Your Weekend In Sports

It’s hard to imagine that the Carolina Panthers had to come back in a game they led by 28 points. But once the New York Giants scored four straight touchdowns to tie them at 35-35, the Panthers needed one more surge.

They got it. Cam Newton put his team in position for Graham Gano’s 43-yard field goal on the final play of a 38-35 victory that pushed the Panthers to an NFL-best 14-0. Newton passed for 340 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for another 100 yards. The Panthers become the fourth team to open a season 14-0.

The Pittsburgh Steelers also mounted a marvelous comeback from a 17-point deficit to beat the Denver Broncos 34-27. Ben Roethlisberger passed for 380 yards and three touchdowns and Antonio Brown was on the receiving end of 16 passes for 189 yards and two scores.

The Arizona Cardinals clinched the NFC West title with a 40-17 shellacking of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Seattle Seahawks also clinched a wild-card berth by beating the Cleveland Browns 30-13. After torching the Buffalo Bills 35-25, the Washington Redskins need only to beat the Eagles on Saturday night to clinch the NFC East title.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Upsets abounded on Saturday in men’s hoops. A very young Ohio State team (six freshmen) knocked off No. 4 Kentucky 74-67, Utah went to overtime to beat No. 7 Duke 77-75 and No. 17 Butler handed No. 9 Purdue its first defeat, 74-68. … In women’s basketball, No. 4 Baylor remained unbeaten (12-0) while handing No. 23 Miami its first defeat, 88-81.

ELSEWHERE

Nebraska won the college women’s volleyball title with a three-set sweep of Texas in Omaha. … Mount Union defeated St. Thomas of Minnesota 49-35 on Friday night in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl for the NCAA Division III title, the 12th for the Purple Raiders but first since 2012.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .