“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA SRN WEEK ONE FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL AT JASPER
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL AT BEECH GROVE
BATESVILLE AT TRITON CENTRAL
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK ONE
ADAMS CENTRAL (0-0) AT GARRETT (0-0)
ALEXANDRIA (0-0) AT WES-DEL (0-0)
ANDREAN (0-0) AT MERRILLVILLE (0-0)
ATTICA (0-0) AT CULVER (0-0)
AVON (0-0) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (0-0)
BATESVILLE (0-0) AT TRITON CENTRAL (0-0)
BELLMONT (0-0) AT HERITAGE (0-0)
BLOOMINGTON NORTH (0-0) AT MOORESVILLE (0-0)
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (0-0) AT COLUMBUS EAST (0-0)
BOONVILLE (0-0) AT PAOLI (0-0)
BOWMAN ACADEMY (0-0) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-0)
BREMEN (0-0) AT EAST NOBLE (0-0)
BROWN COUNTY (0-0) AT OWEN VALLEY (0-0)
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (0-0) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (0-0)
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-0) AT CENTERVILLE (0-0)
CASCADE (0-0) AT INDIAN CREEK (0-0)
CASTLE (0-0) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (0-0)
CASTON (0-0) AT CARROLL (FLORA) (0-0)
CENTRAL NOBLE (0-0) AT WEST NOBLE (0-0)
CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (0-0)
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (TENN.) AT PROVIDENCE (0-0)
CHURUBUSCO (0-0) AT COLUMBIA CITY (0-0)
CLARKSVILLE (0-0) AT PIKE CENTRAL (0-0)
CLINTON CENTRAL (0-0) AT FRANKFORT (0-0)
CLINTON PRAIRIE (0-0) AT FRONTIER (0-0)
COLUMBUS NORTH (0-0) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (0-0)
COVINGTON (0-0) AT TRI-COUNTY (0-0)
CRAWFORDSVILLE (0-0) AT PARKE HERITAGE (0-0)
DEKALB (0-0) AT ANGOLA (0-0)
DELPHI (0-0) AT BENTON CENTRAL (0-0)
DELTA (0-0) AT MUNCIE CENTRAL (0-0)
EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (0-0) AT OAK HILL (0-0)
EASTERN (PEKIN) (0-0) AT WEST WASHINGTON (0-0)
EDGEWOOD (0-0) AT MITCHELL (0-0)
ELKHART (0-0) AT CONCORD (0-0)
ELWOOD (0-0) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (0-0)
EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-0) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (0-0)
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (0-0) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (0-0)
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (0-0) AT JASPER (0-0)
FAIRFIELD (0-0) AT GOSHEN (0-0)
FISHERS (0-0) AT NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (0-0)
FOREST PARK (0-0) AT PRINCETON (0-0)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (0-0) AT BLUFFTON (0-0)
FORT WAYNE DWENGER (0-0) AT BROWNSBURG (0-0)
FORT WAYNE NORTH (0-0) AT NORTHRIDGE (0-0)
FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (0-0)
FRANKLIN (0-0) AT NEW ALBANY (0-0)
FRANKTON (0-0) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (0-0)
GARY WEST (0-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (0-0)
GIBSON SOUTHERN (0-0) AT DANVILLE (0-0)
GREENCASTLE (0-0) AT MONROVIA (0-0)
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (0-0) AT BEECH GROVE (0-0)
GREENSBURG (0-0) AT SHELBYVILLE (0-0)
HAGERSTOWN (0-0) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (0-0)
HAMILTON HEIGHTS (0-0) AT LAPEL (0-0)
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (0-0) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (0-0)
HAMMOND CENTRAL (0-0) AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (0-0)
HAMMOND MORTON (0-0) AT PORTAGE (0-0)
HAMMOND NOLL (0-0) AT SOUTH BEND RILEY (0-0)
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (0-0) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (0-0)
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (0-0) AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN (0-0)
HERITAGE HILLS (0-0) AT SOUTHRIDGE (0-0)
HIGHLAND (0-0) AT GRIFFITH (0-0)
HOBART (0-0) AT CHESTERTON (0-0)
HOMESTEAD (0-0) AT CARMEL (0-0)
HUNTINGTON NORTH (0-0) AT EASTBROOK (0-0)
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (0-0) AT BEN DAVIS (0-0)
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (0-0) AT BREBEUF JESUIT (0-0)
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (0-0) AT SOUTHPORT (0-0)
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (0-0) AT FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-0)
INDIANAPOLIS TECH (0-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (0-0)
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (0-0) AT EDINBURGH (0-0)
IRVINGTON PREP (0-0) AT FAITH CHRISTIAN (0-0)
JAY COUNTY (0-0) AT BLACKFORD (0-0)
JEFFERSONVILLE (0-0) AT WHITELAND (0-0)
JENNINGS COUNTY (0-0) AT SOUTH DEARBORN (0-0)
JOHN GLENN (0-0) AT BOONE GROVE (0-0)
KNOX (0-0) AT NORTH JUDSON (0-0)
KOKOMO (0-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (0-0)
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (0-0) AT SEEGER (0-0)
LAPORTE (0-0) AT NEW PRAIRIE (0-0)
LAVILLE (0-0) AT TRITON (0-0)
LAWRENCE NORTH (0-0) AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL (0-0)
LAWRENCEBURG (0-0) AT EAST CENTRAL (0-0)
LEO (0-0) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (0-0)
LOGANSPORT (0-0) AT PERU (0-0)
LOUISVILLE ST. XAVIER (KY.) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (0-0)
LOWELL (0-0) AT CROWN POINT (0-0)
MARION (0-0) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (0-0)
MARION LOCAL (OHIO) AT LINTON (0-0)
MARTINSVILLE (0-0) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (0-0)
MCCUTCHEON (0-0) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (0-0)
MICHIGAN CITY (0-0) AT WARSAW (0-0)
MILAN (0-0) AT RUSHVILLE (0-0)
MISHAWAKA (0-0) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (0-0)
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (0-0) AT NOBLESVILLE (0-0)
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (0-0) AT NORTH POSEY (0-0)
MUNSTER (0-0) AT LAKE CENTRAL (0-0)
NEW CASTLE (0-0) AT FRANKLIN COUNTY (0-0)
NEW HAVEN (0-0) AT FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (0-0)
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (0-0) AT NORTH VERMILLION (0-0)
NORTH DAVIESS (0-0) AT WASHINGTON (0-0)
NORTH DECATUR (0-0) AT SOUTH DECATUR (0-0)
NORTH HARRISON (0-0) AT SALEM (0-0)
NORTH MONTGOMERY (0-0) AT NORTH PUTNAM (0-0)
NORTH NEWTON (0-0) AT WHITING (0-0)
NORTH WHITE (0-0) AT TAYLOR (0-0)
NORTHFIELD (0-0) AT NORTH MIAMI (0-0)
NORTHWESTERN (0-0) AT MANCHESTER (0-0)
NORTHWOOD (0-0) AT JIMTOWN (0-0)
NORWELL (0-0) AT MISSISSINEWA (0-0)
OSCEOLA GRACE AT CALUMET (0-0)
PARK TUDOR (0-0) AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (0-0)
PENDLETON HEIGHTS (0-0) AT LEBANON (0-0)
PERRY MERIDIAN (0-0) AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL (0-0)
PIONEER (0-0) AT LEWIS CASS (0-0)
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-0) AT WHITKO (0-0)
PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD (0-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (0-0)
RENSSELAER CENTRAL (0-0) AT KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-0)
RICHMOND (0-0) AT CONNERSVILLE (0-0)
RIVER FOREST (0-0) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (0-0)
RIVERTON PARKE (0-0) AT CLOVERDALE (0-0)
SCOTTSBURG (0-0) AT MADISON (0-0)
SEYMOUR (0-0) AT GREENWOOD (0-0)
SHENANDOAH (0-0) AT FREMONT (0-0)
SILVER CREEK (0-0) AT CHARLESTOWN (0-0)
SOUTH BEND ADAMS (0-0) AT CULVER ACADEMY (0-0)
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (0-0) AT LAKELAND (0-0)
SOUTH NEWTON (0-0) AT LAKE STATION (0-0)
SOUTH SPENCER (0-0) AT TECUMSEH (0-0)
SOUTHMONT (0-0) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (0-0)
SOUTHWOOD (0-0) AT MACONAQUAH (0-0)
SPEEDWAY (0-0) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (0-0)
SPRINGS VALLEY (0-0) AT EASTERN GREENE (0-0)
SULLIVAN (0-0) AT NORTH KNOX (0-0)
SWITZERLAND COUNTY (0-0) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (0-0)
TELL CITY (0-0) AT PERRY CENTRAL (0-0)
TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-0) AT NORTHVIEW (0-0)
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (0-0) AT PLAINFIELD (0-0)
TIPTON (0-0) VS. SOUTH ADAMS (0-0)
TRI-CENTRAL (0-0) AT MADISON-GRANT (0-0)
TRI-WEST (0-0) AT WESTERN (0-0)
TWIN LAKES (0-0) AT PLYMOUTH (0-0)
UNION CITY (0-0) AT TRI (0-0)
UNION COUNTY (0-0) AT NORTHEASTERN (0-0)
VALPARAISO (0-0) AT PENN (0-0)
VINCENNES LINCOLN (0-0) AT EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-0)
WABASH (0-0) AT ROCHESTER (0-0)
WARREN CENTRAL (0-0) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (0-0)
WAWASEE (0-0) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (0-0)
WEST CENTRAL (0-0) AT WINAMAC (0-0)
WEST VIGO (0-0) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (0-0)
WESTERN BOONE (0-0) AT SHERIDAN (0-0)
WESTFIELD (0-0) AT CENTER GROVE (0-0)
WHEELER (0-0) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (0-0)
WINCHESTER (0-0) AT MONROE CENTRAL (0-0)
WOODLAN (0-0) AT EASTSIDE (0-0)
YORKTOWN (0-0) AT ANDERSON (0-0)
ZIONSVILLE (0-0) AT PIKE (0-0)
ORDER THE 2024 INDIANA FOOTBALL DIGEST: https://indianafootballdigest.com/
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL-REPORTED SCORES
EASTERN HANCOCK 2 HAUSER 0
EASTERN HANCOCK 2 JAC-CEN-DEL 0
EASTERN HANCOCK 2 NORTHEASTERN 0
CASTLE 3 AVON 0
AVON 3 PROVIDENCE 0
EAST CENTRAL 2 FRANKLIN COUNTY 0
EAST CENTRAL 2 CONNERSVILLE 0
EAST CENTRAL 2 UNION COUNTY 0
MOORESVILLE 3 HERRON 2
MOORESVILLE 3 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 0
MOUNT VERNON 3 GREENWOOD 0
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 3 WALDRON 0
CASTLE 3 TRI WEST 2
SOUTHPORT 2 SCOTTSBURG 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3 MCCUTCHEON 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3 WARSAW 0
WESTFIELD 3 LAWRENCE NORTH 0
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 2 FRANKFORT 0
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 2 N. MIAMI 0
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 2 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 0
BEN DAVIS 3 BEECH GROVE 1
DANVILLE 2 BREBEUF 0
BREBEUF 3 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 0
NORTHVIEW 2 BREBEUF 1
BATESVILLE 3 SHELBYVILLE 0
BROWNSBURG 2 ILLIANA CHRISTIAN 0
BROWNSBURG 2 TERRE HAUTE SOUTH 0
CROWN POINT 2 BROWNSBURG 1
CATHEDRAL 2 HARRISON 0
CATHEDRAL 2 NEW PRAIRIE 0
NEW PALESTINE 3 INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA 0
GREENWOOD 3 BROWN COUNTY 0
FLOYD CENTRAL 3 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 0
RONCALLI 3 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 0
CENTERVILLE 2 RICHMOND 1
WINCHESTER 3 SHENANDOAH 1
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS
EARLY BIRD INVITATIONAL: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/624271-earlybird-invitational-2024/results
MOORES HILL INVITATIONAL: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/624270-moores-hill-invitational-2024/results
PIKE HOKUM KAREM: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/629645-pike-hokum-karem-2024/results
VALLEY KICK-OFF: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/628621-valley-kick-off-2024/results
ZIONSVILLE/NOBLESVILLE: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/633513-zionsvillenoblesville-boys-only-2024/results
INDIANA BOYS SOCCER-REPORTED SCORES
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3 MOUNT VERNON 1
MCCUTCHEON 2 TRI-WEST 0
FISHERS 2 FRANKLIN CENTRAL 1
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 3 GUERIN CATHOLIC 1
BROWNSBURG 7 INDIANAPOLIS TECH 1
HARRISON 4 BEN DAVIS 0
CARMEL 1 ZIONSVILLE 0
MARTINSVILLE 2 TERRE HAUTE NORTH 0
COVINGTON 2 GREENCASTLE 1
NORTH PUTNAM 8 SULLIVAN 0
NEW CASTLE 4 UNION COUNTY 1
NOBLESVILLE 2 COLUMBUS NORTH 0
COLUMBUS EAST 2 WHITELAND 1
CRISPUS ATTUCKS 7 BEECH GROVE 0
CATHEDRAL 3 ST. FRANCIS DESALES 0
EAST CENTRAL 6 OLDENBURG ACADEMY 1
SEYMOUR 1 JASPER 0
LAWRENCE NORTH 5 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 0
INDIANA GIRLS SOCCER SCORES-REPORTED
FRANKLIN COUNTY 5 CENTERVILLE 0
LAWRENCEBURG 3 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 0
NEW CASTLE 6 UNION COUNTY 0
CRISPUS ATTUCKS 1 BEECH GROVE 1
EDGEWOOD 3 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 0
SCECINA 2 INDIANAPOLIS TECH 0
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 5 YORKTOWN 1
GREENCASTLE 3 COVINGTON 1
BATESVILLE 10 WARREN CENTRAL 0
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3 CARMEL 1
SILVER CREEK 7 BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 0
NOBLESVILLE 4 CATHEDRAL 0
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 9 RICHMOND 0
WHITELAND 8 TRITON CENTRAL 0
SOUTHPORT 2 BEN DAVIS 1
FISHERS 4 MCCUTCHEON 0
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 3 JASPER 2
GREENWOOD 4 JENNINGS COUNTY 0
HARRISON 3 TERRE HAUTE NORTH 1
LAWRENCEBURG 4 BATESVILLE 1
WESTFIELD 2 GUERIN CATHOLIC 1
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 15 HERRON 0
INDIANA BOYS TENNIS- REPORTED SCORES
NEW CASTLE 4 ALEXANDRIA MONROE 1
NEW CASTLE 5 JAY COUNTY 0
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
PITTSBURGH 7 SEATTLE 2
DETROIT 4 NY YANKEES 0
CHICAGO CUBS 3 TORONTO 2
TAMPA BAY 6 ARIZONA 1
NY METS 4 MIAMI 0
PHILADELPHIA 5 WASHINGTON 1
KANSAS CITY 13 CINCINNATI 1
MINNESOTA 5 TEXAS 2
OAKLAND 2 SAN FRANCISCO 0
HOUSTON 6 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1
MILWAUKEE 2 CLEVELAND 1
ST. LOUIS 5 LA DODGERS 2
SAN DIEGO 8 COLORADO 3
BOSTON 5 BALTIMORE 1
ATLANTA 11 LA ANGELS 3
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 3 ST. PAUL 0
DAYTON 8 FT. WAYNE 7
CEDAR RAPIDS 6 SOUTH BEND 3
WNBA SCORES
MINNESOTA 99 WASHINGTON 83
NEW YORK 79 LAS VEGAS 67
CHICAGO 90 LOS ANGELES 86
EARLY COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, AUG. 24 IN WEEK ZERO:
AER LINGUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL CLASSIC: FLORIDA STATE VS. GEORGIA TECH (IN DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 12 P.M. ET | ESPN
MCNEESE AT TARLETON STATE | 2:30 P.M. ET| ESPN2
MONTANA STATE AT NEW MEXICO | 4 P.M. ET | FS1
FCS KICKOFF: NORTH ALABAMA VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (CRAMTON BOWL IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA) | 7 P.M. ET | ESPN
MEAC/SWAC CHALLENGE: NORFOLK STATE VS. FLORIDA A&M (CENTER PARC STADIUM IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
SMU AT NEVADA | 8 P.M. ET |CBS SPORTS NETWORK
DELAWARE STATE AT HAWAII
THURSDAY, AUG. 29
NORTH CAROLINA AT MINNESOTA | 8 P.M. ET | FOX
NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT COLORADO | 8 P.M. ET | ESPN
SACRAMENTO STATE AT SAN JOSE STATE | 10 P.M. ET | TRUTV AND MAX
FRIDAY, AUG. 30
TCU AT STANFORD | 10:30 P.M. ET | ESPN
SATURDAY, AUG. 31
AFLAC KICKOFF GAME: CLEMSON VS. GEORGIA (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 12 P.M. ET | ABC
PENN STATE AT WEST VIRGINIA | 12 P.M. | FOX
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE | 2 P.M. ET | ESPN+
MIAMI (FL) AT FLORIDA | 3:30 P.M. ET | ABC
NOTRE DAME AT TEXAS A&M | 7:30 P.M. ET | ABC
GEORGIA STATE AT GEORGIA TECH | 8 P.M. ET | ACC NETWORK
TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | 8 P.M. ET | TRUTV AND MAX
SUNDAY, SEPT. 1
ORANGE BLOSSOM CLASSIC: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL VS. ALABAMA STATE (HARD ROCK STADIUM IN MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA) | 3 P.M. ET | ESPN
VEGAS KICKOFF CLASSIC: LSU VS. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ALLEGIANT STADIUM IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA) | 7:30 P.M. ON ABC
MONDAY, SEPT. 2
BOSTON COLLEGE AT FLORIDA STATE | 7:30 P.M. ET | ESPN
INDIANA HOOSIERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
AUGUST 31 VS. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 3:30
SEPTEMBER 6 VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS 7:00
SEPTEMBER 14 AT UCLA 7:30
SEPTEMBER 21 VS. CHARLOTTE TBA
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. MARYLAND TBA
OCTOBER 5 AT NORTHWESTERN TBA
OCTOBER 19 VS. NEBRASKA TBA
OCTOBER 26 VS. WASHINGTON TBA
NOVEMBER 2 AT MICHIGAN STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 9 VS. MICHIGAN TBA
NOVEMBER 23 AT OHIO STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 30 VS. PURDUE TBA
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
AUGUST 31 VS. INDIANA STATE 12:00
SEPTEMBER 14 VS. NOTRE DAME 3:30
SEPTEMBER 21 AT OREGON STATE 8:30
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. NEBRASKA 12:00
OCTOBER 5 AT WISCONSIN TBA
OCTOBER 12 AT ILLINOIS TBA
OCTOBER 18 VS. OREGON 8:00
NOVEMBER 2 VS. NORTHWESTERN TBA
NOVEMBER 9 AT OHIO STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 16 VS. PENN STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 22 AT MICHIGAN STATE 8:00
NOVEMBER 30 AT INDIANA TBA
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
AUGUST 21 AT TEXAS A&M 7:30
SEPTEMBER 7 VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3:30
SEPTEMBER 14 AT PURDUE 3:30
SEPTEMBER 21 VS. MIAMI (OH) 3:30
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. LOUISVILLE 3:30
OCTOBER 12 VS. STANFORD 3:30
OCTOBER 19 AT GEORGIA TECH TBA
OCTOBER 26 AT NAVY 12:00
NOVEMBER 9 VS. FLORIDA STATE 7:30
NOVEMBER 16 VS. VIRGINIA 3:30
NOVEMBER 23 AT ARMY 7:00 (YANKEE STADIUM)
NOVEMBER 30 AT USC TBA
BUTLER BULLDOGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
AUGUST 31 VS. UPPER IOWA 1:00
SEPTEMBER 7 AT MURRAY STATE 6:00 CT
SEPTEMBER 14 VS. HANOVER 6:00
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY-LYNCHBURG 1:00
OCTOBER 5 VS. MOREHEAD STATE 1:00
OCTOBER 12 AT DRAKE 1:00 CT
OCTOBER 19 VS. DAYTON 1:00
OCTOBER 26 AT DAVIDSON 1:00
NOVEMBER 2 VS. STETSON 1:00
NOVEMBER 9 AT VALPO 1:00 CT
NOVEMBER 16 VS. ST. THOMAS 1:00
NOVEMBER 23 AT PRESBYTERIAN 1:00
BALL STATE CARDINALS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
SEPTEMBER 7 VS. MISSOURI STATE 2:00
SEPTEMBER 14 AT MIAMI FL 3:30
SEPTEMBER 21 AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN TBA
SEPTEMBER 28 AT JAMES MADISON TBA
OCTOBER 5 VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN TBA
OCTOBER 12 AT KENT STATE TBA
OCTOBER 19 AT VANDERBILT TBA
OCTOBER 26 VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS TBA
NOVEMBER 5 VS. MIAMI OH TBA
NOVEMBER 12 AT BUFFALO 7:00
NOVEMBER 23 VS. BOWLING GREEN TBA
NOVEMBER 29 AT OHIO TBA
INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
AUGUST 31 AT PURDUE 12:00
SEPTEMBER 7 AT EASTERN ILLINOIS 7:00
SEPTEMBER 14 VS. DAYTON 6:00
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 1:00
OCTOBER 5 AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE 2:00
OCTOBER 12 VS. MURRAY STATE 1:00
OCTOBER 19 AT MISSOURI STATE 3:00
OCTOBER 26 VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 1:00
NOVEMBER 2 VS. NORTH DAKOTA 1:00
NOVEMBER 9 AT SOUTH DAKOTA 2:00
NFL PRE-SEASON
WEEK TWO:
SATURDAY
BALTIMORE 13 ATLANTA 12
CHICAGO 27 CINCINNATI 3
HOUSTON 28 NY GIANTS 10
DETROIT 24 KANSAS CITY 23
MINNESOTA 27 CLEVELAND 12
NY JETS 15 CAROLINA 12
INDIANAPOLIS 21 ARIZONA 13
MIAMI 13 WASHINGTON 6
BUFFALO 9 PITTSBURGH 3
TENNESSEE 16 SEATTLE 15
LA RAMS 13 LA CHARGERS 9
JACKSONVILLE 20 TAMPA BAY 7
DALLAS 27 LAS VEGAS 12
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18:
GREEN BAY AT DENVER, 8:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:00 PM
WEEK THREE:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22:
INDIANAPOLIS AT CINCINNATI, 8:00 PM
CHICAGO AT KANSAS CITY, 8:20 PM
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23:
JACKSONVILLE AT ATLANTA, 7:00 PM
MIAMI AT TAMPA BAY, 7:30 PM
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 10:00 PM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24:
CAROLINA AT BUFFALO, 1:00 PM
PITTSBURGH AT DETROIT, 1:00 PM
BALTIMORE AT GREEN BAY, 1:00 PM
L.A. RAMS AT HOUSTON, 1:00 PM
MINNESOTA AT PHILADELPHIA, 1:00 PM
L.A. CHARGERS AT DALLAS, 4:00 PM
N.Y. GIANTS AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30 PM
CLEVELAND AT SEATTLE, 10:00 PM
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25:
TENNESSEE AT NEW ORLEANS, 2:00 PM
ARIZONA AT DENVER, 4:30 PM
NEW ENGLAND AT WASHINGTON (NBC), 8:00 PM
NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
- BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
- GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL), 8:15 P.M. ET (PEACOCK)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 8
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- ARIZONA CARDINALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- TENNESSEE TITANS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DALLAS COWBOYS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 4:25 P.M. ET (CBS)
- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:25 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 9
- NEW YORK JETS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8:15 P.M. ET (ESPN/ABC)
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
REPORT: TITANS’ KEY HAS SUSPENSION OVERTURNED
Tennessee Titans pass-rusher Arden Key’s six-game suspension has been overturned, a source told ESPN’s Turron Davenport.
News initially broke July 30 that Key was facing a six-game ban for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Titans defensive captain Jeffery Simmons shared on X that Key won his appeal, leading to the reversal.
Key was a key piece of Tennessee’s defense last season, recording six sacks and two forced fumbles.
He’s signed through the 2025 season.
JEFFERSON: I HAVE NO WORRIES ABOUT DARNOLD
Justin Jefferson has full confidence in the Minnesota Vikings entering the 2024 season with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback.
Darnold was cemented as the Vikings’ starter following the loss of rookie passer J.J. McCarthy to a season-ending meniscus injury.
“It’s going very well,” Jefferson said about his chemistry with Darnold to CBS Sports’ Evan Washburn.
He added: “I definitely feel confident in going into Week One with Sam as our quarterback. I feel like he’s been making plays throughout training camp. I don’t have any worry in my mind at all.”
A former No. 3 overall pick in 2018, the Vikings are Darnold’s third different team in as many years. He spent last season as Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
This season will mark Darnold’s first time as a full-time starter since 2022. Darnold went 4-2 with seven touchdowns and three interceptions with the Carolina Panthers. He also spent 2021 with the Panthers, though he struggled to the tune of a 4-7 record with more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (9).
The 27-year-old began his career with the New York Jets but struggled over the course of three seasons as he completed only 59.8% of his passes for 45 touchdowns to 39 picks. He held a 13-25 record.
Jefferson is looking to rebound from a 2023 campaign that limited him to just 10 games and 1,074 receiving yards, a career low for the wide receiver.
2024 NFL PRESEASON, WEEK 2: WHAT WE LEARNED FROM SATURDAY’S GAMES
NFL.COM
BALTIMORE VS. ATLANTA
David Ojabo looks good in latest return from injury. After two seasons washed out by injury, the former second-round pick dipped his toe into the preseason waters on Saturday. The edge rusher generated two QB pressures on just 15 first-half defensive snaps against Falcons backups. Ojabo was active, showed a good spin move and ran a solid stunt. Most importantly, Ojabo looked fresh and healthy. A pre-draft Achilles injury dropped the first-round talent and relegated him to two games as a rookie. Last year, his season ended after three games due to an ACL tear. Proving he can stay healthy in Year 3 will be big. The Ravens can use edge aid behind Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh. Ojabo could be that guy if he can stay on the field.
Taylor Heinicke gets the start for Falcons. Atlanta sat Kirk Cousins and rookie Michael Penix Jr. in the second preseason game, giving Heinicke a showcase opportunity. The veteran completed 8 of 16 passes for 114 yards (7.1 yards per attempt) with zero TDs and zero INTs. Playing with a host of backups, Heinicke moved the offense well. The gunslinger splashed some big plays, including a 32-yard shot and a 27-yard zinger to Chris Blair. As we’ve seen during his six-year career, there were some misses and forced balls you’d rather not see against opposing backups. However, he moved the offense, leading the Falcons into field-goal range four times in five drives. With Penix securely in the backup job, the Falcons could be showcasing Heinicke for a potential trade — he played into the third quarter. His performance Saturday likely didn’t change the calculus one way or another.
CHICAGO VS. CINCINNATI
Caleb Williams starts slow, then mashes the gas pedal. The Bears offense slogged through the first quarter, going three-and-out on three consecutive drives against Bengals backups. Williams misfired on his first three passes — two getting him on the move and a third-down intentional grounding. With Chicago failing to generate a first down, coach Matt Eberflus kept his starters in the game through the entire first half. The offense finally found its stride in the second quarter. A beautiful deep ball from Williams led to a 43-yard pass interference penalty, setting up a field goal. The final drive of the first half showcased the entire package from Williams. The rookie made good timing throws to get the drive started. Then came the highlights: Williams spun away from pressure and launched a ridiculous, off-balance, across-body lob down the left sideline to Rome Odunze. On the next play, the QB again got out of the pocket and zipped a laser to Odunze, but the wideout stepped out of bounds on the would-be touchdown. Two plays later, Caleb scrambled for a touchdown. Despite the early struggles against backups, Williams was never rattled. His processing was noticeably better this week — even on incompletions, he was decisive. The development of the No. 1 pick is still on track.
Bengals show depth on defense. The score might have gotten out of hand, but Cincinnati’s defense showed good depth of talent early. With backups facing Chicago starters to open the game, Cincy forced three three-and-outs. Up front, second-round defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. muscled his way for a sack, a great sign for a player who entered the NFL known more as a run-stuffer than a penetrator. Sixth-round DE Cedric Johnson earned three QB pressures on 17 snaps. And 2023 first-rounder Myles Murphy continued his excellent offseason with a pressure in limited snaps. If those players continue to improve behind the starting crew, Lou Anarumo could have a quality rotation. On the back end, DJ Turner II and Dax Hill, in a battle for a starting gig, didn’t see a target on two three-and-out series. Josh Newton made a drive-ending PBU as well. The fifth-round rookie later got beat for a long DPI and gave up a TD, but he’s shown promise this offseason as a depth player. The attention in Cincy has been on the offense, but Anarumo’s D should be good and have better depth in 2024 if everyone stays healthy.
HOUSTON VS. NY GIANTS
Giants QB shaky in first game back. Daniel Jones’ highly anticipated return to action got off to an inauspicious start with his very first throw almost getting picked off. He continued to struggle through his first three drives, with two ending in interceptions, including a pick-six after attempting to throw it away to avoid a safety. Jones settled down a bit over the course of the first half, notably airing it out to Darius Slayton for a pretty 44-yard completion. Jones also gave a first taste of the potential pairing with Malik Nabers, connecting four times for 54 yards, including a couple toe-tapping grabs for the rookie. With only one more game before stats start counting, the Giants will want to see much more from Jones after standing behind him as the starter.
Texans backups continue to battle. C.J. Stroud and the starters continued to roll in limited snaps, but once the first-teamers were out, attention shifted to those whose roster spots are less secure. John Metchie III led all receivers with six receptions for 68 yards, including two third-down conversions and the touchdown grab on the Texans’ first offensive scoring drive. As for the running backs, Dameon Pierce had the weakest outing, recording just five yards on four attempts with the starters, while Cam Akers and J.J. Taylor came in later and averaged 4.8 and 7.2 yards per carry, respectively. A surprise standout late in the game was British Brooks, who scored twice in the fourth quarter on runs of six and 15 yards. Cuts are coming, and players made their cases Saturday for Houston’s 53-man roster.
DETROIT VS. KANSAS CITY
Xavier Worthy shows off big-play ability. Mr. Behind-The-Back makes watching preseason games fun. When he wasn’t doing a Jason Williams impression, Patrick Mahomes unearthed chunk plays. On the first third down of the game, Mahomes found Worthy open deep for a 39-yard conversion. Worthy going in motion kept him off DBs and gave the speedster a running start against the secondary. Hunting for big plays, Mahomes then found Justin Watson for a 20-yard gain. Later, the QB just missed Worthy on another shot. After Carson Wentz took over under center, Worthy again got past the defense for a 22-yard touchdown. The blazer also took an end around for seven yards, fumbling after the hit but recovering the ball. The rookie’s big-play ability should help open an offense that was stagnant at times last season. Worthy, Rashee Rice and Watson were the clear top three receivers on Saturday, with Marquise Brown injured. Skyy Moore was the primary backup, with Justyn Ross and Mecole Hardman entering with the backups. Kadarius Toney appears well down the depth chart, battling for a roster spot at this point.
Hendon Hooker rides the roller coaster in Kansas City. The quarterback’s appearance last week was cut short by a concussion. Hooker played the entire second half Saturday, leading a comeback win over the Chiefs. The former third-round pick, who missed his entire rookie season after a college ACL injury, was wobbly out of the gate, badly airmailing his first pass while on the move. Hooker looked far more poised during his second drive, displaying good accuracy and anticipation during a field-goal drive. On the third drive, Hooker hesitated in the pocket and took a sack to scuttle the possession. The QB then led a sensational drive, finding outlets, hitting receivers in stride and capping it off with a 7-yard touchdown scramble to pull Detroit within two points. Then, with a chance to take the lead, Hooker bobbled the snap and exchange with running back Bam Knight leading to a turnover. After Detroit got the ball back, Hooker immediately hit Tom Kennedy for a 14-yard pass to comfortably get Detroit in field goal range for the win. Hooker’s roller-coaster day highlights that the young passer needs seasoning, but there is an upside to his game that simply isn’t there with Nate Sudfeld. The question come cut time is whether the Lions’ brass trusts Hooker behind Jared Goff if injury occurs or whether they feel the need to keep a veteran on the roster.
MINNESOTA VS. CLEVELAND
Vikings’ WR3 gig still up for grabs? Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison sat out with many starters on a rainy day in Cleveland. Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell, competing for third receiver reps, both played. Nailor played with the first group in both two- and three-receiver sets. Powell mostly played in three-WR sets. Nailor, who flashed last week, added another big play to his ledger, snagging a 31-yard ball. Powell grabbed both of his targets for 19 yards. Nailor’s big plays could give him the edge in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Entering his third season, the former sixth-round pick has flashed so far this offseason, and his field-stretching ability on the outside and down the seam could make the Vikings offense even more dangerous. However, the rep breakdown during the regular season will likely depend on formations, with Powell taking slot reps when Jefferson and Addison are on the field.
Jim Schwartz’s defense continues to come in waves. Perhaps it’s not something we “learned” as much as a reiteration of fact. We know the Browns starters can create headaches for quarterbacks. Saturday’s performance showed the backups can cause havoc as well. Schwartz dialed up some fun pressures with his secondary players, bamboozling Vikings backups. In the first half alone, Cleveland generated a whopping 25 QB pressures and three sacks. The Browns pressured Nick Mullens on 17 of 21 attempts, per Next Gen Stats. For the game, the group earned 29 pressures and five sacks, including a safety late in the contest. The run defense still has holes and needs work when the starters get involved, but Cleveland can still discombobulate passers regardless of who is on the field.
NY JETS VS. CAROLINA
Jets’ top rookies hold their own. With most of New York and Carolina’s starters sitting out Saturday’s proceedings, youngsters on both sidelines got an extended amount of run. For the Jets, first-round pick Olu Fashanu played 28 offensive snaps, while later-round selections Braelon Allen and Malachi Corley played 16 and 15, respectively. Slotted at right tackle on the night, Fashanu blocked alongside second-teamers for a third-string QB and against a second-team defense. But all reps are good reps in the preseason, and in his 16 pass blocks, Fashanu allowed just one QB pressure. Allen continued to look tough out of the backfield, taking eight carries for 27 yards, but the bruiser also added two catches on four targets and seven routes, a display of his diverse skill set. New York will need to see more from Corley if he is to get his fair share of action early in the season; the third-rounder caught two balls on eight routes for 10 yards against Carolina. The breakout rookie of Saturday night, though, wasn’t drafted. It was UDFA cornerback Brandon Codrington, who logged three returns (two punt, one kick) for 109 yards. Perhaps he can pull an Xavier Gipson and find a spot on the final 53, thanks to his return prowess.
Who can fill in for Dane Jackson? With the Panthers CB out around six weeks with a hamstring injury, the starting spot across from Jaycee Horn is open. Lamar Jackson and D’Shawn Jamison had the honors of starting Saturday with regular-season game time on the line, logging 18 and 34 snaps, respectively. Jamison earned a pass defensed, while neither corner allowed a reception when targeted. With such a young roster coming off a tough year, the Panthers are flexible at every position, especially cornerback, considering one of their starters is out for the start of the year. It’s up to the likes of Jackson, Jamison and Dicaprio Bootle to make more of an impact in their final preseason outings, if they’re to crack the opening day roster and not be replaced by an 11th-hour signing or acquisition (looking at you, Stephon Gilmore).
INDIANAPOLIS VS. ARIZONA
Arizona backups struggle to protect. The Cardinals sat a lot of offensive starters Saturday against the Colts (including Marvin Harrison Jr., sadly), and starting QB Clayton Tune had trouble getting the offense going early, failing to cross midfield on their first three drives. They finally got on the board with a field goal on the fourth series, but the drive was marred by three straight holding penalties — all by fifth-round OT Christian Jones — that pushed them from the high red zone to nearly out of field-goal range. Tune wasn’t bad, even if most of his attempts were shorter. One reason why: The Colts had three sacks on Tune’s first five dropbacks. Jones also was beaten on a few rushes, taking a step backward after a strong debut last week. Offensive tackle is actually considered something of a position of strength for the Cardinals, but if young players such as Jones aren’t quite ready for action, they might have to rethink any ideas of possibly trading some of their depth there as we get closer to cutdowns.
Two Indy defenders make play for playing time. Hardly any starters suited up for the Colts, with the team’s most important players sitting out against the Cardinals. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t an important game for the reserves trying to battle for roles, namely two former mid-round picks on defense in Nick Cross and Adetomiwa Adebawore. Cross is vying for the open free-safety job, and he made a strong statement Saturday, playing the first four defensive series before coming out. His biggest statement was a stick on the Cardinals’ Trey Benson for a 2-yard loss, one of five tackles for Cross. Adebawore converted speed to power on a pretty bull rush that ended in a one-armed sack of Clayton Tune and later shed a blocker on a nice run stuff deep in the red zone. If Cross and Adebawore can keep the momentum going, they might very well carve out notable roles on this Colts defense.
MIAMI VS. WASHINGTON
Jayden Daniels respectable again in second preseason action. The rookie QB turned in two solid offensive series against the Dolphins, twice leading the Commanders into field-goal range in another respectable night of work. Daniels’ first drive looked mostly smooth before overthrowing a third-down fade with Miami bringing a blitz, and the Commanders settled for the field-goal try (and missed). It was mostly short attempts in Daniels’ 10-of-12 passing night for 78 yards, but he got through his reads, got the ball out on time and had mostly good ball placement. Daniels also added an easy 13 yards on a read-option keeper; he’s going to be a huge weapon as a runner this year. Defensively, the Commanders rested some starters, but the cornerback concern shouldn’t be ignored. Benjamin St-Juste, one of Washington’s better corners, was beat by River Cracraft on a fade for a touchdown, as Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ first-team offense threw the ball with ease against the entire secondary in their one drive out there. That problem isn’t going away for the Commanders.
Tua, first-teamers sharp in lone series, impress Dolphins owner. In a game with several key players sitting, including Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Terron Armstead, the Dolphins’ first-team offense looked terrific in its one drive. Tua Tagovailoa was 5-of-5 passing, including a fourth-down beauty of a TD throw to River Cracraft. Tua looked very sharp and comfortable throwing to the likes of Cracraft and Jonnu Smith, and owner Stephen Ross gushed on the Dolphins’ broadcast, saying they’re “certainly contenders for the Super Bowl.” The Dolphins are absolutely loaded at running back, but is there room for a fifth one? Chris Brooks ripped off a 59-yard run on a play that was expected to go only 13 yards, per Next Gen Stats. Brooks came out of the game after being hit in the helmet, but he’s making a strong push to make the team, even with a crowded RB room. Cracraft also left the game with injury, adding a little concern after the terrific opening series.
BUFFALO VS. PITTSBURGH
Steelers offensive line continues to worry. Rookie Troy Fautanu didn’t play Saturday, forcing Broderick Jones to move over to the right side to replace him, and leaving Dan Moore Jr. as Pittsburgh’s best option on the left side. The results were unsettling. Russell Wilson rarely had ample time to throw against Buffalo’s starting defense, neither Najee Harris nor Jaylen Warren had room to run, and the Steelers offense lacked punch throughout the duration of their matchup against Buffalo’s top group. Sure, it’s preseason, but much of this season will be predicated on how well the Steelers can block. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith likes to run the ball, but that’s not possible without effective blocking up front. And the last thing an older Wilson needs is frequent pressure. Here’s to hoping the Steelers clean things up before the regular season arrives.
Buffalo might have a sneaky good backfield tandem. We all know about James Cook (and how he flourished once Joe Brady took over as OC last season), but many of you might not know about Ray Davis. Get familiar with the Kentucky product, because through two preseason games, he looks like a legitimate second option behind Cook. Davis sliced through Pittsburgh’s defense with ease on his eight carries, racking up 58 yards and nearly finishing off a run with a touchdown. Defenders pinballed off the stocky running back, who used his low center of gravity to stay upright and keep pumping his legs for positive gains. I’m excited to see how Brady uses both of these running backs in this offense, which might finally find enough balance to truly help Josh Allen.
TENNESSEE VS. SEATTLE
Slingin’ Sammy Howell! Yes, it’s preseason, but with Geno Smith rightfully spending the night on the sideline, much of this game belonged to Seattle’s offseason acquisition. He did not disappoint. After some skittish play early, Howell settled in and ripped a handful of beautiful passes down the seams, showing no fear while evading the rush, taking plenty of chances and producing positive results. His touchdown pass to Easop Winston was a thing of beauty, with Howell dropping and tossing a perfect ball away from the safety and corner into Winston’s bread basket for six. Howell finished with an 11-for-14, 153-yard, one-touchdown passing line that matches the tape. Games like these help us understand why Ron Rivera chose to proceed with Howell for so long last season in Washington. Seattle should feel good about its situation behind Smith.
Mason Rudolph confirms his place. It’s Year 3 for Malik Willis, and he still looks much like the same guy. Rudolph, meanwhile, played like a veteran with plenty of NFL experience, operating Tennessee’s offense relatively efficiently and finishing off the Titans’ first scoring drive by firing a dart through a tight window to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who did the rest of the work by fighting through defenders across the goal line. Rudolph’s line (10 of 17, 125 yards, one touchdown) doesn’t quite suggest he was fantastic, but he looked much better than Willis, and should make coach Brian Callahan a bit more comfortable with his top two quarterbacks.
LA RAMS VS. LA CHARGERS
Should the Chargers look for another backup QB? Easton Stick again looked shaky with Justin Herbert sidelined, turning the ball over twice and throwing for 85 yards in one half of work against the Rams. His third pass of the game easily could have been six the other way had the Rams’ Russ Yeast not dropped it. After a promising drive with a nice throw to Isaiah Spiller for 13 yards amid pressure, Stick coughed it up at the 2-yard line. It looked like he never cleanly handled Brenden Jaimes’ third-and-goal snap. The very next drive, just outside Cameron Dicker range, Stick badly misfired on an easy throw, deflecting off Simi Fehoko’s hand and right to the Rams’ Jaylen McCollough. Jim Harbaugh wants a ball-control offense, and his run game showed promise. Rookie Kimani Vidal ran decisively, Jaret Patterson converted a fourth-and-short and Spiller had a few moments. But it was undercut by another tough preseason performance for Stick. Is Herbert’s backup definitively on the roster? Stick was replaced by Luis Perez, the 30-year-old former UFL MVP signed just four days ago.
Bennett better with help of young Rams receivers. After his four-INT roller-coaster outing against the Cowboys, Stetson Bennett needed to show he could play with a little more poise. And he did — even if Bennett had an up-and-down night overall, playing the entire game against the Chargers. There were nice moments for sure, including a pretty connection with Xavier Smith for 22 yards and a perfect decision on the 24-yard hookup with Jordan Whittington, coming off his first read to convert the third down. But Bennett also missed some other third-down throws and was 0 for 2 on fourth downs, including an interception on fourth and goal. Had Bennett seen him, Whittington appeared open underneath on the play. The sixth-round receiver continued a strong start to his pro career with five catches for 52 yards. His fellow preseason hero, Smith, also had a good night, with five grabs for 45 yards, adding a 9-yard run. They’re both making strong cases for the initial 53 if they haven’t already made it. Even with the slight concern with Bennett, the young receivers flashed some real skill.
JACKSONVILLE VS. TAMPA BAY
The duality of Mac Jones. I wanted to use this space to wax poetically about Parker Washington’s efforts to earn a role on this roster, but by the end of the game, it became clear we needed to talk about the former Patriot. Jones’ start was filled with highs (two touchdown passes, including a dime to Washington over the middle) and lows (Jones stumbling over his own feet while trying to navigate the pocket, missed open targets), but by the end of it, I came away with a warm and fuzzy feeling. After a couple of trying final years in New England, Jones looks like he’s enjoying football again, and isn’t carrying the weight of an entire franchise on his shoulders. Sure, he still does some quirky, awkward things in a game, but when it works, it’s fun. That — plus 210 yards and a 69.6 completion percentage — made for a nice night for Jones, who represents a solid option behind Trevor Lawrence.
Sean Tucker shows some flashes. There wasn’t much to say about this showing from the Buccaneers, who sat almost every significant player in this one, but one player stood out: former undrafted free agent Sean Tucker. The second-year back received just 15 carries last season but seems to be entering his sophomore season as an improved version of himself. First off, he’s big. He’s listed at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was closer to 220, especially because he runs like it. Tucker barreled through arm tackles on his four carries and showed the most pop of any Buccaneers ballcarrier, finishing with 32 yards. I immediately started attempting to sort out a Buccaneers depth chart that left space for Tucker (and Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and potentially Chase Edmonds), because I think he might offer some value to the Bucs’ beleaguered rushing attack. It might just be a preseason fluke, but on a night in which Tampa Bay gained just 207 total offensive yards, Tucker was a bright spot.
DALLAS VS. LAS VEGAS
Raiders seek separation, receive complication from QBs. Gardner Minshew took the field first in this supposedly decisive preseason game — in which Antonio Pierce would get his final look at his two quarterbacks and decide on a starter — hit a couple of shot plays, and then watched the wheels fly off the offense’s axles. The Raiders found themselves on the plus side of the field three times with Minshew under center, turned it over on downs twice and settled for a field goal once. Luke Getsy’s offense lacked any sense of flow, and Minshew missed open targets on a couple of occasions, contributing to the unit’s repeated stalls and giving the Raiders little, if any decisive proof that Minshew should be their starter. Aidan O’Connell entered the game in the first half and received two possessions, showing off better accuracy and rhythm than Minshew on his first drive (which admittedly began at Dallas’ 28), then went three-and-out on his second opportunity inside two minutes. Fortunately, O’Connell orchestrated a well-paced, effective scoring drive to open the second half, including a fourth-and-2 conversion and a rollout touchdown pass to Harrison Bryant. Unfortunately, he followed that up by cutting a promising march the following possession short on a pick six. His overall performance probably won’t be enough to push him past Minshew, considering the highlight came in the third quarter of a preseason game, but I still lean toward O’Connell based on Saturday’s showing, even if it was far from certain. We’ll see how Pierce interprets this data before making a decision.
Have a day, Andrew Booth. For a second straight August, Dallas swapped defensive backs via trade, acquiring Booth from Minnesota in a low-level deal that understandably didn’t move the needle much. Booth made waves Saturday, though, showing off some excellent tackling ability in the open field on his way to a team-best six tackles in the first half. Sure, I could talk about Trey Lance in this space, as Lance put together a couple nice scoring drives, but Booth was the one who impressed me most, especially considering how much of an afterthought the trade was. He might provide some nice depth to a Dallas defense that many expect to be a menace in 2024.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
LOUISVILLE WR CAULLIN LACY BREAKS COLLARBONE
Louisville wide receiver Caullin Lacy has broken his collarbone and will be out “an extended period of time,” the school announced Saturday.
The injury occurred during the final scrimmage of fall camp.
Starting his career at South Alabama in 2020, Lacy starred as a junior for the Jaguars last fall, catching 91 balls for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns for the 7-6 team.
For his career, Lacy has 207 receptions for 2,517 yards and 13 touchdowns over four seasons.
He was one of the most prized transfers the Cardinals acquired in the offseason, ranking No. 96 among all players in 247’s transfer portal rankings.
Louisville, coached by alum Jeff Brohm, went 10-4 last season.
–Field Level Media
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: ACC: MIAMI
PICK SIX
It may not have been reflected in the win column last year, but Mario Cristobal’s second season showed progress on and off the field. There has been Miami hype in the past, and every few years “Is Miami Back?” is a trendy national topic, but this program rebuild seems to be checking all the real boxes. After just one season, Cristobal went with the double coordinator switch bringing in an Air Raid based offense with Shannon Dawson and Lance Guidry who built a defensive force at Marshall. From 2022 to 2023, Miami improved in every single stat category: raw stats, per-play, opponent adjusted, Game Grader … you name it, Miami saw gains. I predicted a few years back that Cristobal would use his Oregon formula of building the roster from the inside out with elite line play, and unlocking Miami’s elite recruiting potential. So far, that script has played out perfectly. He already built one of the nation’s best offensive lines, his defensive line featured a Freshman All American last year and packs in three additional five-stars this fall. And in the talent acquisition game, he just inked Miami’s highest-rated recruiting class in 15 years. The transfer game is just as important nowadays, and Cristobal has stacked three consecutive Top 12 transfer classes, with this latest one headlined by the #4 quarterback and #2 running back transfers in America. The foundation is strong. The lines are deep and talented. The coordinators, and their schemes, are trending in the right direction. They leveled up the roster at the skill positions and most importantly at quarterback. It’s a matter of time until the wins follow.
OFFENSE Miami made tremendous statistical gains in Dawson’s transition year. One bad decision will remain in the minds of Miami fans for a while, and his refusal to take an end-of-game quarterback kneel ended up flipping the Georgia Tech win to a loss. 22 Otherwise, his Air Raid delivered results faster than expected in the transition season. As promised, his passing attack would highlight the slot receivers and Xavier Restrepo set the Miami season record with 85 receptions and hit the 1,000-yard milestone. The win-loss record would have been improved with better red zone play (90th nationally) and if they could have avoided a late-career funk by veteran quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. He played flawlessly in the Texas A&M win, and in his first 17 games he had a 34-8 touchdown to pick ratio. After midseason, that collapsed to 5-11. Cristobal landed one of the most coveted transfers this cycle, with Washington State’s Cam Ward bringing two years of Power 5 starting experience in a similar offense. In Pullman, they called their run and-shoot the “Coug Raid” and Ward has a quick release, can make any throw, and has pocket elusiveness to extend plays. The turnover and red zone problems? Ward’s ratio was 25-7 and his mobility helped cash in eight rushing touchdowns in the red zone. With Van Dyke off to Wisconsin, this is a full upgrade. Two-time All-Pac 12 running back Damien Martinez made it two upgrades. In two seasons at Oregon State, Martinez rushed for 2,167 yards, 16 touchdowns, and a high 6.1 yards/carry. He ranked among the nation’s best in forced missed tackles and yards after contact, which are two attributes that will boost the Miami running back room. Last year, freshman Mark Fletcher emerged in the overtime win over Virginia and was set to be the feature back in 2024 but has been sidelined with an injury. With a combined 1,956 yards, Restrepo and Jacolby George both ranked in the Top 25 of receiving yards in Power 5. The productive duo returns, their third and fourth wideouts Colbie Young and Brashard Smith transferred out, but they landed the #10 transfer receiver this cycle in Houston’s Sam Brown. That’s already a proven starting lineup, and rising stars Isaiah Horton and Ray Ray Joseph bring top-end speed and vertical threats. Miami needs more passing involvement from the tight ends, and Elijah Arroyo finally seems back to 100% health. The real driver of success so far has been Cristobal’s offensive line. He and line guru Alex Mirabal built an elite line that placed in the Top 20 of both my OL Run Push and Pass Protection metrics – one of just four to do so. That improvement was overnight, as they jumped 85 spots in pass blocking and 30 spots on the ground, compared to the 2022 transition season. All five starters got All-ACC honors, and three return for 2024. Center Matt Lee and guard Javion Cohen both went pro, but Jalen Rivers, Francis Mauigoa, and Anez Cooper are all back. The staff added a Power 5 starting center from the transfer portal, like Lee last year, with Indiana’s Zach Carpenter. Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola were both five-star true freshmen last year; Mauigoa earned Freshman All-America honors and Okunlola is poised for a full-time role in 2024.
DEFENSE Guidry’s impact was immediate. Miami improved in all 15 of my defensive stat categories, with huge gains in the per-play stats like rushing yards/carry (up 50 spots) and QB Rating (up 70 spots). In total, this was the 2nd most improved defense in Power 5 per my opponent-adjusted Game Grader, from 59th (of 70 Power 5) up to 26th. The 2024 defense will remain stout in the front seven, but will need some answers in the secondary as four of five starting defensive backs depart. As expected with Cristobal, it all starts in the trenches. Early last season both defensive end starters Akheem Mesidor and Nyjalik Kelly were injured, which opened up the opportunity for Rueben Bain to earn Freshman All-America honors. Bain was a force off the edge, posting 7.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 42 quarterback pressures which are the most by any freshman since Alabama’s Will Anderson in 2020. Mesidor is back in the lineup to start opposite of Bain, while Kelly transferred out. Both starting defensive tackles Leonard Taylor and Branson Deen opted for the pros, but the staff landed an all-time recruiting haul here. Miami signed three five-star defensive linemen in Justin Scott (Saint Ignatius, IL), Marquise Lightfoot (Kenwood Academy, IL), and Armondo Blount (Miami Central). Then the staff pumped the room with experienced Power 5 starters like CJ Clark (NC State) and Simeon Barrow (Michigan State) as well as pass rush specialist Elijah Alston (Marshall). Late in May, they signed the #10 rated edge transfer Tyler Baron who started for Tennessee. Miami features a top linebacker unit again, with the return of All-ACC Kiko Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe. Louisville starting backer Jaylin Alderman transferred in to form a proven trio. It’s a full reload in the secondary with the departures of four starters. Safeties Kam Kinchens and James Williams, and corners Jaden Davis and Te’Cory Couch, are collectively a huge loss of experience. Again, the Miami staff had success in both the portal and from the high school ranks to super-charge this reload. Mishael Powell was a starter on Washington’s national runner-up defense and incoming freshman Zaquan Patterson (Chaminade-Madonna) was a top rated safety recruit. Daryl Porter is a returning starter at one corner, Powell is an excellent nickel, but the other spots will be solidified in fall camp.
OUTLOOK In 2022 Tennessee led a great revival season. In 2023 it was Texas. Next up is Miami – they are ready to win the ACC and return to the national stage. Cristobal has built up their strength in the trenches and packed the roster with consecutive Top 10 high school recruiting classes and Top 10 transfer hauls. With Florida State sending most of their starting lineup to the pros and Clemson receding from the Dynasty Tier, the ACC is wide-open for the taking. Miami placed in the Top 15 in all but one of my national unit rankings – this is a complete team and ready for a breakthrough.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-ACC: FLORIDA STATE
PICK SIX
One of the features that originally drew me into college football was how it rewarded perfection. It was a stark difference from professional sports where a team could take a few months off, lose a bunch of games, and then rally in the playoffs. Even college basketball gave out 10+ mulligans and all that mattered was getting hot in March. College football demanded perfection – or at least, near-perfection in the case there weren’t enough undefeated teams. The rules were understood and agreed upon for Power 5 teams: win all your games and you play for a national championship. Lose a game – and then we open up the resume debate circus. But for 154 years, Undefeated mattered above all else. At the end of the 2023 season, another part of that historic game was lost. Florida State won all their games, won the ACC, scheduled and beat two SEC opponents. They were one of three undefeated Power 5 champions – but were left out of the four-team Playoff bracket. The Coaches ranked them #3, the AP media had them at #4. But the hidden Playoff Committee – packed with conflicts of interest – put them fifth behind two 12-1 teams. I have no ties to Florida State, but as a lifelong college football fan this decision was tough to stomach. This was an all-time snub, a robbery, and a total shame. The 2023 Florida State team reflected so many of the ideals that football instills. The ultimate team sport saw the other 21 positions rally when their leader under center was knocked out. They overcame adversity by rallying back four times from halftime deficits (LSU, Clemson, Duke, Florida). They challenged themselves by scheduling a Top 10 SEC opponent, the eventual Heisman winner, and defeating four ranked teams. They swept their rivals – Clemson, Miami, and Florida – and won a Power 5 title game by holding the opponent to 188 yards (250 below their average). Playoff or not, this team should be remembered as one of the greats in Florida State lore. After nearly a decade of struggles, 2023 marked their full return to the national stage, and may have signaled a “changing of the guard” atop the ACC. It was proof that Mike Norvell’s program building, player development, and transfer portal strategy was the right formula for the modern age.
OFFENSE Norvell and offensive coordinator Alex Atkins continued the success from a Top 5 2022 offense that returned the entire starting lineup and was complemented with impact transfer pass-catchers. The run game slipped, but it remained an explosive, high-scoring offense in 2023. If anything, it was too “boom-or-bust” and seemed disjointed at times. With the departure of so many NFL-bound stars, Norvell has a complete offensive rebuild in 2024, and while this one may lack the explosiveness and highlight reels, it aims to be a more consistent “stay ahead of the chains” offense. Florida State loses its multi-year quarterback, top running back, top two wide receivers, tight end, and two starting linemen. The five skill players were all drafted in April’s NFL Draft. Jordan Travis departs after four seasons as the starter, and he saved his best for last. He scored 27 touchdowns, threw just two picks, broke Chris Weinke’s career touchdown record, and after the Playoff snub he tweeted that he wished he’d broken his leg earlier in the season so everyone could see how strong the rest of the team was, even without him. He leaves Tallahassee a legend. 24 The staff landed an experienced Power 5 starter in Oregon State’s DJ Uiagalelei, who improved his game there last season after two tough years at Clemson. He is a former five-star with a huge arm, a 6’5 250 pound frame, and he’s a bowling ball in the run game trucking defenders when he pulls the ball down. He is not as shifty, elusive, or creative as Travis, but he can extend the defense vertically, and can help in short-yardage and goal-line as a runner. Passing accuracy is a concern, as he continues to post below average completion percentages and QB Ratings. Brock Glenn started the ACC title win and had a growth spring and he’ll battle incoming four-star Luke Kromenhoek for the 2025 pecking order. Trey Benson was one of the most explosive running backs in the nation, Keon Coleman was a Peter Warrick-esque highlight reel receiver who shined at the biggest moments, and Johnny Wilson was dominant in jump balls. The skill trio leaves behind a ton of production and star power.
The running back room returns to a true duo with Lawrance Toafili and incoming Alabama transfer Roydell Williams who was rated the #7 back in the portal. Both guys were second in carries, Toafili behind Benson, Williams behind Jase McClellan, and while they lack the home-run ability of Benson, they will be consistent at churning out yardage in the box. There are more questions on the outsides. Coleman and Wilson will not be replaced, and it’s an unknown mix of fifth-year veterans, incoming SEC transfers, and blue-chip true freshmen. Ja’Khi Douglas is the only returner with 10+ catches last year, Kentron Poitier is a veteran, and Malik Benson (Alabama) and Jalen Brown (LSU) bring top-end track speed. Given Norvell’s track record, something will click, it’s just a matter of who – and how quickly into the season. Atkins is an ace offensive line coach so it was surprising to see a statistical slide last year. Look for a bounce back in 2024, with three starters off of the undefeated 2023 line returning: center Maurice Smith, left tackle Darius Washington, and right tackle Jeremiah Byers. Two Power 5 linemen were added to the lineup with Richie Leonard (Florida) and TJ Ferguson (Alabama).
DEFENSE Don’t let the final stats fool you, this was an elite defense. When you throw out the “opt-out bowl” stats, Florida State moves into the Top 5 of my opponent-adjusted defensive metric, right up there with Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, and Georgia. The pass defense was #1 in America. 12 players received All-ACC honors – I’ve never seen an 11-man unit land so many. Seven of those 12 depart, and it’s another reloading project for defensive coordinator Adam Fuller. His 4-2-5 scheme has posted three straight Top 20 finishes – one of just eight programs to do so. The defensive line loses star power in 1st round defensive end Jared Verse and their vocal leader on the inside Braden Fiske. Joshua Farmer is a returning starter, Darrell Jackson was a rotational player, but the tackle room is thin with Fiske and Fabien Lovett leaving. The end room is overflowing with firepower, with returning Patrick Payton (14.5 TFL, 7 sacks) and a trio of Power 5 transfers. Sione Lolohea earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors at Oregon State, Marvin Jones was a five-star prospect (Georgia) and Tomiwa Durojaiye (West Virginia) was rated a Top150 transfer this cycle. With the departures of longtime starters Kalen DeLoach and Tatum Bethune, the linebackers shift from a veteran group to an unknown. DJ Lundy did receive ACC honorable mention, and he’ll be joined by three former Top200 recruits in Blake Nichelson, Shawn Murphy (Alabama) and Cam Riley (Auburn). The talent drain continues in the secondary, as three starters depart – Renardo Green, Jarrian Jones, and Akeem Dent – and both corners were selected in the first three rounds. Green was put in press coverage on some 75% of snaps, a luxury for Fuller to be able to lockdown one side of the field with confidence. Fentrell Cypress was the top transfer last year and will start at one corner, while nickel/dime specialist Azareye’h Thomas moves up to a full-time corner spot. Shyheim Brown is back to lead the safety room, and yet another Alabama transfer, former Top100 Earl Little fits in as the nickel.
OUTLOOK I correctly called for Florida State to surpass Clemson for the ACC title last year, and I was the only magazine in America to call for a Playoff bid. They went 13-0 and despite an all-time snub, I’ll call that prediction a win. Florida State will get their chance in the Playoff this time around with the expansion. They are in a dead heat for the ACC crown – and Playoff auto-bid — with Miami. If not, they are still talented enough to claim an at-large spot.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-ACC: CLEMSON
PICK SIX
Under Dabo Swinney, Clemson entered 2023 with a 58-0 record when rushing and passing for 200+ yards, they had scored double-digits in 72 straight ACC games, and no Top 10 preseason team had lost an opener to an unranked team by 11+ points since at least 2000. That all changed on Labor Day night, as Duke dominated Clemson 28-7 and landed another blow to their struggling dynasty. The same problems in the opener ended up plaguing Clemson over the first eight games: fumbles, red zone failures, a weak passing game, and no downfield vertical threats. Duke landed the first punch, and then three more ACC rivals got their slices of revenge on the dynasty. Florida State benefitted from a fumble touchdown and missed field goal in what felt like a potential “changing of the guard” atop the league – they eventually went undefeated and won the ACC. NC State and Miami also got their shots in, both with wins by a touchdown, to knock Clemson down to 4-4 (2-4 in the ACC) heading into November. To their credit, Clemson rallied in the final month to close with a five-game winning streak with ranked wins over Notre Dame and UNC, a flag-planting rivalry win in Columbia, and a wild bowl win over Kentucky. The damage was already done. Clemson won six straight ACC crowns from 2015 to 2020, a run that included Playoff appearances every year, two national title wins, and a Top 3 Game Grader finish every year. With that backdrop, the past three years have fell way short of their standards and expectations. Just one league title, and Game Grader rankings of #22, #15, and #19. Swinney remains defiant of the transfer portal in the talent acquisition game, and in 2024 his program is the only one in America to not bring in a single transfer player. The dynasty downfall seems to coincide perfectly with the rise of the transfer portal explosion – and Trevor Lawrence’s departure – following the 2020 season. There are several factors, but ignoring the portal, even just to pack some thin position groups, cover for some recruiting misses, or sprinkle on All-America talent, is a missed opportunity.
OFFENSE Their six-year dynasty featured 1st round NFL quarterback play by Deshaun Watson and Lawrence. In the past three seasons without them, their starters have ranked 112th, 64th, and 80th nationally in QB Rating. Last offseason Swinney landed one of the top coordinator hires of the cycle in Garrett Riley, who was fresh off leading TCU on a surprise run to the national championship game. 26 Riley, and five-star quarterback Cade Klubnik, were expected to fix the broken pass game and lead a Clemson offensive resurgence. Instead, they actually got worse in all 15 of my stat categories. In my opponent-adjusted offensive metrics, Clemson fell all the way to 57th of 70 Power 5 offenses. The passing rank wasn’t much better at 51st of 70. And for a team that lost three one-score games, even average performance in the red zone could have flipped those to wins. Instead, the red zone failures were a recurring theme and Clemson finished 121st out of 133 FBS teams, scoring on just 73% of trips. 2024’s offense hinges on the magnitude of the second-year bonuses of both Riley and Klubnik. Schematically, Riley gets a second shot here, and his track record at past stops TCU and SMU speak volumes. He tweaked the run blocking scheme in November which unlocked better success on the ground. The bigger question is under center, as Klubnik was a turnover machine with 9 interceptions, 10 fumbles (5 lost) compared to his 19 touchdown passes. He placed 10th in the ACC in QB Rating and was held under 210 passing yards six times. I reviewed the spring game, hoping to see cleaner play and more snap to-snap consistency, but it looked as erratic as 2023. Actually walk-on Trent Pearman outplayed him and may compete in fall camp. Two more issues with the offense post-2020: the lack of their usual “WRU” stable of gamebreaker receivers, and the offensive line no longer a national top unit. Former five-star Beaux Collins didn’t live up to the billing and transferred to Notre Dame. Instead it was freshman Tyler Brown who led the team with 52 catches and 531 yards from the slot. They do have on paper depth here – Adam Randall, Troy Stellato, Antonio Williams — but they need proven production and stars to emerge. Five-star freshman Bryant Wesco flashed that star potential in the spring game and looked elusive in the open-field. Tight end Jake Briningstool opted to return for a bonus year and over the second half of the season he emerged as a key piece of the offense. During the dynasty, Clemson’s offensive line was consistently elite and always ranked in the top five of my metrics. Again in 2023, they have fallen to merely average – 42nd and 56th – in my OL Run Push and Sack Rate pass protection. Swinney made an impact hire here, bringing in former Ole Miss head coach and proven line guru Matt Luke. He inherits a veteran group with four returning starters Marcus Tate, Walker Parks, Tristan Leigh, and Blake Miller. Parks should be back to 100% after a September injury ended his 2023 season, Miller is a third-year starting tackle. The lone loss is a big one, as third-team All ACC center Will Putnam heads pro. Will Shipley also heads to the NFL after being the engine of the offense the past three seasons. He provided leadership and led the team in rushing in 2021 and 2022 before sharing carries with bruiser Phil Mafah last season. We got a glimpse of 2024 during the Notre Dame win, with Shipley sidelined, and Mafah took on 36 carries for 187 yards and two scores.
DEFENSE This side of the ball has continued to play dynasty-level football, even two years after the departure of legendary defensive coordinator Brent Venables. Before Venables took the Oklahoma job, his defense posted Top 10 marks every year 2014-2020 in my opponent-adjusted Game Grader. His successor Wes Goodwin has stacked consecutive Top 10 units and they continue to churn out All-ACC and NFL picks. Five defenders placed on the All-ACC teams, and four are gone. All four starting defensive linemen, both corners, and dynamic linebacker Jeremiah Trotter must all be replaced in 2024. That’s a tall task even for an annual reloading defense like this. It’s a huge talent drain in the trenches with longtime Tigers heading pro: tackles Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro and ends Justin Mascoll and Xavier Thomas. TJ Parker emerged as the next great Clemson lineman and he deserves all-league attention already. The next wave of potential starters may lack game experience, but all four are former four-stars and two had Top50 rankings. DeMonte Capehart and Payton Page are projected to start in the middle, with AJ Hoffler and Peter Woods joining Parker at edge. Swinney added another veteran position coach in Chris Rumph, the defensive line guru who has coached 25 NFL draft picks at Alabama, Texas, Florida, and Clemson back in 2006-2010. Their pass rush was already elite – Top 10 again in my Negative Play Rate — but this hire will help develop the next wave of upcoming starters. Trotter is a huge loss, but former All-American Barrett Carter returns with starter Wade Woodaz. Five-star true freshman Sammy Brown made an instant impact in the spring game and will eventually be a starter. Both safeties RJ Mickens and Khalil Barnes return, but the corner spots are wide-open after Nate Wiggins’ NFL move. Jeadyn Lukus was a near-five-star in the 2020 class, while Avieon Terrell and Shelton Lewis were both rated as three stars out of high school. Experienced defensive back Andrew Mukuba transferred out to Texas.
OUTLOOK There was no offensive boost last year, but there is still potential for a second-year bonus from the offensive coordinator and Klubnik. Clemson’s season hinges on a few issues: those second-year bonuses, Luke’s offensive line development, and a full defensive reload – minus any help from the transfer portal. I correctly picked Florida State last year due to Clemson’s anti-portal stance. It’s simply a tool of the modern game that helps bolster thin position units, cover for some recruiting misses, and even layer on all-conference talent. By ignoring transfer players, Clemson continues to fall behind.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-ACC: LOUISVILLE
PICK SIX
The “Bring Brohm Home” campaign was finally brought to fruition during the coaching carousel following the 2022 regular season. Former Louisville quarterback Jeff Brohm took over at his alma mater after completing his rebuilding project at Purdue. Bring Brohm Home backers wanted him in 2018, but the timing ended up being perfect this time around, and he got valuable program-building experience in those extra four years. Brohm took Purdue to the conference title game in the fifth season. Here at Louisville, he accomplished that feat right away in the transition season. Louisville opened with a 6-0 start for the first time in a decade and did so in style by defeating #10 Notre Dame in front of a stadium-record crowd. Most of those 59,081 fans poured onto the field as the clock ticked down for a field storming for the ages. Brohm was known for his pass-heavy, explosive, up-tempo offense, but he adjusted to the roster strengths here in his first season. After Louisville’s ball control 23-0 shutout of #20 Duke, he added “We were low-risk today, and yes, it is hard to do that for me.” Wins matter more than style. They rode a stout, timely defense and a pair of standout running backs to a 10-1 start – including five one-score wins – to earn a Top 10 national ranking and the school’s first ACC title berth. The final three games certainly soured an otherwise breakout season. They lost to Kentucky for the fifth straight time, only mustered up 188 yards of offense, and lost to Florida State’s third-string quarterback, then got routed by USC’s backups in the Holiday Bowl. Getting Louisville to its first ACC title game, with a mostly inherited roster, proved Brohm’s coaching chops right away. The skid to close the season hurt but that 10-1 start was enough firepower for the staff to carry into the postseason transfer carousel. Louisville added 31 players – the 2nd most in America – and the big class earned a Top 15 ranking. Quantity and quality. In a division-less ACC with Clemson’s dynasty grip loosened Louisville is riding some serious momentum into the 12-team Playoff era.
OFFENSE Brohm’s offense at Purdue was essentially an Air Raid. Only Mike Leach, the Air Raid purist himself, threw the ball more than Brohm’s Boilermaker offenses. He threw that script out the window in his transition season here. Brohm did reconnect with his former Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer and the sixth-year senior earned third-team All-ACC honors after throwing for 3,204 yards and 21 touchdowns. He threw five touchdowns in the Boston College blowout, played mistake-free in the Notre Dame, Duke, and Virginia Tech wins, and the game winning 52-yard bomb against Virginia helped avoid a disastrous upset. But there were limitations in the pass game that led Brohm to go uncharacteristically run-heavy. There were poor decisions by Plummer (11 interceptions), no second receiver threat to complement star Jamari Thrash, no involvement from the tight end room, and missed throws and drops in key moments. Plummer exhausted his eligibility and Louisville signed journey-man seventh-year quarterback Tyler Shough who is rehabbing from a season-ending injury. Shough adds more playmaking than Plummer and has started games in crowded quarterback rooms at both Oregon and Texas Tech. A pair of former four-stars Pierce Clarkson and Brady Allen will share the spring reps without Shough fully healthy. The running back duo was the strongest position group on the team as Jawhar Jordan finished second in the ACC with 1,128 yards and Isaac Guerendo added 810. Both reeled off 70+ yard touchdowns in one-score wins over Georgia Tech and Virginia, and their combined 1,938 yards was the best of any duo in the ACC. Both stars are gone, but the staff reloaded with MAC Offensive Player of the Year Peny Boone (Toledo) and an experienced Power 5 back Don Chaney (Miami). The double transfer is the newest craze, and after just four months at Louisville, Boone already transferred again, this time to UCF. The offensive line placed in the Top 40 of my OL Run Push metric and deserves credit for the reliable run game all season. Three starters, including All-ACC center Bryan Hudson, depart and they leave behind only the two starting guards Michael Gonzalez and Renato Brown. Pass protection (93rd nationally) could use a boost, however, that stat category is shared with the quarterback, and Plummer’s lack of mobility hurt. Nine linemen were added to the roster in the winter cycle: six transfers and three from the Power 5 ranks. The pass catchers were a weakness and limitation for the offense. It was a one-man show with Thrash getting the lion’s share of targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns – more than the other two starters combined. The lack of a second threat let defenses double-team Thrash without recourse, and the passing attack was unable to evolve. Including Thrash, three of the top four receivers are gone, but like almost every other position group, the staff brought in a talent infusion from the portal. Ja’Corey Brooks (Alabama) was the #15 transfer receiver this entire cycle and is poised for a starting spot. Three highly-touted tight ends – Mark Redman (San Diego State), Jaleel Skinner (Miami), and Izayah Cummings (Kentucky) – will help jump-start a unit that had no impact last year. Chris Bell and Jimmy Calloway return from the receiver rotation last year.
DEFENSE Brohm’s growth as a head coach is highlighted by his defensive coordinator hires and his influence in the scheme design. He brought two of them with him from Purdue, and Ron English and Mark Hagen fielded another top unit here. Despite the loss of their three defensive stars – YaYa Diaby, Yasir Abdullah and Kei-Trel Clark – Louisville’s defense didn’t skip a beat. In fact, they were even better than their 2022 counterparts because of just how clutch they were. The term “clutch” is overused in sports media, but talking specifically about a college football defense, I’d consider third downs and the red zone as the clutch spots. Louisville was excellent at both. They were #1 nationally by limiting opponents to scores on just 68% of red zone trips, and ranked #10 in third down conversions. Those two areas are where tight games are flipped, and Louisville had their fair share of close margin matchups. The defense pitched a second-half shutout against NC State, and executed game-sealing goal-line stands against Indiana and Miami. The defensive line returns intact, has star power, and depth, and looks like a top ACC unit. Ashton Gillotte already earned first-team All-ACC last fall and should draw All-America attention at the defensive end. Mason Reiger finished second in sacks opposite him despite missing four games. Tyler Baron (Tennessee) was the #3 ranked edge transfer this cycle, but pulled the Double Transfer and left for Miami in May. Dez Tell returns in the middle while Thor Griffith (Harvard) and Jordan Guerad (FIU) provide experienced depth. The linebacker room is stout again with tackle-leader TJ Quinn back, and Antonio Watts, Stanquan Clark, and former five-star TJ Capers all in the rotation. Benjamin Perry is a game-changer at the hybrid linebacker/safety spot. Safety Cam’Ron Kelly and corner Jarvis Brownlee left for the pros, but third-team All-ACC safety Devin Neal and lockdown corner Quincy Riley are both back. The staff added former Tennessee starting safety Tamarion McDonald along with FCS All-American Blake Ruffin (Eastern Illinois) and former Top100 four-star Daeh McCullough (Oklahoma). Illinois transfer Tahveon Nicholson could contend at the second corner spot. Plus 2022 starting safety MJ Griffin is back from injury. It’s a safe bet that they will fix their one glaring weakness from 2023: limiting explosive long-yardage passing (119th nationally).
OUTLOOK Louisville brings back nine starters plus two former SEC starters to a defense that has posted consecutive Top 25 finishes. They will make it three in a row this fall. While the offense has some roster turnover, they attacked the transfer portal and Brohm’s track record speaks for itself. Louisville is a contender to return to the ACC title game and they are my #4 preseason pick.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-ACC: NC STATE
PICK SIX
Head coach Dave Doeren maximized the bye week last October. NC State opened up a 4-3 record (1-2 ACC) that included a pair of 21-point losses to Notre Dame and Duke. After the bye week, they rattled off five straight league wins and beat their trio of rivals – Clemson, Wake Forest, and North Carolina – all in the same season for the first time since 2002. My opponent-adjusted Game Grader formula shows the contrast before and after the halfway break: – First seven games: 37.6 55th of 70 Power 5 – Final five regular season games: 73.0 10th of 70 Power 5 It was a roller-coaster season that first looked like bowl eligibility itself was in question, but then turned all the way around into a near ACC-title berth. Doeren was able to rally his program to a fourth straight 8+ win season which is a run only matched by the Chuck Amato & Philip Rivers years 2000-2003. NC State is one of just five Power 5 programs to post such a run from 2020-2023 joining powerhouses Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and Notre Dame. While their bid for the all-important 10th win came up short against Kansas State in the Pop-Tart Bowl, NC State was able to ride that momentum into “Talent Acquisition” season. They paired a national Top 20 transfer class and a Top 30 recruiting class that matched a 5-year program high. This talent infusion, especially to the offensive skill positions, along with staff continuity, some favorable NFL Draft decisions, and the late-season surge all bring NC State into 2024 with raised expectations within the ACC and the national polls.
OFFENSE Offensive coordinator Robert Anae recruited his former Virginia star quarterback Brennan Armstrong to transfer to Raleigh, but his season got off to a rough start. Before the bye week this was one of the worst-performing offenses in Power 5 and after the Louisville loss – in which the offense mustered just 201 yards and 10 points – the staff made a quarterback switch to young MJ Morris. 30 As a true freshman in 2022 Morris won two of his three starts, with a 7-1 TD/INT ratio and a high QB rating. His performance dropped off significantly in his four 2023 starts (7-5 ratio and a poor QB rating) and Anae actually went to Armstrong for a Wildcat package that sparked the Miami win. The next week, Morris opted out to “retain his redshirt season” which then gave the job back to Armstrong. Armstrong broke the school record for quarterback rushing yards in a season (Jacoby Brissett in 2014), led the November surge, but now both guys are gone. NC State landed one of the most prized quarterback transfers this cycle by signing Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall. The three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year went 32-8 as a starter, passed for more than 10,000 yards with a sharp 88-14 TD-INT ratio, and has been a star at the non-AQ level. While the step up to the Power 5 will be a challenge, he already proved doubters wrong as a high school triple option signal-caller who went on to post prolific passing numbers in Division I. McCall’s commitment set off a domino effect, especially at the skill positions. Jordan Waters was rated a four-star transfer after rushing for 1,600 yards as Duke’s feature back the past two seasons. Justin Joly (UConn) was ranked the #2 tight end transfer this cycle. At receiver, the staff signed a pair of former four-star recruits Wesley Grimes (Wake Forest) and Noah Rogers (Ohio State). That influx of skill position talent was much needed, as they struggled to find a traditional run game, and lacked a second or third threat on the outsides. NC State certainly has a #1 threat. True freshman Kevin “KC” Concepcion was the only player in FBS with 750+ receiving yards and 250+ rushing yards, led all FBS freshmen with 10 receiving touchdowns, earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors and got a second-team All-ACC spot. For an offense that lacked explosiveness (90th nationally), Concepcion provided the key ones like his 65-yard run on the opening play against Miami, and his pair of long touchdowns against Clemson.
Concepcion should draw All-America attention in 2024, Dacari Collins is back as the preseason #2, while Grimes and Rogers bring blue-chip talent to the lineup. Another round of Top250 guys are on the way with 2024 freshmen Jonathan Paylor (10.4 100m speed) and Terrell Anderson supplementing this top unit. Three linemen received All-ACC honors and two of them return. Anthony Belton returns as a third-year starter at left tackle, and Timothy McKay’s shift inside to guard helped the line to click after the bye. The only loss is center Dylan McMahon (NFL) but the staff filled that spot with one of the top transfer centers this cycle in Zeke Correll who started 29 games at Notre Dame. Right tackle Jacarrius Peak won NC State’s OL of the Year award and may just have the highest upside of the whole unit. Line coach Garett Tujague helped the unit improve from bottom ten nationally to middle-of-the-pack. Look for another step up in 2024 here.
DEFENSE Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 scheme trades size for speed and provides a curveball for opposing offenses to prepare for. While the opponent-adjusted, per-play metric dipped to 40th, NC State remained towards the top of most of my other defensive metrics. In Doeren’s 11 seasons, NC State had never held a league opponent to under seven points, but during the 5-0 run Gibson’s defense did it twice in consecutive weeks. The Wolfpack defense forced four turnovers against Miami (6 points) and held Wake Forest to just 167 total yards (6 points). In the regular season finale, they held UNC’s dynamic Drake Maye to just 20 points and limited ACC rushing champ Omarion Hampton to just 28 yards. They are losing an all-time great as linebacker Payton Wilson heads to the pros. Wilson finished with 400+ career tackles, two All-ACC 1st team honors, and swept the awards circuit in 2023 with both the Bednarik and Butkus Awards. Wilson became the fourth unanimous All-American in NC State history joining Jim Ritcher (1979), Bradley Chubb (2017) and Ikem Ekwonu (2021). The linebacking core loses its leader Wilson and another starter Jaylon Scott. Caden Fordham finished fifth in tackles and takes over full time at middle backer, but the outside spots are wide-open competitions. Sean Brown moved down from safety to outside backer this spring and is a projected starter. NC State won several NFL Draft decisions, as defensive end Davin Vann, corner Aydan White, and safety Devan Boykin all elected to return to Raleigh. Vann is the line’s veteran leader, while Brandon Cleveland and Red Hibbler put up impressive stats despite lower snap counts than the full-time starters. Cleveland is the top nose tackle now that CJ Clark is gone. White is a two-time All-ACC corner but his co-star Shyheim Battle is off to the pros after starting for four years. That second corner spot is a battle between Maryland transfer Corey Coley and Brandon Cisse. There is plenty of firepower in the safety room, which is a key group in Gibson’s 3-3-5. Boykin is recovering from a bowl game ACL injury, but he is a proven ballhawk pulling in interceptions in NC State’s biggest wins: Clemson, Miami, and UNC. Donovan Kaufman transferred in from Auburn where he got plenty of game experience. The staff added a former Freshman All-American at nickel in Ja’Had Carter (Ohio State & Syracuse).
OUTLOOK NC State is riding some serious momentum into 2024 and are contenders for an ACC championship appearance. McCall’s step up from the Sun Belt to the ACC is a question, but it helps to have playmakers and proven position groups all around him. Doeren’s quest for a 10-win season finally gets a schedule boost, as they face only two of the ACC’s top eight and should be favored in nine games.
BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ’S 2-HITTER LIFTS PHILS PAST NATS
Cristopher Sanchez pitched a two-hitter for his second career complete game to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the visiting Washington Nationals 5-1 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory.
Sanchez (9-8) struck out four with no walks for Philadelphia, which has won eight of the nine meetings against Washington this season, including six straight.
Alec Bohm extended his on-base streak to a career-high 34 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the majors.
Alex Call homered for the Nationals, who have lost four straight.
Padres 8, Rockies 3
Luis Campusano homered and singled, Manny Machado had four hits and streaking San Diego beat Colorado in Denver for its 20th win in 25 games since the All-Star break.
Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim and Bryce Johnson had two hits apiece to back another solid start from Padres starter Dylan Cease. The right-hander (12-9) allowed three runs on three hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five.
Michael Toglia homered for Colorado, which honored Hall of Fame inductee Todd Helton before and during the game. Starter Kyle Freeland (3-5) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings. He walked three and fanned three.
Brewers 2, Guardians 1
William Contreras hit a go-ahead home run in the fourth inning and right-hander Freddy Peralta pitched six solid innings as Milwaukee edged visiting Cleveland in matchup division leaders.
Peralta (8-7) bounced back from a loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers by limiting the Guardians to one run on four hits. He struck out three and walked two. Devin Williams recorded his fourth save and capped a strong display by the Brewers’ bullpen. Williams, Jared Koenig and Joel Payamps each pitched one perfect inning of relief.
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (10-5) was saddled with the loss. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking one and fanning seven. Josh Naylor hit his 27th homer of the season for the Guardians.
Cardinals 5, Dodgers 2
Alec Burleson went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs as host St. Louis defeated Los Angeles to snap its five-game losing streak.
Masyn Winn homered and scored twice for the Cardinals. Nolan Arenado also hit a home run and Willson Contreras went 2-for-3 with an RBI. St. Louis starting pitcher Andre Pallante (5-6) held the Dodgers to two runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two. Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
Shohei Ohtani hit his 38th homer, stole two bases and scored twice for the Dodgers, who lost for the third time in four games. Dodgers starting pitcher Bobby Miller (1-3) allowed four runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked one, struck out one and threw four wild pitches.
Pirates 7, Mariners 2
Pittsburgh hit three home runs and Bailey Falter delivered a solid start in a win over visiting Seattle.
Falter (6-7) notched a career-high-tying eight strikeouts while holding Seattle to two runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Pirates have won two straight after a 10-game losing streak and snapped a skid of four consecutive series losses.
The Mariners have lost five straight and eight of their past 12.
Tigers 4, Yankees 0
Andy Ibanez had a two-run double and a trio of Detroit pitchers held visiting New York to four hits in a shutout victory.
Tigers starter Keider Montero (4-5) limited the Yankees to two hits while striking out five in five-plus innings. Tyler Holton gave up one hit in three innings. Jason Foley completed the shutout.
Yankees starter Carlos Rodon (13-8) gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Oswaldo Cabrera had two of New York’s hits.
Cubs 3, Blue Jays 2
Michael Busch hit a two-run triple to lift host Chicago to a win over Toronto.
The Cubs jumped in front in the first inning as Ian Happ hit a leadoff homer 413 feet to center field to give Chicago a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Busch hit a triple off the ivy in center field, scoring Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya.
For the Jays, Addison Barger hit a solo shot and Daulton Varsho notched an RBI single. Toronto’s Chris Bassitt (9-12) threw five innings and gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Twins 5, Rangers 2
Willi Castro finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, helping rally Minnesota past host Texas in Arlington, giving the Twins their third straight win.
Minnesota starter David Festa went five innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out six and walking none. Ronny Henriquez (1-0) got the win as the Twins’ bullpen threw four scoreless innings.
For Texas, starter Nathan Eovaldi (8-7) pitched seven-plus innings and allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits, striking out six without a walk. Designated hitter Carson Kelly went 2-for-4, driving in both runs for Texas as the Rangers lost their third straight and their sixth in seven games.
Mets 4, Marlins 0
Luis Severino threw his first shutout in more than six years for New York, which earned its second straight win by beating visiting Miami in the middle game of a three-game series.
Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso homered for the Mets, who have outscored the Marlins 11-3 over the past two games. The Marlins have lost eight of 11.
Severino (8-6) gave up four hits and walked one while striking out eight in his second career shutout. He tossed a five-hitter for the New York Yankees against the Houston Astros in a 4-0 win on May 2, 2018.
Rays 6, Diamondbacks 1
Brandon Lowe bashed a two-run homer, starter Jeffrey Springs won for the first time since Tommy John surgery and Tampa Bay’s win broke Arizona’s nine-series winning streak in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Lowe was 2-for-4 with his 15th homer along with a double, a walk, two runs and two RBIs for the Rays.
Kevin Newman had two of the Diamondbacks’ five hits, all singles. Jose Herrera had an RBI single.
Royals 13, Reds 1
Dairon Blanco homered twice and collected seven RBIs as Kansas City rolled past host Cincinnati in the middle game of a three-game series.
Every starter had at least one hit and one run for the Royals, who won their third straight game.
Jeimer Candelario homered in the seventh for the Reds, who have dropped two in a row after a four-game winning streak.
Athletics 2, Giants 0
Osvaldo Bido took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Seth Brown stroked three hits and host Oakland blanked rival San Francisco.
Scott Alexander, Grant Holman, T.J. McFarland and Michel Otanez completed Oakland’s 10th shutout of the season by combining for three innings of relief, helping the A’s guarantee themselves at least a split in their four-game season series with the Giants.
Grant McCray and Mark Canha teamed up for all four Giants hits.
Astros 6, White Sox 1
Hunter Brown recorded his 14th quality start while matching his single-season high for victories to lead Houston past visiting Chicago.
Brown (11-7) logged seven innings for only the second time this season and allowed one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts for the Astros. After encountering two-out trouble that cost him a run in the first inning, Brown blanked the White Sox from there.
Chris Flexen allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk with one strikeout over four innings and dropped to 0-9 over his past 18 starts, with the White Sox losing each game.
Red Sox 5, Orioles 1
Jarren Duran’s two-run single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie and Rafael Devers added a two-run home run as visiting Boston defeated Baltimore.
Starter Brayan Bello (11-5) and four relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Red Sox won their second game in a row.
Gunnar Henderson homered for the third time in four games for the Orioles, who have lost four of their past six games. Henderson had two of Baltimore’s hits.
Braves 11, Angels 3
Marcell Ozuna had three hits, including a three-run homer in the first inning, sparking Atlanta to a lopsided victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Ramon Laureano and Whit Merrifield also homered, and Michael Harris II chipped in with three hits for an Atlanta offense that tallied 12 in all.
Kevin Pillar went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Angels, who have lost four of five.
REDS PUT ALL-STAR HUNTER GREENE ON IL (ELBOW SORENESS)
Reds ace Hunter Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list just before Cincinnati’s game Saturday with right elbow soreness in what was deemed a “precautionary” move.
Greene (9-4, 2.83 ERA), who made the All-Star team for the first time in his three seasons in the majors, was sore after his start on Tuesday, according to Nick Krall, Cincinnati’s president of baseball operations. Greene felt better for a few days, but the pain returned after he played catch on Saturday.
“We put him on the IL for precautionary reasons. We’ll get the MRI in the next couple of days and go from there,” Krall said.
Greene, who vaulted into consideration for the National League Cy Young Award by going 4-0 in his last seven starts with an ERA of 0.98, had Tommy John on his right elbow in 2019.
He was first in the NL in opponents’ batting average (.185), third in ERA and tied for fourth in strikeouts. However, he also was second in walks (53) and first in hit batters (19).
Greene had been scheduled to pitch again Monday, although no plan for that start was immediately announced. The Reds said a corresponding move to fill Greene’s spot on the active roster would come Sunday.
Cincinnati’s first-round pick in 2017 (second overall) is 18-24 with a 3.94 ERA in 70 career starts.
–Field Level Media
GOLF NEWS
SPARKLING SECOND ROUND LIFTS RICHARD GREEN INTO LEAD AT ROGERS CHARITY CLASSIC
Richard Green of Australia carded an 8-under 62 on Saturday to jump into the lead after two rounds of action at the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary.
Green put together a stunning start to his round, collecting nine birdies through the first 11 holes. He recorded a double bogey at the par-3 12th but got back on track with birdies at Nos. 15 and 18 to sit at 13-under 127 for the tournament.
“That was fun. You know, it’s been in the making for a while now, a really hot round like that,” Green said. “I just haven’t been able to get the putter going, and today I did. The putts were going in just as I was seeing them, which was nice.
“It was a shame that 12 happened to me, but would’ve been nice to progress on from that great run of birdies and continue on and try (to get) an even better score.”
Boo Weekley and New Zealand’s Steven Alker are one shot back in a tie for second after shooting matching 7-under 63s at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club.
Weekley was on track to turn in a clean card until he hit the par-4 17th, where he had to settle for bogey after his second shot found the first cut of rough. He responded with his eighth birdie of the day at No. 18, though.
“It feels good to finally be able to say the hard work I’ve been putting in is finally starting to show up and show a little progress,” Weekley said.
Meanwhile, Alker got hot on the back nine, racking up six birdies to finish with eight for his round. He too had just one bogey.
Ken Tanigawa had low-round honors with a 9-under 61, moving him 36 spots up the leaderboard and into a tie for fourth with Irishman Padraig Harrington (64 on Saturday) and Jason Caron (64). Each member of that trio is two strokes off the lead.
A hole-in-one at the par-3 16th was the highlight of Tanigawa’s outing, which also included seven birdies.
“It was a little unexpected getting a hole-in-one,” Tanigawa said. “Yeah, just hit a 5-iron, really good 5-iron on 16, yeah, and just one of those things, right? Didn’t see it go in the hole, but it was going right towards it. You hear all the hoopla up there so you kind of have an idea it went in.”
Mario Tiziani (66) and Wes Short Jr. (66) trail Green by three shots and are T7, while England’s Darren Clarke (64) and Steve Allan of Australia (65) are tied for ninth, four shots back.
–Field Level Media
JON RAHM SHOOTS 62, GRABS 2-SHOT LEAD AT LIV GREENBRIER
With a strong finish to the second round on Saturday, Jon Rahm of Spain fired an 8-under 62 to take a two-shot lead at LIV Golf Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Rahm, who is at 14-under 126, has just one bogey through 36 holes and leads by two shots over Lucas Herbert of Australia (63 on Saturday), Richard Bland of England (64), Brooks Koepka (64) and Talor Gooch (65).
On Sunday, Rahm will take aim at his second straight LIV title after winning LIV United Kingdom last month.
“Great round of golf,” Rahm said. “Maybe not the fastest start you can get out on this track, but just good swings, good golf in general, and from the 10th hole on, those next 11 holes were pretty special. To play those holes 8-under was some good golf. I didn’t really make many mistakes, and it showed.
“I feel like one bogey through 36 holes is very organized so far, and just really enjoying myself out there. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Starting his round on the second hole in a shotgun start, Rahm eagled the par-5 No. 17, then birdied No. 18 and the first hole to close his round.
Ripper GC, which includes Herbert, Cam Smith, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones, are at 36 under through two rounds and hold a one-shot lead over Smash GC (Koepka, Gooch, Jason Kokrak and John Catlin).
“I think it would be unreal,” Smith said of winning the team title. “I think it would be kind of even better if we managed to get an individual win in there, as well.
“The couple of wins at the start of the year were very nice, but it was kind of a bit of an odd feeling winning the team event and not having someone stand up there lifting the trophy. Hopefully, one of us tomorrow can go shoot a low one, and the drinks will be on them.”
Smith, who had two bogeys en route to a 63, is among a foursome three shots off the lead at 11-under 129. A total of nine players were separated by three shots entering the final round.
“It was a good day,” Smith said. “I got off to a pretty good start, and then just got kind of a little bit slow there at the end. I think probably the back nine is a harder nine out here, even though there are a couple of par-5s. There’s a couple of kind of stinky tee shots and greens to hit into.”
Bryson DeChambeau, who shot a final-round 58 to win the event last year, finished at 65 on Saturday and is seven back of the leader in 16th at 7 under.
–Field Level Media
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA SURGES TO 5-STROKE LEAD AT ST. JUDE
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama pulled away from his challengers on the back nine at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Saturday and will carry a five-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round in Memphis, Tenn.
Matsuyama shot 6-under-par 64 during a steady round at TPC Southwind marred by an early bogey, but bolstered by five birdies and an eagle. Matsuyama, who posted his 12th straight round of par or better at Southwind, is at 17-under 193.
Tour rookie Nick Dunlap (66 on Saturday) is in second at 12 under, followed by Viktor Hovland (66) of Norway at 11 under and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (69) and Sam Burns (70) tied for fourth at 10 under.
“Hideki is obviously playing some fantastic golf,” Scheffler said. “I’ll do my best to put a little pressure on him and see what happens . . . but if he goes out and shoots another 5- or 6-under he’s going to be a pretty tough guy to catch.”
Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy entered the third round atop the leaderboard at 11-under 129, one shot better than Burns.
While McCarthy faded in the heat and humidity with a 2-over 72, Matsuyama was unaffected during a tournament in which he would be forgiven for lacking focus.
Shortly before arriving in Memphis. Matsuyama, his caddie and his swing coach were robbed while dining at a restaurant in London last weekend. The caddie and coach were forced to return to Japan after having their passports stolen during the incident. Matsuyama has been working in Memphis with Taiga Tabuchi, the regular caddie for Ryo Hisatsume.
“There’s a learning curve when you have a new caddie and (you’re) trying to work things out together,” Matsuyama said. “But it really hasn’t affected my play. We’re a good team right now.”
Matsuyma continued his solid play on Saturday amid the untimely breakup of his team. He built an early three-stroke lead after sinking a 15-foot eagle putt on the 554-yard, par-5 third and fought off challenges from Burns on the front nine.
Burns closed the gap with consecutive birdie putts on Nos. 4, 5 and 6 to catch Matsuyama at 13-under. Matsuyama re-opened an advantage, by two strokes, with a short birdie putt on No. 7 while Burns faltered with a bogey. Burns fell farther back with a double bogey on the par-4 No. 9.
On the back side, Matsuyama, the Paris Olympics bronze medalist, steadily pulled away and enjoyed a five-stroke advantage after 6-foot birdie putt on No. 13.
Second-round co-leader McCarthy, who has not won on tour in seven seasons, struggled from the outset. He shot three-over par on the front nine and was six strokes behind Matsuyama at the turn. He double-bogeyed 11 to drop farther out of contention. He finished strong with birdies on three of his final seven holes for a 2-over 72. He enters Sunday tied for sixth and eight shots back of Matsuyama.
Dunlap and Hovland remain in contention after their 66s Saturday, but if Matsuyama continues at his torrid pace, he’ll be difficult to catch.
“It’s super impressive stuff,” Hovland said of Matsuyama’s play. “It was not easy out there today.”
Dunlap, 20, a recent University of Alabama golfer who turned pro earlier this year, is the closest to catching Matsuyama. Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, he’s enjoying a magical rookie run.
“I should be playing in the U.S. (Amateur) this week and I just got done playing a round with Scottie,” he said. “It was pretty cool.”
The opening tournament of the season-ending playoffs features the top 70 in the FedEx Cup points standings. The top 50 in the standings advance to the next round, the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado. The Tour Championship will be played Labor Day weekend at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Those who finish Sunday ranked in the top 50 not only move on to Colorado but are eligible for every PGA Tour signature event in 2025.
–Field Level Media
LATE BIRDIE LIFTS LAUREN COUGHLIN INTO LEAD AT WOMEN’S SCOTTISH OPEN
Lauren Coughlin carded a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday to seize a one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Coughlin, who earned her first career LPGA win last month at the CPKC Women’s Open, collected six birdies during her bogey-free round to reside at 12-under 204 for the tournament at Dundonald Links.
Coughlin rolled in a birdie on the 18th hole to give her a one-shot lead on Megan Khang (69 on Saturday), who shared the 36-hole lead with two-time major champion Minjee Lee of Australia.
Coughlin credited her putting game for raising her confidence level.
“Yeah, I think a lot of it is putting,” she said. “I started to get some confidence in the Asian Swing, and since then I’ve been able to keep it going. I’m starting to hit the ball extremely well, and yeah, I’m just starting to feel really good about my game and myself and trying to keep it going.”
Khang totaled three birdies during her bogey-free round, with her final one coming after a long putt on the 17th hole. She has just one LPGA win on her resume but entered the week No. 27 in points for the season-long Race to the CME Globe.
Olympic silver medalist Esther Henseleit (66) of Germany recorded an eagle on the par-5 14th hole to go along with five birdies and one bogey.
“Yeah, I played really well,” Henseleit said. “Had a great front nine and then kept it going on the back nine, and yeah, just a really solid day. Didn’t make many mistakes. Kept it pretty easy and simple and rolled in a few putts.”
Henseleit and Charley Hull (69) of England are tied for third place at 9-under, one stroke ahead of Lee (72).
Lydia Ko of Australia shot a 71 to sit a 7-under for the tournament, good enough for sixth place. Ko admitted she’s had plenty on her plate of late, but isn’t using that as an excuse.
“It is a long week, so it can get draining,” Ko said. “So I’m sure by some point next week, I’m going to be tired but I think that’s part of my job to keep my energy levels high and make sure that I’m still feeling fresh for Thursday to Sunday next week as well.”
–Field Level Media
RACING NEWS
RAIN WASHES AWAY QUALIFYING, DENNY HAMLIN ON POLE AT MICHIGAN
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Poor weather interrupted NASCAR Cup Series practice and forced a cancellation of qualifying on Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole position for Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) based on a metric analyzed by NASCAR factoring in the previous race outcome among other factors.
It’s the second pole position start in as many weeks for Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota, who will start out front alongside Tyler Reddick, who drives the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, a team that Hamlin co-owns.
JGR’s Christopher Bell will start third in his No. 20 Toyota alongside NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Kyle Larson in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The top five is rounded up by 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota.
Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Track house Racing Chevrolet led the limited practice session at Michigan with a lap of 192.303 mph around the two-miler. JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. and Larson were next fastest.
Hamlin was only the 29th fastest among the cars that made practice laps before poor weather moved in. Defending race winner, Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher and Truex’s 18-laps run were the most completed in the limited time on track.
NOTEBOOK:
–Last weekend’s Richmond (Va.) Raceway race winner Austin Dillon spoke to NBC Sports after qualifying was cancelled Saturday afternoon and addressed the situation that he finds himself in going forward. NASCAR issued penalties to Dillon, his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team, his spotter, and Team Penske’s Joey Logano in the wake of the controversial finish.
Dillon’s Chevy made contact with then-race leader Logano’s Ford with a lap to go in the Richmond overtime finish — knocking Logano’s car into the wall. Seconds later, Dillon’s Chevy made contact with Hamlin’s Toyota, wrecking it as they pushed toward the checkered flag.
On Wednesday, NASCAR ruled that while Dillon may keep the win, he does not become playoff-eligible with the win because of the aggressive driving.
Dillon and his team were fined points. His spotter — who can be heard on the team radio urging Dillon to wreck the other drivers — was suspended three races. Logano, who drove aggressively down pit road after the race, was fined $50,000 for putting others in a dangerous situation on pit road.
Richard Childress Racing announced immediately afterward that it would appeal the decision, and the matter is scheduled to go before the appeals panel this Wednesday. Dillon said he listened to Hamlin share his side of the story on Hamlin’s podcast this week and expected to share his own feelings after the appeals process.
“It’s been tough with everything going on,” Dillon said, adding, “We’ll give our side of the story and see where it goes from there.
Hamlin noted that Dillon did not participate in a weekly basketball game he normally plays in. Dillon confirmed he had not spoken with either Hamlin or Logano since last week’s race.
“For Joey, I’m sorry for the situation he was in and it didn’t matter if it was Joey or anybody I was going to do my best to get my team to victory lane,” Dillon said. “The situation on pit road after the race, a lot of things were said in the heat of the moment from him about my family and my belief in Christ, even. For me, I forgive him.
“For him getting frustrated and the pit road part with the race car was a lot. That was kinda out of line and I think NASCAR took care of it and I forgive him. I’m sure he’s still mad at me for what went on the race track, but this is a game in the end and you don’t hate the player, you hate the game. That was the situation I was up against.
“I learned a lot from Joey and Denny over the years and they don’t have regrets over what they do on the race track and I don’t either. I’m not going to say I regret anything. I went to sleep and felt good about everything I did for me and my team.”
–Hamlin, who sits fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship — 21 points behind leader Larson, remained adamant that Dillon’s actions were wrong and the penalties he received were justified.
He was hopeful that the whole situation further helped the sport define a competitive line of what is acceptable and what is not in the emotional, high-stakes final laps of a race. Dillon entered the Richmond race ranked 32nd in the standings without a single top-five this year.
“I don’t have anything negative to say about this with Austin (Dillon),” Hamlin said. “I really don’t have anything negative to say about his character. I really stuck up for him quite about earlier in this year, when he was going through some pretty tough finishes and things like that, and talking about how I really respected his character, and I still do.
“He just was put in a really tough spot, where you have to make a split-second decision, and he made one that was not in the, in my opinion, best interest of the sport. People make mistakes, and I believe everyone deserves second chances.”
However, he added, “You just can’t clean someone else out for the win.”
*It’s been a dramatic week for defending Michigan race winner Buescher, who was bumped outside the playoffs standings with Dillon’s win last week, only to be back playoff eligible by Wednesday with Dillon’s points penalty.
Buescher is tied with Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain, three points behind 15th-place Bubba Wallace, but Buescher got the all-important 16th and final playoff position ahead of Chastain based on who had the best finish this season.
Buescher reiterated that his path and purpose have not changed despite the change in his championship standings. He insists he still needs to win a race. His win at Michigan last year was part of a three-race summer victory showing entering the playoffs.
“It’s not going to change anything for myself or our team,” Buescher said of being bumped back into the Top-16 with Dillon’s penalty. “We knew at the beginning of the year before we ever got to Daytona that this was the only way to really be comfortable at any point before playoffs was a win. And really, there’s no way to get through the next three weeks and be comfortable without one.
“So no, this isn’t going to change anything for how we approach these next handful of races. For us, we’re looking at a stretch that has been very good to us. I was just laughing coming in here last time we were at this table was for all the right reasons. So, you know, I was looking forward to that for this go around at Michigan.”
Buescher’s best showings in 2024 are runner-up finishes at Phoenix and Kansas, where he was on the wrong side of a photo finish. He’s had two top-10s in the last seven races – fifth-place finishes at New Hampshire and Nashville.
–The Haas Factory Team, which debuts next year, announced Saturday that it has signed NASCAR Xfinity Series championship contenders Sheldon Creed (No. 00 Ford Mustang) and Sam Mayer (No. 41 Ford Mustang) to its 2025 lineup. They join Cole Custer, who announced at Indianapolis in July that he will steer the team’s NASCAR Cup Series entry, the No. 41 Ford.
“I think there is a lot that goes into a decision like this, obviously, the angle is Cup, so what is Haas Factory tied to, where is it going?” said Creed, who currently drives for the Joe Gibbs Racing team and will start on pole for Saturday’s Michigan race. “They (Haas)have an alliance with RFK moving forward. And I think for me, it was a multiple-year contract going forward. Where can I grow more in Xfinity? Where can I win races? And Haas Factory seemed to be the place for me.”
Mayer, 21, also reiterated the opportunity he sees the Haas team has for the championship but also for him, possibly a future in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“It’s really important to continue development for me as a race car driver and Haas Factory is providing that for me on and off the racetrack,” said Mayer, who has two wins this season. “I think that they’re going to do a really good job setting the table for me to go out there and perform and dominate. … I feel like I have a lot to prove. Cup Series racing is something that I really, really, really want to do, and this is a huge step in that direction for myself.”
–NASCAR announced a new partnership Saturday in Michigan and will be teaming with the national nonprofit “We the Veterans and Military Families” to support “Vet the Vote,” a national campaign designed to encourage veterans and their families to serve as poll workers for the upcoming national election.
“NASCAR is honored and humbled to count thousands of military veterans as NASCAR fans and we’re encouraging them to consider once again serving their country this election season as poll workers,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR’s chief impact officer. “We are committed to doing our part to help address the critical shortage of poll workers in this country, so we’re proud to support Vet the Vote and its vital mission this fall.”
The Vet the Vote campaign was specifically created to help address the need for poll workers across the country and to encourage and inspire veterans and military families to aid in that capacity.
In two years, the program has more than doubled (140,000) the registrations of military poll workers. And this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, the program will engage with fans in the Fan Zone hoping to register more veterans and their families in this very important program.
–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS/NEWS RELEASES
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
COLTS BACKUPS RUSH FOR 3 SCORES TO BEAT MISTAKE-PRONE CARDINALS 21-13 IN PRESEASON
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jason Bean, Tyler Goodson and Zavier Scott each rushed for one touchdown Saturday night, helping the Indianapolis Colts hold off the mistake-prone Arizona Cardinals 21-13 in a matchup of backups.
Coaches Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon each opted to sit most of their starters after holding two joint practices earlier this week.
Bean took advantage of his most extensive playing time in two weeks by going 7 of 9 with 94 yards, one interception and the 1-yard TD run on fourth down to open the fourth quarter. Goodson started and ran six times for 35 yards and the first score of the game as he battles Zavier Scott for the No. 3 running back job. Scott had 11 carries for 55 yards and now has four TDs through the first two preseason games.
Clayton Tune started at quarterback for the Cardinals and was 8 of 10 with 79 yards and a 12-yard TD run late in the first half while Desmond Ridder finished the game 6 of 10 for 71 yards. Trey Benson carried nine times for 43 yards, but Arizona had nearly as many penalties (11) as first downs (13).
It was the first time these two franchises met in a preseason game since August 1967 when they called Baltimore and St. Louis home and were relying on quarterbacks John Unitas and Jim Hart.
But with so many key players, including Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., not playing, it didn’t get many style points. Harrison still has not appeared in a game at Lucas Oil Stadium, the stadium his Hall of Fame dad once called his home turf.
Indy took a 7-0 lead on Goodson’s 8-yard TD run late in the first quarter. Arizona answered with a 40-yard field goal early in the second quarter and capitalized on an interception when Tune scored on a 12-yard run in the final minute of the first half to make it 10-7.
Bean rebounded by opening the second half with a 75-yard drive, capped by Scott’s 6-yard scoring run, before punching it in himself to give Indy a 21-13 lead.
HOLDING CALLS
It was a tough night for Cardinals offensive lineman Christian Jones, a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas. The rookie was called for holding on three consecutive plays and four times in a string of 13 Arizona plays in the second quarter. Indy declined the fourth penalty to force fourth down.
CAITLIN CLARK APPEARANCE
Less than 24 hours after posting her 10th double-double of the season and leading the WNBA’s Indiana Fever to a third consecutive victory over the Phoenix Mercury, star player Caitlin Clark was in the crowd.
The former Iowa star got a first-hand glimpse of another former Hawkeye, Goodson, getting significant action. Clark plays again Sunday when Seattle visits Gainbridge Fieldhouse, just a few blocks away from Lucas Oil Stadium.
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez did not play Saturday night because his wife, Cynthia, delivered the couple’s second child, a daughter.
Spencer Shrader, a rookie kicker from Notre Dame, replaced Sanchez as both the punter and holder on extra points and field goals. His first punt went 63 yards.
INJURIES
Cardinals: Offensive lineman Jon Gaines II left with a finger injury in the first half.
Colts: Cornerback JuJu Brents (nose), tight end Jelani Woods (toe) and backup offensive lineman Josh Sills (ankle) all left in the first half and did not return. Backup offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini hurt his right foot late in the game.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Close out the preseason Aug. 25 at Denver.
Colts: Visit Cincinnati on Thursday, two days after a joint practice against the Bengals.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
HARRINGTON SPINS GEM AS INDIANS WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT
INDIANAPOLIS – Edward Olivares and Jose Rojas went back-to-back with home runs, and Thomas Harrington tossed a career-high tying 7.0 shutout innings as the Indianapolis Indians defeated the St. Paul Saints, 3-0, on Saturday night at Victory Field.
Harrington (W, 1-1) dazzled in his third Triple-A start, tossing 5.0 perfect innings before allowing his first baserunner on a ground-ball single in the right-side hole. He exited after allowing just two singles for his third 7.0-inning outing of the season and first since July 10 with Double-A Altoona vs. Bowie.
The Indians (23-19, 56-59) rode a 1-0 lead after a run-scoring groundout by Nick Yorke in the first inning against Randy Dobnak (L, 9-6). With the Saints (18-26, 56-62) offense silenced, Olivares and Rojas tacked on a pair with their two-out solo shots in the sixth inning. It was the third set of back-to-back home runs by Indians batters this season and first since Gilberto Celestino and Grant Koch on June 13 at Jacksonville.
Pirates rehabber Ryan Borucki and Geronimo Franzua (S, 5) entered in relief of Harrington and sealed the shutout, with the latter working around a leadoff walk in the ninth. It was Indy’s fifth shutout of the season and second in as many weeks after shutting out Nashville on Aug. 9 at First Horizon Park.
Billy Cook and Olivares each logged three hits while Jason Delay followed with a pair.
The Indians will look for their second six-game sweep of the season on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 PM. Taking the hill for Indianapolis is RHP Aaron Shortridge (1-2, 4.87) against RHP Andrew Morris (0-0, 1.50).
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-BIG 10: INDIANA
Tom Allen brought Indiana to its first eight-win season in 26 years and then followed that up with a 6-2 season in 2020 that saw the Hoosiers reach #7 in the AP Poll – its 50-year high watermark. The next year Indiana went 2-10. Was the two-win season a fluke, and just a transition season? Or was that 14-7 two-year run of historic program highs the fluke? 2022 and 2023 made it clear which was the anomaly, as Indiana went just 3-25 vs. Power 5 opponents in the three years after their peak. Allen built a strong program culture and identity, earned the respect and support of the fan base, and brought Indiana Football back to national relevance. But in the end, he was only as strong as his coordinator hires. His 2019 round was an absolute home run – coordinators Kalen DeBoer and Kane Wommack are now running the Alabama dynasty. The hires since then were misses, and the win-loss record plummeted as a result. Indiana signaled a new level of financial commitment by making the tough move to fire Allen – and absorb the sixth largest coaching buyout in college football history ($15.5M). Big Ten mega money combined with the alignment of the president and the athletic director to make football a top priority could put Indiana on a new path forward with an attempt to break decades of football mediocrity. New head coach Curt Cignetti made it clear from the start: “we’re going to change the culture, the mindset, the expectation level, and improve the brand of Indiana Hoosier football. There will be no self-imposed limitations on what we can accomplish.” He even called out the lack of physicality and stated a goal to “get rid of the softness” within the program. While they are bold claims from the opening press conference, Cignetti has the resume of a program builder. He inherited losing cultures at Division II Indiana (Pa.) and FCS Elon, and got them both to the postseason and Top 25 polls. While James Madison was already a successful program, his guidance through the FCS-FBS transition was historic as the first team to enter the Top 25 as a transition team. The 2023 team went 11-1 and became America’s Team as they challenged the NCAA’s bowl ban on transition teams. 92 Cignetti also brings 18 years of Power 5 coaching experience and was hired as a recruiting coordinator by Nick Saban on his first Alabama staff. That signing class produced six NFL first-rounders and laid the foundation for the eventual dynasty. He says he learned more from one year with Saban than his 27 other seasons combined.
OFFENSE Cignetti is bringing the James Madison formula to Bloomington, both figuratively and literally. Both coordinators – Mike Shanahan and Bryant Haines – along with 13 James Madison transfers made the move with him. Their offense plays to the roster strengths and at James Madison they showed successful seasons with both run-heavy and pass-heavy play-calling. The base formation will look different as they operate mostly out of 10 personnel, aka one back, no tight ends, and four receivers. That plays to the roster depth Indiana currently has at the skill positions. There may not be a more experienced receiver room in America. Indiana’s top nine receivers – five returns and four transfers – have a combined career total of 627 catches, 7,736 yards, and 44 touchdowns. 6’5 Donaven McCulley is the headliner after earning third-team All-Big Ten honors and finishing third in the league in contested catches. EJ Williams was injured during 2023 but has a high ceiling and will rotate with Elijah Sarratt at the other outside spot. All four incoming transfers are over the 1,000-yard mark with Myles Price (Texas Tech), Ke’Shawn Williams (Wake Forest), Miles Cross (Ohio), and Sarratt (James Madison). Price and Williams are projected starters in the slot. Lead rusher Josh Henderson has retired but the running back stable has eight scholarship guys heading into fall camp. Two backs from James Madison – Kaelon Black and Ty Son Lawton – have proven production and knowledge of the offense, while Justice Ellison led Wake Forest in rushing in 2022. Cignetti has quarterback stability after signing 2022 MAC Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke (Ohio) and four-star 2024 signee Tyler Cherry. Rourke has one year remaining after posting 7,651 yards and 50 touchdowns (just 16 picks) in multiple seasons as the Ohio starter. Tayven Jackson started five games at the start of last season here but threw two touchdowns and five picks and was passed by Brendan Sorsby who has since transferred out. Offensive line coach Bob Bostad was one of the few staffers retained by Cignetti, and is a key piece going forward. Starting center Mike Katic decided to return to Indiana by withdrawing from the NFL Draft, and rising star left tackle Carter Smith withdrew from the portal, but three others landed on Power 5 rosters. Smith started all 12 games a freshman last year and has an All-Big Ten ceiling. The other three spots are projected to be filled by transfers. Former four-star Trey Wedig transferred in from Wisconsin with starting experience, and two James Madison starters – Nick Kidwell and Tyler Stephens – round out the starting five. Yes, even the tight end spot features a James Madison transfer: third-team All-Sun Belt Zach Horton.
DEFENSE Allen’s best defenses were loaded in the secondary, but new coordinator Haines is known for dominant defensive lines and attacking, disruptive front sevens. That power shift is welcomed here, as the defensive line unit has been a long-term weakness for Indiana. Haines’ James Madison defense ranked in the national top ten in several stat categories and also placed well among non-AQ teams in my opponent-adjusted metrics: 4th overall, 1st in rushing, and 17th in passing. Haines is bringing two defensive line starters with him from James Madison. James Carpenter has a notably productive stat line for a nose tackle, with 141 tackles, 28 for loss, 11.5 sacks and even two interceptions, while Mikail Kamara will start at defensive end. Haines’ scheme features an edge spot called the “Stud” position and Lanell Carr is a perfect fit after starting in a similar role here last year. Another position group, another pair of James Madison imports. Linebackers Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker both earned All-Sun Belt recognition and bring multiple years of starting experience. Jacob Mangum-Farrar is back for his seventh year of college football and can play backer and the Stud hybrid spot. This group loses tackle-leader Aaron Casey who led the Big Ten in tackles for loss (20) and posted the program’s first 100-tackle season since Tegray Scales in 2016. Indiana’s pass defense was a severe weakness last year, a far cry from the elite units in 2019 and 2020. In my opponent-adjusted pass defense metric they placed 68th of 70 Power 5 programs. Starting corner Nic Toomer returns, plus another projected 2023 starter Jamier Johnson is back healthy from injury. Two Old Dominion transfers Terry Jones and Shawn Asbury are projected to start at safety.
OUTLOOK Cignetti calls it “Production over Potential” meaning he weighs experienced, proven FBS transfers over raw high school recruits. With 13 of his James Madison players coming with him, we’ll see if “Sun Belt Production” is on par with “Big Ten Production.” I think it is a home run hire for Indiana but this is a massive rebuild that will take an additional year to get up to speed. The JMU transfers are a quick boost, but Indiana still has a lot of ground to make up as they are dead last in the Big Ten over the past three-year average in my Game Grader, and second-worst in 2023 (67th of 70 in Power 5).
PURDUE WOMEN’S SOCCER
BOILERS AND BULLDOGS MEET IN INDY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue soccer team concludes the opening weekend of the regular season in Indianapolis at Butler on Sunday, August 18.
Kickoff in the Circle City is set for 7 p.m. ET at Butler’s Sellick Bowl.
Live stats are available at Butler.Statbroadcast.com. Updates also can be found by following and connecting with @PurdueSoccer on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook, while direct links to follow along are available on the schedule page at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
Sunday night is the first matchup between the Boilermakers and Bulldogs since 2012, and Purdue’s first game in Indianapolis since 2009. It will be just the fourth time the Old Gold and Black have played in Indy in the program’s 27-year history.
The Boilermakers are 1-0-0 on the season after a 1-0 victory over Washington State on Thursday night at Folk Field. Senior forward Gracie Dunaway netted the game winner. It was the 11th goal of her career and the third in an opening-night contest, and she now has two career game-winning goals. Senior defender Sydney Boudreau got the assist, the second of her career.
SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler is 0-0-1 in 2024 after a 1-1 draw to Ohio on Thursday night at home. The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute before the home side evened the score five minutes later. Leila Lister came off the bench and found the back of the net for the Bulldogs, and Lucia Englund and Talia Sommer were credited with assists. Anna Pierce made four saves.
BU is coached by 2003 Purdue alumna Tari St. John. A freshman on the inaugural team in 1998, she helped the Boilermakers to their first NCAA appearance in 2022 as a senior. Rob Alman joins St. John as co-head coach of the Bulldogs.
Last year, Butler posted a 6-8-6 record.
SERIES HISTORY VS. THE BULLDOGS
Purdue is 6-1-0 all-time against Butler and 3-0-0 in Indianapolis. The Boilermakers won the first six meetings, beginning with a 2-0 triumph at home in 1998. Matchups in 1999, 2000 and 2001 followed before a three year hiatus. The last three contests between the in-state foes took place in 2005, 2009 and 2012. Purdue earned a 2-1 win in 2009, the last game in Indianapolis, and Butler claimed a 1-0 win in 2012 in West Lafayette. The other two meetings in Indy were in 1999 and 2000, Boilermaker victories by 3-0 and 3-1 margins, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT: 76TH-MINUTE WINNER
The 2024 season began with a 1-0 win over Washington State on Thursday night at Folk Field thanks to Dunaway’s 76th-minute goal.
Purdue had 16 shots, seven on goal, while the Cougars were held to seven shots, three on target. The Boilermakers earned nine corner kicks and limited WSU to just one. Three Boilermakers had three shots, including Dunaway and sophomore forward Lauren Omholt, who each posted two shots on goal. Sophomore Emily Edwards made her first career start and stopped all three shots she faced to earn the clean sheet in her debut in the Old Gold and Black. Edwards’ WSU counterpart made six saves.
The fourth-largest crowd in team history witnessed the victory, as 1,713 energetic fans encircled the pitch at Folk Field and created a raucous atmosphere for 90 minutes. Thursday night’s contest was the first time Purdue and Washington State squared off in soccer.
Read more about the win at PurdueSports.com/Soccer.
SEASON-OPENING WEEKEND SUCCESS
With Thursday’s win, the Boilermakers are 17-8-2 all-time in season openers. On Sunday they will look to improve on a 29-18-5 record in season-opening-weekend games. The last time Purdue opened the year at home and concluded that weekend on the road was 2021. Prior to that, the last time the Old Gold and Black had a similar split weekend to begin a campaign was 2009, when the opening weekend also finished at Butler.
UP NEXT: IN-STATE FOE ON THE ROAD
Purdue returns home for two games next week, beginning against Loyola Chicago on Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m. Kickoff is free for all fans to the contest and each regular-season home game at Folk Field.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-BIG 10: PURDUE
PICK SIX
In 2022 Jeff Brohm completed his program turnaround inheriting the league’s punching bag and taking them to Indianapolis as Big Ten West Champions. While the division title is an accomplishment itself, from a forward-looking predictive view to 2023, that title run was a bit of smoke-in-mirrors. Despite winning the West, Purdue placed just 9th in the Big Ten in my opponent-adjusted Game Grader formula. A coaching change, a tougher cross-division schedule draw, and the reversal of four one-score wins (2022) to three one-score losses (2023) saw Purdue fall back down to a 4-8 record and a last-place tie in the West. After leading the Illinois pass defense to the best statistical season in college football in over a decade, Ryan Walters took over the program. It wasn’t an overnight fix here, in fact Purdue actually regressed in most defensive stats and placed in the bottom 20 of my opponent-adjusted pass defense metric. They missed bowl season, but his transition season did pack in a few highlights to build off of. The rush defense suffocated Virginia Tech to just 11 yards, the offense exploded in the second half to beat Walters’ former Illinois squad and secure The Cannon for the seventh time in eight years, and they played their best ball in November winning two of the final three. Of course, the Old Oaken Bucket game took on bowl-like importance and Purdue rallied on a late go-ahead touchdown drive to make it five of six against Indiana. That momentum shifted off-field into the talent acquisition game, which is an area that Purdue has lagged behind its Big Ten peers. Yes, Purdue had its top receiver and top defender poached by bigger spenders, but this time, they were able to punch back effectively. The Boiler Alliance provided Walters and his staff enough firepower to land some wins of their own on the transfer market, and as of writing, Purdue’s transfer class was ranked #30 in America. While some traditional coaches ignore the NIL/Portal game, the 38-year-old Walters has embraced it. “It’s like Wall Street, buying and selling all the time. I was not expecting it to be as prioritized as it is, the fundraising part.”
OFFENSE 90 Within hours of accepting the job, Walters flew down to Austin, TX to sign quarterback Hudson Card. He had a handful of starts at Texas but the 2023 Purdue season was the first time he was the unquestioned leader, and Card ended up third in the Big Ten with 217 yards/game. While the per-game quantity stat looks good, on the per-pass and efficiency stats, Card was eighth in the Big Ten in yards/attempt, completion percentage, and QB Rating. Card battled through rib injuries in November, was gutsy on the final drive to beat Indiana, and I expect a “second-year starter” bonus here in 2024. Both backups return and the staff also signed four-star Marcos Davila as a blue-chip future starter. Purdue was known for its passing attack during the Brohm era, but last year’s offense had its most success on the ground. The rushing offense improved by 40+ spots in all key stats, and even jumped into the Top 25 in my opponent-adjusted number. Former walk-on Devin Mockobee shined again with 811 yards after posting 968 in 2022. Converted wide receiver Tyrone Tracy added 716 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns but has exhausted his eligibility. Mockobee will get an even bigger workload in 2024 and could become Purdue’s first 1,000-yard back since Kory Sheets in 2008. The staff also added Illinois starter Reggie Love. Downfield threats and explosive passing (121st nationally) were missing from the offense last year. Only four receivers caught more than five balls last year, and three are gone. The clear-cut #1 receiver Deion Burks transferred out to Oklahoma, captain TJ Sheffield went to UConn, and third target Abdur Rahmaan Yaseen went to South Florida. Help is on the way via the transfer portal as the staff added two Georgia receivers: De’Nylon Morrissette and the speedy CJ Smith. Kam Brown should be in the rotation as a veteran with Power 5 experience at UCLA and Texas A&M. And don’t forget Jahmal Edrine, a projected starter last year before a season-ending injury sidelined him. Gus Hartwig decided to return, and with 36 career starts and an All-Big Ten ceiling, he is a potential season-changer for Purdue. Three additional starters are back with guard Jalen Grant, tackle Mahamane Moussa, and tackle Marcus Mbow. Preston Nichols was a full-time starter too but transferred out to Maryland. The staff bolstered this room more than any on the team with four experienced transfers, most notably Corey Stewart (Ball State) and former four-star Joey Tanona (Notre Dame).
DEFENSE Rome wasn’t built in a day. Walters didn’t bring an overnight fix to the Purdue pass defense, but that wasn’t expected either. The second and third seasons will be more telling than the transition unit that allowed 30 points per game (105th nationally), 8 yards per pass attempt (99th), and was even worse at limiting long-yardage passes (117th). One very bright spot emerged at safety, as true freshman safety Dillon Thieneman led Purdue in tackles, led all freshmen nationally in tackles, and led the Big Ten with six interceptions. The accolades poured in: All-Big Ten, FWAA Freshman All-America, FWAA National Freshman of the Year, and Freshman of the Week honors five times. Kydran Jenkins is the star of the linebacker level after earning all-league honors, ranking second in the Big Ten in both sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (15.5). Jenkins can play the edge rusher spot, and outside backer, and may even get some reps at inside backer. Purdue was unable to retain its biggest star, however, as Texas A&M poached Nic Scourton (formerly Caraway) who one-upped Jenkins as the league leader in sacks. He posted the most disruptive season by a Purdue defender since Ryan Kerrigan in 2012. Backfilling Scourton’s spot is a challenge but Will Heldt played well as a true freshman, and the staff added former four-star CJ Madden from Georgia and experienced veteran Shitta Sillah from Boston College. Yanni Karlaftis returns as an inside linebacker and can play multiple positions. The staff addressed the pass defense immediately by signing the nation’s top cornerback transfer, Nyland Green (Georgia). Markevious Brown started right away after transferring in from Ole Miss last year, so this may likely be an SEC duo on the outsides. Colorado transfer Kyndrich Breedlove has top-end speed and will be featured in the do-it-all “STAR” position. Two interior line starters are gone – Isaiah Nichols and Malik Langham – but the space-eater nose tackle Cole Brevard is back. Jeffrey M’Ba is a former Auburn transfer with potential, Damarjhe Lewis has been injury-riddled since coming over from Indiana, and Joe Anderson enters his sixth year in West Lafayette.
OUTLOOK Walters did land some punches in the transfer market, but overall Purdue was hit with transfer departures of its top three receivers, a starting offensive lineman, and an All-America candidate defensive end. Purdue finished 15th of the 18 Big Ten teams in my 2023 Game Grader, and I see #16 Minnesota and #18 Michigan State making significant improvements in 2024. That leaves Purdue with Indiana, Northwestern, and Illinois in the bottom tier. I like Walters’ recruiting and talent acquisition but they are still a year away from moving up the conference ladder.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER
SWEET ROAD ALABAMA
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Coach Norman knew game one would be a tough one – a top-15 battle for a squad in which five freshmen started. The result was a 2-1 defeat and a learning lesson. Now the Irish have proven that they can bounce back quickly. The program hasn’t suffered back-to-back losses since mid-October of the 2021 season. The next challenge is the first road test of the season, flying south to Samford.
The Bulldogs finished 12-4-5 last season, reaching their fifth straight SoCon Championship game. Samford is coming off a 3-1 victory in their season opener against Tennessee Tech.
STATE OF THE PROGRAM
Doug & Lisa Jones Family Head Coach Nate Norman is certainly hitting his stride on making Notre Dame women’s soccer an impactful program, and he shows no signs of letting up. For starters:
Back-to-back seasons with either an ACC Midfielder (Korbin Albert in 2022) or Defender of the Year (Eva Gaetino in 2023). Both Albert and Gaetino were also First Team All-Americans and went on to sign with PSG.
Back-to-back years in which multiple Irish were selected in the NWSL Draft. Kiki Van Zanten and Maddie Mercado were the most recent selections. Seven Irish have gone pro over the last two years.
Back-to-back years in which the Irish made the ACC Tournament semifinals in Cary, North Carolina.
Three consecutive seasons of earning a top-3 seed or higher in the NCAA Tournament.
Three straight years in which Notre Dame has achieved 7 wins during ACC play (10-league game format).
Notre Dame finished in 2nd place in the ACC in 2023 and outscored league competition 24-11.
Irish are 8-5-4 against ranked opposition over the last two years.
KLENKE EARNS PRESEASON PRAISE
A Notre Dame standout to keep an eye on — Leah Klenke was named as one of the top returning players in the league and earned a 2024 Preseason All-ACC spot. She was the lone Irish representative out of the 12 honorees.
In addition, Top Drawer Soccer released its preseason top-100 Division I players list and Klenke checked in at No. 18 on the list. Sophomore Clare Logan joined her on the list at No. 51.
In addition, Top Drawer Soccer named Klenke to its Preseason Best XI Second Team.
In 2023, Klenke started all 20 games, logging over 1,740 minutes on the pitch. She led the squad with 10 assists, which ranked fourth in the ACC and 18th in the nation. In fact, she tallied the most assists in conference play with seven.
Klenke posted a career best 14 points on the season.
Klenke also booted in two goals in 2023 – both game-winners. The most memorable being the late game-winner at Duke in the 87th minute for the 2-1 victory. For all of her efforts last season, she was named a 2023 Second Team All-ACC selection.
ACC PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Florida State (15), 255
2. Stanford (2), 235
3. Notre Dame, 211
4. North Carolina, 187
5. Clemson, 186
6. Virginia, 177
7. Duke, 175
8. Pitt, 168
9. Wake Forest, 160
10. Virginia Tech, 116
11. California, 111
12. NC State, 85
13. Louisville, 80
14. Boston College, 50
14t. SMU, 50
16. Miami, 44
17. Syracuse, 22
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The youth movement is on at Notre Dame and that will be a giant early storyline. A giant infusion of 13 freshmen – the most in program history. Not only that, this freshman class boasted a top-4 national recruiting ranking by Top Drawer Soccer.
CANADIAN SENSATION
One of said freshmen to keep an eye on is forward Annabelle Chukwu from Ontario, Canada. She didn’t wait long to make an impact, recording her first collegiate goal in the season opener against No. 13 Michigan State.
Chukwu has risen fast through the Canadian National Team system and is expected to be called up for the U20 World Cup. Chukwu has even participated in a camp with the senior national team as well.
Lastly, Chukwu’s performance through the Canadian Youth system has placed her name right next to an all-time great – Christine Sinclair. Chukwu sits just two goals behind Sinclair in most youth goals all-time.
FROSH FORAY
The four other freshmen who received a starting nod in the season opener were goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica, defender Abby Mills, midfielder Grace Restovic and forward Lily Joseph.
First let’s chat Grace Restovich, who was the highest-rated recruit in the signing class, ranking No. 8 nationally. She was the 2022 ECNL National Player of the Year and a two-time ECNL National Champion with her club team Scott Gallagher in St. Louis. She also has Blue and Gold running in her veins — her parents, George (baseball) and Michelle (soccer), both played and met at Notre Dame.
Restovich garnered an assist in her collegiate debut on August 15 against Michigan State.
Abby Mills ranked 34th nationally and fifth in the state of Texas. Mills was a 2024 High School All-American (United Soccer Coaches). Furthermore, she reclassified to join the 2024 incoming freshmen class. Mills has the tough assignment of replacing Waniya Hudson on the backline who started in 96 games over her Irish career.
Izzy Engle subbed into the opener and impressed in the midfield. Engle ranked 59th overall nationally as a recruit. As a high school senior, Engle scored two goals in the game that led her team to win the Class 3A Minnesota State Soccer Tournament for the first time since 1986. Not to mention a perfect 22-0 record. Engle was the 2023-24 Gatorade Minnesota Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Furthermore, Engle made Top Drawer Soccer’s Preseason Best XI All-Freshman Team.
Engle, alongside Restovich and keeper Sonoma Kasica, were all invited to the most recent U.S. U19 training camp this past summer where they played a pair of friendlies in Spain.
GOALIE BATTALION
5-10 freshman Sonoma Kasica got the starting nod in game one. Kasica ranked 44th overall in her recruiting class.
Battling her for that role is sophomore Atlee Olofson. The Austin native went 7-3-2 in net in 2023 with five shutouts. She produced 45 total saves with a .763 save percentage. She finished with a GAA of 1.17. The highlight of the season – preserved the 1-1 tie at North Carolina with 2 tremendous saves in the 2nd half (finished with 5).
Rounding out the battalion is grad transfer Katherine Montgomery and sophomore Jackie Hollomon. Montgomery arrives to South Bend after four years at Missouri State.
U20 WORLD CUP – THE GOOD NEWS & THE BAD
You love to see your student-athletes get the call from a national team program, in this instance U20’s. The U20 World Cup is right around the corner and Leah Klenke has already gotten the nod from Team USA. A couple more Irish are expected to receive an invite from Team Canada in the coming days. That’s the good! The bad is that the U20 World Cup takes place in the heart of our 2024 fall season – August 31-September 22 in Colombia.
Klenke is no stranger to the U20 U.S. squad. She is 1-of-10 returning players who were a part of the CONCACAF qualifying team. Klenke also made the U20 USA roster for the 2023 Women’s U20 CONCACAF Championships.
This past summer, both Charlie Codd and Clare Logan competed in a pair of friendlies in Germany with the U20 Canadian squad. Freshman Annabelle Chukwu has also been called onto the U20 squad on several occasions.
For the first time ever the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will feature 24 nations drawn into six groups of four. The top two finishers in each group along with the four best third-place teams will advance to the Round of 16 to be played on Wednesday, Sept. 11 and Thursday, Sept. 12. The winners of those matches advance to the Quarterfinals on Sunday, Sept. 15, from which the winners will advance to the Semifinals on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The Third-Place Match will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21 with the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Final taking place on Sunday, Sept. 22.
CUE THE CRAZY FROG
If you see the frog emoji on our social media accounts jut know we are talking about Ellie Ospeck (her goal song is Crazy Frog).
Ospeck collected a career best 17 points in 2023, which is also the highest amongst returners this season.
The graduate turned up the heat in October and November and achieved a lot of firsts: First career ACC POTW honor, first four-point performance of her career in the win over BC on Oct. 5, first three-assist performance of her career in the win over Miami on Oct. 8 and first NCAA Tournament goal (netting the game-winner against Valpo in the first round).
She ended the year ranked second on the team in total points with 17 – for reference, her point total in 2022 was four. She also ranked second on the team in assists with seven. Thus, Ospeck notched five goals.
NOTRE NOTABLES
First let’s talk about two returners who both earned 2023 ACC All-Freshmen Team recognition – Charlie Codd and Morgan Roy.
Codd made four starts (including both NCAA Tournament games) and played significant time in both the midfield and up top in all 20 games. She scored four goals on the year – all from October 5 on – including her first NCAA Tournament goal of her career when ND won against Valpo in the first round. Codd was 1-of-2 freshmen (other being Meg Mrowicki) to tally double-digit points on the season.
Codd started in the No. 9 position in the season opener and picked up the first assist on the year.
Roy started every game in the midfield minus Senior Day and ranked third on the team in shots with 40. She had 2 goals, including one in the ACC Tournament semifinals against Clemson. Her 5 assists were the third most on the team.
Some other key returners who saw significant minutes last season are:
Meg Mrowicki was a great breakout story in 2023. She played in all 20 games with seven starts, and recorded five goals – one of which was in the second round of the NCAA Tournament vs. Memphis. However, Coach Norman has switched it up and deployed the sophomore in the backline this season.
Then there’s senior Sophia Fisher who earned a starting centerback role in the 2nd half of the season. The Irish went 3-2-1 in games she started, which included a 2-0 shutout over Clemson – a game in which she scored on a corner kick.
Next, the calming presence in the midfield of junior Laney Matriano. The Irish were 10-3-3 in games Matriano played. She has now started in 34 of her 38 games played at ND.
Be on the lookout for the return of Berkley Mensik, who redshirted last season after recovering from a tough double-knee surgery.
MARIAN WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
MARIAN VOLLEYBALL OPENS 2024 CAMPAIGN WITH FOUR-SET VICTORY
New Albany, Ind. – After struggling through the opening set of their regular season opener, the Marian volleyball team found a rhythm and rolled through the next three sets to earn a 3-1 win over IU-Southeast.
The season opening win started slow, as IU-Southeast built an early 7-3 lead in the opening set. Through a series of strong attacks from Madison Brooks and miscues from the Grenadiers Marian was able to claw back within a point of IU-Southeast on multiple occasions, but could never overtake the home team. Marian was able to get within two points on three different occasions in the final 12 points of the set, but were unable to bring the score to a draw, eventually going down 25-20.
IU-Southeast errors benefited the Knights early in the second set, allowing Marian to build a lead which they would control for all but four rallies in the set. Marian won the race to 10 points in the game with a pair of Nicole Wilkinson blocks pacing the defense, establishing a five-point cushion. The Grenadiers would rally and tie the set 13 apiece, but the swings from Wilkinson and Mikayla Christian helped will the team in front. The set would teeter back and forth until the final four rallies, when a pair of errors sparked a finishing 4-0 Marian run, giving Marian a 25-22 victory.
Marian was unable to ride the momentum from their win in the second set early in the ensuing game, as they fell behind 10-4. Brooks and Sarah Bennett played a key role in the rally, as a 6-1 run tied the set at 11-11. The Knights would fall behind 14-13 a few rallies later, but a kill and block from Khori Dryden would spark a commanding 8-0 run, sealing the set for Marian as they went on to take the game 25-17.
The fourth set would again be owned by the Knights, as Bennett and Dryden helped fuel an early 8-5 lead. Over the next 12 rallies, Marian continued to hold a steady advantage, building a 15-10 lead. IU-Southeast would be unable to recover from their deficit, as kills from Fish, Dryden, and Christiansen pulled the Knights within six points of a victory. A strong swing by Christiansen and block from Wilkinson would close out the win for Marian, as the Knights ended the match with a 25-17 fourth set victory.
The Knights recorded 39 kills in the win, and were led by Brooks and Christiansen with eight each. Sydney Schaffer led the team in aces with two, and Emerson Evans posted a career-high 17 assists.
Marian will play their home opener on Wednesday, August 21 as they take on IUPUC at 7:00 p.m. in the PE Center.
TAYLOR VLLEYBALL
TAYLOR DROPS CLOSING MATCHES OF FLORIDA TOURNAMENT
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Taylor volleyball team fell in straight sets of back-to-back matches versus RV Dakota State (2-2) and Mobile (3-1) on Saturday night to close out the Vipers Sports Academy Classic at Keiser University.
In a battle of the Trojans during Saturday evening’s first match, TU and the Trojans of DSU played each other evenly midway through set number one, tied at 13. Reagan Kleiman and Grace Ieremia went to work for Taylor, but Dakota State eventually gained separation to take a 1-0 set advantage.
The second set saw Taylor take control early and expand its lead to 20-15, thanks in part to three kills in a span of six combined points from Ieremia.
Seven of the next eight rallies went DSU’s way, however, and TU could not regain momentum.
Ieremia and Lindsay Springer combined for 17 kills on 28 total attacks in the three-set loss, with Springer also adding a match-high 24 assists.
With only a warm-up period between matches, Taylor struggled to find its flow in set number one against Mobile.
As they had done in the night’s first match, however, the Trojans came out strong in the second frame with McKaylah Flagle landing a pair of aces as TU held leads of 4-0 and 14-11 before their opponent – this time the Rams – went on a scoring run and took control of the set, winning 25-21.
Mobile ran away with the third set, but not before freshmen classmates Daya Vestal and Shaye Watson saw their first collegiate action and recorded four and two kills, respectively.
Taylor (1-3) looks to bounce back when it heads to the Onset Invitational hosted by Saint Francis. The Trojans open that tournament on Aug. 23 at 11 a.m. versus RV Indiana Tech (0-4) and at 5:45 p.m. versus RV Talladega (0-0).
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEBSITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
4 – 33 – 44 – 20 – 34 – 17
August 18, 1931 – Lou Gehrig, Number 4 hitless in Detroit, his 1,000th consecutively played game
August 18, 1943 – New York Giants future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell, Number 11 won his 253rd and final game as New York defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2 at the Polo Grounds, NYC
August 18, 1960 – Milwaukee Braves pitcher Lew Burdette, Number 33 no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0 at County Stadium, Milwaukee
August 18, 1965 – Hank Aaron, Number 44 lost a HR, because he hit it out of batter’s box
August 18, 1973 – Speaking of Number 44…, Hank Aaron’s record 1,378 extra-base hit surpassed ole Number 6 Stan Musial’s previous record
August 18, 1977 – Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton, Number 20 threw a National League record-tying 5th one-hitter
August 18, 1981 – University of Georgia football running back, Number 34, Herschel Walker, took out a Lloyd’s of London insurance policy for $1 million
August 18, 1982 – Pete Rose, Number 14 set a record with his 13,941st plate appearance
August 18, 1986 – Former USFL and Miami Hurricanes QB Jim Kelly, Number 12 signed a lucrative contract with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills at $75 million for 5 years.
August 18, 1987 – Houston Oiler Earl Campbell, Number 34 retired from NFL
August 18, 2021 – The Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani, Number 17 became fastest player in team history to reach 40 home runs in a season, also pitches 8 innings in 3-1 win at Detroit
FOOTBALL HISTORY
This day in football history
August 18, 1981 – University of Georgia running back Herschel Walker takes out a $1 million insurance policy through Lloyd’s of London, for compensation in the event he would get injured prior to a big pay day as a professional. The great rusher would eventually start his career in the USFL before later playing in the NFL.
August 18, 1986 – Former USFL and University of Miami star quarterback, Jim Kelly signs a five-year NFL contract with the Buffalo Bills for $75 million. Kelly would end up leading the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances.
August 18, 1987 – Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell formerly of the Houston Oilers announced his retirement. The Tyler Rose played his college ball at the University of Texas.
August 18, 1989 – Arena Bowl III is played as the Detroit Drive knocks off the Pittsburgh Gladiators 39-26 at Detroit’s home track, Joe Louis Arena.
Hall of Fame Birthdays
August 18, 1890 – Everett Bacon was a quarterback from Wesleyan College that became enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966. Bacon was voted as an All-American after the 1910 and 1912 seasons. He was also a star athlete on the baseball diamond, basketball court and excelled at tennis and golf too! Starting in 1936 Wesleyan has awarded the C. Everett Bacon Award to the school’s Most Valuable Football Player.
August 18, 1943 – Cosmo Iacavazzi was a fullback from Princeton who entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Though he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1965 NFL Draft, Cosmo ended up playing in the AFL for the New York Jets for two games. He later played in the Atlantic Coast Football League for the Scranton Miners and the Seattle Rangers of the Continental Football League.
August 18, 1946 – Bob Johnson was a center from the University of Tennessee who entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. He was voted as an All-American in both 1966 and 1967 for the Vols. He was also an Academic All-American in 1967. Johnson went on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals both the in AFL and the NFL and in fact he was the second overall draft pick in the 1967 AFL Draft. At the time of this writing his number 54 jersey is the only Bengal number to be retired.
August 18, 1951 – Greg Pruitt was a running back from Oklahoma who entered the College Football hall of Fame as part of the induction class of 1999. Pruitt played in the NFL for 11 seasons most notably with the Cleveland Browns but also with the LA Raiders. He was selected to 5 Pro Bowls during his career. In Cleveland he made quite the one two punch with another Pruitt in the backfield, Mike, no relation.
Those not yet in the Hall of Fame
August 18, 1941 – Garfield, Georgia – Former Ohio State running back Matt Snell was born. Snell was selected as the third overall pick by the New York Jets in the 1964 AFL Draft as well as being taken 49th overall by the New York Giants in the 1964 NFL Draft. He chose the Jets offer and plyed his entire career with the franchise. Yahoo.com says that for his career Matt posted 1,057 carries for 4,285 yards and 24 TDs; 193 receptions for 1,375 yards and seven touchdowns. Snell was a three-time AFL All-Star (1964, 1966, 1969). He was instrumental in the Jets’ ball control game plan that helped them win Super Bowl III.
August 18, 1968 – Fort Polk, Pennsylvania – Return specialist Brian Mitchell the former player at Louisiana-Lafayette from 1986-89 arrived into this life. Mr. Mitchell according to Yahoo.com was selected as the 130th overall player taken in the 1990 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He also played with the Eagles and Giants. His amazing career saw him record 463 punt returns for 4,999 yards and nine touchdowns, 607 kick returns for 14,014 yards and four touchdowns; 388 carries for 1,967 yards and 12 touchdowns, and 255 receptions for 2,336 yards and four touchdowns.
August 18, 1980 – Ada, Oklahoma – Former University of Miami Florida tight end Jeremy Shockey was born. Shockey was selected as the 14th overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He also spent time with the Saints and the Panthers organizations as he caught 547 receptions for 6,143 yards and 37 touchdowns per Yahoo.com.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
Aug. 18
1915 — Boston opened Braves Field with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
1931 — New York’s Lou Gehrig played in his 1,000th consecutive game. Gehrig went hitless in the 5-4 loss to Detroit.
1948 — Brooklyn’s Rex Barney pitched a one-hitter for a 1-0 win over Robin Roberts and the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park.
1956 — The Cincinnati Reds hit eight home runs and the Milwaukee Braves added two to set a National League record for home runs by two clubs in a nine-inning night game. Bob Thurman’s three homers and double led the Reds in the 13-4 rout.
1960 — Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves pitched a no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0. Burdette faced a minimum 27 batters.
1965 — Hank Aaron of Milwaukee hit Curt Simmons’ pitch on top of the pavilion roof at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis for an apparent home run. However, umpire Chris Pelekoudas called him out for being out of the batter’s box when he connected. Nevertheless, the Braves won the game 5-3.
1967 — California’s Jack Hamilton hit Tony Conigliaro on his left cheekbone with a fastball in the fourth inning of a 3-2 loss to Boston. Conigliaro was carried unconscious from the field and missed the remainder of the 1967 season and the entire 1968 season. The 22-year-old already had more than 100 home runs to his credit.
1977 — Don Sutton of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched his fifth one-hitter to tie the National League record. Sutton gave up a two-out single in the eighth inning to San Francisco’s Marc Hill. The Dodgers won 7-0.
1995 — Tom Henke became the seventh pitcher to reach 300 career saves, surviving a rally by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 4-3 victory.
2000 — Darin Erstad of Anaheim made a spectacular, game-saving catch in the 10th inning and followed it with a homer in the 11th as the Angels defeated the New York Yankees 9-8.
2006 — Alfonso Soriano became the third player in major league history to have at least four seasons of 30 homers and 30 stolen bases, and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4.
2007 — Micah Owings went 4-for-5, including a pair of mammoth homers, drove in six runs, and scored four times while pitching three-hit ball through seven innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 12-6.
2011 — Mike Jacobs became the first player suspended by Major League Baseball for a positive HGH test under the sport’s minor league drug testing procedures. The 30-year-old minor league first baseman, who was in the big leagues from 2005-10, received a 50-game suspension for taking the banned performance-enhancing substance and was subsequently released by the Colorado Rockies.
2017 — Manny Machado capped a three-homer night with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied past the Los Angeles Angels 9-7 in a game that featured 10 home runs.
2018 — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom pitched his first complete game of the season and lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.71 with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
2019 — Zack Grenke records the 200th win of his career as the Astros defeat the Athletics 4-1.
2021 — hohei Ohtani continues to do it all by himself on the field. Today, he becomes the first hitter in the majors to reach 40 homers this season, and also improves his record on the mound to 8-1 as he pitches 8 full innings for the first time of his career. The Angels defeat the Tigers, 3-1.
2021 — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as they beat the Miami Marlins 11-9.
_____
Aug. 19
1909 — The Philadelphia Phillies were rained out for the 10th consecutive day, a major league record.
1913 — The Chicago Cubs tagged Grover Alexander for nine straight hits and six runs for a 10-4 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies.
1921 — Detroit’s Ty Cobb got his 3,000th career hit at age 34, the youngest player to reach that plateau. The milestone hit was a single off Elmer Myers of the Boston Red Sox.
1934 — Moose Solters of the Boston Red Sox hit for the cycle in an 8-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park.
1951 — Eddie Gaedel, a 65-pound midget who was 3-foot-7, made his first and only plate appearance as a pinch-hitter for Frank Saucier of the St. Louis Browns. Gaedel wearing No. 1/8 was walked on four pitches by Detroit Tigers pitcher Bob Cain and then was taken out for pinch-runner Jim Delsing. The gimmick by Browns owner Bill Veeck was completely legal, but later outlawed.
1957 — New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham announced that the team’s board of directors had voted 8-1 in favor of moving to San Francisco. The Giants would start the 1958 season in Seals Stadium.
1965 — Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds no-hit the Cubs 1-0, in 10 innings in the first game of a doubleheader at Chicago. Leo Cardenas homered in the 10th for the Reds.
1969 — Ken Holtzman of the Cubs blanked the Atlanta Braves with a 3-0 no-hitter at Wrigley Field. Ron Santo’s three-run homer in the first inning provided the Cubs’ offense.
1990 — Bobby Thigpen recorded his 40th save as the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 4-2. Thigpen became the eighth — and fastest — to accomplish this feat.
1992 — Bret Boone made history when he became part of the first three-generation family to play in major league baseball. Boone is the grandson of Ray Boone, who played from 1948-60, and son of Bob Boone, from 1972-90. Bret, 23, completed the triangle when he started at second base for the Seattle Mariners against Baltimore.
2007 — Johan Santana finished with a franchise-record 17 strikeouts in eight innings to help Minnesota edge Texas 1-0.
2009 — Florida reached 10 hits for the 15th straight game in a 6-3 loss at Houston, matching the longest streak since the St. Louis Browns had one that long in 1937. The Marlins were held to four hits the next game.
2011 — LaGrange, Ky., starter Griffin McLarty struck out 12 and hit a homer in a 1-0 victory over the hometown favorites from Clinton County in the Little League World Series at South Williamsport, Pa. The game drew 41,848 fans, breaking the record of 40,000 set in the 1989 and 1990 championship games.
2016 — Jose Altuve homered and had five RBIs, and the Houston Astros beat the Baltimore Orioles 15-8 despite allowing four home runs in the first inning. The Orioles became the first team in the modern era (since 1900) to open a game with four home runs before making an out. Adam Jones hit Collin McHugh’s first pitch into the seats in left field and Hyun Soo Kim singled before Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo homered in succession.
Aug. 20
1912 — Walter Johnson won his American League-record 15th straight game, downing Cleveland 4-2 in the opener of a doubleheader. Washington’s Carl Cashion pitched a six-inning no-hitter to give the Senators a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the second game, which was called to allow Cleveland to catch a train to Boston.
1938 — New York’s Lou Gehrig hit his 23rd and the final grand slam of his career and drove in six runs to lead the Yankees to an 11-3 win over the Philadelphia Athletics.
1945 — Tommy Brown, 17 years, 8 months, 14 days, of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the youngest major league player to hit a home run when he connected in Ebbets Field against Preacher Roe of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1957 — Bob Keegan of the Chicago White Sox pitched a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Washington Senators in the second game of a doubleheader.
1958 — Detroit’s Jim Bunning pitched a no-hitter to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in the opening game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park.
1961 — The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Braves 7-4 in the second game of a doubleheader to snap a 23-game losing streak, a modern record.
1965 — Milwaukee’s Eddie Mathews hit his 28th home run, and the Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3. With the homer, the duo of Mathews and Hank Aaron passed the Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig total of 772 home runs to become the top home-run tandem in major league history.
1974 — Nolan Ryan of the California Angels struck out 19 Tigers in a 1-0, 11-inning loss to Detroit. It was the third time this season that Ryan struck out 19 batters in a game.
1980 — Pittsburgh’s Omar Moreno stole his 70th base of the season in a 5-1 loss to Houston, to become the first player this century with three consecutive 70-steal seasons. The fleet outfielder swiped 71 in 1978, 77 in 1979.
1989 — New York’s Howard Johnson hit his 30th home run of the season in the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and joined Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays as the only players to achieve 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in two different seasons.
1995 — Jose Mesa of the Cleveland Indians picked up his 37th save in 37 opportunities to set a major league record, and the Indians beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5.
2005 — The Kansas City Royals ended baseball’s longest losing streak in 17 years, defeating the Oakland Athletics 2-1 to end a club-record 19-game skid.
2014 — The San Francisco Giants became the first team since 1986 to win a protest. Rain caused a delay during an Aug. 19 game after the grounds crew couldn’t put the tarp down quickly, and the umpires deemed the field unplayable. The Cubs were declared the winners by a 2-0 score after 4 1/2 innings. MLB ruled to resume the rain-shortened game with the Cubs batting in the bottom of the fifth.
2019 — By defeating the Blue Jays, 16 – 3, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers notches win #166 to pass Sandy Koufax for most by a lefthander in franchise history.
_____
Aug. 21
1926 — Ted Lyons of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 6-0 victory was achieved in 1 hour, 7 minutes.
1930 — Chick Hafey of the St. Louis Cardinals hit for the cycle and drove in five runs in a 16-6 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.
1931 — Babe Ruth hit his 600th home run as the Yankees beat the St. Louis Browns 11-7.
1947 — The first Little League World Series was at Williamsport, Pa. The Maynard Midgets of Williamsport won the series.
1972 — Steve Carlton of Philadelphia had his 15-game winning streak snapped when Phil Niekro and the Atlanta Braves beat the Phillies 2-1 in 11 innings.
1975 — Pitching brothers Rick and Paul Reuschel of the Chicago Cubs combined to throw a 7-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rick went 6 1-3 innings and Paul finished the shutout for the first ever by two brothers.
1982 — Milwaukee pitcher Rollie Fingers became the first player to achieve 300 career saves as the Brewers beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2.
1986 — Spike Owens had four hits and became the first major league player in 40 years to score six runs in a game as the Boston Red Sox routed the Cleveland Indians 24-5 with a 24-hit attack.
2007 — Garret Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels drove in a team-record 10 runs in an 18-9 rout of the New York Yankees. Anderson hit a grand slam, a three-run homer, a two-run double and an RBI double to become the 12th player in major league history to have 10 RBIs in a game.
2007 — Arizona’s Mark Reynolds tied the major league record for consecutive strikeouts by a non-pitcher when he fanned in his ninth straight plate appearance in a 7-4 loss to Milwaukee. Reynolds struck out in his first two at-bats against Dave Bush to match the record. Bush hit Reynolds with a pitch in the sixth, ending the streak.
2011 — Johnny Damon lost a grand slam to a video review in the seventh inning, then hit a game-ending home run in the ninth that lifted the Tampa Bay Rays over the Seattle Mariners 8-7. Damon connected for a leadoff shot in the ninth on the first pitch from Dan Cortes. The Rays trailed 5-4 in the seventh when Damon launched a drive to right-center field. First ruled a home run, the umpires changed the call to a three-run double after a video review.
2015 — Mike Fiers pitched the second no-hitter in the major leagues in nine days, leading the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Having never thrown a complete game in his five-year career, Fiers was dominant. He struck out 10 and walked three, retiring the final 21 batters. Fiers struck out Justin Turner on his 134th pitch to end it.
_____
Aug. 22
1917 — Pittsburgh’s Carson Bigbee set a major league record — since tied — with 11 at-bats in a 22-inning game against Brooklyn. Pirate Elmer Jacobs pitched 16 2-3 innings in relief. The game was also the fourth consecutive extra-inning game by the Pirates for a total of 59 innings, a National League record.
1934 — Pitcher Wes Ferrell hit two home runs to give the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 triumph over the Chicago White Sox in 12 innings. Trailing 2-1, Ferrell hit a home run in the eighth inning to tie the score and with two out in the 12th, Ferrell connected again for the game-winner.
1961 — Roger Maris, en route to his 61-home run season, became the first player to hit his 50th homer in August. He connected off California pitcher Ken McBride in a 4-3 loss to the Angels.
1965 — In the third inning of a game against Los Angeles, pitcher Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants hit catcher John Roseboro of the Dodgers in the head with his bat. A 14-minute brawl ensued and Roseboro suffered cuts on the head. Marichal thought Roseboro threw too close to his head when returning the ball to Sandy Koufax.
1971 — The Oakland Athletics opened and closed the game with solo homers to beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1. Boston pitcher Sonny Siebert gave up both, Bert Campaneris lead off the game and Reggie Jackson ended it with two out in the ninth inning.
1984 — New York Mets right-hander Dwight Gooden, at 19, fanned nine San Diego Padres to become the 11th rookie to strike out 200 batters in one season.
1989 — Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers became the first pitcher to strike out 5,000 batters. Ryan struck out 13, walked two and allowed only five hits in a 2-0 loss to Oakland. Ryan began the night needing six strikeouts and fanned Rickey Henderson swinging, leading off the fifth inning, for the record.
1999 — Mark McGwire became the first player to hit 50 homers in each of four consecutive seasons, hitting Nos. 49 and 50 in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets.
2007 — The Texas Rangers became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader. It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since the Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897.
2012 — Oakland A’s P Bartolo Colon is suspended for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone, eight days after Giants OF Melky Cabrera was also suspended for using the same performance-enhancing substance.
2016 — Adrian Gonzalez hit three of the Dodgers’ seven homers — driving in a career-high eight runs — to lead Los Angeles to an 18-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
2021 — Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers becomes the 28th player to hit 500 home runs with a solo home run off of Steven Matz of the Blue Jays.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Aug. 18
1923 — Helen Mills, 17, ends Molla Bjurstedt Mallory’s domination of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships and starts her own with a 6-2, 6-1 victory.
1958 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Roy Harris in the 13th round at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles to retain his world heavyweight title.
1964 — The International Olympic Committee bans South Africa from competing in the Summer Olympics because of its apartheid policies.
1982 — Pete Rose sets record with his 13,941st plate appearance.
1994 — South Africa is introduced for the first time in 36 years during the opening ceremonies of the 15th Commonwealth Games held in Victoria, British Columbia. South Africa had been banned from the Games since 1958 because of its apartheid policies.
1995 — Thirteen-year-old Dominique Moceanu becomes the youngest to win the National Gymnastics Championships senior women’s all-around title in New Orleans.
2004 — Paul Hamm wins the men’s gymnastics all-around Olympic gold medal by the closest margin ever in the event. Controversy follows after it was discovered a scoring error that may have cost Yang Tae-young of South Korea the men’s all-around title. Yang, who finished with a bronze, is wrongly docked a tenth of a point on his second-to-last routine, the parallel bars. He finishes third, 0.049 points behind Hamm, who becomes the first American man to win gymnastics’ biggest prize.
2008 — A day after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Rafael Nadal officially unseats Roger Federer to become the world’s No. 1 tennis player when the ATP rankings are released. Federer had been atop the rankings for 235 weeks.
2013 — For the first time in Solheim Cup history, the Europeans leaves America with the trophy. Caroline Hedwall becomes the first player in the 23-year history of the event to win all five matches. She finishes with a 1-up victory over Michelle Wie and gives Europe the 14 points it needed to retain the cup.
2013 — Usain Bolt is perfect again with three gold medals. The Jamaican great becomes the most successful athlete in the 30-year history of the world championships. The 4×100-meter relay gold erases the memories of the 100 title he missed out on in South Korea two years ago because of a false start. Bolt, who already won the 100 and 200 meters, gets his second such sprint triple at the world championships, matching the two he achieved at the Olympics.
2016 — Jamaica’s Usain Bolt completes an unprecedented third consecutive sweep of the 100 and 200-meter sprints, elevating his status as the most decorated male sprinter in Olympic history. He wins the 200-meter race with a time of 19.78 seconds to defeat Andre de Grasse of Canada. American Ashton Eaton defends his Olympic decathlon title, equaling the games record with a surge on the last lap of the 1,500 meters — the last event in the two-day competition. Helen Maroulis defeats Japan’s Saori Yoshida 4-1 in the 53-kilogram freestyle final to win the first-ever gold medal for a United States women’s wrestler.
2018 — Accelerate cruises to a record 12 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, becoming just the third horse to sweep all three of Southern California’s major races for older horses in the same year.
2021 — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as they beat the Miami Marlins 11-9.
_____
Aug. 19
1909 — The first race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Twelve-thousand spectators watch Austrian engineer Louis Schwitzer win a five-mile race with an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour. The track’s surface of crushed rock and tar breaks up in a number of places and causes the deaths of two drivers, two mechanics and two spectators.
1921 — Detroit’s Ty Cobb gets his 3,000th career hit at age 34, the youngest player to reach that plateau.
1934 — Helen Hull Jacobs wins the women’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships.
1981 — Renaldo Nehemiah sets the world record in the 110 hurdles with a time of 12.93 seconds in a meet at Zurich, Switzerland.
1984 — Lee Trevino beats Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins by four strokes to take the PGA championship at Shoal Creek, Alabama.
1993 — Sergei Bubka wins his fourth consecutive pole vault title at the World Track and Field championships at Stuttgart, Germany.
1995 — Mike Tyson starts his comeback, knocking out Peter McNeeley in 89 seconds at Las Vegas. McNeeley’s manager Vinnie Vecchione jumps into the ring to stop the fight after his boxer is knocked down twice in the first round.
2001 — Michael Schumacher gets his fourth Formula One championship and matches Alain Prost’s series record of 51 victories by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix.
2004 — American swimmer Michael Phelps wraps up the 200/400m individual medley double at the Athens Olympics when he wins the 200m (1:57.14 OR) ahead of teammate Ryan Lochte.
2016 — Usain Bolt scores another sweep, winning three gold medals in his third consecutive Olympics. At the Rio de Janeiro Games, Bolt turns a close 4×100 relay race against Japan and the United States into a typical, Bolt-like runaway, helping Jamaica cross the line in 37.27 seconds. Allyson Felix wins an unprecedented fifth gold medal in women’s track and field, running the second leg of the 4×100-meter relay team.
2018 — Novak Đoković beats Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Cincinnati Masters to become the first player to win all 9 Masters 1,000 tennis tournaments since the series started in 1990.
2018 — Jockey Drayden Van Dyke wins a record-tying seven races at Del Mar, including the $200,000 Del Mar Mile. He ties Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza for most wins in a single day in the seaside track’s history. Van Dyke’s only loss in eight mounts comes when he finishes second in the sixth race.
Aug. 20
1921 — Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Mary Browne, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the U.S. women’s national tennis title at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia.
1931 — Helen Wills Moody beats Eileen Bennett Whitingstall 6-4, 6-1 to capture the women’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship.
1944 — Robert Hamilton upsets Byron Nelson in the final round 1 up to win the PGA Championship.
1960 — Holland’s Hairos II, driven by Willem Geersen, wins the second International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway before a record crowd of 54,861.
1990 — George Steinbrenner steps down as NY Yankee owner.
1995 — Monica Seles completes a remarkable first week back in tournament tennis, routing Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-1 to capture the Canadian Open. Her 74 games sets a tournament record for the fewest played by a champion.
1999 — 7th Athletics World Championships open at Seville, Spain.
2000 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship in a playoff over Bob May, becoming the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year. He’s the first player to repeat as PGA champion since Denny Shute in 1937.
2003 — The U.S. wins the women’s overall team gold medal at the gymnastics world championships. It is the first gold for the Americans — men or women — at the biggest international event outside the Olympics.
2004 — Michael Phelps matches Mark Spitz’s record of four individual gold medals in Olympic swimming by winning the 100-meter butterfly. He edges teammate Ian Crocker to win his fifth gold medal. Shortly after winning his seventh medal of these Olympics, Phelps gives up his spot in the medley relay to Crocker.
2006 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship for a five-shot victory over Shaun Micheel and his 12th career major. He becomes the first player to win the PGA twice on the same course, having done so at Medinah in 1999.
2008 — Usain Bolt of Jamaica breaks the 200-meter world record, winning in 19.30 seconds at the Beijing Games. He is the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 at an Olympics.
2012 — Augusta National invites former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore to become the first female members since the club was founded in 1932.
2016 — Allyson Felix and LaShawn Merritt anchor the 4×400 relay teams, and the U.S. exits the final night of action at Olympic Stadium with 31 medals — its most in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1956. The U.S. women’s basketball team beats Spain 101-72 for a sixth straight title.
2018 — Alabama becomes the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years.
2023 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Stadium Australia, Sydney: Spanish captain Olga Carmona scores the only goal of the game as La Furia Roja score a 1-0 win over England.
_____
Aug. 21
1901 — William Larned wins the first of seven men’s singles titles in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship.
1914 — Walter Hagen captures the U.S. Open golf title by edging Chick Evans.
1920 — Jock Hutchinson wins the PGA golf tournament with a 1-up victory over J. Douglass Edgar.
1931 — Babe Ruth of New York hits his 600th home run as the Yankees beat the St. Louis Browns 11-7.
1932 — Helen Hull Jacobs beats Carolyn Babcock to win the women’s singles title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association.
1982 — Mystic Park becomes the first 3-year-old trotter to win the American Trotting Championship.
1985 — Mary Decker sets the world record in the mile run with a time of 4:16.71 in Zurich.
1990 — Kelly Craig becomes the first female starting pitcher in Little League World Series history, opening for Trail, British Columbia. She fails to retire any of the three batters she faces but the Canadian champions rally for an 8-3 victory over Matamoros, Mexico.
2003 — Paul Hamm puts together a near-perfect routine on the high bar to become the first American man to win the all-around gold medal at World Gymnastics Championships. Needing a 9.712 or better to beat China’s Yang Wei, Hamm strings together four straight release moves during his 60-second routine — one of the toughest feats in gymnastics — for a 9.975 and the gold.
2004 — American super-swimmer Michael Phelps wins his 6th gold medal of the Athens Olympics even though he doesn’t swim the final of men’s 4 x 100m medley relay; US wins in world record 3:30.68.
2008 — At the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Yukiko Ueno pitches 28 innings in two days, including seven to shut down the U.S. softball team, 3-1, and give Japan the gold medal. It was the first loss for the Americans since Sept. 21, 2000 — 22 straight games. LaShawn Merritt upsets defending champion Jeremy Wariner to lead a U.S. sweep of the 400 meters track event. David Neville gets the bronze. The U.S. men and women both drop the baton in the Olympic 400-meter relays and fail to advance out of the first round. Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown easily wins the 200 meters to cap the first sweep of all four men’s and women’s Olympic sprints in 20 years.
2010 — Kyle Busch makes NASCAR history with an unprecedented sweep of three national races in one week, completing the trifecta with a victory in the Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch, winner of the Nationwide race a day earlier and the Trucks race on Aug. 18, becomes the first driver to complete the sweep since NASCAR expanded to three national series in 1995.
2011 — The Los Angeles Sparks run off 16 straight points to overcome a 15-point, second-half deficit and hand the Tulsa Shock their WNBA-record 18th consecutive loss with a 73-67 victory. The Atlanta Dream lost 17 in a row in their inaugural season of 2008.
2016 — Kevin Durant scores 30 points and helps the Americans rout Serbia 96-66 for their third straight gold medal. That caps an Olympics in which the U.S. dominated the medal tables, both the gold (46) and overall totals (121). The 51-total-medal margin over second-place China the largest in a non-boycotted Olympics in nearly a century.
2018 — Liu Xiang of China sets a world record time of 26.98 seconds to win the women’s 50-meter backstroke gold medal at the Asian Games. Liu becomes the first woman to swim under 27 seconds in the event, breaking the mark of 27.06 set by fellow Chinese swimmer Zhao Jing at the 2009 world championships in Rome.
_____
Aug. 22
1851 — The United States wins the first international yacht race. The schooner named “America” beats 14 British yachts.
1885 — Richard Sears beats Godfrey M. Brinley, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 to win the U.S. men’s national tennis championship held at the Newport (R.I.) Casino.
1898 — Malcolm Whitman beats Dwight F. Davis, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to win the U.S. men’s national tennis championship held at the Newport (R.I.) Casino.
1948 — The Chicago Cardinals beat the College All-Stars 28-0 in front 101,220 fans at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
1949 — The Philadelphia Eagles beat the College All-Stars 38-0 at Chicago’s Soldier Field. It’s the largest shutout in the series, later matched by Green Bay in 1966.
1950 — Althea Gibson becomes the first black tennis player to be accepted in competition for the national championship.
1957 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Pete Rademacher in the sixth round to retain his world heavyweight title at Sicks Stadium in Seattle.
1965 — In the third inning of a game against Los Angeles, pitcher Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants hits catcher John Roseboro of the Dodgers in the head with his bat. A 14-minute brawl ensues and Roseboro suffers cuts on the head. Marichal thought Roseboro threw too close to his head when returning the ball to Sandy Koufax.
1984 — Evelyn Ashford sets the world record in the 100-meter dash with a clocking of 10.76 seconds in a meet at Zurich, Switzerland.
1987 — Brazil snaps the 34-game winning streak of the U.S. men’s basketball team with a 120-115 victory in the Pan Am Games. Oscar Schmidt scores 46 points to lead Brazil. Cuba wins a record 10 of 12 gold medals in boxing and beats the U.S. 13-9 in the baseball final.
1989 — Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers becomes the first pitcher to strike out 5,000 batters in a 2-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Ryan fans Rickey Henderson swinging on a 3-2, 96 mph fastball for No. 5,000.
1994 — DNA testing links O.J. Simpson to murder of Nicole Simpson & Ron Goldman.
1999 — Jenny Thompson breaks Mary T. Meagher’s 18-year-old 100-meter butterfly record at the Pan Pacific swim championships. Thompson with a time of 57.88 seconds lowers the mark of 57.93 set by Meagher.
2004 — American sprinter Justin Gatlin wins the coveted Olympic 100m gold medal in Athens in 9.85 ahead of Francis Obikwelu of Portugal & American Maurice Greene.
2007 — The Texas Rangers becomes the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader.
2008 — Usain Bolt helps Jamaica win the 400-meter relay final in 37.10 seconds for his third gold medal and third world record of the Beijing Games. Bolt becomes only the fourth man, and the first since Carl Lewis in 1984, to win all three Olympic sprint events. Bryan Clay wins the decathlon, the first American to win the 10-discipline event at the Olympics since Dan O’Brien at Atlanta in 1996.
2018 — Ohio State suspends football coach Urban Meyer three games for mishandling repeated professional and behavioral problems of an assistant coach, with investigators finding Meyer protected his protege for years through domestic violence allegations, a drug problem and poor job performance.
2018 — The NCAA ditches the RPI for its own evaluation tool to select teams for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Evaluation Tool will rely on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency and quality of wins and losses. NET will be used for the 2018-19 season by the committee that selects schools and seeds the tournament.
TV SPORTS SUNDAY
| NFL | TIME ET | TV |
| New Orleans at San Francisco | 8:00pm | FOX |
| Green Bay at Denver | 8:00pm | NFLN |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Miami at NY Mets | 12:05pm | Roku Bally Sports Florida SNY |
| Boston at Baltimore | 1:35pm | NESN MASN |
| Seattle at Pittsburgh | 1:35pm | ROOT ATTSN-PIT |
| Washington at Philadelphia | 1:35pm | MASN2 NBC Sports Philadelphia |
| Arizona at Tampa Bay | 1:40pm | Bally Sports Sun YurView |
| Kansas City at Cincinnati | 1:40pm | Bally Sports Kansas City Bally Sports Ohio |
| Chi. White Sox at Houston | 2:10pm | NBC Sports Chicago SCHN |
| Cleveland at Milwaukee | 2:10pm | Bally Sports Great Lakes Bally Sports Wisconsin |
| LA Dodgers at St. Louis | 2:15pm | SNLA Bally Sports Midwest |
| Toronto at Chi. Cubs | 2:20pm | Sportsnet MARQ |
| Minnesota at Texas | 2:35pm | Bally Sports North Bally Sports Southwest |
| San Diego at Colorado | 3:10pm | Padres.TV Rockies.TV |
| San Francisco at Oakland | 4:07pm | NBC Sports Bay NBC Sports California |
| Atlanta at LA Angels | 4:07pm | Bally Sports Southeast Bally Sports West |
| NY Yankees at Detroit | 7:10pm | ESPN |
| WNBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Connecticut at Atlanta | 3:00pm | NBC Sports Boston Peachtree Sports Network |
| Seattle at Indiana | 3:30pm | ABC |
| Los Angeles at Las Vegas | 6:00pm | SSEN FOX 5 Vegas |
| Chicago at Phoenix | 9:00pm | AFSN MARQ |
| MOTORSPORTS | TIME ET | TV |
| Pro Motocross: Mechanicsville, Md. | 12:00pm | USA |
| NASCAR Cup: FireKeepers Casino 400 | 2:30pm | USA |
| NHRA: Lucas Oil Nationals | 3:00pm | FOX |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| DP World: D+D Real Czech Masters | 7:00am | GOLF |
| LPGA: Women’s Scottish Open | 8:00am | GOLF |
| PGA: FedEx St. Jude Championship | 12:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| EPL: Brentford vs Crystal Palace | 9:00am | USA Peacock Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Auxerre vs Nice | 9:00am | Fanatiz USA beIN Sports Fubo |
| Scottish League Cup: Celtic vs Hibernian | 10:00am | Fanatiz USA beIN Sports Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Angers SCO vs Lens | 11:00am | Fanatiz USA beIN Sports Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Montpellier vs Strasbourg | 11:00am | Fanatiz USA beIN Sports Fubo |
| Ligue 1: Toulouse vs Nantes | 11:00am | Fanatiz USA beIN Sports Fubo |
| EPL: Chelsea vs Manchester City | 11:30am | NBC Peacock Fubo |
| Serie A: Hellas Verona vs Napoli | 12:30pm | CBSSN Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Bologna vs Udinese | 12:30pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Real Sociedad vs Rayo Vallecano | 1:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Portugal Primeira Liga: Vitória Guimarães vs Estoril | 1:00pm | Fanatiz USA GOLTV |
| Argentina Primera División: Boca Juniors vs San Lorenzo | 1:30pm | Fanatiz USA Paramount+ |
| Serie A: Cagliari vs Roma | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Ligue 1: Rennes vs Olympique Lyonnais | 2:45pm | Fanatiz USA beIN Sports Fubo |
| Serie A: Lazio vs Venezia | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Mallorca vs Real Madrid | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Portugal Primeira Liga: Boavista vs Sporting Braga | 3:30pm | Fanatiz USA GOLTV |
| Argentina Primera División: Atlético Tucumán vs Estudiantes | 4:00pm | Fanatiz USA Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Sarmiento vs Tigre | 4:00pm | Fanatiz USA Fubo |
| Canadian Premier League: Vancouver FC vs Forge | 7:00pm | FOX Soccer Plus Fubo |
| Argentina Primera División: Huracán vs Belgrano | 7:30pm | Fanatiz USA Fubo |
| Liga MX: Tijuana vs Santos Laguna | 8:05pm | VIX |
| Liga MX: Atlético San Luis vs Querétaro | 10:00pm | VIX |
| SOFTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
| Athletes Unlimited | 1:00pm | ESPN2 |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| 2024 Cincinnati Open Tennis Semifinals | 11:00am | TENNIS |
| 2024 Cincinnati Open Tennis ATP Semifinals, WTA Doubles Final | 6:00pm | TENNIS |