LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Bo Pelini has been fired as Nebraska’s football coach after a seven-year stint marked by his inability to restore the program to sustained national prominence and a number of embarrassing losses in big games.

Pelini extended his streak of winning at least nine games every year with a 37-34 overtime win at Iowa on Friday but he never finished a season with fewer than four losses or ended a conference-championship drought that dates to 1999.

Pelini, whose tenure spanned Nebraska’s transition from the Big 12 to Big Ten, was 66-27 and led the Cornhuskers to three league championship games.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Thomas van der Mars scored nine of his team-high 14 points in the opening minutes to spark Portland to a 79-51 win over Drake in the Challenge in Music City on Saturday. Portland, which beat Murray State, 64-61 in the opener Friday, jumped to a 24-11 start over the opening 10 minutes and led by 16 points at halftime, 38-22. The win gives the Pilots five straight to open the season, matching their best start under coach Eric Reveno, whose 2009-10 team got off to a 5-0 start and was ranked in the Top 25.

Portland got balanced scoring from its entire roster. Only one player failed to score against the Bulldogs while the team shot 50 percent from the floor (27 for 54). Gary Ricks, Junior scored 23 points to lead Drake (1-5), which lost to Valparaiso in the opener, 66-46.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Whitney Jennings scored 19 points, Samantha Logic added 16 and No. 17 Iowa turned back repeated charges by Gonzaga for a 79-67 win at the South Point Thanksgiving Classic Saturday night. Melisa Dixon added 13 points, Ally Disterhoft added 12 and Bethany Doolittle had 10 with 12 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (6-1). Sunny Greinacher paced Gonzaga with 16 points and Shelby Cheslek had 10 and 13 rebounds.

Gonzaga, down 11 with 1:29 left, closed within 70-67 after Emma Stach followed a steal to hit 1 of 2 free throws at 55 seconds. Jennings countered with two free throws 4 seconds later and then found Disterhoft with a full-court pass for a layup after a Bulldog miss for a 74-67 lead at 38 seconds.

Iowa finished 20 of 28 from the line, including 16 of 19 in the second half. The Hawkeyes made nine 3’s and forced Gonzaga into 21 turnovers, good for 24 points.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — David Johnson ran for 152 yards and three touchdowns, and had two receptions for 84 yards and a score, to lead Northern Iowa past Stephen F. Austin 44-10 to advance in the FCS Playoffs on Saturday night. Northern Iowa (9-4), which handed Illinois State (10-1) its only loss, will play the Redbirds in the second round on December 6th. Johnson scored on the first play from scrimmage, ripping off a 73-yard run.

Three plays later, Deiondre’ Hall returned an interception 24 yards, giving the Panthers first-and-goal from the 9. A 30-yard field goal by Michael Schmadeke made it 10-0 just 2 ½ minutes in and the rout was on. Stephen F. Austin (8-5) ran just 18 offensive plays for 34 yards in the opening quarter with as many three-and-outs and turnovers (two each) as first downs (the second coming on a defensive pass interference).

Schmadeke added field goals of 36 and 34 yards and Johnson tacked on a 1-yard touchdown run and Northern Iowa led 23-0 at the end of the first.