Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are hopeful that Patrick Mahomes will be able to play next week against Minnesota, especially having practiced on a limited basis just days after dislocating his kneecap. Hope is not lost if the reigning league MVP misses a second consecutive game. Fill-in quarterback Matt Moore and the Kansas City defense showed in a 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers that they can keep the Chiefs’ season afloat until their biggest star makes his return to the field.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska coach Scott Frost says he doesn’t know what prompted Indiana athletic director Fred Glass to tell the Indianapolis Star newspaper that the Cornhuskers’ staff doesn’t respect the Hoosiers’ football program. Glass said the win at Nebraska was “particularly gratifying” because Nebraska’s staff “had no respect for our program.” Glass declined to elaborate. Frost says he was complimentary to the Hoosiers before and after the game.
UNDATED (AP) — Purdue coach Jeff Brohm changed his mind. Two days after announcing there would be an open competition for the starting quarterback job, Brohm says Jack Plummer has the job going into Saturday’s game against Nebraska. Plummer was yanked twice in last weekend’s 24-6 loss to Illinois.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — UNLV assistant football coach Barney Cotton is progressing well after having a heart transplant in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. The operation was Oct. 22 at Nebraska Medical Center. The Cotton family says the surgery and recovery have gone as expected. Cotton has been on UNLV’s staff since 2015 and stepped away for health reasons in July. Cotton was a Nebraska lineman from 1976-78 and a Cornhuskers assistant in 2003 and from 2008-14.