Tagovailoa likely to play vs. Vols
Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa aggravated a sprained ligament in his right knee in the third quarter Saturday against Missouri but is expected to play this weekend against Tennessee.
Saban said Tagovailoa, a Heisman Trophy favorite who has thrown 21 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season, ‘‘is probably better this week than he was last week.’’
‘‘We’ll just see how he does in practice and continue to evaluate,’’ Saban said.
UConn officials said linebacker Eli Thomas, 22, has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke before a weightlifting session last week. The school said Thomas is in stable condition and making ‘‘good progress toward recovery.’’
The Southeastern Conference fined LSU $100,000 for allowing fans to rush the field after its victory Saturday against Georgia. The SEC has a policy of not allowing fans on the field for safety reasons.
Panthers defenseman suspended two games
The NHL suspended Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson for two games without pay for slamming Canucks forward Elias Pettersson to the ice Saturday. Pettersson needed help getting off the ice, and the Canucks said he is in the concussion protocol.
The Canucks also said center Jay Beagle will miss six weeks with a broken forearm suffered while blocking a shot against the Panthers.
Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz will miss the next four months because of a fractured left leg suffered Saturday against the Canadiens. The injury occurred when Schultz got tangled up with Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec.
Report: Pacers, Turner strike $72 million deal
ESPN.com reported the Pacers and big man Myles Turner agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension worth $72 million that will keep him from becoming a restricted free agent next summer. Turner averaged 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.82 blocks last season.
The Cavaliers and forward Larry Nance Jr. agreed to terms on a four-year, $44.8 million contract extension. He averaged 8.7 points and 6.8 rebounds last season with the Lakers and Cavaliers.
NBC analyst Miller to retire in February
Johnny Miller announced he is retiring as the lead golf analyst for NBC Sports after 29 years. He said he will sign off Feb. 3 at the Phoenix Open.