2>It might be that much sweeter because of how it went down in a jam-packed stadium in the middle of SEC country that looked like a Christmas tree — Ohio State fans on one half in red, Notre Dame's on the other in green.Trailing 31-7, Notre Dame scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. The in-stadium camera found legendary Irish coach Lou Holtz in his luxury box, and he ignored all those booing Buckeye fans and flashed a thumbs-up.But Notre Dame's time was running out. After stopping the Buckeyes on their first two plays and using their timeouts, the Irish put Christian Gray — whose interception&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/penn-state-notre-dame-orange-bowl-score-34fe8fc6414366145cfaa10f0147964c">wrapped up Notre Dame's semifinal win</a>&nbsp;over Penn State — in single coverage on Smith.Smith got behind Gray on the right sideline and Howard dropped his best pass of the season into the hands of the second-team All-American.It set up a field goal that started the celebration in earnest, and also helped Ohio State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-state-notre-dame-cfp-national-championship-betting-line-4e59407b67c901d23a06f511099c45bc">cover the 8 1/2-point spread</a>&nbsp;at BetMGM Sportsbook.“It was do or die, it was that type of down,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s difficult to cover.”<h2>Howard and Judkins make transfer portal pay off for Ohio State</h2>Howard, a transfer-portal success story from Kansas State, threw for 231 yards and two scores, but nothing will beat the pass to Smith with everything on the line.The receiver, who had been bottled up by Texas in the semifinals then fairly quiet for most of this game, finally got loose for the kind of play he’s been making all year. He finished with five catches for 88 yards.“We felt at the end we wanted to give Jeremiah that shot,” Day said. “We really hadn't thrown it all night, but I thought, ‘Know what, let’s be aggressive, let's do this and lay it on the line.'”Ohio State didn't really look like a team that needed to take risks after scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions, then adding a field goal on its fifth.When Quinshon Judkins (100 yards, 11 carries, three TDs), a transfer from Mississippi who highlighted Ohio State’s judicious use of the ever-growing portal, busted a 70-yard run to set up the score that made it 28-7, this game looked over.It wasn’t, and now Freeman will have to answer a few tough questions — one about the failed fake punt in the third quarter that turned into a field goal for a 31-7 lead; the other about sending Mitch Jeter in for a short field goal attempt while down 16 and facing fourth-and-goal from the 9. It might have looked like a better call had Jeter’s kick not clanged off the left upright.“I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better probability of getting 14 points than you do 16 points,” Freeman said.<h2>Ohio State dominated most of the night, and all through the playoffs</h2>Really, though, Ohio State was the better team. The Buckeyes outgained Notre Dame 445 yards to 308. Howard completed his first 13 passes and never really got stopped. Ohio State punted a grand total of once.The Buckeyes rolled through four games in the new, expanded playoff — what great timing for Ohio State that the tournament swelled to a dozen teams in a year it didn't even play for the Big Ten title — by an average score of 36-21.Ohio State was seeded eighth, but the seedings were pretty much meaningless. The worse seed won every game in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, and the Buckeyes dominated in this title-game showdown of No. 7 vs. No. 8.<h2>A fine ending to a season that almost got away</h2>It puts to rest, for now, any angst about that 13-10 Michigan loss in November — Ohio State’s fourth straight in the series — that ended with a brawl after Wolverine players tried to plant a flag at midfield.The whole scene left a lot of folks, both in and out of Buckeye circles, thinking Day, in his sixth season, had outlived his usefulness on a campus that hadn’t tasted a title in a decade.Instead, the Ohio State marching band can dot the “I” next time with the national-title trophy. And Day can join a list of title-winning coaches with Urban Meyer (2014) Jim Tressel (2002), Woody Hayes ("Three yards and a cloud of dust") and Paul Brown (who went on to become the namesake of the NFL's Cleveland Browns).Also, Day’s .873 winning percentage coming into the game was third among coaches with 50-plus games — one spot behind none other than the Notre Dame legend Knute Rockne, himself.The Notre Dame loss means college football still has never had a Black coach win the national title.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cfp-notre-dame-king-trump-football-faf2fc685b25a887dd6eec083223a591">Freeman was trying</a>&nbsp;to become the first.Instead, another kind of history. This marked the first time the Big Ten has taken back-to-back titles since 1942. Last year’s champion was Michigan, which was sitting home watching this one, but still played a special role in a Buckeyes redemption story hardly anyone saw coming.___