Northwestern Edges Kentucky 24-23 At Music City Bowl, QB Thorson Injured

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Justin Jackson ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 20 Northwestern held off Kentucky 24-23 on Friday in a Music City Bowl that might be remembered more for injuries, ejections and a wild finish.

Both starting quarterbacks left in the first half with injuries, though Kentucky’s Stephen Johnson returned early in the third quarter. Kentucky lost running back Benny Snell Jr. to an ejection for contact with an official early in the second quarter, and Northwestern lost leading tackler and linebacker Paddy Fisher before halftime when he was ejected for targeting.

Northwestern (10-4) still finished off back-to-back bowl wins in consecutive years for the first time in program history, and the Wildcats notched their second 10-win season in three years under coach Pat Fitzgerald. The senior class also won its 27th game for the best stretch in more than a decade.

Kentucky (7-6) had a chance to win after Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald tried to convert his fifth fourth down of the game only to turn it over for the fourth time on downs — this time at his own 39 with 2:31 left.

Johnson ran for his second touchdown of the second half with 37 seconds left. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops went for the 2-point conversion rather than play for overtime, but Johnson couldn’t connect with Tavin Richardson on the pass.

With quarterback Clayton Thorson knocked out early in the second with a right knee injury, Northwestern outran Kentucky 333-65. Safety Kyle Quiero provided the winning margin taking Northwestern’s second interception 26 yards for a TD with 7:49 left.

(© 2017 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

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Billy Goat Flagship Location Closing Temporarily For Repairs

(CBS) — The Billy Goat Tavern’s most famous location, beneath Michigan Avenue just north of the Chicago River, will be closing for four to six weeks for updating, owners have announced.

The overhaul includes work on the historic restaurant’s electrical system, plumbing and restroom, according to a blog post on the Billy Goat’s website.

“This work is necessary so that our customers can continue to enjoy the Tavern for many years to come!” the posting says.

Work begins Jan. 2 and is expected to reopen in February.

The Billy Goat — famous for its no-nonsense fare of cheeseburgers and a limited number of options — has several locations. But the subterranean location, with its colorful atmosphere and memorabilia, is the big attraction for tourists hoping to glimpse a piece of Chicago history.

Newspaper columnist Mike Royko famously hung out at the tavern.

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Levine: Wade Davis Exit Part Of Collateral Damage The Cubs Expected

By Bruce Levine–

(670 The Score) — The Cubs bid farewell to former closer Wade Davis on Friday, as he agreed with the Rockies on a three-year deal worth $52 million that will make him the game’s highest-paid reliever on an annual basis.

Davis was magnificent for the Cubs in 2017, registering a 2.30 ERA and converting 32 of 33 save chances. His exit assures that the Cubs will have their fourth closer in the past four seasons when 2018 starts. In the Theo Epstein-Jed Hoyer era, the Cubs have yet to sign a closer to a multi-year deal.

Davis, 32, deserved to be paid well, but the length of his deal and the money was a bit of a surprise to many in the game. Last offseason saw closers Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen receive five-year deal, while Mark Melancon received a four-year contract. Davis’ market didn’t materialize to that point in length and hasn’t for any pitcher this offseason. Three years is the longest deal any pitcher has signed since free agency opened in November.

The Cubs expected to lose Davis, which is why they made a point to add relievers Brandon Morrow and Steve Cishek on two-year deals in free agency. Beyond that, the Cubs hope Carl Edwards Jr. and Justin Wilson will have a resurgence in 2018 after late-season struggles in 2017. Re-establishing their confidence and control will be on the docket of new pitching coach Jim Hickey when spring training opens in February.

It’s also possible the Cubs could utilize Drew Smyly in the bullpen late in 2018 if his recovery from Tommy John surgery last July goes well.

“If we go into the season with complete status quo, Morrow will be closing,” Epstein said in mid-December at the Winter Meetings. “There are only a very small number of potential acquisitions that could cause us to restructure that.”

Epstein didn’t say it, but adding both a top-of-the-rotation starter on a long-term deal and spending $15 million-plus on a closer was going to be an unlikely scenario on the payroll. And the Cubs still have their eyes on adding another frontline starter such as right-hander Yu Darvish, so it’s not expected that they’ll offer free-agent closer Greg Holland a deal in the three-year, $55-million range that he will desire.

The Cubs are more likely to seek more bullpen help via trade, with Rays closer Alex Colome possibly one that could eye.

The Cubs’ money will likely go toward a starting pitcher in the form of Darvish, Jake Arrieta or Alex Cobb.

After showing interest in Darvish and Cobb, the Cubs remain in the conversation to re-sign Arrieta, sources said. Like Darvish, it’s believed Arrieta desire a contract of five years or more. Arrieta, who turns 32 in March, had a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 30 starts in 2017.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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Joniak: Keys To Bears-Vikings

By Jeff Joniak–

(670 The Score) — The Bears (5-10) are on the road to face the Vikings (12-3) on Sunday at noon. Here are my keys to the game.

Offense: Protect Trubisky

Just like last week, nothing is more important than keeping rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky healthy. A late-season injury would be a progress stopper and development buster for the start of next season. He must be protected well, play smart and work with a thriving run game. It’s difficult to throw on the Vikings, who have allowed fewer than 200 net passing yards nine times this season. In this recent four-game stretch, Trubisky has completed 71 percent of his passes with a quarterback rating over 90. He’s building to a good finish, but he needs some help. Minnesota owns a dynamite defense front to back, with an impact player at every level of the unit. U.S. Bank Stadium gets loud, and the Bears aren’t healthy up front, so avoiding mistakes and penalties will be paramount.

Defense: Finish strong

No matter what the obstacle, somehow the Bears defense has survived an array of injuries and some powerful offenses for the most part. The Bears are eighth in yards allowed, sixth in sacks per pass play, ninth against the run, eighth against the pass and 11th in first downs allowed. And most importantly, they’re 10th in points allowed. The Bears still aren’t a takeaway machine, but they make opponents work for every yard. Against the pass, the Bears defense has kept the damage to a minimum, allowing just over three yards after the catch to top receivers this season. Getting off the field will be critical. The Vikings rank third in the league on third downs. There’s some momentum with this defense.

Special teams: Field position

Field position created by an outstanding return game for the Vikings is something the Bears have to defend. The Vikings are sixth in punt return average and fourth on kickoff returns. It will be one of the biggest tests of the season for the Bears. The Vikings lead the league with 79.2 percent of their kickoff returns gaining 20-plus yards. It’s a bit deceiving, because they have returned only 24 kicks and 19 of them have hit for 20-plus yards. The Bears have an NFL-high 43 returns, and 58.1 percent have gone for 20 or more yards.

Intangibles: Turnover ratio

The Bears are 2-9 when they have two or fewer takeaways in a game this season. The Vikings are 10-3. It’s an interesting stat given that the Bears have forced 22 turnovers, while the Vikings have forced 19. The Vikings make up for it by securing the ball on offense with just 14 giveaways, leading to just 54 points. The Bears’ 22 turnovers have cost them 74 points.

Numbers: Where do the points come from?

The Vikings are 10-1 in their last 11 games, catching fire after their win over the Bears on a late field goal on Oct. 8. The Bears are 4-7 during that same stretch. The Vikings defense is dominant. They’re tied for fifth in the league in forcing three-and-out drives with 47. The Vikings’ red-zone defense is second, and they’ve only permitted 23 offensive touchdowns, which is the best mark in the NFL. Interestingly, the Bears have permitted only 25 offensive touchdowns, which is tied for second-fewest in the league with the Jaguars. Despite all their injuries, the Bears have allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league offensively with 262, which is 29 points behind the league-leading Jaguars. The Vikings are second, permitting 240.

Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for the Bears broadcasts on WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter @JeffJoniak.

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Police Seek Suspect In Stickney Car Theft

(CBS) — Authorities are asking for the public’s help finding the person who helped steal a car from a gas station last week in southwest suburban Stickney Township.

Surveillance images of a suspect and the vehicle he was driving in a Stickney Township car theft Dec. 21. (Cook County Sheriff)

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office released photos Friday of a suspect in the theft of a black 2015 Honda Accord about 7:40 a.m. Dec. 21 at the at the Minute Man gas station, 4901 S. Central Avenue in Stickney Township.

The pictured suspect drove away in a current-model, maroon Toyota Highlander, while an accomplice drove off in the stolen Honda, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call detectives at (708) 865-4896.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire copy; Chicago Sun-Times 2017. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

 

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Saturday’s High Temp: 6 Degrees Fahrenheit

(CBS) — Now that we’ve had some fun with snow and bitterly cold temperatures, it gets measurably worse for the Chicago region.

Saturday’s “high” temperature, not counting wind chill, is expected to be 6 degrees Fahrenheit, CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist reports. With windchill, it could easily feel like 10 or 20 below zero — a far cry from the normal late December temperature of 32 degrees, Kleist adds.

This is how the holiday weekend is shaping up, according to the latest forecast model. (CBS)

The deep chill follows another round of snow flurries in the Chicago region Friday afternoon, right in time for the holiday-weekend rush hour.

Relief will only be relative. Sunday will warm to double-digits — a high of 13 degrees — but snow returns that day. Monday, New Year’s Day, is expected to have a high of 8 degrees.

#Chicago @StreetsandSan salters out & about. Streets in the #Loop looking okay. Be careful – sidewalks are a little slippery! @cbschicago @WBBMNewsradio #snow #winter #brrr #chi #chitown #chi #chicagowx #wx #WinterWeather #traffic http://pic.twitter.com/U5UR0Ih1J7

— LAUREN VICTORY (@LaurenVictory) December 29, 2017

 

 

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Blackhawks Place Artem Anisimov On Injured Reserve

(670 The Score) The Blackhawks have suffered another setback, placing center Artem Anisimov on injured reserve on Friday, the team announced.

Anisimov left during the first period of Thursday’s loss to the Canucks in Vancouver with what coach Joel Quenneville told reporters was an “upper-body injury.” No update to his status has been provided since.

The Blackhawks activated defenseman Cody Franson from injured reserve in a corresponding roster move.

Anisimov, 29, is second on the Blackhawks with 13 goals and also has five assists this season. Franson has one goal and six assists in 19 games.

The Blackhawks face the Oilers on Friday night, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. CT. in Edmonton.

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