CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dustin Wolf made 25 saves, Mikael Backlund scored his 10th goal and the Calgary Flames beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Wednesday night.
Morgan Frost, Jonathan Huberdeau, Rasmus Andersson and Connor Zary also scored, and MacKenzie Weegar and Matt Coronato each had two assists.
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Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson, right, lets in a goal as Calgary Flames' Ryan Lomberg looks on during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Philadelphia Flyers' Nick Seeler, right, is checked by Calgary Flames' Yan Kuznetsov during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny, left, scores on Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Philadelphia Flyers' Cam York, right, and Calgary Flames' MacKenzie Weegar, centre, crash into goalie Samuel Ersson during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Calgary Flames' Connor Zary, left, celebrates his goal with teammate John Beecher during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Flames have won five straight and 10-1-1 in their last 12 at home. They are 18-18-4 overall. Wolf has won eight in a row a home.
Up 2-1, Calgary got a two-man advantage midway through the second period. Zary set up Andersson for a one-timer with 18 seconds left on the power play.
Travis Konecny scored for Philadelphia, and Sam Ersson stopped 20 shots. the Flyers dropped to 20-12-7.
Flyers: At Edmonton on Saturday in the finale of a five-game trip.
Flames: Host Nashville on Saturday in the fourth game of a five-game homestand.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson, right, lets in a goal as Calgary Flames' Ryan Lomberg looks on during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Philadelphia Flyers' Nick Seeler, right, is checked by Calgary Flames' Yan Kuznetsov during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny, left, scores on Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Philadelphia Flyers' Cam York, right, and Calgary Flames' MacKenzie Weegar, centre, crash into goalie Samuel Ersson during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Calgary Flames' Connor Zary, left, celebrates his goal with teammate John Beecher during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ryan Day and his Ohio State coaching staff spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to deal with the long break between the Big Ten championship and the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Regardless, another bye bites the dust, and these Buckeyes won't win the school's first back-to-back national championships.
No. 10 Miami held on for a 24-14 victory in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal Wednesday night, taking a two-touchdown halftime lead and bouncing the third-ranked Buckeyes (12-2, No. 2 CFP seed) a year after Ohio State had to play in the first round and won four playoff games on the way to the title.
This time, there were 25 days between the 13-10 loss to top-ranked and top-seeded Indiana and what ended up being a second consecutive defeat for a team that enjoyed a perfect regular season.
“At the end of the day, we didn't execute the way that we needed to to win the game,” two-time All-America safety Caleb Downs said. “That's what it is. We can't change it now.”
The Buckeyes tried to change the fate of teams with first-round byes in the second year of the 12-team playoff format.
Instead, the teams that wait a little longer are 0-5, and the Hurricanes (12-2, CFP No. 10 seed) are moving on after barely making the field as an at-large team that didn't play in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. Miami, in its first CFP, won 13-10 at Texas A&M in the first round Dec. 20.
These first-round byes are different. A year ago, two teams were lower seeds. This time, the top four seeds got passes to the quarterfinals. Indiana, No. 3 Georgia and fourth-seeded Texas Tech play their quarterfinals Thursday.
“We worked really hard during the last three weeks leading up to this game to come out of the gates and win the first quarter, win the first half, be ready to go,” Day said. “At the end of the day, we didn’t get it done. I take responsibility for not getting the guys ready.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin reflected the rust, throwing a 72-yard pick-6 for a 14-0 deficit early in the second quarter while getting sacked three times.
Sayin and All-America receiver Jeremiah Smith connected on a 59-yard pass that didn't result in points in a scoreless first half for the Buckeyes. That pair got Ohio State moving after the break, and within 17-14 on Smith's 14-yard scoring catch on fourth-and-2 early in the fourth quarter.
After Ohio State's next drive stalled, Miami kept the ball for most of the last six minutes against one of the best defenses in the country. The Buckeyes were in desperation mode in the final minute when Sayin threw a game-sealing interception, his second.
“It still hasn’t really hit me,” said senior defensive end Caden Curry, who was part of a 28-14 CFP semifinal victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl almost a year ago. “I am still in my jersey and my pads, but yeah I know I’ll never be able to play another game for this school.”
Smith ended up with 157 yards on seven catches, and his 538 yards receiving in five playoff games are 21 yards shy of former Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith's CFP record.
Sayin, the Heisman Trophy finalist who led FBS in completion percentage, was much more efficient in the second half, before the final interception when he was hit as he threw. The sluggish first half was just too much to overcome.
“When you have a start the way that we did, you put yourself at risk of having to be really darn near perfect in the second half to go win the game,” Day said. “We put ourselves behind the 8 ball.”
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Ohio State head coach Ryan Day looks o during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Miami Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding, with Joe McGuire holding, misses a field goal against Miami during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against Miami during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry looks on during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Miami Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas, right, makes a tackle on Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, center, gets away from Miami defensive lineman David Blay Jr. (11) and defensive back Ja'Boree Antoine (16) to score a touchdown on a pass from quarterback Julian Sayin, not visible, during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
