“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 10 (SECTIONAL FIRST ROUND)
SECTIONAL 17
HANOVER CENTRAL (7-2) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (1-8)
HIGHLAND (1-8) AT KANKAKEE VALLEY (4-5)
GARY WEST (5-4) AT NEW PRAIRIE (6-3)
HOBART (5-4) AT LOWELL (4-5)
SECTIONAL 18
WAWASEE (1-8) AT PLYMOUTH (5-4)
MISHAWAKA (7-2) AT NORTHRIDGE (3-6)
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (5-4) AT SOUTH BEND RILEY (2-6)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (0-9) AT NORTHWOOD (4-5)
SECTIONAL 19
FORT WAYNE SOUTH (2-7) AT EAST NOBLE (8-1)
LEO (7-2) AT DEKALB (4-5)
COLUMBIA CITY (8-1) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (4-5)
NEW HAVEN (1-8) AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE (3-5)
SECTIONAL 20
FRANKFORT (0-9) AT HUNTINGTON NORTH (6-3)
MUNCIE CENTRAL (2-7) AT LOGANSPORT (8-1)
CULVER ACADEMY (8-1) AT LEBANON (7-2)
SECTIONAL 21
BEECH GROVE (4-5) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (7-2)
NEW CASTLE (4-5) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (4-5)
YORKTOWN (6-3) AT RICHMOND (1-8)
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (4-5) AT NEW PALESTINE (8-0)
SECTIONAL 22
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (2-6) AT MOORESVILLE (3-6)
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (6-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (6-1)
NORTHVIEW (8-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (4-4)
DANVILLE (8-1) AT BREBEUF JESUIT (7-2)
SECTIONAL 23
SILVER CREEK (4-5) AT CONNERSVILLE (2-7)
CHARLESTOWN (2-7) AT MARTINSVILLE (8-1)
JENNINGS COUNTY (0-9) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (1-8)
SHELBYVILLE (1-8) AT GREENWOOD (2-7)
SECTIONAL 24
WASHINGTON (5-4) AT BOONVILLE (4-5)
JASPER (5-4) AT EVANSVILLE HARRISON (2-7)
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-8) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (7-2)
SECTIONAL 25
JOHN GLENN (1-7) AT JIMTOWN (6-3)
CALUMET (5-4) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (4-5)
KNOX (6-3) AT RIVER FOREST (5-4)
HAMMOND NOLL (3-6) AT GRIFFITH (8-1)
SECTIONAL 26
LAKELAND (5-4) AT GARRETT (9-0)
WOODLAN (5-4) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (6-3)
WEST NOBLE (8-1) AT ANGOLA (4-5)
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (2-7) AT FAIRFIELD (4-5)
SECTIONAL 27
FRANKTON (2-7) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (6-3)
BENTON CENTRAL (0-9) AT NORTHWESTERN (8-1)
WESTERN (0-9) AT TWIN LAKES (4-5)
PERU (4-5) AT MACONAQUAH (9-0)
SECTIONAL 28
NORWELL (2-7) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (5-4)
JAY COUNTY (2-7) AT BELLMONT (0-9)
HERITAGE (8-1) AT DELTA (4-5)
OAK HILL (6-3) AT MISSISSINEWA (9-0)
SECTIONAL 29
HAMILTON HEIGHTS (3-6) AT SPEEDWAY (4-5)
WEST VIGO (4-5) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (4-5)
CASCADE (9-0) AT CRAWFORDSVILLE (3-6)
TRI-WEST (5-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (3-5)
SECTIONAL 30
RUSHVILLE (6-3) AT FRANKLIN COUNTY (6-3)
PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD (2-6) AT GREENSBURG (0-9)
SOUTH DEARBORN (4-5) AT LAWRENCEBURG (8-1)
SECTIONAL 31
SCOTTSBURG (6-3) AT OWEN VALLEY (0-9)
NORTH HARRISON (6-3) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (3-6)
EDGEWOOD (2-7) AT INDIAN CREEK (4-5)
SECTIONAL 32
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (9-0) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (7-2)
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (5-4) AT SOUTHRIDGE (7-2)
VINCENNES LINCOLN (3-6) AT PRINCETON (1-8)
HERITAGE HILLS (8-1) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (7-2)
SECTIONAL 33
BREMEN (5-4) AT LAKE STATION (2-7)
WHITING (2-7) AT ANDREAN (5-4)
WHEELER (7-2) AT BOONE GROVE (6-3)
SECTIONAL 34
WESTERN BOONE (7-2) AT NORTH PUTNAM (7-2)
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (8-0) AT DELPHI (6-3)
NORTH MONTGOMERY (3-6) AT SOUTHMONT (3-6)
SEEGER (3-6) AT LEWIS CASS (4-5)
SECTIONAL 35
CHURUBUSCO (4-5) AT MANCHESTER (5-4)
ADAMS CENTRAL (8-1) AT BLUFFTON (6-3)
EASTSIDE (4-5) AT WHITKO (0-9)
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (4-5) AT CENTRAL NOBLE (0-9)
SECTIONAL 36
ALEXANDRIA (6-3) AT WABASH (2-7)
EASTBROOK (4-5) AT TIPTON (5-4)
ELWOOD (1-8) AT ROCHESTER (7-2)
BLACKFORD (2-7) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (5-4)
SECTIONAL 37
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (3-6) AT MONROVIA (7-2)
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (2-6) AT PARK TUDOR (6-3)
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (7-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (8-1)
SECTIONAL 38
LAPEL (6-3) AT NORTHEASTERN (9-0)
EASTERN HANCOCK (5-4) AT CENTERVILLE (8-1)
TRITON CENTRAL (7-2) AT UNION COUNTY (0-9)
SHENANDOAH (5-4) AT WINCHESTER (4-5)
SECTIONAL 39
GREENCASTLE (3-6) AT PIKE CENTRAL (3-6)
MITCHELL (1-8) AT BROWN COUNTY (5-4)
NORTH POSEY (7-2) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (9-0)
SULLIVAN (3-6) AT LINTON (7-2)
SECTIONAL 40
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (9-0) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (6-3)
EASTERN (PEKIN) (1-8) AT PAOLI (9-0)
TELL CITY (4-5) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (1-8)
CLARKSVILLE (0-9) AT SALEM (4-5)
SECTIONAL 41
SOUTH NEWTON (3-6) AT NORTH JUDSON (9-0)
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (2-7) AT CULVER (1-8)
BOWMAN ACADEMY (0-9) AT NORTH NEWTON (2-7)
WEST CENTRAL (6-3) AT LAVILLE (4-5)
SECTIONAL 42
PIONEER (6-3) AT CASTON (2-7)
CARROLL (FLORA) (9-0) AT FRONTIER (8-0)
NORTH WHITE (4-5) AT TRI-COUNTY (6-3)
TAYLOR (4-5) AT WINAMAC (4-4)
SECTIONAL 43
SOUTHWOOD (0-9) AT TRITON (6-3)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (1-7) AT NORTH MIAMI (7-2)
FREMONT (3-6) AT NORTHFIELD (3-6)
SECTIONAL 44
TRI (6-3) AT WES-DEL (5-4)
UNION CITY (2-7) AT SOUTH ADAMS (4-5)
MONROE CENTRAL (6-3) AT MADISON-GRANT (8-1)
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (1-8) AT HAGERSTOWN (3-6)
SECTIONAL 45
COVINGTON (5-4) AT ATTICA (0-9)
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (4-5) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (7-2)
PARKE HERITAGE (1-8) AT RIVERTON PARKE (6-3)
NORTH VERMILLION (8-1) AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (3-6)
SECTIONAL 46
TRI-CENTRAL (2-7) AT INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (4-4)
SHERIDAN (4-5) AT CLINTON CENTRAL (3-6)
CLINTON PRAIRIE (4-5) AT IRVINGTON PREP (0-6)
SECTIONAL 47
MILAN (5-4) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (5-4)
WEST WASHINGTON (3-6) AT SOUTH DECATUR (4-4)
EASTERN GREENE (3-6) AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (7-2)
NORTH DECATUR (8-1) AT EDINBURGH (0-9)
SECTIONAL 48
NORTH KNOX (2-7) AT NORTH DAVIESS (6-3)
PERRY CENTRAL (5-4) AT TECUMSEH (0-8)
PROVIDENCE (8-0) AT SPRINGS VALLEY (8-1)
SOUTH SPENCER (5-4) AT FOREST PARK (5-4)
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER
SEMI-STATE
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26
NORTH
1. KOKOMO
1:00 PM ET | CLASS 1A BOYS | BETHANY CHRISTIAN V COVENANT CHRISTIAN
3:30 PM ET | CLASS 2A BOYS | FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA LUTHERAN V PARK TUDOR
6:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A GIRLS | PENN V NOBLESVILLE
2. SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH
1:00 PM ET | CLASS 1A GIRLS | WESTVIEW V FAITH CHRISTIAN
3:30 PM ET | CLASS 2A GIRLS | MISHAWAKA MARIAN V HANOVER CENTRAL
6:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A BOYS | CONCORD V HARRISON (WL)
SOUTH
3. EVANSVILLE NORTH
12:00 PM CT | CLASS 1A GIRLS | HERITAGE CHRISTIAN V PROVIDENCE
2:30 PM CT | CLASS 1A BOYS | GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN V NORTHEAST DUBOIS
5:00 PM CT | CLASS 2A BOYS | INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD V EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
4. MARTINSVILLE
1:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A GIRLS | EAST CENTRAL V CENTER GROVE
3:30 PM ET | CLASS 2A GIRLS | BREBEUF JESUIT PREPARATORY V LAWRENCEBURG
6:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A BOYS | SOUTHPORT V BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER SEMI-STATE
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26
NORTH
1. KOKOMO
1:00 PM ET | CLASS 1A BOYS | BETHANY CHRISTIAN V COVENANT CHRISTIAN
3:30 PM ET | CLASS 2A BOYS | FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA LUTHERAN V PARK TUDOR
6:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A GIRLS | PENN V NOBLESVILLE
2. SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH
1:00 PM ET | CLASS 1A GIRLS | WESTVIEW V FAITH CHRISTIAN
3:30 PM ET | CLASS 2A GIRLS | MISHAWAKA MARIAN V HANOVER CENTRAL
6:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A BOYS | CONCORD V HARRISON (WL)
SOUTH
3. EVANSVILLE NORTH
12:00 PM CT | CLASS 1A GIRLS | HERITAGE CHRISTIAN V PROVIDENCE
2:30 PM CT | CLASS 1A BOYS | GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN V NORTHEAST DUBOIS
5:00 PM CT | CLASS 2A BOYS | INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD V EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
4. MARTINSVILLE
1:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A GIRLS | EAST CENTRAL V CENTER GROVE
3:30 PM ET | CLASS 2A GIRLS | BREBEUF JESUIT PREPARATORY V LAWRENCEBURG
6:00 PM ET | CLASS 3A BOYS | SOUTHPORT V BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL REGIONALS
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26
NORTH
LAPORTE
4 PM CT | CLASS 1A | SOUTH NEWTON VS FREMONT
7 PM CT | CLASS 4A | CHESTERTON VS PENN
CULVER COMMUNITY
1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | CULVER COMMUNITY VS MARQUETTE CATHOLIC
4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | JIMTOWN VS BOONE GROVE
NORTHWOOD
4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | WOODLAN VS LAKELAND
7 PM ET | CLASS 3A | NEW PRAIRIE VS NORTHWOOD
HOMESTEAD
1 PM ET | CLASS 4A | HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN VS HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)
4 PM ET | CLASS 4A | HOMESTEAD VS CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)
SOUTHWOOD
4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | LAPEL VS SOUTHWOOD
7 PM ET | CLASS 3A | ANGOLA VS WEST LAFAYETTE
NORWELL
1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | DALEVILLE VS FAITH CHRISTIAN
4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | HERITAGE VS NEW CASTLE
TWIN LAKES
4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | HAMMOND BISHOP NOLL VS ILLIANA CHRISTIAN
7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | CROWN POINT VS WARSAW
ELWOOD
1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | SETON CATHOLIC VS ROSSVILLE
4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | WESTERN BOONE VS MUNCIE BURRIS
SOUTH
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL
4 PM ET | CLASS 4A | CENTER GROVE VS BROWNSBURG
7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | YORKTOWN VS LAWRENCE NORTH
CASCADE
1 PM ET | CLASS 3A | NORTHVIEW VS RONCALLI
4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL VS TRI-WEST HENDRICKS
MONROVIA
4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | WINCHESTER VS PARKE HERITAGE
7 PM ET | CLASS 2A | COVENANT CHRISTIAN (INDPLS.) VS INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA MEMORIAL
BLOOMINGTON NORTH
1 PM ET | CLASS 4A | FLOYD CENTRAL VS BLOOMINGTON NORTH
4 PM ET | CLASS 4A | FRANKLIN COMMUNITY VS CASTLE
LOOGOOTEE
4 PM ET | CLASS 1A | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF INDIANA VS LOOGOOTEE
7 PM ET | CLASS 1A | SHAKAMAK VS SPRINGS VALLEY
MITCHELL
1 PM ET | CLASS 2A | BARR-REEVE VS EASTERN (PEKIN)
4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL VS SILVER CREEK
EDINBURGH
4 PM ET | CLASS 1A | INDIANAPOLIS DEAF VS INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN
7 PM ET | CLASS 1A | SOUTH DECATUR VS TRINITY LUTHERAN
JENNINGS COUNTY
1 PM ET | CLASS 2A | BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL VS TECUMSEH
4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | JASPER VS JENNINGS COUNTY
INDIANA CROSS COUNTRY REGIONALS
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26
1. NEW PRAIRIE: GIRLS 10:30 AM CT; BOYS 11:15 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: HIGHLAND, CHESTERTON, NEW PRAIRIE, ELKHART, RENSSELAER CENTRAL
2. NEW HAVEN (@ HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY): 10:30 AM ET; BOYS 11:15 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: MANCHESTER, WEST NOBLE, NEW HAVEN, DELTA, MARION
3. BROWNSBURG: GIRLS 10:30 AM ET; BOYS 11:15 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: LOGANSPORT, HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE), NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS), TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO, BEN DAVIS
4. SHELBYVILLE: GIRLS 10:30 AM ET; BOYS 11:15 AM ET
FEEDER SECTIONALS: NOBLESVILLE, MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE), RUSHVILLE CONSOLIDATED, SHELBYVILLE, SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)
5. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (ANGEL MOUNDS): 10:30 AM CT; BOYS 11:15 AM CT
FEEDER SECTIONALS: BROWN COUNTY, BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE, CRAWFORD COUNTY, JASPER, EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE WEEK 9
THURSDAY, OCT. 22
7:30 P.M. | SAM HOUSTON AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | ESPNU
8 P.M. | UTEP AT LOUISIANA TECH | CBSSN
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23
7 P.M. | LIBERTY AT KENNESAW STATE | CBSSN
7:30 P.M. | MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | ESPN2
THURSDAY, OCT. 24
7 P.M. | GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT OLD DOMINION | ESPN2
7:30 P.M. | SYRACUSE AT NO. 19 PITT | ESPN
FRIDAY, OCT. 25
7 P.M. | YALE AT PENN | ESPNU
7:30 P.M. | LOUISVILLE AT BOSTON COLLEGE | ESPN2
10:30 P.M. | NO. 17 BOISE STATE AT UNLV | CBSSN
11 P.M. | RUTGERS AT USC | FOX
SATURDAY, OCT. 26
12 P.M. | NEBRASKA AT NO. 4 OHIO STATE | FOX
12 P.M. | NO. 12 NOTRE DAME VS. NO. 24 NAVY (IN EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY) | ABC
12 P.M. | WASHINGTON AT NO. 13 INDIANA | BIG TEN NETWORK
12 P.M. | OKLAHOMA AT NO. 18 OLE MISS | ESPN
12 P.M. | GEORGIA TECH AT VIRGINIA TECH | ACC NETWORK
12 P.M. | NORTH CAROLINA AT VIRGINIA | CW NETWORK
12 P.M. | CHARLOTTE AT MEMPHIS | ESPNU
12 P.M. | TULANE AT NORTH TEXAS | ESPN2
12 P.M. | BUFFALO AT OHIO | CBSSN
12 P.M. | RICHMOND AT BRYANT | FLOSPORTS
12 P.M. | VALPARAISO AT MARIST | FLOSPORTS
12 P.M. | CORNELL AT BROWN | ESPN+
12 P.M. | CENTRAL CONNECTICUT AT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | ESPN+
12 P.M. | FORDHAM AT LEHIGH | ESPN+
12 P.M. | MERCYHURST AT SACRED HEART | ESPN+
12:45 P.M. | ARKANSAS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | SEC NETWORK
1 P.M. | GEORGIA STATE AT APPALACHIAN STATE | ESPN+
1 P.M. | MAINE AT RHODE ISLAND | FLOSPORTS
1 P.M. | TOWSON AT MONMOUTH | FLOSPORTS
1 P.M. | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT INDIANA STATE | ESPN+
1 P.M. | BUTLER AT DAVIDSON | ESPN+
1 P.M. | PRESBYTERIAN AT STETSON | ESPN+
1 P.M. | COLGATE AT MERRIMACK | ESPN+
1:30 P.M. | DARTMOUTH AT COLUMBIA | ESPN+
1:30 P.M. | HOLY CROSS AT LAFAYETTE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT MIAMI (OHIO) | ESPN+
2 P.M. | TEMPLE AT EAST CAROLINA | ESPN+
2 P.M. | ELON AT HAMPTON | FLOSPORTS
2 P.M. | SOUTHERN UTAH AT WEST GEORGIA | ESPN+
2 P.M. | EAST TENNESSEE STATE AT WOFFORD | ESPN+
2 P.M. | NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT MURRAY STATE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | SAMFORD AT THE CITADEL | ESPN+
2 P.M. | HOWARD AT NORFOLK STATE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | BUCKNELL AT GEORGETOWN | ESPN+
2:30 P.M. | CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT TENNESSEE TECH | ESPN+
3 P.M. | UALBANY AT DELAWARE | FLOSPORTS
3 P.M. | UTAH TECH AT EASTERN KENTUCKY | ESPN+
3 P.M. | EASTERN ILLINOIS AT UT MARTIN | ESPN+
3 P.M. | GARDNER-WEBB AT SE MISSOURI STATE | ESPN+
3 P.M. | WESTERN ILLINOIS AT LINDENWOOD | ESPN+
3 P.M. | LAMAR AT NORTHWESTERN STATE | ESPN+
3 P.M. | MONTANA AT NORTHERN COLORADO | ESPN+
3 P.M. | PRINCETON AT HARVARD | ESPN+
3 P.M. | TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | NO. 21 MISSOURI AT NO. 15 ALABAMA | ABC
3:30 P.M. | NO. 11 BYU AT UCF | ESPN
3:30 P.M. | NO. 20 ILLINOIS AT NO. 1 OREGON | CBS/PARAMOUNT+
3:30 P.M. | NORTHWESTERN AT IOWA | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | MARYLAND AT MINNESOTA | FS1
3:30 P.M. | RICE AT UCONN | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | WAKE FOREST AT STANFORD | ACC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | OKLAHOMA STATE AT BAYLOR | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | SOUTHERN MISS AT JAMES MADISON | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | EASTERN MICHIGAN AT AKRON | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT BALL STATE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | BOWLING GREEN AT TOLEDO | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | KENT STATE AT WESTERN MICHIGAN | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | WAGNER AT UMASS | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | UTSA AT TULSA | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | NEW HAMPSHIRE AT VILLANOVA | FLOSPORTS
3:30 P.M. | WILLIAM & MARY AT STONY BROOK | FLOSPORTS
3:30 P.M. | WESTERN CAROLINA AT MERCER | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | ALABAMA STATE VS. ALABAMA A&M (IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA) | ESPNU
3:30 P.M. | DELAWARE STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | MORGAN STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL | ESPN+
4 P.M. | OREGON STATE AT CAL | ESPN2
4 P.M. | NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT CAMPBELL | FLOSPORTS
4 P.M. | TARLETON STATE AT AUSTIN PEAY | ESPN+
4 P.M. | VMI AT CHATTANOOGA | ESPN+
4 P.M. | MCNEESE AT NICHOLLS | ESPN+
4:15 P.M. | NO. 5 TEXAS AT NO. 25 VANDERBILT | SEC NETWORK
5 P.M. | NEW MEXICO AT COLORADO STATE | ALTITUDE SPORTS/MW NETWORK
5 P.M. | UL MONROE AT SOUTH ALABAMA | ESPN+
5 P.M. | NORTH ALABAMA AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS | ESPN+
5 P.M. | MISSOURI STATE AT UNI | ESPN+
6 P.M. | SACRAMENTO STATE AT IDAHO STATE | ESPN+
6 P.M. | NORTH DAKOTA AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | FLORIDA STATE AT NO. 6 MIAMI (FLA.) | ESPN
7 P.M. | UTAH STATE AT WYOMING | CBSSN
7 P.M. | TROY AT ARKANSAS STATE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | UIW AT SE LOUISIANA | ESPN+
7 P.M. | SOUTHERN AT FLORIDA A&M | ESPN+
7 P.M. | HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | NO. 8 LSU AT NO. 14 TEXAS A&M | ABC
7:30 P.M. | NO. 3 PENN STATE AT WISCONSIN | NBC/PEACOCK
7:30 P.M. | MICHIGAN STATE AT MICHIGAN | BIG TEN NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | SOUTH DAKOTA AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE | ESPNU
7:45 P.M. | AUBURN AT KENTUCKY | SEC NETWORK
8 P.M. | KANSAS AT NO. 16 KANSAS STATE | ESPN2
8 P.M. | NO. 22 SMU AT DUKE | ACC NETWORK
8 P.M. | SAN JOSE STATE AT FRESNO STATE | TRUTV/MAX
9 P.M. | EASTERN WASHINGTON AT IDAHO | ESPN+
10:15 P.M. | CINCINNATI AT COLORADO | ESPN
10:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | CBSSN
MIDNIGHT | NEVADA AT HAWAI’I | SPECTRUM SPORTS PPV
WEST VIRGINIA AT ARIZONA
UTAH AT HOUSTON
TEXAS TECH AT TCU
INDIANA HOOSIERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
INDIANA 31 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 7
INDIANA 77 WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
INDIANA 42 UCLA 13
INDIANA 52 CHARLOTTE 14
INDIANA 42 MARYLAND 28
INDIANA 41 NORTHWESTERN 24
INDIANA 56 NEBRASKA 7
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
PURDUE 49 INDIANA STATE 0
NOTRE DAME 66 PURDUE 7
OREGON STATE 38 PURDUE 21
NEBRASKA 28 PURDUE 10
WISCONSIN 52 PURDUE 6
ILLINOIS 50 PURDUE 49 OT
OREGON 35 PURDUE 0
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
NOTRE DAME 23 TEXAS A&M 13
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 16 NOTRE DAME 14
NOTRE DAME 66 PURDUE 7
NOTRE DAME 28 MIAMI OH 3
NOTRE DAME 31 LOUISVILLE 24
NOTRE DAME 49 STANFORD 7
NOTRE DAME 31 GEORGIA TECH 14
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
BUTLER 40 UPPER IOWA 7
BUTLER 19 MURRAY STATE 17
BUTLER 53 HANOVER 0
BUTLER 63 VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY-LYNCHBURG 0
BUTLER 40 MOREHEAD STATE 6
DRAKE 27 BUTLER 17
DAYTON 21 BUTLER 14
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
BALL STATE 42 MISSOURI STATE 34
MIAMI FL 62 BALL STATE 0
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 37 BALL STATE 34
JAMES MADISON 63 BALL STATE 7
WESTERN MICHIGAN 45 BALL STATE 42
BALL STATE 37 KENT STATE 35
VANDERBILT 24 BALL STATE 14
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
PURDUE 49 INDIANA STATE 0
EASTERN ILLINOIS 27 INDIANA STATE 20
INDIANA STATE 24 DAYTON 13
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 27 INDIANA STATE 24
YOUNGSTOWN STATE 21 INDIANA STATE 14
INDIANA STATE 31 MURRAY STATE 27
MISSOURI STATE 46 INDIANA STATE 21
OCTOBER 26 VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 1:00
NOVEMBER 2 VS. NORTH DAKOTA 1:00
NOVEMBER 9 AT SOUTH DAKOTA 2:00
COLTS SCHEDULE
HOUSTON 29 INDIANAPOLIS 27
GREEN BAY 16 INDIANAPOLIS 10
INDIANAPOLIS 21 CHICAGO 16
INDIANAPOLIS 27 PITTSBURGH 24
JACKSONVILLE 37 INDIANAPOLIS 34
INDIANAPOLIS 20 TENNESSEE 17
INDIANAPOLIS 16 MIAMI 10
OCT. 27: AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M., CBS
NOV. 3: AT MINNESOTA, 1 P.M., CBS
NOV. 10: VS. BUFFALO, 1 P.M., CBS
NOV. 17: AT N.Y. JETS, 8:20 P.M., NBC PEACOCK
NOV. 24: VS. DETROIT, 1 P.M., FOX
DEC. 1: AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M., CBS
DEC. 15: AT DENVER, 4:25 P.M., CBS
DEC. 22: VS. TENNESSEE, 1 P.M., CBS
DEC. 29: AT N.Y. GIANTS, TBD
JAN. 5: VS. JACKSONVILLE, TBD
WEEK 8 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, OCT. 24
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, OCT. 27
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1:00P CBS)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT DETROIT LIONS (1:00P FOX)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P FOX)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (1:00P FOX)
NEW YORK JETS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1:00P CBS)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P FOX)
CHICAGO BEARS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P CBS)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4:05P FOX)
BUFFALO BILLS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:05P FOX)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (4:25P CBS)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT DENVER BRONCOS (4:25P CBS)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, OCT. 28
NEW YORK GIANTS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
WEEK 9 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, OCT. 31
HOUSTON TEXANS AT NEW YORK JETS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, NOV. 3
DALLAS COWBOYS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)
DENVER BRONCOS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (1:00P CBS)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P CBS)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (1:00P FOX)
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1:00P CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P CBS)
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P FOX)
CHICAGO BEARS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:05P CBS)
DETROIT LIONS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (4:25P FOX)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:25P FOX)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, NOV. 4
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8:15P ESPN)
MLB PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
WORLD SERIES
FRIDAY, OCT. 25
GAME 1: NYY @ LAD (FOX)
SATURDAY, OCT. 26
GAME 2: NYY @ LAD (FOX)
MONDAY, OCT. 28
GAME 3: LAD @ NYY (FOX)
TUESDAY, OCT. 29
GAME 4: LAD @ NYY (FOX)
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30
GAME 5^: LAD @ NYY (FOX)
FRIDAY, NOV. 1
GAME 6^: NYY @ LAD (FOX)
SATURDAY, NOV. 2
GAME 7^: NYY @ LAD (FOX)
(^IF NECESSARY)
NBA SCORES
INDIANA 115 DETROIT 109
ATLANTA 120 BROOKLYN 116
ORLANDO 116 MIAMI 97
MILWAUKEE 124 PHILADELPHIA 109
CLEVELAND 136 TORONTO 106
CHARLOTTE 110 HOUSTON 105
NEW ORLEANS 123 CHICAGO 111
MEMPHIS 126 UTAH 124
PHOENIX 116 LA CLIPPERS 113 OT
GOLDEN STATE 139 PORTLAND 104
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
USA TODAY MEN’S PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
The USA TODAY Sports preseason Top 25 men’s basketball poll, with team’s RECORDS FROM LAST YEAR in parentheses, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last year’s final poll and first-place votes received.
Rank | School (record) | Points | Last year’s final ranking | First-place votes |
1 | Kansas (23-11) | 743 | 21 | 15 |
2 | Alabama (25-12) | 718 | 4 | 6 |
3 | Connecticut (37-3) | 717 | 1 | 6 |
4 | Houston (32-5) | 698 | 3 | 4 |
5 | Duke (27-9) | 625 | 9 | 0 |
6 | Iowa State (29-8) | 591 | 8 | 0 |
7 | Gonzaga (27-8) | 575 | 16 | 0 |
8 | Baylor (24-11) | 545 | 14 | 0 |
9 | Arizona (27-9) | 510 | 12 | 0 |
10 | North Carolina (29-8) | 498 | 6 | 0 |
11 | Auburn (27-8) | 465 | 17 | 0 |
12 | Tennessee (27-9) | 437 | 5 | 0 |
13 | Purdue (34-5) | 390 | 2 | 0 |
14 | Creighton (25-10) | 342 | 10 | 0 |
15 | Texas A&M (21-15) | 332 | NR | 0 |
16 | Arkansas (16-17) | 272 | NR | 0 |
17 | Marquette (27-10) | 268 | 11 | 0 |
18 | Indiana (19-14) | 208 | NR | 0 |
19 | Texas (21-13) | 166 | NR | 0 |
20 | Cincinnati (22-15) | 163 | NR | 0 |
21 | Florida (24-12) | 130 | NR | 0 |
22 | UCLA (16-17) | 123 | NR | 0 |
23 | Kentucky (23-10) | 95 | 19 | 0 |
24 | Illinois (29-9) | 87 | 7 | 0 |
25 | Mississippi (20-12) | 66 | NR | 0 |
Dropped out: No. 13 North Carolina State (26-15); No. 15 Clemson (24-12); No. 18 San Diego State (26-11); No. 20 Utah State (28-7); No. 22 Saint Mary’s (26-8); No. 23 South Carolina (26-8); No. 24 Washington State (25-10); No. 25 Texas Tech (23-11).
NHL SCORES
WASHINGTON 6 PHILADELPHIA 3
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EDT
WILD CARD
EASTERN CONFERENCE
WESTERN CONFERENCE
VANCOUVER 5 PORTLAND 0
FIRST ROUND
BEST OF 3
X-IF NECESSARY
EASTERN CONFERENCE
CINCINNATI VS. NEW YORK CITY
MONDAY, OCT. 28: NEW YORK CITY AT CINCINNATI, 6:45 P.M.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2: CINCINNATI AT NEW YORK CITY, TBD
X-SUNDAY, NOV. 9: NEW YORK CITY AT CINCINNATI, 4 P.M.
ORLANDO VS. CHARLOTTE FC
FRIDAY, OCT. 25: CHARLOTTE FC AT ORLANDO, 7:40 P.M.
FRIDAY, NOV. 1: ORLANDO AT CHARLOTTE FC, 7:40 P.M.
X-SATURDAY, NOV. 9: CHARLOTTE FC AT ORLANDO, 6:10 P.M.
COLUMBUS VS. NEW YORK
TUESDAY, OCT. 29: NEW YORK AT COLUMBUS, 6:45 P.M.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3: COLUMBUS AT NEW YORK, 4:40 P.M.
X-SUNDAY, NOV. 10: NEW YORK AT COLUMBUS, 5:10 P.M.
MIAMI VS. MONTREAL/ATLANTA WINNER
FRIDAY, OCT. 25: MONTREAL/ATLANTA WINNER AT MIAMI, 8:45 P.M.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2: MIAMI AT MONTREAL/ATLANTA WINNER, 7:10 P.M.
X-SATURDAY, NOV. 9: MONTREAL/ATLANTA WINNER AT MIAMI, 8:10 P.M.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
SEATTLE VS. HOUSTON
MONDAY, OCT. 28: HOUSTON AT SEATTLE, 9 P.M.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3: SEATTLE AT HOUSTON, 6:30 P.M.
X-SUNDAY, NOV. 10: HOUSTON AT SEATTLE, 7 P.M.
LOS ANGELES FC VS. VANCOUVER/PORTLAND WINNER
FRIDAY, OCT. 25: VANCOUVER/PORTLAND WINNER AT LOS ANGELES FC, 9:55 P.M.
SUNDAY, NOV. 3: LOS ANGELES FC AT VANCOUVER/PORTLAND WINNER, 8:55 P.M.
X-FRIDAY, NOV. 8: VANCOUVER/PORTLAND WINNER AT LOS ANGELES FC, 11:10 P.M.
REAL SALT LAKE VS. MINNESOTA
TUESDAY, OCT. 29: MINNESOTA AT REAL SALT LAKE, 9 P.M.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2: REAL SALT LAKE AT MINNESOTA, 9:10 P.M.
X-FRIDAY, NOV. 8: MINNESOTA AT REAL SALT LAKE, 9:10 P.M.
LA GALAXY VS. COLORADO
FRIDAY, OCT. 25: COLORADO AT LA GALAXY, 11:10 P.M.
FRIDAY, NOV. 1: LA GALAXY AT COLORADO, 9:40 P.M.
X-SATURDAY, NOV. 9: COLORADO AT LA GALAXY, 10:10 P.M.
SEMIFINALS
NOV. 23 – NOV. 24
EASTERN CONFERENCE
LOS ANGELES FC/VANCOUVER_PORTLAND WINNER VS. SEATTLE/HOUSTON WINNER, TBD
REAL SALT LAKE/MINNESOTA WINNER VS. LA GALAXY/COLORADO WINNER, TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE
MIAMI/MONTREAL_ATLANTA WINNER VS. ORLANDO/CHARLOTTE FC WINNER, TBD
CINCINNATI/NEW YORK CITY WINNER VS. COLUMBUS/NEW YORK WINNER, TBD
CONFERENCE FINAL
NOV. 30 – DEC. 1
SEMIFINALS WINNERS, TBD
CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
CONFERENCE FINAL WINNERS, 4 P.M.
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
NFL WEEK 8: WHAT TO LOOK FOR
There have been 58 games decided by seven-or-fewer points this season, the most through Week 7 of a season in NFL history. Seven teams have had five-or-more games decided by seven-or-fewer points: Indianapolis (seven), Baltimore (five), Cincinnati (five), Cleveland (five), Green Bay (five), Houston (five) and the Los Angeles Rams (five). The Colts are one of four teams to have each of their first seven games of a season decided by seven-or-fewer points since 2000, along with the 2019 Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Detroit Lions and 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Champs on a roll: The Kansas City Chiefs (6-0) are the last remaining undefeated team and with a win at Las Vegas (2-5) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), can become the seventh reigning Super Bowl champions to win each of their first seven games, joining the 2015 and 2019 New England Patriots, 2011 Green Bay Packers, 2007 Indianapolis Colts, 1998 Denver Broncos and 1990 San Francisco 49ers.
- Since making his first career start in the regular-season finale of the 2017 season, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a .792 winning percentage [95-25 (80-22 in regular season, 15-3 in postseason)] as a starting quarterback in his first eight NFL seasons.
- With his next win, Mahomes will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (80 wins) and Ben Roethlisberger (80) for the third-most wins by a starting quarterback in his first eight seasons in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (86 wins) and Russell Wilson (86) have more.
- With his next win, Mahomes will surpass Russell Wilson (95 wins) for the second-most wins, including the postseason, by a starting quarterback in his first eight seasons in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (100 wins) has more.
- With a win on Sunday, Mahomes can become the third quarterback ever to record three career winning streaks of 12-or-more games, including the postseason, joining Tom Brady (five such streaks) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (three).
- In six career starts at Las Vegas/Oakland, Mahomes is 6-0 with 1,992 passing yards (332 per game) and 18 touchdown passes against one interception for a 119.4 rating, registering a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each contest.
- Kansas City enters Week 8 with a 12-game winning streak, including the postseason, with its last loss coming in Week 16 against Las Vegas last season. In that contest, Raiders running back Zamir White rushed for 145 yards and Las Vegas registered two first-half defensive touchdowns to defeat the Chiefs, 20-14, in Kansas City.
- Las Vegas rookie tight end Brock Bowers leads all tight ends with 47 receptions and 477 receiving yards this season and is coming off a 10-reception, 93-yard performance in Week 7. Bowers can become the first rookie tight end in NFL history with five games of eight-or-more receptions and the third rookie tight end ever with four games of 90-or-more receiving yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (six games in 1961) and Charle Young (four in 1973).
- Since making his first career start in the regular-season finale of the 2017 season, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a .792 winning percentage [95-25 (80-22 in regular season, 15-3 in postseason)] as a starting quarterback in his first eight NFL seasons.
- Lions on the prowl: The Detroit Lions (5-1) enter Week 8 atop the NFC North and with a win against Tennessee (1-5) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX), can win six of their first seven games of a season for the first time since 1956.
- Lions quarterback Jared Goff ranks second in the NFL with a 111.5 passer rating this season and in his past three contests (Weeks 4, 6 and 7), became the fourth quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 140-or-higher in three consecutive games, joining Aaron Rodgers (Weeks 7-10, 2011), as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Roger Staubach (Weeks 11-13, 1971) and Kurt Warner (Weeks 3-5, 1999).
- Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown recorded eight receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown last week and has a touchdown catch in four consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL.
- St. Brown has 354 receptions for 3,989 yards and 25 touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2021 and with 11 receiving yards, can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 350 receptions, 4,000 receiving yards and 25 touchdown receptions in his first four seasons, joining Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Thomas.
- Lions defensive back Brian Branch has 11 passes defensed in five games this season, becoming the first player since 2011 (Brandon Browner) to record multiple passes defensed in five consecutive games.
- In his first 20 career games, Branch has 24 passes defensed and seven interceptions. The only players with more passes defensed and interceptions than Branch in their first 20 games since 2000 are Marcus Peters (34 passes defensed, 12 interceptions) and Trevon Diggs (26 passes defensed, 10 interceptions).
- Ravens flying high: The Baltimore Ravens (5-2) visit the Cleveland Browns (1-6) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) and enter Week 8 with the league’s top offense, averaging 31.1 points and 461.4 yards per game. The Ravens, who had 41 points at Cincinnati in Week 5 and 41 points at Tampa Bay in Week 7, can become the first team in the Super Bowl era and the second team in NFL history to score 40-or-more points in three consecutive road games, joining the 1961 Houston Oilers.
- Baltimore leads the NFL with 1,476 rushing yards, tied with the 2006 Atlanta Falcons for the fourth-most rushing yards by a team in its first seven games of a season since 1970. The 1975 Buffalo Bills have the most rushing yards by a team in its first eight games of a season since 1970, with 1,716.
- Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for 281 yards and five touchdowns with a 158.1 rating and added 52 rushing yards in Week 7. There have been five games in NFL history in which a player has recorded at least five touchdown passes and 50 rushing yards – Jackson has three of them. With his Week 7 performance, Jackson became the fourth quarterback in NFL history with five games of five-or-more touchdown passes in his first seven seasons, joining Patrick Mahomes (six) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (six) and Dan Marino (five).
- Jackson who has 455 rushing yards this season, can become the first quarterback in NFL history with at least 500 rushing yards in seven consecutive seasons and the second quarterback ever with at least 500 rushing yards in seven career seasons, joining Cam Newton (seven).
- Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed for 169 yards and added a 13-yard touchdown reception in Week 7. It marked Henry’s 16th career game with 150 rushing yards and a scrimmage touchdown, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders (16 games) and LaDainian Tomlinson (16) for the third-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (21 games) and Walter Payton (17) have more.
- Henry leads the league with 873 rushing yards, the most rushing yards by a player in his team’s first seven games of a season since DeMarco Murray (913 rushing yards in 2014) and the second-most rushing yards by a running back over the age of 30 in his team’s first seven games of a season in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton (875 rushing yards in 1984).
- Henry, who leads the NFL with 935 scrimmage yards and 10 scrimmage touchdowns, can join Priest Holmes (1,079 scrimmage yards and 15 scrimmage touchdowns in 2004) as the only players over the age of 30 with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 scrimmage touchdowns in his team’s first eight games of a season in NFL history.
- Rookie quarterbacks: Between Washington’s Jayden Daniels (five wins), Denver’s Bo Nix (four) and Chicago’s Caleb Williams (four), rookie quarterbacks have combined for 13 wins this season, tied with 1987 (13 combined wins) for the second-most by rookie quarterbacks in the first seven weeks of a season in NFL history, trailing only 2012 (14).
- In NFL history, there have only been two previous seasons in which three rookie quarterbacks each had five-or-more wins: 2012 (Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Russell Wilson) and 2018 (Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield).
- The Chicago Bears (4-2) visit the Washington Commanders (5-2) on Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) and should Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Daniels, the No. 2 selection, both start, it would mark the sixth time in NFL history that the top two selections in the NFL Draft will meet as starting quarterbacks in their rookie season.
- The previous games to feature rookie starting quarterbacks that were selected No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft: Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud (Week 8, 2023), Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson (Week 16, 2021), Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota (Week 1, 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf (Week 5, 1998) as well as Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer (Week 3, 1993).
- Interconference meeting between division leaders: The AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills (5-2) visit the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks (4-3) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX).
- Bills quarterback Josh Allen has a 21-6 record and 75 touchdowns (53 passing, 22 rushing) in 27 career games against the NFC. In his last game against Seattle, he recorded 415 passing yards and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing).
- Seattle quarterback Geno Smith leads the NFL with 1,985 passing yards while running back Kenneth Walker has seven touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving) in five games this season. Walker can become the third running back in the past 15 seasons (2010-24) with nine-or-more scrimmage touchdowns in each of his first three career seasons, joining Ezekiel Elliott and Jeremy Hill.
- Divisional matchups of over-.500 teams: Of the five divisional matchups on the Week 8 schedule, two feature games between clubs entering the week above .500 – the Indianapolis Colts (4-3) at the Houston Texans (5-2) and the Atlanta Falcons (4-3) at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3). Both divisional games conclude the regular-season matchups between the two clubs – Houston defeated Indianapolis, 29-27, on Kickoff Weekend, while Atlanta defeated Tampa Bay, 36-30, in overtime in Week 5.
- Indianapolis has won four of their past five games after beginning the season 0-2. In the past 10 seasons (2014-23), nine teams have qualified for the postseason after starting 0-2, including Houston last year. They are one of five teams to hold opponents to 17-or-fewer points in at least four games this season, along with the Los Angeles Chargers (five), Pittsburgh (five), Denver (four) and Minnesota (four).
- Houston has won five consecutive AFC divisional games since Week 15 of the 2023 season and is looking to win six consecutive games against AFC South opponents for the second time in franchise history (10 consecutive wins from 2015-16).
- Texans running back Joe Mixon has at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in three of his four games this season and with another such performance on Sunday, can become the first player in NFL history with 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in four of his first five games with a team.
- Atlanta is looking to win its first three road games of a season for the first time since 2016. Running back Bijan Robinson has 2,147 scrimmage yards (1,459 rushing, 688 receiving) in 24 career games Only four players in the past 10 years (2015-24) had at least 1,500 rushing yards and 700 receiving yards in their first 25 career games: Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Breece Hall and Kareem Hunt.
- Tampa Bay safety Antoine Winfield Jr. recorded his first sack of the season last week and has 16 career sacks, surpassing Bill Bates (15.5 sacks) for the second-most sacks by a defensive back in his first five seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Jamal Adams (21.5 sacks) has more. With his next sack this season, he can become the third defensive back with at least two sacks in each of his first five seasons since 1982, joining Adam Archuleta and Keith Bostic.
NFL THURSDAY NIGHT CAPSULE: MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-1) AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (2-4)
Thursday, October 24, 2024 | 8:15 PM ET | SoFi Stadium | Referee: Tra Blake
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: MIN leads series, 22-16-2 (Home team won 3 of past 4)
Postseason: MIN leads series, 5-2 (Home team won 6 of past 7)
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 12/26/21: LAR 30 at MIN 23
Postseason: NFC-D 1/16/00: MIN 27 at StL 49
VIKINGS NOTES:
QB SAM DARNOLD completed 22 of 27 atts. (81.5 pct.) for 259 yards & TD vs. INT for 103.5 rating last week, his 5th game with 100+ rating in 2024, tiedmost in NFL. Aims for his 3rd in row on road with 2+ TD passes & 110+ rating. Had 2 TDs (1 pass, 1 rush) in his last start vs. LAR (1/7/24 w/ SF) & had TD pass & 99.8 rating in his only career start at LAR (12/20/20 w/ NYJ). • RB AARON JONES had 116 scrimmage yards (93 rush, 23 rec.) & 2nd rush TD of season in Week 7. Aims for his 5th in row on road with 100+ scrimmage yards & 11th in row overall with 50+ scrimmage yards. Has 85+ scrimmage yards & TD in 4 of his 5 career games vs. LAR, incl. postseason. • WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON had 7 catches for 81 yards & 5th rec. TD of season last week. Has 6,430 career rec. yards, 3rd-most by player in 1st 5 seasons all-time. Aims for his 4th in row on road with rec. TD. Had 8 catches for 116 yards in last meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row on Thursday with 135+ rec. yards. • WR JORDAN ADDISON had 66 rec. yards last week. Has 50+ rec. yards & TD catch in 3 of his past 4 on road. • LB ANDREW VAN GINKEL tied his career high with 3 TFL, had 3rd-career 2-sack game & 4th-career FF last week. Aims for his 5th in row on road in primetime with TFL. • LB IVAN PACE had 10 tackles, sack & FR-TD last week, his 1st-career TD. Aims for his 3rd in row with sack. • LB JONATHAN GREENARD had 5th sack of season & 4th-career FF in Week 7. Had sack in his only career game vs. LAR (10/31/21 w/ Hou.). • S JOSH METELLUS aims for his 6th in row with 5+ tackles. • S CAMRYN BYNUM has 5 PD, 2 INTs & FR in his past 4. • S HARRISON SMITH aims for his 7th in row with 5+ tackles.
RAMS NOTES:
QB MATTHEW STAFFORD has 4,153 pass yards (296.6 per game) & 24 TD passes in 14 career Thursday starts. Has 33 TDs (32 pass, 1 rush) in 22 career starts vs. Min. • RB KYREN WILLIAMS rushed for 76 yards & 2 TDs last week. Became 3rd player ever under age 25 with rush TD in 9 straight games. Can become 4th RB since 2000 with rush TD in 10 straight games. Has 7 games with 2+ TDs since 2023, most in NFL. Aims for his 8th in row at home with 75+ scrimmage yards & rush TD. • WR COOPER KUPP can make 2024 home debut. Has 9+ catches & 110+ rec. yards in 6 of his past 7 in primetime. Aims for his 7th in row on Thursday with 5+ catches. • WR TUTU ATWELL had team-high 6 catches for 51 yards last week. Aims for his 5th in row with 50+ rec. yards. • WR TYLER JOHNSON led team with 57 rec. yards in Week 7. • DE BRADEN FISKE (rookie) has TFL in 2 of his past 3. • LB BYRON YOUNG has TFL in 2 of his 3 home games this season. • LB JARED VERSE ranks tied-1st among rookies with 6 TFL. • LB MICHAEL HOECHT had 2nd sack of season last week. • LB TROY REEDER has 7+ tackles in 5 of his 6 games this season. • S KAM CURL had 7 tackles, 2 PD & 1st-career FR TD last week. Aims for his 3rd in row with PD. Has 5+ tackles in 5 of his 6 games this season. • S QUENTIN LAKE has 52 tackles in 6 games in 2024 & can surpass careerhigh 53 tackles from last season. Aims for his 7th in row with 6+ tackles. • S JAYLEN MCCOLLOUGH (rookie) had 2 INTs last week & aims for his 3rd in row with INT. • CB COBIE DURANT had 2nd-career sack, 4th-career INT & 2nd-career FF last week.
TV: Prime Video (8:15 PM ET): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung (field reporter) Radio: Westwood One (8:15 PM ET): Ryan Radtke, Ron Rivera SIRIUS: Minnesota | Los Angeles Rams
CHIEFS ACQUIRE THREE-TIME ALL-PRO WIDE RECEIVER DEANDRE HOPKINS FROM THE TITANS, AP SOURCE SAYS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are acquiring three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans, replenishing a position group that has been ravaged by injuries, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the trade.
The Chiefs are sending a conditional fifth-round pick to the Titans, according to NFL Network, while Tennessee is taking on some of Hopkins’ salary. That was an important point for the Chiefs, who have very little salary cap space.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid declined to acknowledge the trade before practice Wednesday, saying only that general manager Brett Veach was “dealing with all of that.” When pressed about the trade, Reid said with a slight smile: “I know nothing.”
The Chiefs lost wide receiver Marquise Brown, one of their top free-agent signings, to shoulder surgery prior to the start of the season. Second-year star Rashee Rice sustained a season-ending knee injury last month against the Chargers, and veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is out after hurting his hamstring in last Sunday’s win over the 49ers.
Hopkins is the third high-profile wide receiver to be traded in just over a week.
Davante Adams was the first to move last Tuesday, going from the Raiders to the Jets for a conditional third-round draft pick next year and reuniting with Aaron Rodgers, his old quarterback in Green Bay. Hours later, the Bills acquired Amari Cooper and a sixth-round pick next year from the Browns for a third-round pick along with a seventh-rounder in 2026.
The 32-year-old Hopkins only had 15 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown in his second season in Tennessee. But Hopkins is a proven star — 943 catches for 12,528 yards and 79 TDs over a career spent mostly in Arizona and Houston — and has a versatile skill set that should fit well into Reid’s complex offensive system.
Hopkins is also on an expiring contract, which means the cash-strapped Chiefs will not assume any salary beyond this season. That was crucial to any trade they made given the number of pending free agents they have on the roster.
“I think the biggest thing is just getting with the coaches. The coaches do a great job of getting guys up to speed, and you’ve seen that already this year,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday. “I just try to be on the same page as the guys that are in there.”
This is the third straight season that the Chiefs have traded for wide receiver help. They acquired Kadarius Toney from the Giants two years ago, though he was cut before this season, and Mecole Hardman from the Jets last season.
The Chiefs will try to present Hopkins with enough of the playbook that he can help out as soon as Sunday against the Raiders in Las Vegas. But it could take several weeks before he is familiar enough with it to make a genuine impact.
That’s not a problem for the Chiefs, though. The only unbeaten team left in the NFL at 6-0, they are eying a much bigger prize: Mahomes and Co. are trying to win an unprecedented third straight Lombardi Trophy come February.
The Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl by beating the 49ers last February, despite a wide receiver corps that was among the NFL’s worst. And while Chiefs general manager Brett Veach tried to solve the problem by signing Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy in the first round, their injury situation this season had left them in a familiar predicament.
The Chiefs still have productive tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, but they were preparing to play this week with Worthy alongside Hardman, journeyman Justin Watson and disappointing former second round pick Skyy Moore.
Hopkins provides a massive upgrade to that group for a team that has championship expectations.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS ROOKIE QB JAYDEN DANIELS MISSES PRACTICE BECAUSE OF HIS RIB INJURY
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is not practicing Wednesday because of a rib injury, coach Dan Quinn said.
Daniels is listed as week to week and his status for Sunday against the Chicago Bears is uncertain. Quinn said Daniels would still take part in meetings with a further update expected Friday.
Veteran Marcus Mariota would start if Daniels is unable to play. Mariota replaced Daniels early in a 40-7 rout of Carolina that got the Commanders to 5-2 this season.
Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, has thrown for 1,410 yards, ran for 372 and been responsible for 10 touchdowns to become the favorite to win the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honor. Sunday was supposed to be a showdown of the top two picks in the draft with Caleb Williams in town.
LIONS SAY THEY’RE PREPARED TO PLAY WITHOUT WR JAMESON WILLIAMS, WHO REPORTEDLY FACES SUSPENSION
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell says the team is prepared to play without receiver Jameson Williams.
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it,” Campbell said Wednesday.
Williams is facing a two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy, ESPN reported on Monday.
“No choice but to take it on the chin,” Williams told ESPN.
The Lions (5-1) play Tennessee (1-5) on Sunday at home and travel to play division-rival Green Bay on Nov. 3.
Williams has had a breakout season, a year after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
He has 17 catches for 361 yards with three touchdowns. In 12 games last season, he had 24 receptions for 354 yards and two touchdowns. He returned from knee surgery two years ago and played six games and caught a 41-yard TD.
The 23-year-old Williams is the first player in franchise history to have each of his first six receiving touchdowns cover 30 yards or more.
Detroit traded up to draft the former Alabama star with the No. 12 pick overall in 2022 and has been patient with him. The team expected him to miss much of his rookie year with a knee injury and publicly has supported him during last year’s suspension and this week’s reported punishment.
JAMEIS WINSTON DRAWS START FOR BROWNS VS. RED-HOT RAVENS
The Baltimore Ravens and the host Cleveland Browns are heading in opposite directions entering their AFC North matchup on Sunday.
Baltimore (5-2) is riding a five-game winning streak and is tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the division. Cleveland (1-6) has lost five straight and is languishing in last place.
While the Ravens are led by two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Browns face a challenge at the position after starter Deshaun Watson sustained a season-ending right Achilles tear last week as Cleveland fell 21-14 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski named Jameis Winston as the starting quarterback over Dorian Thompson-Robinson to oppose the Ravens in Week 8.
“He’s won a lot of football games,” Stefanski said about Winston on Wednesday. “He’s seen a lot of football. So, we have total confidence in him. I think the guys really respect him … because of the work he puts in. He’s in here early, I can confirm that. And he’s got that energy right away.”
Despite the record, the Browns have talent and would love to end the Ravens’ winning streak. Winston has the talent to throw the ball downfield and has talented pass catchers with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and tight end David Njoku. The Browns got a boost when running back and fan favorite Nick Chubb returned last week after being out since Week 2 of the 2023 season with a left knee injury.
There is nowhere to go but up for the Browns’ offense, which ranks 32nd in the NFL with 253.9 yards per game and 29th with 15.6 points per game.
In addition, Stefanski announced that he is turning play-calling over to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. As a result, the Ravens are not taking the Browns lightly and are making sure they don’t get caught in a proverbial trap game.
“I think the Browns are a very physical team,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “They don’t have the best record right now, but I think on tape, when you watch them, they have talent, and they can cause some issues if you don’t take them seriously. (It’s) a division opponent. (I have) a lot of respect for them. (We’ve) got to go in there and do what we do.”
Cleveland safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (ankle), linebacker Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps), running back Jerome Ford (hamstring), center Ethan Pocic (knee) and tackle Jedrick Wills (knee) did not practice Wednesday due to injuries.
The stakes are high for the Ravens, who have their sights on reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Jackson is having another MVP-caliber season, as he is ranked fifth in the league with 1,810 passing yards and is tied for second with 15 touchdown passes.
However, Jackson is fully focused on winning a championship, not more accolades. The Browns’ defense, led by Myles Garrett (four sacks), will need to keep Jackson under wraps to win the game. Garrett is dealing with an Achilles issue but was able to practice Wednesday.
“I’m chasing something right now, so each and every game is going to be the same thing for me,” Jackson said. “I’m going to be the same person. Every game, I’m trying to win.”
The addition of Derrick Henry has been a huge boost for the Ravens, who lead the NFL with 461.4 total yards and 31.1 points per game.
“The offensive line is doing a hell of a job; I mean a hell of a job,” said Henry, who leads the NFL with 873 rushing yards. “All the credit goes to them. … I hope it keeps going.”
The Ravens’ biggest weakness has been the secondary. Baltimore is ranked 32nd (last) against the pass, allowing 287.1 yards per game, and is tied for 26th in points allowed per game, 25.7.
Winston will be another challenge for the Ravens’ defensive backs. Baltimore could be without Marlon Humphrey, who is tied for second in the NFL with four interceptions, after he sustained a knee injury in the Ravens’ 41-31 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
Humphrey and fellow cornerbacks Nate Wiggins (shoulder) and T.J. Tampa (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Stout defensive tackle Travis Jones (ankle), wide receiver Zay Flowers (ankle) and running Rasheen Ali (ankle) also sat out.
“I know that they’re a tough team historically that has been one of the best defenses in my era, so I know they’re going to play hard,” Winston said about the Ravens. “I know that they have a good secondary. …
“We just got to go and do our job. It’s really not about them and who they are. It is about us and who we are.”
NINERS’ DEEBO SAMUEL, JAUAN JENNINGS, GEORGE KITTLE MISS PRACTICE
San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings and tight end George Kittle all missed practice on Wednesday.
Samuel was just released from the hospital on Tuesday with pneumonia-like symptoms, but he could still play this week, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Wednesday. Jennings (hip) also missed last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs while Kittle (foot) did play.
The team also announced earlier this week that WR Brandon Aiyuk is done for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL in Sunday’s loss.
The Niners (3-4) host the Dallas Cowboys (3-3) on Sunday night.
Samuel was in on just four plays against the Chiefs, never touching the ball, before being ruled out since he was having trouble breathing, according to Shanahan. Samuel, 28, has 20 catches for 335 yards and one touchdown this season. He also has 19 carries for 51 yards and a score.
Jennings didn’t practice at all last week. He leads San Francisco with 404 receiving yards. He also has 25 receptions and three touchdowns.
Kittle leads the team with 34 receptions and has 375 yards with five TD catches. He’s considered day-to-day.
DOLPHINS ADD VETERAN QB C.J. BEATHARD TO PRACTICE SQUAD
The Miami Dolphins, while anticipating the return of starter Tua Tagovailoa from a concussion, bolstered their quarterback depth with Wednesday’s signing of veteran C.J. Beathard to the practice squad.
The Dolphins will be without Tyler Huntley, who started the past three games, after he injured his throwing shoulder last Sunday in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Skylar Thompson is listed atop the depth chart, but he sustained rib and chest injuries in a Week 3 loss at Seattle as the starter in place of Tagovailoa, who was injured on Sept. 12 against Buffalo. Thompson was a full practice participant last week but said he had discomfort throwing deep passes.
The Dolphins (2-4) also have veteran Tim Boyle, who replaced Huntley on Sunday.
Tagovailoa is still on injured reserve and cannot be cleared until after he begins football-related activity, but he said the plan is to approach the week as if he’ll start Sunday’s game against the visiting Arizona Cardinals (3-4). He was scheduled to practice on Wednesday afternoon.
San Francisco selected Beathard, 30, in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has started 13 of 32 career games (3-10 record) and completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 3,886 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for the 49ers (2017-18, 2020) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2021-23).
“C.J. was a third-round draft pick the first year I was in San Francisco,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. “I worked pretty hands-on with him. What I like about him is his competitive drive, his arm talent and his toughness. He’s a competitor through and through.”
In other moves Wednesday, the Dolphins signed wide receiver Tarik Black to the practice squad and released tight end Hayden Rucci from the practice squad.
SAINTS QB DEREK CARR (OBLIQUE) NOT EXPECTED BACK THIS WEEK
New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr, who hasn’t played since sustaining an oblique injury in Week 5, has resumed throwing but is unlikely to return this week, Saints coach Dennis Allen said Wednesday.
Allen said he expects rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler to start Sunday’s game for the Saints (2-5) against the host Los Angeles Chargers (3-3). Carr took part in throwing sessions on Monday and Tuesday as the coaches gauge his progress.
Rattler, 24, was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. He has started the past two games and has completed 52.7 percent of his passes for 415 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in losses to Tampa Bay (51-27) and Denver (33-10). He is dealing with a hip issue.
Carr, 33, was expected to miss multiple weeks after the injury in the 26-13 loss to the host Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 7. He was replaced by second-year backup Jake Haener, but Rattler made his professional debut the following week.
Carr has passed for 989 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions this season, his second in New Orleans. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection during nine seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.
BRYCE YOUNG TO START FOR PANTHERS; ANDY DALTON HURT IN CRASH
Bryce Young will start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers this week after Andy Dalton showed up on the injury report with a sprained right thumb on Wednesday.
Dalton was held out of practice Wednesday, one day after he was involved in a car accident while traveling with his wife and three children in Charlotte, N.C.
“Scary moment for sure,” coach Dave Canales said Wednesday. “Everyone was OK. Everyone’s healthy. Unfortunately in the accident he did sprain his thumb, so Bryce will be playing this week for us and we’ll be evaluating Andy day-to-day going into this weekend, see if we can get him up as the two (backup QB) on game day.”
Carolina (1-6) plays at Denver (4-3) on Sunday.
Dalton replaced Young as the starter in Week 3. Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has completed 56.9 percent of his passes for 299 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in four games (two starts) this season.
Dalton, 36, has thrown for 989 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions in five starts this season.
A 14-year veteran, Dalton has tallied 39,500 career passing yards with 253 touchdowns and 150 interceptions in 175 games (1686 starts), mostly from his nine-year tenure with Cincinnati (2011-19).
Dalton and Young are the only quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Rookie Jack Plummer is on the practice squad.
TITANS LEANING TOWARD RESTING QB WILL LEVIS ONE MORE WEEK
Titans coach Brian Callahan plans to afford quarterback Will Levis more time to heal from a shoulder injury, but he’s not ruling him out this week.
The organization view as of Wednesday: Levis is closer to week-to-week than day-to-day after not playing against the Bills in a Week 7 loss (34-10). Mason Rudolph, who started against Buffalo, appears set for another start Sunday when the Lions (5-1) put their four-game winning streak on the line in Detroit.
Callahan said Levis would get some work but his activity will be relatively limited as he strengthens his sprained shoulder. He was first injured in Week 4 when the Titans (1-5) beat the Dolphins. He attempted to fully participate in practice last Thursday but was dialed back to limited the next day.
“We’ll probably give Will one more week,” Callahan said Wednesday. “I’m not necessarily ruling him out but I do think we’re going to take a look and let Mason (Rudolph) take more reps this week to get ready to play and see how Will comes through the week. I think he’s getting better every day and he’ll be out there doing a little bit of work as well, just working back. … There’s nothing official on that at this point, but I’m probably leaning towards Mason one more week.”
Only benched Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett ranks behind Levis (699) among 32 qualified quarterbacks in passing yards. Tennessee ranks 31st in the NFL in total offense and subtracted wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a trade with the Chiefs on Wednesday.
“It’s part of playing quarterback in the NFL. Guys’ contracts are up, you sign new players. Every year it’s part of that process,” Callahan said.
Levis has completed 66.4 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
In his first season with the Titans, Rudolph is 34-of-57 passing for 300 yards with one touchdown and one pick.
REPORT: SEAHAWKS ACQUIRE LB ERNEST JONES IV FROM TITANS
The Seattle Seahawks acquired Ernest Jones IV from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for fellow linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round draft pick, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday.
The reported trade was the second on Wednesday for the Titans and the second in under two months for Jones.
Earlier on Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported the Kansas City Chiefs are acquiring three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from Tennessee in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick.
As for Jones, he was traded from the Los Angeles Rams along with a sixth-round pick to the Titans on Aug. 27 for a fifth-round selection prior to the start of the season.
Jones, 24, has recorded 44 tackles in six games (five starts) this season.
A Super Bowl champion with the Rams, Jones has totaled 364 tackles, 5.5 sacks and three interceptions in 53 games (38 starts) with Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee.
Baker, 27, had 30 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one sack in five games (all starts) with Seattle.
He has 617 tackles, 23.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and five interceptions in 99 career games (87 starts) with the Miami Dolphins and Seahawks.
ELI MANNING, TERRELL SUGGS AND LUKE KUECHLY ADVANCE TO NEXT STAGE IN HALL OF FAME VOTING
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the players who advanced to the next stage in voting for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The Hall announced Wednesday the 50 modern era candidates who advanced from the original list of 167 after voting by a newly created screening committee. The list includes eight players in their first year of eligibility and 10 players who were finalists last year but didn’t get enough support.
The full selection committee will next reduce the list of nominees to 25 semifinalists in about four weeks. Then 15 finalists will be picked for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern era candidates.
There will also be votes for three seniors candidates, one contributor and one coach with between one and three people from that group getting into the Hall.
Leading the group of candidates in their first year of eligibility were Manning, Kuechly, Suggs and postseason kicking hero Adam Vinatieri. The others two key members of Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning team in the 2013 season in running back Marshawn Lynch and safety Earl Thomas; two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda; and longtime San Francisco left tackle Joe Staley.
Gates and defensive lineman Jared Allen headline the group of returning finalists from last year along with receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; and running back Fred Taylor.
Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.
He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls with eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted.
Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted along with more recent players such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren’t eligible. Plunkett has advanced in voting for the seniors candidates.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season but finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs.
His best moments were in those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards.
Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.
Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times in his eight-year career with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).
Suggs was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in 1982.
Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.
He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in Kansas City where he helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.
Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England’s dynasty.
He helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.
He then made a 41-yarder two years later to give the Patriots a 32-29 win in the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s career leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.
Gates was a three-time All-Pro who finished his career with 955 catches for 11,841 yards and an NFL record for tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions.
Allen was a four-time All-Pro who finished his career with 136 sacks, including a league-leading 22 in 2011 for Minnesota.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS: NO. 25 VANDERBILT, NO. 24 NAVY GET CHANCES TO PUNCH ABOVE THEIR WEIGHTS
Opportunity comes knocking Saturday for two of the surprise teams in college football.
No. 25 Vanderbilt, in an Associated Press regular-season poll for the first time since 2008 and coming off 10 consecutive losing seasons, hosts No. 5 Texas three weeks after it shocked the nation with its upset of then-No. 1 Alabama.
No. 24 Navy, unbeaten halfway through its season following four straight losing campaigns, has been ranked for two weeks and plays its annual game against No. 12 Notre Dame, this year at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Vanderbilt (5-2) went into the Alabama game 0-60 all-time against top-five opponents. The chance to play for a second top-five win in a month and the excitement around the program present a challenge when it comes to tuning out the noise.
“When the winds outside the program were shifting and negative, we were disciplined not to pay attention,” fourth-year coach Clark Lea said. “Now that they’re celebrating and giving us attention — I’m not saying we don’t appreciate that, because we do — but we’re certainly not going to give power to it.”
The Midshipmen lost 42-3 to Notre Dame in Ireland last year in the opener of coach Brian Newberry’s first season. Irish coach Marcus Freeman said Navy’s transformation has been impressive.
“I love it,” he said. “We’re looking forward to a great challenge. To play a 6-0 team, as the head coach you’d much rather do that than play a team that’s 0-6, because it doesn’t take much to motivate your guys.”
The picks, with all games Saturday unless noted, and lines from BetMGM Sportsbook:
No. 3 Penn State at Wisconsin (plus 6 1/2)
Wisconsin has outscored the opposition 117-16 during its three-game win streak. Mirage? The opposition was Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions are coming off an open date since their overtime win at Southern California.
Pick: Penn State 21-17.
Nebraska at No. 4 Ohio State (minus 25 1/2)
Will Howard has had a hot hand lately, the 2014 national championship team will hold a reunion at the Horseshoe and the Buckeyes have beaten Nebraska seven straight times by an average score of 48-18. The Cornhuskers just got hammered 56-7 at Indiana.
Pick: Ohio State 45-14.
No. 5 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt (plus 18 1/2)
It’s bounce-back week for the Longhorns. Quinn Ewers was out of sorts against Georgia, and coach Steve Sarkisian gave him a vote of confidence this week. The Commodores’ upset of Alabama and the buzz around them will keep Texas focused.
Pick: Texas 31-14.
Florida State at No. 6 Miami (minus 21)
The unbeaten Hurricanes have played three straight close games, and FSU’s defense is good enough to make this a four-quarter game. The offense isn’t, though. The Seminoles have scored no more than 16 points in six straight games, and the Canes’ Cam Ward is playing like he’s on a mission to win the Heisman Trophy.
Pick: Miami 39-14.
No. 8 LSU (plus 2 1/2) at No. 14 Texas A&M
The home team has won the last seven meetings. The Aggies’ defensive front will challenge LSU, just as South Carolina and Mississippi’s did. Close wins in those two games galvanized the Tigers. A&M’s highlight so far is its lopsided win over a then-top-10 Missouri.
Pick: LSU 32-27.
No. 11 BYU at UCF (minus 1 1/2)
UCF has lost four straight, but the change to QB Jacurri Brown has sparked an offense that gave Iowa State all it could handle last week. The key is whether Brown can limit his mistakes against a BYU defense that already has 12 interceptions.
Pick: UCF 31-28.
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 24 Navy (plus 12 1/2)
Notre Dame’s biggest worry is limiting Navy’s big plays. The Midshipmen have added wrinkles to their triple-option offense and broken five runs of at least 50 yards. Newberry goes for his first win over a ranked opponent and Navy’s first 7-0 start since 1978.
Pick: Navy 28-24.
Washington at No. 13 Indiana (minus 6 1/2)
Tayven Jackson is in line to start for Indiana in place of Kurtis Rourke, who injured his right thumb against Nebraska. The Huskies face the travel hurdle again. They lost at Iowa last week and head east again, this time three time zones away for what to them will be a 9 a.m. kickoff.
Pick: Indiana 41-24.
Kansas at No. 16 Kansas State (minus 10)
The Wildcats come in off two straight road wins and will be playing their first home game in a month. They’ve found a nice rhythm while winning three straight since their clunker at BYU. Kansas has lost 15 straight in the Sunflower Showdown.
Pick: Kansas State 38-16.
Oklahoma at No. 18 Mississippi (minus 20 1/2)
The Rebels have had two weeks to get over their crushing overtime loss at LSU and are at home to face an opponent in disarray. Sooners coach Brent Venables, who called his offense an “abomination,” fired coordinator Seth Littrell earlier this week and turned over play-calling to Joe Jon Finley.
Pick: Mississippi 27-3.
No. 17 Boise State (minus 3 1/2) at UNLV
Big Friday night game between teams with hopes of earning the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff. National rushing leader Ashton Jeanty has gone over 200 yards in three of the Broncos’ six games and is well rested after an open date. UNLV is best in the Mountain West at stopping the run.
Pick: Boise State 33-28.
Syracuse at No. 19 Pittsburgh (minus 5 1/2)
Desmond Reid is Pitt’s first running back to have three 100-yard rushing games and two 100-yard receiving games in the same season. Syracuse’s Kyle McCord puts up prodigious numbers and is clutch on third down. Pitt has won five straight Thursday night regular-season games.
Pick: Pittsburgh 37-27.
No. 20 Illinois (plus 21 1/2) at No. 1 Oregon
Illinois held Michigan to its lowest point total since 2014 in a 21-7 win. Oregon’s offense is a different animal. The Ducks just beat Purdue 35-0 on the road — the same Purdue team that scored 40 second-half points at Illinois before losing 50-49 in overtime.
Pick: Oregon 42-24.
No. 21 Missouri at No. 15 Alabama (minus 14)
Jalen Milroe and the two-loss Crimson Tide have been trying to regain their mojo since beating Georgia, and there’s no room for error now if they are to contend for a playoff bid. Missouri QB Brady Cook made an inspiring return from the hospital in the second half to lead the Tigers past Auburn last week.
Pick: Alabama 28-10.
No. 22 SMU (minus 11 1/2) at Duke
Coaching connections abound. Third-year SMU coach Rhett Lashlee was first-year Duke coach Manny Diaz’s offensive coordinator at Miami in 2020-21. Duke OC Jonathan Brewer worked with Lashlee at SMU in 2022-23, and Duke DC Jonathan Patke was with Lashlee at Miami.
Pick: SMU 36-16.
AP predictions scorecard
Last week: Straight-up — 14-3; Against spread — 9-8.
Season: Straight-up — 127-33; Against spread — 84-75.
NC STATE QB GRAYSON MCCALL (CONCUSSIONS) RETIRES FROM FOOTBALL
North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall said Wednesday night that he is retiring from football after his latest head injury.
McCall sustained two concussions this season and hasn’t played since being carted off the field against Wake Forest on Oct. 5. His helmet flew off from the hit and he was briefly unconscious before taken to a hospital for evaluation. He was released later that night.
Last season, while playing for Coastal Carolina, McCall sustained a season-ending concussion in an Oct. 21 game at Arkansas State. On that occasion, he was taken off the field via ambulance and hospitalized overnight.
“Unfortunately, my dream has been cut just short,” McCall wrote on Instagram. “As you all know, I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from.
“I have done everything I can to continue, but this is where the good Lord has called me to serve in a different space. Brain specialists, my family, and I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to hang the cleats up.”
McCall was a three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year at Coastal Carolina before transferring to the Wolfpack after last season.
He passed for 518 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in four games for NC State. McCall sustained his first concussion of this season against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 14 and missed two games before returning against Wake Forest.
Overall, McCall passed for 10,523 yards and 91 touchdowns against just 16 interceptions in 46 games over parts of six college seasons. He completed 69.6 percent of his passes and is the most decorated player in Coastal Carolina history.
“Every time my feet hit the grass, I left every single ounce of myself on that field,” McCall said. “I always played my hardest and to the best of my ability because I never knew what play would be my last. I have no regrets throughout my career and that is something I can be proud of.”
McCall will remain an active player with the team for the rest of the season. The Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) are next in action against visiting Stanford on Nov. 2.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: DAMIAN LILLARD, BUCKS WIN OPENER OVER 76ERS
Damian Lillard scored 30 points while leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 124-109 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds and seven assists for Milwaukee. Bobby Portis chipped in 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting off the bench, while Taurean Prince also had 16 points, fueled by 4-of-5 success on 3-point attempts.
Tyrese Maxey shot 10 of 31 en route to 25 points for Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid and Paul George, both of whom are nursing knee injuries. Kelly Oubre Jr. pitched in 21 points, while Andre Drummond had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The Sixers led by one point after the first quarter, and the score remained close for most of the second quarter before the Bucks began to create some separation. Milwaukee was up 58-47 at halftime before erupting for 42 points in the third quarter, including 15 from Lillard.
Pelicans 123, Bulls 111
Brandon Ingram scored 33 points and CJ McCollum added 23 as host New Orleans defeated Chicago in the season opener for both teams.
Dejounte Murray had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Jordan Hawkins scored 13 points and rookie Yves Missi chipped in 12 to help the Pelicans overcome the absence of Zion Williamson (illness).
Zach LaVine scored 27 and Nikola Vucevic tallied 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls. Lonzo Ball, who played in a regular-season game for the first time since Jan. 14, 2022, after recovering from knee issues, scored five points in 14 minutes.
Pacers 115, Pistons 109
Myles Turner had 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks as visiting Indiana spoiled J.B. Bickerstaff’s first game as Detroit’s head coach in the season opener for both teams.
Pascal Siakam had 19 points, eight rebounds and nine assists and Bennedict Mathurin also tossed in 19 points for Indiana, which overcame a 12-point second-half deficit. Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points, and T.J. McConnell chipped in 14.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 28 points and eight assists. Jaden Ivey had 17 points, and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley supplied 14 points apiece. Jalen Duren contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Tobias Harris added 13 points.
Magic 116, Heat 97
Paolo Banchero scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading Orlando to a season-opening win at Miami, spoiling a night when the Heat named their home court for team president and former coach Pat Riley.
Franz Wagner added 23 points for the Magic, and Wendell Carter Jr. had a game-high 14 rebounds. Orlando also got 18 points off the bench from Gary Harris, who went 6 of 9 on 3-point attempts.
Terry Rozier led Miami with 19 points, and Nikola Jovic had 15 points. However, Jimmy Butler was 1-for-8 shooting and finished with three points, and Bam Adebayo was held to nine points, five rebounds.
Cavaliers 136, Raptors 106
Evan Mobley scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds as visiting Cleveland routed Toronto in each team’s season opener.
Donovan Mitchell added 21 points for the Cavaliers, who took command of the game in the second quarter and led by 26 entering the fourth. Caris LeVert scored 15 of his 19 points in the third quarter for the Cavaliers and shot 8-for-9 from the field.
Chris Boucher scored 18 points for the Raptors, who began their 30th season. Gradey Dick added 16 points. Immanuel Quickley did not play in the second half due to a right pelvic contusion. He finished with 13 points and four assists.
Hawks 120, Nets 116
Trae Young collected 30 points and 12 assists and reserve Onyeka Okongwu added a career-high 28 points as Atlanta surged ahead in the fourth quarter and held off visiting Brooklyn in the season opener for both teams.
Young scored 12 points in the final quarter when the Hawks nearly blew an eight-point edge in the final 20.9 seconds. He shot 7-for-16 from the floor and hit 14 of 16 free-throw attempts. Okongwu had his way inside, sinking 11 of 12 shots, including four dunks, as the Hawks scored 37 points in the fourth.
Cam Thomas led all scorers with 36 points and scored 20 in the final quarter for the Nets, who committed 32 fouls in the coaching debut of Jordi Fernandez. Ben Simmons, returning from back surgery performed in March, totaled six points and eight assists in 24 minutes. He also committed six turnovers.
Hornets 110, Rockets 105
LaMelo Ball racked up 34 points with 11 assists and eight rebounds as visiting Charlotte opened the season by erasing an 18-point deficit in the first half to claim a victory over Houston.
Tre Mann chipped in 24 points off the bench for Charlotte, terrorizing the Rockets’ defense off the dribble en route to 8-for-16 shooting, which included 4-for-8 success from 3-point range. Ball made all 10 of his free-throw attempts, and Miles Bridges contributed 10 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets.
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 28 points, while Alperen Sengun added 25 points and 18 rebounds. Fred VanVleet put up 14 points and Amen Thompson scored all 13 of his points in the first half for Houston, which shot just 13-for-43 (30.2 percent) from beyond the arc.
Grizzlies 126, Jazz 124
Three Memphis players scored at least 22 points and the Grizzlies withstood a big rally from Utah for a victory in each team’s season opener in Salt Lake City.
Santi Aldama had team highs of 27 points and five 3-pointers, Desmond Bane scored 24 points and Ja Morant tallied 22 points, 10 assists and five rebounds for the Grizzlies.
Lauri Markkanen netted a game-high 35 points and added nine rebounds, and six other Jazz players scored in double figures.
Warriors 139, Trail Blazers 104
Buddy Hield made five 3-pointers and scored 22 points off the bench in his Golden State debut to help the Warriors notch a convincing victory at Portland in the season opener for both teams.
Andrew Wiggins dropped in 20 points and Stephen Curry added 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in three quarters for the Warriors, who opened a season without Klay Thompson on the roster for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.
Scoot Henderson led the Trail Blazers with 22 points off the bench. Jerami Grant scored 16.
NHL NEWS
ST. LOUIS BLUES’ ROBERT THOMAS OUT 6 WEEKS WITH A BROKEN ANKLE
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas will miss at least six weeks with a broken right ankle, the team announced Wednesday.
The Blues put Thomas on injured reserve after he took a puck off the ankle early in the third period of their loss Tuesday night to still-unbeaten Winnipeg. General manager Doug Armstrong said Thomas would be evaluated in six weeks.
Thomas is the latest St. Louis player to get knocked out of the lineup. Defenseman Nick Leddy landed on IR earlier this week because of a lower-body injury.
The Blues opened the season 4-3-0 without Torey Krug and others available. Krug will miss the entire season after undergoing ankle surgery.
Forward Oskar Sundqvist took Thomas’ spot on the roster after the 30-year-old Swede was activated for the first time this season. Sundqvist has not played since tearing the ACL in his right knee on March 25, and he could return Thursday at Toronto.
St. Louis also this week signed defenseman Jake Neighbours to a two-year extension worth $7.5 million. Neighbours will count $3.75 million against the salary cap for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NHL seasons.
UTAH DEFENSEMEN SEAN DURZI AND JOHN MARINO OUT LONG TERM AFTER UNDERGOING SURGERIES
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Hockey Club will be without a couple of defenseman for an extended period of time after Sean Durzi and John Marino each underwent surgery.
The team announced Durzi had his right shoulder repaired after being injured last week in Utah’s fourth game of the season and is expected to be out four to six months. Marino had an operation on lower-back problems that had him sidelined throughout training camp, and he’s expected to miss three to four months.
Maveric Lamoureux, a 2022 first-round pick, was recalled from Tucson of the American Hockey League.
Utah, formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes before relocating to Salt Lake City under new ownership, is aiming to end the organization’s playoff drought, which goes back to 2012 not counting the pandemic-expanded 2020 postseason. The NHL is treating the club like a new franchise with the old records applying only to Arizona, a condition of the sale to new owners.
CAPITALS TAKE DOWN FLYERS FOR 5TH STRAIGHT WIN
Connor McMichael scored twice to help the host Washington Capitals record a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday and complete a sweep of the home-and-home series.
Washington’s Nic Dowd scored for the second time in as many games after tallying in Washington’s 4-1 win in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Taylor Raddysh also scored and Pierre-Luc Dubois and superstar captain Alex Ovechkin converted into the empty net late in the third period to seal the win.
Dubois joined defensemen Dylan McIlrath and Rasmus Sandin in notching two assists and Logan Thompson made 26 saves for the Capitals, who secured their fifth win in a row.
Philadelphia rookie Matvei Michkov and Owen Tippett each collected a goal and an assist and Travis Konecny scored a power-play goal from a sharp angle for his team-leading third goal of the season.
Defenseman Jamie Drysdale had two assists and Ivan Fedotov turned aside 20 shots for the free-falling Flyers, who have lost six straight games (0-5-1).
Philadelphia showed some positives by winning 42 of 67 faceoffs and going 2-for-4 on the power play.
Skating across the slot, Raddysh deflected McIlrath’s shot from the point past Fedotov to open the scoring at 4:50 of the first period. Raddysh’s goal was his second of the season.
Washington scored three times on four shots to begin the second period and seize a 4-0 lead.
Dowd atoned for his holding penalty early in the second period by wiring a sharp wrist shot from the high slot past Fedotov.
McMichael converted a breakaway at 4:04 of the second period before deflecting defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk’s shot past Fedorov for his third goal of the season.
The Flyers scored twice in the second to halve the deficit, however, Thompson denied Mason Frost on a breakaway late in the second.
Michkov’s shot from above the circles sailed through traffic at 6:36 of the third period trimmed Washington’s lead to 4-3.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
MULLINS PICKS UCONN
Five-star basketball recruit Braylon Mullins made his much anticipated college choice Wednesday and it wasn’t Indiana. Mullins will head east and play for the UCONN Huskies. Mullins averaged 25.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game last season at Greenfield-Central and shot 43% (61-for-142) from the 3-point line.
COLTS NEWS
COLTS SIGN WR ETHAN FERNEA TO PRACTICE SQUAD, RELEASE K SPENCER SHRADER FROM PRACTICE SQUAD
Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts today signed wide receiver Ethan Fernea to the practice squad and released kicker Spencer Shrader from the practice squad.
Fernea, 6-0, 195 pounds, spent Week 7 on the team’s practice squad. He participated in the Colts’ 2024 offseason program and training camp. Fernea spent time on the team’s active roster and practice squad the last two seasons (2022-23). In 2023, he saw action in three games. As a rookie in 2022, Fernea played in one game. He was originally signed by Indianapolis as an undrafted free agent on May 13, 2022, out of UCLA. His last name is pronounced FIR-knee-uh.
Shrader, 6-2, 201 pounds, has had multiple stints on the team’s practice squad this season. He was elevated to the active roster in Week 1 vs. Houston and converted three extra points. Shrader participated in the Colts’ 2024 offseason program and training camp after originally signing with the team as an undrafted free agent on May 9, 2024. Collegiately, he appeared in 57 career games at Notre Dame (2023) and USF (2019-22) and converted 43-of-63 field goals and 156-of-158 extra points for 285 points. In 2023, Shrader played in all 13 games and made 15-of-22 field goals and 61-of-62 extra points for 106 points. He was a Lou Groza Award Semifinalist in 2021. His last name is pronounced Sh-RAID-err.
COLTS OPEN 21-DAY PRACTICE WINDOW FOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE DEFOREST BUCKNER TO RETURN FROM INJURED RESERVE
The Colts on Wednesday opened defensive tackle DeForest Buckner’s 21-day practice window to be activated from injured reserve, head coach Shane Steichen said.
Buckner will begin participating in practice immediately and can be activated from injured reserve at any point in the next three weeks.
The 30-year-old Buckner sustained a back injury in the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans but managed to play a week later; Buckner sustained an ankle injury in the Colts’ Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers and was placed on injured reserve. Buckner has missed the Colts’ last five games.
Over two games this season, Buckner has 1.5 sacks, seven tackles, two quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss. This has been his first trip to injured reserve in his nine-year career; Buckner previously only missed one game due to injury in his career, which came in 2016 as a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers.
Since being acquired by the Colts from the 49ers for a first-round draft pick in 2020, Buckner has 34 sacks, 89 quarterback hits and 43 tackles for a loss over 68 games. He was named a first-team AP All-Pro in 2020 and earned Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2023.
Steichen said running back Jonathan Taylor will participate in practice on Wednesday as well. The Colts additionally opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Cameron McGrone, who was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return in August.
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 115, PISTONS 109
Game Recap
The Pacers opened their 2024-25 campaign with a win against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday evening, 115-109. Poised to build on their Eastern Conference Finals run from just one year ago, Indiana trotted out the familiar five of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner to start the contest.
Detroit, who looks to take a step this season, jumped out to an early 12-4 lead behind hot shooting from Tim Hardaway Jr. and dominance on the offensive glass by Jalen Duren. The Pacers responded with an 8-0 run coming out of a timeout, tying the game at 12 points with just under six minutes remaining in the first frame.
Pacers newcomer James Wiseman filled in the center spot of Indiana’s second unit as Isaiah Jackson was sidelined due to a groin strain. Wiseman scored six points in his five minutes before injuring his calf in the first quarter, and being ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The injury to Jackson created an opportunity for rookie Enrique Freeman to make his NBA debut as he recorded 6:39 of action in the game.
The Pacers trailed the Pistons by nine at the break, 58-49.
The second half began the same as the first – two quick Hardaway 3-pointers and a wave of Pistons momentum. Indiana punched back as Turner converted a three-point play after Cunningham fouled him on a layup, and Nesmith ferociously blocked a dunk attempt from Jaden Ivey.
Turner connected on consecutive 3-point shots the next three trips down the floor. He tallied 16 third quarter points, helping the Pacers to outscore Detroit by a single point in the third. Cunningham muscled the Pistons through the Turner shooting spell as he scored his own 18 points in the frame.
“Cade’s elite, we all know that,” Haliburton said. “He made a lot of shots in the third. The reason we get up and pressure and try to blow up all these ball screens is to kind of wear him down throughout the course of the game. We were able to do that, get enough stops to win the game.”
Freeman’s first NBA points came in the third quarter as he sank two free throws to put Indiana up three late.
The fourth quarter opened with a spotlight on T.J. McConnell – he started the quarter with eight points as he made all four of his field goals just 2:42 into the final quarter of play.
Play stopped with 8:19 to go as officials charged Detroit with a technical foul after it was discovered that they had six players on the floor. Mathurin hit the technical free throw to cut Detroit’s lead to just one point, 98-97.
The Pacers surged ahead in the final 3:30 as they stretched a one point lead to four after Mathurin drained a stepback 3-pointer over Ivey, then six as Siakam slammed home a hit-ahead pass from Haliburton.
Indiana led by three when Haliburton – yet to connect from beyond the arc – hit his first 3-point attempt after nine tries.
“Good teams figure out a way to win,” Haliburton said. “The rest of the things don’t matter. I think we just had to find a way to win, and we were able to do that.”
The Pacers would go on to win the game, 115-109, behind 58 combined points from Siakam, Turner, and Mathurin. They outscored Detroit 33-19 in the final frame.
Indiana had five players score in double figures — Turner (20), Siakam (19), Mathurin (19), Haliburton (15), and McConnell (14). Cunningham led the Pistons with 28 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
“Our depth is pretty much who we are,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “…Everyone was trying to do their job and that’s important.”
After defeating the Pistons, the Pacers will shift their sights to Friday’s matchup with the Knicks in New York. They’ll take on the familiar Eastern Conference foe at 7:30 PM ET.
Inside the Numbers
The Pacers’ bench outscored Detroit’s bench 46-24.
After committing 11 turnovers in the first half, Indiana had just four in the second.
The Pacers limited the Pistons to just 27 percent shooting on their 33 3-point attempts.
Pascal Siakam was just one assist and two rebounds shy of a triple double. He recorded 19 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.
You Can Quote Me on That
“Benn Mathurin was great in this game. He just has that attitude as an attacker and as a scorer. I thought defensively, as the game went along, he got better.” — Rick Carlisle on Benn Mathurin
“They had momentum, and then we were able to throw a 19-point defensive quarter at them. At one point we got six or seven stops in a row, and that really keyed our momentum change.” — Rick Carlisle on fourth quarter defense
“Good teams figure out a way to win. The rest of the things don’t matter. I think we just had to find a way to win, and we were able to do that. We just had to turn it up a little bit defensively. Bring some more energy, put together a couple stops in a row.” — Tyrese Haliburton
Stat of the Night
Indiana recorded 32 assists to Detroit’s 22. The Pacers made 42 total field goals, meaning 76 percent of the Blue and Gold’s baskets were assisted.
Noteworthy
Enrique Freeman scored his first NBA points tonight from the free throw line. The team gave him the game ball.
Myles Turner passed Dale Davis on the NBA’s career blocks list after recording four stuffs against Detroit. This puts him at 1,272 blocks in his career.
Pacers newcomer James Wiseman exited the game in the first half after injuring his calf. He did not return to play.
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is an Indiana native. He played high school basketball for Marian High School (Mishawaka) before playing at La Lumiere School (La Porte) his senior year. He spent two years at Purdue University before being selected fifth overall by the Pistons.
Up Next
The Pacers travel to New York for a nationally television matchup with Jalen Brunson and the Knicks on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 PM ET.
Tickets
The Pacers host the Philadelphia 76ers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Opening Night presented by Kroger on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 3:30 PM ET.
INDY ELEVEN
INDY ELEVEN TO HOST HOME PLAYOFF GAME ON SUNDAY, NOV. 3
INDIANAPOLIS (October 23, 2024) –The Indy Eleven will host a 2024 USL Championship Eastern Conference quarterfinal game on Sunday, November 3 at Carroll Stadium. Match time and opponent have not been determined.
Indy Eleven Season Ticket Members can purchase opening round playoff seats here.
Non-season ticket members can purchase their playoff tickets on the Indy Eleven 2024 USL Championship Playoffs page.
For ticket assistance, email tickets@indyeleven.com or call (317) 685-1100 during business hours.
The Boys in Blue will play their regular season finale at the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday at 7:30 pm on WNDY 23 and ESPN+.
INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL CENTRAL: WISCONSIN
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A return to the friendly confines of Wilkinson Hall is on the horizon for the Indiana Volleyball team (9-9, 2-6 B1G) during the final week of October. After playing three of four on the road, IU will welcome the home crowd for top-10 Wisconsin on Thursday (Oct. 24) night.
Connor Onion (PxP) and Emily Ehman (Color) will have the call on FS1 as IU plays its first ever match on the channel. FOX has picked up the rights to select conference matchups as part of a television agreement with the league this year.
This will be IU’s sixth match of the season against a ranked opponent and the fifth against a program in the top-11 of the AVCA Rankings. It will also be IU’s eighth match of the season against a team currently in the top-40 of the RPI rankings, further bringing to light how difficult the schedule has been for the Hoosiers.
Despite a tough run of form in the league, IU has greatly benefited from the outstanding defensive play of sophomore libero Ramsey Gary. She racked up the 13th 20-dig match of her young career against Purdue, the second time she’s hit the 20-dig plateau in a three-set contest.
Among players in Power Four conferences, she’s 10th in the nation with 4.33 digs per set. She’s second among all underclassmen in the nation’s best conferences, behind only Ella Larkin of Kansas State (4.40). The Pendleton, Ind. native has the most digs per set among Big Ten players in conference only matches (4.82).
Senior setter Camryn Haworth moved into the top five in program history in assists, passing the 3,500 threshold during her storied tenure. Among setters in IU history, she is top five in aces (195), kills (331), digs (842), blocks (160) and assists (3,513). She needs just three aces to break the program’s all-time record.
Gary (816) and junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (800) each reached 800 in digs and kills respectively for their careers. The two players will come close to, or pass, 1,000 in the respective categories this season. Gary is on pace to become the fastest to 1,000 digs in program history.
Wisconsin has won 16-straight matches in the series; a streak IU would love to break this week. Thursday’s match will begin at 7:00 PM and will be IU’s ‘Mental Health Awareness’ night. Both teams will wear green ribbons in an ongoing effort to support student athletes and their well-being.
Gameday Info
vs. #8 Wisconsin (Thursday, October 24th – 7:00 PM ET)
Live Video: t.ly/7fEB8
Live Stats: t.ly/Nc8eP
Stat Notes
• Candela Alonso-Corcelles and Avry Tatum are one of three Big Ten duos to each average over 3.30 kills per set. Penn State and Purdue have the other duos. Alonso-Corcelles and Tatum are each averaging career highs in kills per set to lead the IU offense.
• Ramsey Gary has been one of the league’s prolific liberos this season. She is second in the Big Ten with 4.33 digs per set. During conference play, she’s leading the league with 4.82 digs per set.
Notable
End of a Tough Streak
• IU will play its fifth game in a five-game streak against top-30 RPI teams. IU began the streak at No. 14 Minnesota and has played No. 3 Penn State, Illinois and No. 10 Purdue since. The streak ends with a home match against No. 9 Wisconsin in Wilkinson Hall.
Wilkinson Hall Magic
• The Hoosiers got off to a 7-0 start at Wilkinson Hall in 2024 after a pair wins over Michigan State and Ohio State. The 7-0 start, which ended after a tight loss to No. 3 Penn State, was the best start to a home campaign in program history. Over the past two seasons, IU is 17-4 inside the confines of its home gym. Three of those four losses were to top-5 teams.
Gary Gets Going
• Sophomore libero Ramsey Gary has been quietly as good as anyone in the Big Ten. She’s second in the league with 4.33 digs per set. In conference games only, she leads the league with 4.82 digs per set.
• She recorded her 13th career 20-dig match against Purdue (Oct. 19). It was the second time in her young career with 20+ digs in a three-set contest. She’s surpassed 800 digs for her career and is well on her way to becoming the fastest in IU history to 1,000.
Shared Connections on Both Sides
• There are multiple deep connections between Indiana and Wisconsin this season. Both liberos in the match on Thursday are products of Munciana. Lola Schumacher (Wisconsin) and Ramsey Gary (Indiana) shared the court in 2023 before Gary graduated and went to Bloomington.
• As well, Mady Saris (Indiana) and Anna Smrek (Wisconsin) are longtime friends who have grown up together in the Canadian youth system. The two played together at the 2019 FIVB Girls’ U18 World Championship in Egypt.
1,000 Kills for Saris
• Mady Saris tallied five kills at No. 14 Minnesota on Friday (Oct. 11) night to reach 1,000 kills for her fantastic college career. She became the 20th player in IU history to hit the threshold and is the first since Breana Edwards (2021) to do so.
Haworth Chases 200
• Indiana setter Camryn Haworth has been of the most prolific servers in Big Ten rally-era history over the past four seasons. Haworth (195) will become the third or fourth Big Ten player, to play all four years in the league, in rally-era history (since 2001) to record 200 career aces. She will join Micha Hancock (339, Penn State) and Emily Danks (230, Ohio State) and Raina Terry (Illinois) in the club.
Alonso-Corcelles Raises Level
• Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles has developed nicely in the IU program. She averaged just 1.89 kills per set as a freshman (2022) but has jumped up to 3.46 per set during her junior campaign (2024).
Scouting the Opponent
Wisconsin (13-4, 7-1 B1G)
• Wisconsin is running a seven-game winning streak into Thursday’s matchup. After losing a five-set thriller to Minnesota in the conference opener, it hasn’t been touched since. Three of its four losses have come to top-10 teams.
• Sarah Franklin is the reigning Big Ten and AVCA National Player of the Year and has stepped her game up in her senior season. She averages 4.43 kills per set and is hitting .303. She is arguably the best passing outside hitter in the entire league, making her an outstanding six-rotation hitter.
• Charlie Fuerbringer is among the best freshmen in the entire country. She averages 10.49 assists per set and is leading the Badgers to a collective .303 hitting percentage. Three different players average over 2.00 kills per set.
• The Badger block is as effective as any team in the country. With a rotating cast of characters in their lineup, Wisconsin has four players with at least 60 blocks this year. Carter Booth holds a narrow advantage with 66.0 total blocks this season.
Inside the Series
Wisconsin
• Wisconsin has controlled the all-time series, especially since Kelly Sheffield took over the program. IU has lost 16-straight games to the Badgers. The Hoosiers have been swept in 12 of the past 14 matchups. In 2022, IU pushed Wisconsin to a tight-four set defeat in Madison. IU had a lead in the fourth set and let it slip away. Overall, the Badgers lead 60-24 in 84 all-time contests.
INDIANA WOMEN’S GOLF
HOOSIERS PLACE SEVENTH AT THE ALLY
WEST POINT, Miss. – The Indiana Hoosiers women’s golf team finished seventh at The Ally Invitational held at the Old Waverly Golf Club from Oct. 21-23. The Hoosiers shot an 889 (300-293-296; +25).
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The Ally • West Point, Miss.
Old Waverly Golf Club
Par 72 • 6284 yards
Live Results: Scoreboard
Team Standings: 7th/16 – 889 (300-293-296; +25)
Top Indiana Player: Madison Dabagia – 212 (69-70-73; -4)
CHIP-INS
• Junior Madison Dabagia claimed her second top-10 finish (t-5th) of the season with a scorecard of 212 (69-70-73; -4). The Iowa transfer netted 10 total birdies over the three rounds of play.
• Dabagia earned a tie for sixth at the Bettie Lou Evans Invitational earlier in the fall slate. She has played below par in consecutive tournaments after she shot a 215 (73-67-75; -1) at the Illini Women’s Invitational.
• Junior Faith Johnson fired a 224 (79-69-76; +8) and converted eight birdie tries.
• Junior Chloe Johnson returned to the Hoosier lineup with a scorecard of 226 (75-75-76; +10). She knocked in eight birdies and an eagle on the par-5 15th hole in the final round.
• Redshirt senior Caroline Smith shot a 227 (77-79-71; +11) with four birdie conversions.
• Redshirt junior Maddie May played a 269 (88-86-95; +53).
HOOSIERS IN THE STANDINGS
t-5. Madison Dabagia – 212 (69-70-73; -4)
t-36. Faith Johnson – 224 (79-69-76; +8)
t-45. Chloe Johnson – 226 (75-75-76; +10)
t-52. Caroline Smith – 227 (77-79-71; +11)
90. Maddie May – 269 (88-86-95; +53)
UP NEXT
Indiana will not return to competition until a tri-match against border rivals Kentucky and Louisville on Jan. 21 at the Shadow Wood Country Club in Naples, Fla.
INDIANA WRESTLING
INDIANA WRESTLING TO HOST WRESTLE-OFFS ON FRIDAY
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Indiana Wrestling will have their annual wrestle-offs on Friday at 7 p.m. at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The event will feature eight matches pitting Hoosier wrestlers against one another to compete for the starting spot at each weight.
The schedule of matches is as follows.
125: Jacob Moran vs. Blaine Frazier
141: Henry Porter vs. Joey Buttler
157: Ryan Garvick vs. Bryce Lowery
197: Gabe Sollars vs. Caleb Marzolino
149: Anthony Bahl vs. Aidan Torres
133: Angelo Rini vs. Logan Frazier
174: Roman Rogotzke vs. Nick South
165: Tyler Lillard vs. Derek Gilcher
Wrestle-offs are open to the public and are free to attend. For those who can’t make it, you can watch on Facebook Live on the official Indiana Wrestling account’s page. There will also be live updates from the team’s Twitter account.
Attendance to the event is free. After the matches are concluded, autographs with wrestlers and free schedule posters will be available in the south lobby.
All fans should park in the Green Lot to avoid ticket and tow ahead of the football game.
The team’s season officially begins on Friday, Nov. 1 when the Hoosiers will compete in a dual at Cal Baptist.
PURDUE WRESTLING
BOILERMAKERS READY FOR WRESTLE OFFS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue wrestling team is set to return to the mat for Boilermaker Wrestle Offs on Friday, October 25, for its first public event of the 2024-25 season. Matches for the annual exhibition scrimmage will begin at 7 p.m. in Holloway Gymnasium.
The Purdue wrestlers will be split into two teams — Team Gold and Team Black — to compete against each other in a series of 10 matches, one per weight class, with no intermission.
The 10 wrestlers on Team Gold will be rocking gray and gold singlets while Team Black will don black singlets with a gold Purdue Motion P logo.
Head coach Tony Ersland, in his 11th season at the helm of the program, leads the Boilermakers into action for the first time since March.
Purdue’s 60th All-American and 2023 NCAA runner-up Matt Ramos, currently ranked No. 5 in the country (125 pounds) by various outlets, returns for his redshirt senior season.
The Lockport, Illinois, native will look to leave it all on the mat as the team’s only senior, ultimately aiming for Big Ten Conference domination and another shot at the NCAA Championships.
Every Boilermaker who qualified for last season’s NCAA Championships earned a spot in the national preseason rankings, including Ramos, Joey Blaze (No. 15 at 157), Stoney Buell (No. 22 at 165), Greyson Clark (No. 23 at 141) and Brody Baumann (No. 31 at 174).
The five ranked stars will all be in action Friday night, taking on their Purdue brethren in preparation for their first regular season bout a week later.
Doors to Holloway will open at 6 p.m. and all seating will be first come first served. The event will also be live-streamed on B1G+. Follow @PurdueWrestling on X/Twitter to keep up with all the latest news and match-by-match coverage of the event.
Team Gold | Team Black
- 125 – Matt Ramos | Ashton Jackson
- 133 – Jacob Macatangay | Dustin Norris
- 141 – Greyson Clark | Christian White
- 149 – Jaden Reynolds | Isaac Ruble
- 157 – Joey Blaze | Delaney Ruhlman
- 165 – RJ Powers | Stoney Buell
- 174 – Brody Baumann | Orlando Cruz
- 184 – Trevyn Gates | James Rowley
- 197 – Ben Vanadia | Quinn Herbert
- 285 – Dominic Burgett | Hayden Filipovich
Matchups and order are subject to change.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
#10 PURDUE SWEEPS OHIO STATE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Returning to Holloway Gymnasium for a midweek against Ohio State, the No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers swept the Buckeyes 28-26, 25-19, 27-25. With the win, Purdue improves to 16-4 (7-2 Big Ten) while Ohio State falls to 8-11 (1-8 Big Ten).
Purdue has now won four consecutive games and seven of its last eight.
Ohio State nearly pushed the match to a fourth set, tying the match, 23-23 and erasing Purdue’s attempt at match point. Then, Purdue returned the favor at 24-25 when a kill by Chloe Chicoine kept the Boilermakers alive. Purdue followed it with a block assist by Raven Colvin and Kenna Wollard then another kill by Chicoine to seal the victory.
Meanwhile in Set 1, Purdue fought back from a 18-21 deficit with a 5-1 run to reach set point at 24-23. Ohio State fought back for two attempts at set point at 24-25 and 25-26, both of which were erased by Eva Hudson’s attack. During the extra-point stretch, two of Hudson’s kills erased Ohio State’s set point and one gave Purdue the go-ahead, which Lourdes Myers sealed with a block solo.
Setter Taylor Anderson led the show with 38 assists, seven digs, four blocks, two aces and a pair of kills. She set the team to a .215 hitting %, including a match-high .324% in the final set, and helped to hold Ohio State to .112% in the match.
Libero Ali Hornung saw a season-high 58 receptions and totaled 15 digs, leading both teams. She helped to limit the Big Ten kills leader, Emily Londot, to 14 kills and a .085 hitting % in the outing.
Middle Lourdes Myers went errorless on the attack, producing seven kills on 13 swings (.538%) and tied fellow middle Raven Colvin with six total blocks (one solo, five assisted). As a team, Purdue out-blocked Ohio State, 12-8.
Hudson totaled a team-leading 19 kills on 51 attacks (.255%), becoming just the third performance this century and 18 years since a Boilermaker has recorded as many attempts in a three-set match. Meanwhile, she was two kills shy of entering the Purdue top-5 for most kills in a three-setter. She came one block shy of tying a career-high in the win, ending the night with four block assists in addition to eight digs.
Chloe Chicoine finished the day one dig shy of a double-double, totaling 11 kills (11-5-33) and nine digs. She was key during Purdue’s Set 1 comeback with her tough serving putting Ohio State out of system for Purdue to tie and take the lead 23-23 and 24-23.
No. 10 Purdue will return to Mackey Arena on Saturday to take on No. 8 Wisconsin in a Gold Out match. It will be Purdue’s sixth top-10 match this season.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
JACK KISER NAMED FINALIST FOR PRESTIGIOUS WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY
For his performance on the field, excellence in the classroom and service to the community, graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser has been named a finalist for the National Football Foundation’s prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Kiser is one of 16 finalists for the award, selected from a pool of 204 semifinalists. Each finalist for the award receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.
He is the 20th Notre Dame Football student-athlete to be named a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, and the second Notre Dame finalist for the award in as many years, joining JD Bertrand, who was a finalist in 2023. Notre Dame is one of just two schools with back-to-back honorees this season.
“We are thrilled to announce this year’s finalists for the Campbell Trophy,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (a Campbell Trophy recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These exceptional young men embody an unwavering commitment to excellence in all areas of their lives, from the classroom to the football field. They truly represent the best of college football, and we know they have only begun to reach their potential.”
Kiser has already been named to the 2024 AFCA Allstate Good Works Team and a semifinalist for the 2024 Wuerffel Trophy.
One of the most tenured players on Notre Dame’s roster and a team captain, Kiser is in his sixth season playing for the Irish and leads the linebacker room. A Butkus Award Watch List honoree, Kiser owns 219 career tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions (two pick-sixes), 10 pass defended, five forced fumbles and a blocked kick. His 65 tackles in 2023 placed him third among Irish defenders and his 58 tackles in 2022 ranked him second on the team. This year, he currently ranks second on the team with 34 tackles..
Kiser was Notre Dame’s 2023 Special Teams Player of the Year. Last season, he played in all 13 games, making three starts as a consistent contributor on special teams as well as consistent playing time at linebacker. Kiser finished third on the team with 62 tackles, and tied for the team-lead with 41 solo tackles. He added 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception, also recording a pass breakup and three quarterback hurries, and forced a fumble.
Owning two Notre Dame degrees, Kiser is a force in the classroom. He is one of two finalists for the Campbell Trophy who have already earned a master’s degree. He achieved a 3.82 undergraduate GPA, majoring in business analytics, and a 3.97 GPA to earn his master’s degree in accountancy.
Following the 2023 football season, Kiser was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, recognizing his academic success paired with his athletic accomplishments. He was also named to the 2024 National Football Foundation Honor Society. Graduating in 2022, he continued his pursuit of academic rigor in the Master’s in Accountancy program, becoming the top-ranked student in the entire class. Kiser earned selection to the Dean’s List in Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022.
In May of 2023, Kiser was awarded the Dean’s Graduate Business Award, given to the student in each program, nominated by faculty, who demonstrates strong leadership amongst his/her classmates, shows promise for future professional success, and has a strong record of scholarship. He also earned the Tom Frecka Academic Achievement Award, recognizing the top GPA in the entire Master’s of Science in Accountancy program.
Kiser has led and participated in several community-facing initiatives during his time at Notre Dame. He has twice served as the player committee chairman for the program’s Cleats For a Cause initiative, and he served as the Fighting Irish Fight for Life football team lead for the past three years.
Additionally, Kiser worked with local low-income families to perform tax returns this past spring on a weekly basis leading up to Tax Day. He has also made an impact in his home community, as he visited his former youth football team to surprise local kids from his area, spend time with the team, and give them tickets to a Notre Dame Football game.
NOTRE DAME SWIMMING
IRISH FALL TO NO. 6 INDIANA ON THE ROAD, 164-137
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In a rare weekday fall break meet on Wednesday, Notre Dame fell to No. 6 Indiana, 164-137. The Irish are now 1-3 on the year, but the three losses are all top-15 teams.
Despite the loss, there were several notable performances on the afternoon.
Freshman Carli Cronk continued to impress with a second-place finish in the 200 free (1:48.76). Fellow freshman Emily Kitayama finished second in a pair of events as well: 200 IM (2:06.94) and 200 breast (2:21.48).
Sophomore Lainey Mullins finished third in the 200 fly with a time of 2:02.09, her fastest mark of the season. She also finished second in the 500 free with a time of 5:00.42.
Both Irish A relays finished second on the day, as the 200 medley (Jess Geriane, Gigi Baldacci, Renee Gillian and Imogen Meers) went 1:42.05, while the 400 free (Meers, Geriane, Hollie Widdows and Madelyn Christman) went 3:22.08.
Up next, Notre Dame hosts No. 7 Louisville on Nov. 8 at the Rolfs Aquatics Center. The meet starts at 6 p.m.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER
15. MOMENTUM VERSUS #1
DURHAM, N.C. – Like the title says … Thursday night will be a case of momentum versus number one. If you saw the No. 7 Notre Dame women’s soccer squad this past week, you could definitely say they are playing their best soccer right now. They knocked off both No. 25 Cal and No. 6 Stanford and improved to 4-1 against ranked teams this season. The Irish haven’t loss since their season opener against Michigan State.
That will all be tested on Thursday night when the Irish travel to Durham to take on No. 1 Duke. The Blue Devils are 12-1-0 on the year with a perfect 7-0-0 record in ACC play. They too have not lost since their season opener.
No. 7 vs. No. 1 will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ACCNX inside Koskinen Stadium.
PLAYING #1
Notre Dame is 6-14-2 all-time when playing the No. 1 team in the country. That’s a .318 winning percentage.
Their last win against a No. 1 ranked team came in 2015 – a 2-1 double-overtime victory at Virginia.
The Notre Dame women’s soccer program has a long-standing tradition of wearing green jerseys, specifically when they play the top-ranked team in the country. Nothing has been announced at the time of this writing, but expect to see some green on Thursday night in Durham.
Notre Dame leads the overall series with Duke, 10-8-3. The two clashed last season and it was one of the most thrilling endings in Coach Norman’s tenure. The Fighting Irish trailed 0-1 after 85 minutes but earned a tough 2-1 road-ranked victory. Kiki Van Zanten scored the first Irish goal at 85:07. At 86:40 – the game-winner from Leah Klenke. It marked Notre Dame’s first win against Duke since October of the 2015 season.
NOTRE DAME’S RESUME
The NCAA committee released its initial top-16 on Oct. 17 and the Irish checked in at No. 15.
After the big win against No. 6 Stanford, Notre Dame’s RPI shot up from No. 18 to No. 12. They are 3-1 against the RPI Top-25.
The Irish are 4-1 against ranked opposition this season. They have defeated No. 6 Stanford, No. 25 Cal, No. 13 TCU and No. 14 Virginia. If they get to five ranked wins (they play No. 1 Duke and No. 19 Virginia Tech this week), it’ll mark the most since the 2008 season.
ND’s lone loss was against No. 13 Michigan State in the season opener. The Irish are unbeaten since.
TRENDING
It was an Irish sweep of ACC awards on Oct. 22 as Ellie Hodsden earned Offensive, while Leah Klenke was named Defensive Player of the Week.
Notre Dame’s +31 goal differential ranks 10th in the country and third in the ACC.
Notre Dame’s scoring offense (2.71) ranks seventh nationally and third in the ACC.
Coach Norman has stressed to his team about finishing chances. They rank in the top-10 in both SOG (9.2) and shots per game (20.4).
Irish are 10-0 when scoring first this season. ND is 8-0 when leading at the half.
They are 9-0-2 when allowing just one goal or less.
Irish are 12-5-4 against ranked opposition over the last 2.5 seasons (Start of 2022 season-Present Day).
31 of the team’s 38 goals have been scored by freshmen.
Right now the top-four point getters on the team are freshmen: Izzy Engle (23 points), Lily Joseph (17 points), Ellie Hodsden (16 points) and Grace Restovich (14 points).
ACC – Version 2024
Since Notre Dame joined the ACC in 2013, the Irish have gone 69-35-13 in conference games. Their .645 winning percentage in league play ranks fourth behind UNC, Virginia and Florida State.
This year’s ACC slate has been up-and-down. The down being that the three draws were against teams that are currently in the bottom half of the standings. The up being that the Irish have knocked off a ranked Virginia, Cal and Stanford. And even in those tough ties, they battled back — Irish were down 0-2 at BC and 0-1 vs. NC State.
Presently, Notre Dame is 4-0-3 in ACC play. Their 15 points puts them in seventh place but four teams sit right in front with 16 points. They still will play two teams ahead of them in the standings. More on that below.
STRETCH AHEAD
Notre Dame has produced three straight ACC regular seasons in which they have achieved at least seven wins. It’s also been two consecutive seasons in which they’ve made the ACC Tournament semifinals. Now, if they are to reach that seven-win milestone yet again they have work to do and the time is now.
The Irish did exactly what they needed to do last week – defeated No. 25 Cal, 5-2, then looked dominant in a 3-0 victory over No. 6 Stanford.
Notre Dame hasn’t suffered an ACC defeat but sit at 4-0-3. The Irish have three regular-season games remaining: No. 1 Duke, No. 18 Virginia Tech and Pitt — the final two are at home.
ELLIE HODSDEN – THE COMEBACK STORY
Several freshmen have dominated the season storylines for the Irish but there’s not a better one than Ellie Hodsden. The Texas native missed the first several games due to working herself back into game shape, wrapping up a year-long ACL injury return.
Hodsden earned the ACC Offensive Player of the Week after an amazing four-goal week in wins over No. 25 Cal and No. 6 Stanford. Hodsden started with her first career hat trick against Cal – scoring by three different means: chest, head and foot. She then followed that up with a second half goal against Stanford.
Hodsden also played hero at Boston College, recording a brace to rally the Irish down 2-0 for the 2-2 tie. Her game-tying goal came via header in the 88th minute.
Hodsden now has eight goals in 227 minutes of action, which means she’s finding the back of the net every 28.4 minutes.
DEFENSE HOLDING STRONG
Notre Dame’s defense has taken shape and has posted 10 shutouts through 14 games. Coach Norman has solidified his backline with Abby Mills, Clare Logan and Leah Klenke.
Notre Dame’s shutout percentage of 0.714 ranks fifth nationally and leads the ACC
Sonoma Kasica & Atlee Olofson have combined for a save percentage of 0.868 which ranks ninth in the country and leads the ACC. Furthermore, their GAA of 0.500 ranks ninth nationally and second in the ACC.
Freshman Sonoma Kasica has gotten the starting nod in four straight contests. The St. Petersburg, Florida, native is 6-1-2 with 31 saves and six shutouts. Her GAA is 0.67
Then there’s sophomore Atlee Olofson. The Austin native surrendered her only goal of the season in the 1-1 tie vs. NC State. She is 4-0-1 with a GAA of 0.200 with 13 saves.
U20 WORLD CUP EXPERIENCE – THE TRIO
Three Notre Dame starters got valuable youth national team experience during the early portion of this season. Leah Klenke (USA), Annabelle Chukwu (Canada) and Clare Logan (Canada) all participated in the U20 World Cup. Klenke returned to South Bend with a Bronze Medal.
Klenke was named as one of the top returning players in the league and earned a 2024 Preseason All-ACC spot. In 2023, she was a Second Team All-ACC selection.
In Top Drawer Soccer’s Top 100 player list, Klenke checked in at No. 18 while Logan came in at No. 51.
During the U20 World Cup, Chukwu broke Canada’s all-time youth scoring record, surpassing Canadian great Christina Sinclair.
ENGLE’S HOT START… NOW GOT OFF THE HUMP WITH FIRST ACC GOAL
Izzy Engle has become one of the many freshman breakout stars of 2024. She scored 10 goals, with four multi-goal performances, during the non-con portion of the schedule. Heading into ACC play, she ranked first in the country in goals per game. It took her a while to find that first ACC goal but it finally arrived against No. 6 Stanford.
Her 11 goals now rank 13th most in the country, and second in the ACC. Her 0.79 goals per game ranks 12th nationally and second in the ACC. Engle leads the Irish with 23 points, which ranks fourth in the league.
AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES
We’ve talked about Izzy Engle, Annabelle Chukwu and Ellie Hodsden, and yet there’s another standout in Lily Joseph.
Joseph brings the flashy play and swag to the Irish. Just this past week, Joseph recorded four points with a goal and two assists. In the game against No. 25 Cal, Joseph scored a heck of a bender from distance to get the scoring going in the 5-2 win. A few days later against No. 6 Stanford, Joseph completely broke down her defender in a counterattack to set up her assist.
At Syracuse, she recorded her first career brace with two first half goals (within 90 seconds of each other).
Joseph is hitting her stride at the right time as well, recording a point in three of the last four matches.
All-in-all, Joseph has six goals and five assists on the year, good for 17 points, which is the second most on the team.
SOLIDIFYING THE MIDDLE
Notre Dame has developed a three-headed monster in its midfield. First let’s start with freshman Grace Restovich, who leads the Irish in assists with eight. In fact, Restovich ranks 12th in the country in total assists (8) and eighth in assists per game (0.57). Restovich ranks fourth in the ACC in total assists.
Next, there’s sophomore Charlie Codd, who boasts four assists and one goal for six points. Codd is making a defensive play every 3.5 minutes. She’s started over 35 counter attacks.
Lastly, there’s junior Laney Matriano, who was named 1-of-4 team captains for the 2024 season. Holding down the tough No. 6 position, Matriano has now started in 47 of 52 games played at ND. She boasts an 85 percent passing completion record.
ROAD WARRIORS
Notre Dame has thrived away from South Bend this season. In fact, they haven’t lost a road match yet, owning a 5-0-2 record. Victories include Samford, Michigan, Butler, Syracuse and a ranked Virginia squad.
The top-five point getters on the road are as follows: Izzy Engle (9), Grace Restovich (8), Ellie Hodsden (6), Lily Joseph (5) and Ellie Ospeck (4). 11 total Irish own points in road contests this season.
ND is outscoring opponents 15-2 on the road. Both those goals came in the 2-2 tie at Boston College. That means all five victories were shutouts.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
HOCKEY HOSTS LIU FOR TWO-GAME SERIES
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team continues its homestand October 25-26 as they get set to host Long Island University. The weekend series will mark the second and third ever meetings between the two squads. Friday’s game will be the team’s annual First Responder’s Night with a ceremonial puck drop before Hocktoberfest on the lawn of Compton Family Ice Arena pregame Saturday.
Tickets for both games are still available and can be purchased here.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Long Island Sharks | Oct. 25-26
Location: South Bend, Ind. | Compton Family Ice Arena
Schedule: Fri. 7:05pm | Sat. 6:05pm
Theme: First Responder’s Night w/ K9 Puck Drop (Fri.) | Hocktoberfest (Sat.)
TV: Peacock
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame | LIU
QUICK HITS
Notre Dame continues their home stand this weekend with LIU in town for a two-game series.
The Irish kicked off the home stretch with the Alaska Nanooks last weekend and went 1-1 on the weekend against the Nanooks.
LIU and Notre Dame meet for just the second and third time in program history Oct. 25-26. Games are set for a 7:05pm puck drop Friday before a 6:05pm start Saturday. Both tilts will be streamed on Peacock.
The Irish team returns 19 student-athletes from the 2023-24 roster, including 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders. The forwards include graduate senior Grant Silianoff and seniors Justin Janicke, Hunter Strand and Tyler Carpenter. Returning defensemen include four who appeared in the final series of the 2023-24 season in Michael Mastrodomenico, Paul Fischer, Zach Plucinski and Henry Nelson.
Notre Dame returns two 20+ point scorers from a season ago as Danny Nelson (9-14-23) and Cole Knuble (9-11-20) embark on their sophomore season with the Irish.
In total, eight returners posted double-digit points last season. In addition to Nelson and Knuble, Hunter Strand (4-15-19), Justin Janicke (4-12-16), Paul Fischer (2-14-16), Brennan Ali (3-10-13), Maddox Fleming (3-9-12) and Grant Silianoff (4-7-11) look to improve upon their double-digit performances a season ago.
At the last line of defense, the Irish return Jack Williams in goal and added two new netminders to the mix in Nicholas Kempf (USNTDP) and Owen Say (Mercyhurst).
The Irish added 10 new faces to the squad in 2024-25, including five freshmen and five transfers. The 10 newcomers consist of five forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.
Notre Dame swept its opening weekend in the North Country, Oct. 11-12, picking up wins over St. Lawrence and Clarkson in the program’s first ever trip to Northern New York.
Friday’s season opener at St. Lawrence saw Blake Biondi score the team’s first goal of the 2024-25 season, notching his first goal for the Blue and Gold at 6:45 of the opening period. A pair of sophomores in Cole Knuble and Danny Nelson stepped into their bigger roles this season almost immediately, combining for three goals against the Saints to cap off Notre Dame’s opening night with the 4-1 final.
Owen Say made his debut for the Irish in net at St. Lawrence on Friday night, stopping 32 of 33 shots faced and registering a .970 save percentage in his first start.
The Irish continued their road trip out East with a 5-2 victory over Clarkson to complete the opening weekend sweep.
Notre Dame found themselves down for the majority of the contest, trailing 2-0 in the first, and not finding the back of the net themselves until the final minute of the second stanza. It was Cole Knuble’s powerplay tally with 21 seconds to play in the middle frame that sparked a strong offensive surge in the third period which included four goals to complete the comeback.
Michael Mastrodomenico scored his second career goal, and first of the season, just 1:12 into the third period to tie it up against the Golden Knights before Hunter Strand net the eventual game-winner at 8:38 of the frame.
The Irish hosted their first weekend series of the year last weekend against Alaska in which they split the series, 1-1. The team opened it with a 4-1 victory over the Nanooks before dropping a close 1-0 decision to Alaska Saturday to wrap up the series.
In four games played this season, the Irish have allowed just five goals against with the defense averaging 28.5 shots on goal against and a 1.25 goals against average which ranks second nationally (min. three games played).
The team unofficially opened its season against the USNTDP for an exhibition contest Oct. 4. Graduate senior Biondi made his Irish presence known immediately with a first period goal against the USNTDP in the team’s exhibition game last Friday night. The Hermantown, Minnesota native had two unofficial goals on the night, both scored on the powerplay. His second of the night sparked a third-period comeback for the Irish which included four unanswered goals to end the game and give the Irish the 5-2 win.
Senior Justin Janicke posted four assists on the night against the U18 team, all of which came in the final frame.
Grant Silianoff and Maddox Fleming also posted multi-point nights while Ian Murphy got hit twine for the first time in an Irish sweater as he closed out the scoring Friday with an empty net tally.
NOTRE DAME vs. LIU
The Irish and Sharks have met once previously, in LIU’s second season in existence.
The Sharks traveled to South Bend, Indiana in 2021-22 for a one-game series to open their season.
Then-freshman Hunter Strand scored his first collegiate goal in the contest, helping lift the Irish to a 5-2 victory over the Sharks.
The two teams were initially slated to compete during the Sharks’ inaugural 2020-21 season before the Covid-19 pandemic put a pause on all non-conference play for the Irish.
BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER
BUTLER NETS FIVE IN DEFEAT OF XAVIER
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler men’s soccer picked up a 5-1 BIG EAST victory over Xavier on Wednesday evening at the Sellick Bowl. The Bulldogs (4-8-3, 1-5-0 BIG EAST) scored a pair of goals in the first half and added three more in the second, exceeding four goals in a single match for only the second time since 2010. The Musketeers (4-6-5, 1-3-2 BIG EAST) avoided a shutout with a goal in the 64th minute.
Key Moments
28′ | Butler earns a corner kick. The service from Joost de Schutter is headed directly in the net by Vygo Verkooijen. The Dawgs take a 1-0 lead.
42′ | A corner kick from de Schutter is knocked into the goal by a Xavier defender. It’s 2-0, Butler, at the break.
HALFTIME
56′ | Palmer Ault carries down the right side and sends a long cross through the box to the far post. De Schutter settles it and touches it back to Josemir Gomez who strikes from ten yards out. Bulldogs are up, 3-0.
59′ | De Schutter draws a foul in the penalty area, and Ault converts from the spot. It’s now 4-0.
64′ | A shot from point-blank range by Xavier’s Fabrizio Bernal de la Garza is saved by Caleb Norris but deflected down. Nolan Brice is there and able to punch it in for the Musketeers. The lead is cut to 4-1.
86′ | De Schutter is once again fouled in the area. This time, Nick Graziano converts. The Dawgs extend the lead to 5-1.
Butler Points Summary
GOALS: Vygo Verkooijen, Josemir Gomez, Palmer Ault, Nick Graziano
ASSISTS: Joost de Schutter (2), Palmer Ault
Bulldog Bits
Vygo Verkooijen’s goal was a career first.
The goal by Josemir Gomez was his eighth this season and the 24th of his collegiate career.
Palmer Ault’s goal was his third of the season and the 19th of his career. His assist was his fifth this season and the 11th of his career.
Nick Graziano’s goal was his first this season and the second in his career.
With a pair of assists, Joost de Schutter has five this season and six in his career. De Scutter had a significant contribution in all five of Butler’s goals in the match.
Up Next
Butler travels to Creighton on Saturday, Oct. 26, for its final road contest of the regular-season. The Dawgs then host DePaul for their final regular season home match on Saturday, Nov. 2.
BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER
PREVIEW: BUTLER FACES ST. JOHN’S AT HOME AND CREIGHTON ON ROAD
The Butler women’s soccer team will host St. John’s in the Sellick Bowl on Thursday and then travel to Creighton for a Sunday match.
The Bulldogs (8-4-3, 3-2-2 BIG EAST) are coming off a pair of road wins over UConn and Seton Hall.
St. John’s (5-5-5, 0-4-3 BIG EAST) has ties in conference play versus Villanova, Seton Hall, and UConn. The Red Storm defeated Penn, Cornell, and Colgate in non-conference action.
Creighton (7-5-1, 4-3-0 BIG EAST)* has BIG EAST wins over DePaul, Providence, UConn, and Marquette. The Bluejays defeated Iowa State and Western Michigan in non-conference action and tied No. 19 Saint Louis. Creighton will play Seton Hall on Thursday, prior to the Sunday match with Butler.
Butler vs St. John’s
DATE/TIME: Thursday, October 24 // 7PM
LOCATION: Indianapolis // Sellick Bowl
LIVE VIDEO: FloSports
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com/StatBroadcast
TICKETS: butlersports.com
Butler at Creighton
DATE/TIME: Sunday, October 27 // 2PM ET (1PM CT)
LOCATION: Omaha, Neb. // Morrison Stadium
LIVE VIDEO: FloSports
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com/StatBroadcast
Bulldog Bits
(as of 10/20/24)
Talia Sommer is 2nd in the BIG EAST (29th nationally) with a .600 shot accuracy. She is 5th in the conference (59th) with 8 goals and is 6th (84th) with 19 total points.
Anna Pierce is 2nd in the BIG EAST (51st nationally) with 6 shutouts. She is 3rd with a .933 goals-against average.
Anna Pierce made 9 saves in the 2-1 win at UConn and then made 9 saves in the 1-0 shutout at Seton Hall, earning BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week honors for the second time this season.
Talia Sommer scored both goals in Butler’s 2-1 win at UConn, earning BIG EAST Honor Roll recognition.
Amelie Darey earned BIG EAST Honor Roll recognition after heading in the game-winning goal at Seton Hall in the 84th minute off a corner kick from Abigail Isger.
St. John’s has a 5-2-3 record in the most recent ten matches, since 2014.
The Red Storm has won the most recent two contests, in 2022 and 2023.
The teams tied, 1-1, in two overtimes in 2021 in Queens.
Butler’s most recent win in the series (1-0) was in 2019 in Indianapolis.
Butler won the 2023 match, while both matches in 2022 ended in a 1-1 tie. The second contest was a BIG EAST quarterfinal in Indianapolis in which Creighton advanced, 6-5, in a shootout.
Creighton’s only win in the series (3-2, OT) was in 1993 in Omaha.
The first match of the series was played in 1992, the second year of Butler’s program. Butler won, 2-1, in Indianapolis.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS PICKED 8TH IN PRESEASON POLL; STRANDE NAMED ALL-BIG EAST
The BIG EAST Conference announced preseason women’s basketball awards on Wednesday morning just hours before the start of Media Day at Madison Square Garden. Butler was picked to finish eighth in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll and guard Caroline Strande was one of 10 players to earn a spot on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
Strande was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign after leading the Bulldogs in points (15.1), rebounds (7.1), and assists (2.8) per game. Strande led BU in scoring 17 times last year and reached double figures in 27 contests. A starter in all 32 games, Strande ranked 10th in the conference in scoring and ninth in rebounding.
The top three vote getters in the preseason poll were UConn (100), Creighton (91) and Providence (71). St. John’s (67) edged Georgetown (66) for fourth place and Villanova (56) was close behind in sixth. Seton Hall (51) appeared just above BU (46) in the poll while DePaul (24), Marquette (23) and Xavier (10) rounded out the teams.
UConn and Creighton claimed the top two spots for the second-straight year while Providence made the biggest jump from a year ago, moving from nine to three. Georgetown is also on the rise moving from 10 to five.
BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
UConn – 100 (10 first-place votes)
Creighton – 91 (1)
Providence – 71
St. John’s – 67
Georgetown – 66
Villanova – 56
Seton Hall – 51
Butler – 46
DePaul – 24
Marquette – 23
Xavier – 10
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year – Paige Bueckers, UConn, R-Sr., G
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year – Sarah Strong, UConn, Fr., F
BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Caroline Strande, Butler, Gr., G
KK Arnold, UConn, So., G
Azzi Fudd, UConn, R-Jr., G
Ashlynn Shade, UConn, So., G
Lauren Jensen, Creighton, Sr., G
Morgan Maly, Creighton, Sr., G/F
Kelsey Ransom, Georgetown, Gr., G
Olivia Olsen, Providence, Sr., F
Grace Efosa, Providence, Gr., G
Ber’Nyah Mayo, St. John’s, R-Sr., G
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Chen, UConn, Gr.,
Jorie Allen, DePaul, Gr., F
Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall, So., G
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BROOKS AND TELFORT SELECTED TO 2024-25 PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Butler’s Pierre Brooks II and Jahmyl Telfort have been selected to the 2024-25 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team, while the Bulldogs were tabbed to finish eighth in the preseason conference poll.
The announcements were made Wednesday morning at BIG EAST Basketball Media Day at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Brooks and Telfort were the Bulldogs’ top two scorers a season ago; Butler is the only BIG EAST team to return its top two point producers from 2023-24.
Brooks led the team in scoring with a 14.8 per-game average; he ranks fifth among scorers returning to the BIG EAST this season. The senior forward had seven 20-point scoring performances a season ago among his 29 double-figure outings. He added 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.6 percent from behind the arc.
Telfort was Butler’s second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game. The fifth-year forward added 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Telfort’s all-around game allowed him to lead the team in scoring nine times and in rebounding in eight games a season ago.
The BIG EAST coaches selected the Bulldogs to finish eighth in the league standings. Butler went 18-15 a season ago, including a 9-11 mark in BIG EAST play. Coach Thad Matta’s roster features eight returning letterwinners, a group headlined by Brooks and Telfort. The Bulldogs also brought in a trio of transfers – Kolby King from Tulane, Patrick McCaffery from Iowa and Jamie Kaiser Jr. from Maryland.
Connecticut, the defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion and the reigning national champion, was chosen to finish first in the 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Huskies received all possible 10 first-place votes and 100 points from the league’s head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams. Creighton and Xavier followed in second and third, respectively.
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches. Connecticut forward Liam McNeeley was selected BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to choose their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Third Team.
BIG EAST COACHES’ PRESEASON POLL
1. UConn (10) – 100 points
2. Creighton – 84
3. Xavier – 82
4. Marquette (1) – 74
5. St. John’s – 70
6. Providence – 54
7. Villanova – 44
8. Butler – 36
9. Georgetown – 25
10. Seton Hall – 24
11. DePaul – 12
First place votes in parentheses
BIG EAST PRESEASON HONORS
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Sr., 7-1, Florissant, Mo.
PRESEASON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Liam McNeeley, Connecticut, F, Fr., 6-7, Richardson, Texas
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Alex Karaban, Connecticut, F, R-Jr., 6-8, Southborough, Mass.
Kam Jones, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-5, Memphis, Tenn.
Bryce Hopkins, Providence, G-F, Sr., 6-7, Oak Park, Ill.
Kadary Richmond, St. John’s, G, Gr., 6-6, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, Gr., 6-8, Willow Grove, Pa.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Pierre Brooks II, Butler, F, Sr., 6-6, Detroit, Mich.
Jahmyl Telfort, Butler, F, Gr., 6-7, Montreal, Quebec
Deivon Smith, St. John’s, G, Gr., 6-0, Decatur, Ga.
Zach Freemantle, Xavier, F, Gr., 6-9, Teaneck, N.J.
Dayvion McKnight, Xavier, G, Gr., 6-0, Shelbyville, Ky.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Aidan Mahaney, Connecticut, G, Jr., 6-3, Lafayette, Calif.
Steven Ashworth, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-0, Alpine, Utah
Jayden Epps, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-2, Norfolk, Va.
Wooga Poplar, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-5, Philadelphia, Pa.
Ryan Conwell, Xavier, G, Jr., 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
CARDINALS CONTINUE STRETCH RUN WITH MATCHES VS NIU AND AT WMU
The Ball State soccer team continues the stretch run of its season when the Cardinals host Northern Illinois at 4 p.m. on Thursday and play at league leader Western Michigan at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Links to Thursday’s ESPN+ broadcast, Sunday’s video stream and live stats for both matches can be found above and on the schedule page.
The Cardinals (7-6-2, 2-4-2 Mid-American Conference) suffered a 3-2 defeat at Miami (OH) last Friday night. Ball State got ahead 2-0 on a first half goal by Avery Fenchel and early second half score from Delaney Caldwell, but the host RedHawks found the back of the net three times in the span of 13 minutes late in the match for the comeback win.
Northern Illinois (8-4-4, 2-3-3 MAC) is coming off a 2-1 win over Eastern Michigan on Friday. The Huskies are in a tie for eighth in the conference standings entering the week of play.
Western Michigan (8-1-6, 5-0-3 MAC) most recently shut down Akron 2-0 at home on Friday to extend its unbeaten streak in MAC regular season contests to 20 with the win. The Broncos top the conference at 18 points entering the final three matches.
Ball State’s eight points put it in 10th place in the MAC standings. The top six in the final regular season standings make the MAC tourney.
Ball State is second in the MAC in assists per game (2.07, No. 33 nationally), total assists (31) and fewest fouls per game (7.93) while ranking third with 1.8 goals per game and 27 total goals.
1-2 PUNCH: The duo of juniors Delaney Caldwell and Addie Chester stand near the top of the MAC and Division I leaderboards in multiple statistics.
Chester’s eight assists lead the league and are 12th-most nationally, while the duo have three game-winning goals each to top the MAC. Chester also paces the conference in assists per
game (0.53, No. 16 in NCAA Division I). Each student-athlete has seven goals on the year to rank third in the conference.
MILESTONE WATCH: Graduate forward Avery Fenchel’s goal on Friday increased her career total to 29, making her one goal away from tying the career program record.
Dee Nocero’s 30 goals from 2001-04 are the most in Ball State soccer history.
SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies went 8-8-3 (6-4-1 MAC) last season in head coach Michael O’Neill’s second at the helm. Northern was picked to finish seventh in the MAC preseason coaches poll.
NIU has received the second-most yellow cards in the league (19) and ranks third in total assists (25) and assists per game (1.56) so far this year. The Huskies rank fifth in the MAC in goals per game (1.56) and seventh in goals against average (1.2).
Sophomore forward Tyra King is second in the MAC and 31st in NCAA Division I in shot accuracy (.595) and third in total goals (seven) and shots on goal per game (1.56).
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos went 12-4-3 (8-0-3 MAC) to win the MAC regular season championship in 2023 before bowing out to Kent State in the tournament semifinals. Head coach Lewis Robinson is in his third season leading the program. WMU was the preseason favorite to win the MAC.
Western tops the league in yellow cards (24, No. 11 nationally), assists per game (2.53, No. 15), total assists (38, No. 16), points per game (6.53), total points (98), shots on goal per game (7.87) and shots per game (17.33).
Graduate forward Jen Blitchok paces the conference and ranks in the Top 15 nationally in points per game (2.0, No. 3), total points (30, No. 6), goals per game (0.8, No. 11), total goals (12, No. 11), shots on goal per game (2.27, No. 11) and shots per game (4.4, No. 14).
Up Next
The Cardinals play at Toledo at 3 p.m. on Oct. 31 in their final match of the regular season.
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
CARDINALS PREPARE FOR 97TH HOMECOMING GAME VERSUS THE HUSKIES
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State welcomes Northern Illinois to Scheumann Stadium on Saturday for the 17th rendition of the Bronze Stalk rivalry game, as part of the Cardinals’ 97th homecoming contest. Saturday’s homecoming tilt is sponsored by Community Hospital of Anderson.
** Established in 2008, the Battle for the Bronze Stalk is the youngest rivalry game in the Mid-American Conference, but it hit full stride two years ago when Ball State won a doubleovertime thriller in Muncie, 44-38. In what was the third-largest comeback in Ball State history, the Huskies led 21-0 before the Cardinals got on the board before halftime. Ball State outscored NIU 31-14 in the second half including a 6-yard pass from John Paddock to Tanner Koziol with 36 seconds left in regulation, to force overtime. Carson Steele’s one-yard run provided the winning margin in the second OT session. Last year, freshman placekicker Jackson Courville drilled a 36-yard field goal as time expired to lift Ball State to a 20-17 road win and their second straight triumph in the rivalry series.
** NIU has been a part of four previous Ball State homecoming matchups, but not since 1998. The Cardinals are 3-1 against the Huskies on homecoming in Muncie, winning in 1981 (23-0), 1985 (29-0) and 1998 (18-13), and losing 27-14 in 1983. Ball State is 56-38-2 through 96 homecoming contests overall, having won against Connecticut and Central Michigan the past two years.
** Ball State scored on a Kadin Semonza-to-Tanner Koziol TD pass with 6:03 left in the third period Saturday to knot the score with Vanderbilt at 14-14. In what was the Cardinals’ lowest scoring game of the year, Vandy outdistanced Ball State in the fourth for a 24-14 final score. Koziol matched his career high with nine catches for the fourth time this year and became the third tight end in Ball State history to eclipse 50 catches and 500 yards in a season.
** The 100th anniversary of Ball State’s first season in 1924 coincides with the 100th season on the field, given that the Cardinals didn’t field a team in 1943 due to World War II. Seasonlong celebrations of the 100th season will be displayed at Scheumann Stadium this season. Similarly, it is the program’s 50th season in the MAC — formally joining the league in 1973 and playing its first football games in 1975.
WHAT A WIN MEANS:
** Ball State will even its MAC record at 2-2 while rising to 2-1 at Scheumann Stadium.
** Ball State’s third straight win vs. NIU will reflect its longest win streak in the rivalry series.
** Currently the fifth winningest coach in Ball State football history, Mike Neu will capture his 40th victory as head coach of his alma mater, tying Dwight Wallace (40) with the fourthmost wins as the Cardinals’ head coach.
BY THE NUMBERS:
0, 0, 2-10 – At Vandy last week, neither team had an interception or a single fumble. Each team had exactly two penalties for 10 yards. Clean game.
7.9 – Tanner Koziol is 6th in FBS rankings with 7.9 catches per game. Receptions over the last five weeks: 9, 9, 9, 8 and 9.
6:34 & 6:54 – Ball State’s TD drives at Vandy both encompassed 11 plays and nearly 7 minutes – one of 75 yards, one of 94 yards.
50 & 500 – Only three TEs in Ball State history have eclipsed 50 catches and 500 yards in a single season. Tanner Koziol has done it in 7 games.
INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL
OWENS NAMED TO JERRY RICE AWARD WATCH LIST
STATS PERFORM – Indiana State redshirt freshman quarterback Elijah Owens was named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon. The recognition comes two weeks after Owens was named the National Freshman of the Week following a standout performance in Indiana State’s 31-27 win over Murray State.
Owens is one of 30 players named to the in-season Watch List for the award which honors the FCS Freshman Player of the Year in college football’s Division I subdivision. The Rice Award, now in its 14th season, is named after legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
Owens is one of three Missouri Valley Football players to be honored on the in-season watch list. The Jacksonville, Ill. native was joined by North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown and Missouri State linebacker Dallas Winner-Johnson. He is also one of six quarterbacks recognized across the nation.
The Sycamore quarterback has been one of the nation’s most accurate passers over the course of the 2024 season. Owens is currently sixth in FCS in completion percentage at 70.3% while connecting with 12 different wide receivers on the year.
Owens has gone 109-of-155 through the air for 962 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. He also leads Indiana State with 90 carries for 328 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. He’s averaging 160.3 passing yards and 54.7 rushing yards per game.
Owens earned Stats Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week following his performance in Indiana State’s 31-27 win over Murray State in their first Valley win of the season. The Sycamore quarterback accounted for 264 yards of total offense and two touchdowns, while guiding Indiana State to the game-winning touchdown drive with just 11 seconds left in the game. He directed the winning drive with passes or runs on seven of the nine plays.
Owens becomes the second Indiana State quarterback to be named to the Jerry Rice Midseason Watch List in the last three seasons. Former Sycamore Cade Chambers was among the Jerry Rice Finalists in the 2022 season.
To be eligible for the Jerry Rice Award, a player must be considered a freshman by his conference in his first academic year or second if he did not surpass four regular-season games played in the true freshman season (the NCAA redshirt rule). More players can join the watch list before a national media panel selects the winner following the regular season.
The 2024 Jerry Rice Award recipient will be announced on Dec. 4 and honored at the Stats Perform National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas. Other awards at the banquet are the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year), Urban Edge Network HBCU+ Player of the Year and FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Up Next
Indiana State continues Missouri Valley Football play at home this weekend as the Sycamores host Southern Illinois for Homecoming. Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Salukis is set for 1 p.m. ET with the Valley Game of the Week scheduled to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL
PURDUE FORT WAYNE HOSTS NORTHERN KENTUCKY FOR TWO #HLVB MATCHES
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball team will play host to Northern Kentucky on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 25-26) for two Horizon League volleyball matches.
Game Day Information
Who: Northern Kentucky Norse
When: Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26 | 7 PM & 2 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch: Game 1 | Game 2
Tickets:Game 1 | Game 2
Match Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne
Know Your Foe
Northern Kentucky is 9-11 and 5-4 to through the first half of Horizon League play. The Norse split with Cleveland State, lost to Wright State, beat Youngstown State twice and split with Milwaukee and Robert Morris. The Norse are coming off a 3-0 loss at Robert Morris. NKU is hitting .178 this season and are led by 2023 First Team All-Leaguer Joy Banks, who is averaging 3.34 kills per set.
Series History
The Norse lead the series 26-23 dating back to the first match in 1982. After the Mastodons moved Division I in 2001, the two teams did not meet again until 2016. NKU has won the last eight meetings.
Home Sweet Gates
Purdue Fort Wayne is 6-0 at home to start 2024, which is the best home start for the Mastodons since 2013. The ‘Dons were 11-0 in the Gates Sports Center that season.
Hungary for More
Panna Ratkai has 20 or more kills in 18 matches in her career with six coming this season. She had 12 as a redshirt-freshman. This season, she has 327 total kills, which is top-10 in the country. She is the only sophomore on the NCAA’s active top-250 career kills list with 863.
Panna of the Week
Panna Ratkai was selected as the Horizon League’s Player of the Week after 49 kills in two wins over Oakland. It was her sixth weekly award, putting her in sixth in league history.
You Betts-a Believe It
LonDynn Betts became a member of the 1,000-dig club at Michigan State on September 17. She became the 21st Mastodon to join the club, and the first since Rachael Crucis in 2022.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons split their weekend at Cleveland State, as both teams picked up 3-0 victories.
Next Time Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will visit IU Indianapolis for a midweek contest on Tuesday (Oct. 29).
VALPARAISO VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL BEGINS SECOND HALF OF MVC PLAY AT ARC THIS WEEKEND
Valparaiso (12-9, 4-5 MVC)
Friday, Oct. 25 – Bradley (10-11, 5-4 MVC) – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26 – Illinois State (11-11, 6-3 MVC) – 5 p.m.
Next Up For Valpo Volleyball: The Valpo volleyball team carries a three-match winning streak into the second half of the MVC schedule, which begins this weekend at the ARC with matchups against Bradley and Illinois State.
Previously: The Beacons swept last weekend’s southern road swing, winning in four sets Friday night at Murray State before a dramatic come-from-behind five-set victory at Belmont Saturday evening.
Looking Ahead: Valpo faces the first of back-to-back lengthy weekends on the road next weekend, playing at Missouri State and at Southern Illinois.
Following the Beacons: Both matches this week will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The matches will have live stats available as well, linked via ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Carin Avery: In her 23rd season as head coach at Valparaiso, Carin Avery is the all-time winningest head coach across all sports in the history of Valpo Athletics. She has won 501 matches (501-252, .665) at the helm of the program and has led Valpo to three league regular season and tournament titles. The program has made seven postseason appearances under Avery, including three NCAA Tournament appearances, and advanced to the championship match of the 2021 NIVC. Avery has coached 62 All-League recipients over her tenure at Valpo, which has spanned three different conferences. She is Valpo’s all-time leader in both victories and winning percentage, and owns a 556-276 (.668) record overall as a head coach.
Series History: Bradley – Valpo holds a 17-12 edge in the all-time series against the Braves, including a 9-5 mark since joining the Valley. Remarkably, over the last two seasons, all four matchups between the Beacons and the Braves have gone the full five sets, and Valpo has claimed the victory in all four meetings. All told, Valpo is on a five-match winning streak over Bradley.
Illinois State – The Redbirds own a 14-5 advantage in the all-time series, including a 12-3 mark since Valpo joined the MVC. Last season, there was no home court advantage to be had in a pair of matchups, as ISU swept the Beacons at the ARC before Valpo turned the tables in Normal with a four-set win.
Scouting the Opposition: Bradley – The Braves are 10-11 overall and 5-4 in MVC play, but have dropped their last three matches. Bradley leads the conference with 1.69 service aces/set and boasts three of the top nine individuals in the category, while Irene Mostardini is fourth in the MVC with 4.87 digs/set.
Illinois State – The Redbirds enter the weekend at 11-11 overall and in a tie for third place in the Valley standings at 6-3 following two losses last weekend. Mekaila Aupiu leads all MVC players with 9.67 assists/set, while Aida Shadewald ranks second in service aces (0.41/set) and sixth in kills (3.53/set).
Valpo Picked Sixth in Preseason Poll: Valpo was picked to finish in sixth place in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2024, according to preseason polling of the conference’s head coaches. The Beacons shared sixth position with Missouri State, while UNI topped the poll. In six of Valpo’s seven seasons in the Valley, the program has met or exceeded its preseason prognostication.
Looking Back at Last Season: Valpo is coming off a third consecutive postseason appearance in 2023, as the Beacons earned an at-large berth in the NIVC. The program posted an 18-15 overall record and went 10-8 in MVC play, finishing in a tie for fifth place in the Valley standings. Miranda Strongman earned First Team All-MVC honors, while Mallory Januski was a Second Team All-MVC honoree.
Who’s Back: This year’s squad returns nine letterwinners from the 2023 team, a group which includes the team’s leader in kills (Elise Swistek) and digs (Emma Hickey). The Beacons return a good bit of their back row defensive production, as 65.7% of the team’s digs from last year are back in 2024.
Who’s Gone: Valpo did graduate a talented class which accounted for a good portion of the team’s front row production last year, as the Beacons return just 37.9% of the kills and 25.3% of the blocks from 2023. Middles Mallory Januski and Miranda Strongman, both All-MVC selections last year, ended their Valpo careers 1-2 in program history in career hitting percentage, while the team also graduated players who ranked among the top-10 in program history in career digs (outside hitter Bella Ravotto) and assists (setter Victoria Bulmahn).
Who’s New: While there’s a lot of production from last year to replace in 2024, there’s also an exciting new class of rookies eager to take on the challenge of stepping up into contributing roles. This year’s squad has nine players with freshman eligibility – one redshirt (Jessica Pickett) and eight true freshmen. The incoming class includes two players who were AVCA High School All-Americans last year (Ava Helming, Second Team; Lilly Merk, Third Team) and three others who were First Team All-State honorees as high school seniors (Jordyn Gove, Drew Glaser, Kadence Brumitt).
500 in Sight: Head coach Carin Avery reached yet another milestone last week, winning her 500th match in charge of the Valpo program Friday night at Murray State. Valpo’s all-time winningest coach in any sport, Avery’s 500th win came in her 752nd match in charge of the program, good for a .665 winning percentage. In her 23rd season as head coach, Avery’s squads have averaged better than 22 wins per season over her 22 complete years. Avery is the second current MVC coach to win at least 500 matches at their current institution, joining UNI’s Bobbi Petersen.
Starting the Second Half: The second half of the MVC slate gets underway Friday evening, and since joining the Valley, Valpo has performed better in the second half of conference action. In its first seven seasons, Valpo went 32-31 in the first half of play and 36-27 in the second half of play. Notably, the last two times Valpo hit the halfway mark under .500, it improved by two games from the first half to the second half.
What a Rally: Things might have looked bleak for the Beacons Saturday evening at Belmont, trailing 2-1 and 23-17 in the fourth set, but this is still Valpo volleyball. The Beacons finished the fourth set on a 9-1 run to force the fifth frame, and then scored eight straight to start the fifth set on their way to a 15-4 win. All told, it was a 24-5 run between the fourth and fifth sets. It was the program’s first win after facing a match point since scoring the final three points of the match after trailing 14-13 in the fifth set against South Alabama Sept. 4, 2021, while it was the first win when trailing after three sets since last November against Bradley. Meanwhile, the 15-4 win in the fifth set was Valpo’s largest fifth-set win since a 15-2 final-frame win at Illinois State Feb. 22, 2021.
Seriously, This Again?: Avery’s 499th and 500th wins at Valpo both ended in similar fashion. Against Missouri State in their last home match, the Beacons started celebrating an apparent 16-14 fifth-set win on an attack error before a challenge resulted in the point being overturned due to a touch call. Valpo bounced back from that with the next two points to celebrate a second time. Then, last Friday at Murray State, a kill seemingly closed out Avery’s 500th victory at 25-22 in the fourth set, but a challenge resulted in the point being overturned on a net violation. This time, Valpo closed things out with a kill on the very next point.
Serving It Up: Valpo’s big run against the Bruins was buoyed by the performance at the service line of sophomore Mara Thomas. Thomas rotated back to the line with Valpo trailing 23-18 in the fourth set and served five points in a row to get the Beacons back into the frame. Then, after Belmont had the serve to start set five and Valpo won the opening point, Thomas again rotated back to the line and this time delivered seven points in a row. Thomas finished with four service aces in that win, tied for fourth-most by a Valpo player in a five-set match in the 25-point era, and led the way as the Beacons racked up 14 aces, their most in a five-set match since 1996 and tied for second-most in any length match in the 25-point era.
Next Player Up: Valpo’s wins last weekend were even more impressive considering the Beacons were down a pair of regular front-row players, but two others stepped right up and filled those spots. Drew Glaser was in the rotation on the right side for both matches and averaged nearly two kills per set in the two wins. Maddie Moan filled in at middle and posted nine blocks over the nine sets of action.
Freshman of the Week: Freshman right side Ava Helming also stepped up her game last weekend and was rewarded by being named the MVC Freshman of the Week on Monday. Helming opened the weekend by posting 14 kills on .379 hitting in the win at Murray State, also adding three blocks against the Racers. The next night, Helming helped Valpo to its come-from-behind win at Belmont with 16 kills on .452 hitting — her best hitting percentage of the season in a match she has reached double digits in kills. For the weekend, Helming averaged 3.33 kills/set on .417 hitting and totaled five blocks as well.
On a Roll: Senior outside Elise Swistek has been playing some of the best offensive volleyball of her career over the Beacons’ three-match winning streak. She started the stretch with a career-high 19 kills on .268 hitting in the win over Missouri State. Last weekend, she delivered 16 kills on .324 hitting in the win at Murray State and finished with 17 kills in the victory at Belmont. The senior stepped up in a big way in big moments in the Belmont win, delivering a kill with Valpo facing match point and then an ace to give the Beacons set point in the fourth set. Swistek then tallied a trio of kills in the 8-0 run to start the fifth-set win.
The Rookies Produce: Valpo’s freshman class has been leaned on for major production all season long. The Beacons’ rookies have accounted for 60.5% of the team’s kills, 29.6% of the aces and 78.7% of the blocks this year. That comes out to a total of 59.9% of the team’s points accounted for by freshmen, a mark which ranks third nationally, trailing only Mississippi Valley State and Le Moyne. Freshmen have combined for 26 matches with double-figure kill totals and 17 matches with five or more blocks.
Near the Top: Junior Emma Hickey currently ranks second in D-I in both total digs (471) and digs/set (5.67). With 1,834 career digs, Hickey has far and away the most digs of any D-I junior, as number two on that list – Montana State’s Lauren Lindseth – sits at 1,294 career digs. In fact, Hickey ranks 22nd nationally overall among D-I players in career digs.
1,500 For Hickey: Emma Hickey reached yet another career milestone Sept. 7 with her final dig of the weekend at St. Thomas, as it was the 1,500th dig of her collegiate career. Hickey reached the mark in her 72nd career match, becoming the fastest player in both Valpo history and MVC history to hit 1,500. She surpassed Illinois State’s Courtney Pence, who reached the mark in 74 matches, as the fastest player in the MVC history to 1,500 career digs, and also bettered Rylee Cookerly and Taylor Root in Valpo’s record books, as both Cookerly and Root hit the mark in 76 matches.
At or Near the Top: It’s become commonplace to see Valpo at or near the top of the Valley in digs/set, and this year has been no exception so far, as the Beacons currently rank fourth in the conference and 16th nationally in digs/set. What’s perhaps more eye-popping, however, is how many other categories Valpo is ranked highly in. The Beacons currently sit second in the MVC in kills/set (35th nationally), assists/set (33rd nationally), aces/set and opponent hitting percentage, as well as third in blocks/set.
Three Times the Honors: Senior Elise Swistek became just the second Valpo player in the tenure of head coach Carin Avery to earn All-Tournament Team honors three times in a single season at early-season tournaments this season. Swistek received recognition at each of the final three tournaments of nonconference play.
I’m About to Play My Ace: The service game has been much more of a weapon for this year’s squad than in Valpo’s recent history. The Beacons have 135 aces through 21 matches, averaging 1.61 aces/set. To put the average into context, Valpo has not averaged more than 1.20 aces/set since the 2017 season, while its high in the 25-point era is 1.46 aces/set. Individually, Mara Thomas (8, Cornell) and Lilly Merk (6, Northern Illinois) have posted the program’s two highest individual single-match ace totals of the 25-point era.
UINDY TRACK AND FIELD
GREYHOUND TABBED THIRD IN CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men’s track & field team was predicted to finish third in the yearly Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason coaches poll.
Key returners for Head Coach Brad Robinson include senior Tom Saint-Juvin and sophomore Alex Meyer. Saint-Juvin won last year’s 800m race at the GLVC Indoor Championships while also helping the Greyhound DMR team place third. As a freshman, Meyer made an immediate impact in the field, winning GLVC gold in the long jump.
UIndy received 138 points in the poll. Lewis was picked to claim the title with 166 points and 10 first-place votes. In second place, Missouri S&T received four first-place votes and 157 total points. GLVC-newcomer Lincoln was picked fourth in the poll after earning 125 points.
GLVC Indoor Track & Field Preseason Poll
Place | School | Points (1st-place votes) |
1. | Lewis | 166 (10) |
2. | Missouri S&T | 157 (4) |
3. | Indianapolis | 138 |
4. | Lincoln | 125 |
5. | Southwest Baptist | 122 |
6. | Maryville | 109 |
7. | Truman State | 95 |
8. | McKendree | 91 |
9. | Drury | 72 |
10. 11. | William Jewell Illinois Springfield | 58 50 |
12. | Missouri-St. Louis | 40 |
13. | Rockhurst | 29 |
14. | Quincy | 22 |
UINDY WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN GLVC
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy women’s track and field team was picked to finish second in the annual GLVC coaches preseason poll, released Wednesday morning.
Key returners for Head Coach Brad Robinson included seniors Zoe Pentecost and Ellie Lengerich. Pentecost is the defending national champion in the weight throw, while Lengerich is the reigning GLVC Field Athlete of the Year.
UIndy received 167 points and two first-place votes. Lewis took the top spot with 12 first-place votes and 194 points, with Southwest Baptist wrapping up the top three with 158 points and a single first-place vote. GLVC-newcomer Lincoln was picked fourth in the poll, after earning 142 points.
GLVC ‘s Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Place | School | Points (1st-place votes) |
1. | Lewis | 194 (12) |
2. | Indianapolis | 167 (2) |
3. | Southwest Baptist | 158 (1) |
4. | Lincoln | 142 |
5. | Maryville | 139 |
Missouri S&T | 139 | |
7. | Truman State | 114 |
8. | Drury | 105 |
9. | William Jewell | 91 |
10. | McKendree | 76 |
11. 12. | Illinois Springfield Missouri-St. Louis | 70 56 |
13. | Upper Iowa | 53 |
14. | Rockhurst | 50 |
15. | Quincy | 21 |
MARIAN VOLLEYBALL
MARIAN CLAIMS SECOND VICTORY OF SEASON AGAINST HUNTINGTON
Huntington, Ind. – The Marian volleyball team claimed a 3-0 sweep on the road against Huntington. The win brings their overall record to 18-6 and a 9-5 record in the Crossroads League.
Marian claimed an early led in set one with a 3-0 run started by Nichole Wilkinson and Madison Brooks both claiming a kill to take the 4-2 lead. The Knights kept pushing with a 9-0 run shortly after highlighted by Khori Dryden’s kills and Emerson Evans’ service ace to take the easy 14-3 lead. After a few back and forth serves the Knights took advantage of the Foresters errors to claim a 5-0 run to increase their score to 21 points. Marian claimed their last four points of the set from back-to-back kills from Dryden as well as a kill from Sarah Bennett and an attacking error by the home team to claim the final score of 25-10.
The start of the second set was controlled by the Knights with Bennett and Evans each claiming a kill early. Mikayla Christiansen added fuel to the fire with two kills and Dryden as well as Wilkinson each claimed multiple kills early. Huntington started to push at the Knights lead with crucial kills and missed attacks by the visitors to not only tie the set but take the lead. After a lot of back and forth serves from each side Christiansen and Dryden stepped up claiming crucially timed kills to claim the 26-24 win in set two.
With the 2-0 lead the Knights started off the third set slowly with some back and forth action from both ends of the court before Marian pulled ahead with a 8-0 run started off by Gabby Fish’s kill. The Foresters pushed with two sets of kills in a row before Marian excelled with a 6-0 run started off by an attacking error on Huntington. The visitors clinched the sweep with a kill by Dryden followed by an attacking error on Huntington to claim the 25-9 win in set three and 3-0 win in the match.
For the match Marian claimed a .252 hitting percentage while Huntington claimed a -.015 percentage. Khori Dryden led the team in kills with 12 while Mikayla Christiansen claimed seven. Emerson Evans led the Knights in assists with 16 while Logan Smith claimed 14. Both Evans and Smith also claimed a service ace for the day. Sarah Bennett led the team in blocks with six while Christiansen claimed four. Emma Lyons led Marian in digs with 18 while Christiansen had 14 on the evening.
Marian will be back in action on Saturday, October 26, as they continue their three-match road trip with a trip to Upland to take on the Taylor Trojans starting at 4:00 p.m..
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
5 – 3 – 32 – 18 – 22 – 10 -12
October 24, 1857 – The Sheffield FC franchise is recognized by FIFA as oldest existing club still playing football (soccer) in the world. The club was founded originally in Yorkshire, England on this date but now it is based in Dronfield, Derbyshire
October 24, 1885 – A game called the “World Championship” Baseball Series, was played at the Cincinnati Base Ball Grounds. In the contest the St. Louis Browns beat Chicago White Stockings, 13–4 in Game 7 however it goes down in history as disputed series as it was tied at 3-3-1.
October 24, 1939 – Joe DiMaggio, Number 5 of the Yankees won the American League’s MVP as Number 3, Jimmie Foxx of the Red Sox was the runner-up in the voting
October 24, 1963 – Sandy Koufax, Number 32 pitcher of the LA Dodgers, was the unanimous winner of the season’s Cy Young Award
October 24, 1986 – MLB Los Angeles Dodgers’ infielder Number 18, Bill Russell at 38 years young announced his retirement
October 24, 1988 – New York Islander’s & NHL high scorer, Mike Bossy, Number 22 retired
October 24, 1992 – At the World Series the Toronto Blue Jays beat Atlanta Braves, 4-3 in Game 6 at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium to win their first-ever title; MVP: Toronto catcher Number 10, Pat Borders
October 24, 2021 – Number 12, Tom Brady became first quarterback in NFL history to record 600 touchdown passes when he hits Mike Evans in 1st quarter of the Buccaneers 38-3 rout of the Chicago Bears in Tampa Bay
FOOTBALL HISTORY
The Demon Deacons Comeback Upset
October 24, 1970 -Wake Forest edged preseason ACC favorite North Carolina 14-13 at Groves Stadium to improve to 4-3 on the season. Wake trailed 13-0 entering the fourth quarter before Larry Russell scored on a quarterback sneak to cut the deficit to 13-7. The Deacons won the game by marching 94 yards in the closing minutes as Larry Hopkins scored on a 3-yard run with just 12 seconds left to tie the game. Tracy Lounsbury added the extra point for the win.
The Gamecocks Blindside the Tarheels
October 24, 1981 – Chapel Hill, NC – In this “Battle of the Carolinas” edition the number 3 in the nation, 6-0 North Carolina Tarheels hosted the unranked South Carolina Gamecocks whose record stood at 4-3 on the season. The Gamecocks were a year removed from Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers playing for them and were a team in flux that had lost its identity when their great runner had moved on from the team. The Tarheels on the other hand were riding high with a stingy defense that thus far into the season was giving up a mere 14 points per game. The Gamecocks jumped out early as they took the opening kickoff and in three minutes drove the ball into the end zone for an yearly 7-0 lead. They then collected multiple turnovers from their hosts and extended their lead even further but the North Carolina squad fought back just before half with a backup quarterback to keep it a one score game at 14-7. The second half was all Gamecocks as the University of South Carolina upset the 3rd ranked University of North Carolina by the final score of 31-13.
Music Man Saves Stampeders
October 24, 1991 – Music industry Executive Larry Ryckman purchases CFL’s Calgary Stampeders. The Stampeders franchise was struggling financially and Ryckman’s guidance was just what the Doctor ordered. The new owner made a string of positive decisions that turned the finances of the team around including the signing of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia and Even Dwayne “ The Rock” Johnson as players on the team. He also started a great marketing campaign that won fans over and set the team into winning ways as they participated in 5 Grey Cup games and even one the coveted cup in 1992.
Irish Defeat Eagles
October 24, 2009 – South Bend, Indiana – 19th annual College Football Holy War saw Notre Dame defeating Boston College 20-16. Surprisingly it was Notre Dame’s first win in the series in nine seasons!
Tom Terrific
October 24, 2021 – Tom Brady throws his record 600th touchdown pass as his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teams throttles the Chicago Bears in the Sombrero 38-3! Brady had four TD tosses in the first half alone notching his 601st and 602nd as well in his 20th season in the League.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for October 24
Happy Birthday Mr. Tittle
October 24, 1926 – Marshall, Texas – Quarterback great, Yelbertron Abraham Tittle was born. Y. A. Tittle played collegiately at Louisiana State University. He joined the Colts in the AAFC and was that league’s Rookie of the Year in 1950. When the Colts disbanded before the start of the 1951 season, Tittle joined the San Francisco 49ers and enjoyed 10 seasons of individual success with the team but had never got close to a championship. In 1961 he was traded to the New York Giants and Y.A. platooned at the QB position with veteran Charley Conerly. By 1963 he had taken over the Giants QB position outright and earned NFL Most Valuable Player honors. Because of his wisdom on the field and receding hairline, some called Tittle, “the Bald Eagle.” Y.A. led the Giants to the divisional titles in 1961, 1962, and 1963 but though they failed to win the overall NFL crown, these were considered great years to remember by Giants fans. Tittle enjoyed 17 seasons in his NFL career according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website bio on the player. He was All-NFL 4 times, played in 7 Pro-Bowls and tossed over 28,000 yards and 212 touchdowns in his illustrious career. Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Y A Tittle in 1971.
J.D. Roberts anniversary of birth
October 24, 1932 – J.D. Roberts the stellar guard from the University of Oklahoma was born. He was one of the most decorated players of his era. According to the NFF website in 1953 he made seven All-America teams and was the first to sweep all the awards given a lineman – the Outland Trophy and Lineman of the Year with Associated Press, United Press, Fox Movietone News, and Williamson Syndicate. The National Football Foundation selected J.D. Roberts, to join their exclusive club at the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
Johnny Lattner of ND
October 24, 1932 – Chicago, Illinois – Notre Dame’s famed halfback, Johnny Lattner came into this world. Per the footballfoundation.org bio on him as sophomore halfback, Lattner led the team in minutes played. In 1953, Lattner carried the ball 24 times for a 4.1 rushing average, caught 2 passes for 42 yards and intercepted a pass in a 28-21 victory against Oklahoma. He also punted nine times that afternoon, compiling a 38-yard average. He saved the Irish from defeat in 1951 against Iowa. It was fourth-and-ten on Notre Dame’s 22-yard line with the Irish down 20-13, but instead of punting, Lattner threw his first college pass, a 23-yard completion for an Irish first down. Then with 45 ticks of the clock remaining, Lattner ran 55 yards to the goal line, scoring the touchdown that helped Notre Dame to a 20-20 tie. Lattner won the Maxwell Award & Heisman Trophy in 1953 and was a two-time All- America selection. Selectors voted Johnny Lattner into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Jay Novacek, a QB’s best friend
October 24, 1962 – Martin, South Dakota – Wyoming tight end Jay Novacek was born. Per the NFF. Jay Novacek with the Wyoming Cowboys was consensus First Team All-America selection as the tight end caught 83 receptions for 1,536 yards and 10 touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career. The National Football Foundation selected Jay Novacek to proceed straight to the dwelling of legends, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. The St. Louis Cardinals picked Jay in the 6th round of the 1985 NFL Draft and played for the franchise in both St. Louis and Phoenix for five seasons before joining the Dallas Cowboys. He helped the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins in four years and made it to five Pro Bowl appearances in his eleven year career.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1908 “Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don’t care if I never get back.”
– JACK NORWORTH’S original lyrics. Bill Murray introduces Take Me Out to the Ballgame, the immortal tune inspired by an NYC subway sign that read “Baseball Today – Polo Grounds.” The songwriting team of Albert Von Tilzer (music) and Jack Norworth (words), who created Baseball’s anthem, has never seen a game.
1911 After six days of rain, the World Series resumes with A’s right-hander Chief Bender, beating the Giants and Christy Mathewson, 4-2, at Shibe Park. The victory, fueled by three consecutive two-baggers in the three-run fourth frame, gives Philadelphia a 3-1 game lead in the Fall Classic.
1951 Larry MacPhail, the former owner of the Reds and Dodgers, suggests the concept of four new major leagues, including one on the West Coast. The Hall of Fame inducts the innovative baseball executive responsible for introducing night baseball and commercial air travel in 1978.
1972 Jackie Robinson, weakened by heart disease complications and diabetes, dies of a heart attack in his North Stamford (CT) home. The 53-year-old nearly blind baseball pioneer and social activist’s death comes nine days after his appearance at the World Series, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium and urged the owners to hire a black manager, which does not occur until the Indians employ Frank Robinson in 1975.
1985 In the bottom of the seventh in Game 5, Royals’ starter Danny Jackson becomes the first pitcher to throw an immaculate inning in World Series history. The 23-year-old southpaw needs only nine pitches to strike out Terry Pendleton (swinging), Tom Nieto (looking), and Brian Harper (swinging) en route to going the distance in the team’s 6-1 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
1987 The Twins, amidst the deafening crowd noise of the hanky-waving fans in the Metrodome, stave off elimination when the team scores eight runs in the fifth and sixth frames of Game 6 to beat the Cardinals, 11-5. Minnesota’s southpaw-swinging Kent Hrbek hits a sixth-inning grand slam off left-handed Ken Dayley to put the contest out of reach for the Redbirds.
1992 In Game 6, Canada wins its first-ever World Series when the Blue Jays beat the Braves at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, 4-3. Toronto’s 41-year-old right fielder Dave Winfield’s 11th-inning double is the key hit in the team’s victory.
(Ed. Note: Toronto’s Cito Gaston becomes baseball’s first Black manager to win a World Series. – LP)
2000 Orlando Hernandez (8-0, 1.90) loses his first postseason game when the Mets defeat the Yankees on Benny Agbayani’s tiebreaking eighth-inning double, 4-2. New York native John Franco gets the win, ending the Yankees’ record 14-game World Series winning streak.
2000 The Commisioner’s office fines Roger Clemens a reported $50,000 for throwing the jagged barrel of a shattered bat toward Met catcher Mike Piazza in the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series. Yankee manager Joe Torre and the right-hander both deny the incident was intentional.
2002 The Giants take the lead in the Fall Classic when they demolish the Angels 16-4 in Game 5 played at Pac Bell. Jeff Kent leads the attack with two home runs and four RBIs and ties a World Series record by scoring four times.
2006 After seven months of negotiations, the Players’ Association and MLB officials agree on a five-year collective bargaining agreement. The longest accord in baseball history, ending in 2011, ensures the game will span 16 years without a work stoppage.
2007 In a 13-1 rout of the Rockies, Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia becomes the second player and the first rookie to hit a leadoff home run in a World Series opener. The 24-year-old freshman, the 31st major leaguer to homer in his first Fall Classic appearance, joins Orioles’ outfielder Don Buford, who went yard in 1969 as a leadoff batter in Game 1 off Tom Seaver of the Mets.
2011 With the help of a mismanaged Cardinal bullpen, Mike Napoli gives his team a 3-2 Series lead when he hits a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Rangers’ 4-2 victory in Game 5 in Arlington. The Texas catcher, who bats eighth in the order, becomes only the second player to have four multi-RBI games in a World Series, joining Yankee legend Mickey Mantle, who accomplished the feat against Pittsburgh in 1960.
2012 In the Giants’ 8-3 victory over the Tigers at AT&T Park, Pablo Sandoval becomes the fourth major leaguer to hit three home runs in a World Series game. The San Francisco third baseman, with his first, third, and fifth-inning round-trippers in the opening contest of the Fall Classic, joins Yankees outfielders Babe Ruth (1926, 28) and Reggie Jackson (1977) and Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (2011) in accomplishing the feat.
2014 Paul Konerko and Jimmy Rollins are co-recipients of the Roberto Clemente Award, an honor bestowed on major leaguers for their commitment to the community. The former White Sox first baseman and Phillies shortstop have been heavily involved in improving children’s lives by raising money, obtaining school supplies and back-to-school clothes, supporting juvenile diabetes and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis research, and funding the fight against child abuse, among many other charitable efforts.
2018 Players from the 2004 Red Sox World Championship team throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the Fall Classic, with David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Kevin Millar, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Keith Foulke, and Alan Embree doing the honors. The team did not reach out to their former ace Curt Shilling, best remembered for his bloody sock heroics that season, now well-known for expressing his views on Breitbart News, a far-right opinion and news organization.
2020 Randy Arozarena sets the record for most playoff home runs in a single postseason after going deep for the ninth time, belting a fourth-inning round-tripper in the Rays’ 8-7 victory in Game 4 of the World Series against the Dodgers at Globe Life Field. The Tampa Bay DH surpasses the eight compiled by Barry Bonds (Giants, 2002), Carlos Beltran (Astros, 2004), Nelson Cruz (Rangers, 2011), and Corey Seager (Dodgers, 2020).
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
NFL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
Minnesota at LA Rams | 8:15pm | Prime |
NBA REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards | 7:00pm | NBCS-BOS MNMT |
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks | 7:30pm | TNT |
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets | 10:00pm | TNT |
Minnesota Timberwolves at Sacramento Kings | 10:00pm | Bally Sports North NBCS-CA |
NHL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
Dallas at Boston | 7:00pm | NESN Victory+ |
St. Louis at Toronto | 7:00pm | Sportsnet Bally Sports Midwest |
New Jersey at Detroit | 7:00pm | MSGSN Bally Sports Detroit |
Minnesota at Tampa Bay | 7:00pm | Bally Sports North Bally Sports Sun |
Florida at NY Rangers | 7:00pm | Scripps MSG |
Carolina at Calgary | 9:00pm | Bally Sports South Sportsnet |
Colorado at Utah | 9:00pm | ALT Utah 16 |
Winnipeg at Seattle | 10:00pm | Sportsnet Prime Seattle |
San Jose at Los Angeles | 10:30pm | NBC Sports Califorina Bally Sports West |
COLLEGE FOOTBALL | TIME ET | TV |
Georgia State at Marshall | 7:00pm | ESPN2 |
Boston College at Virginia Tech | 7:30pm | ESPN |
GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
DP World Tour: Genesis Championship | 9:00am | GOLF |
LPGA Tour: Maybank Championship | 6:30pm | GOLF |
PGA Tour: ZOZO Championship | 11:00pm | GOLF |
SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
UEFA Conference League: Víkingur Reykjavík vs Cercle Brugge | 10:30am | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Rīgas FS | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Midtjylland vs Union Saint-Gilloise | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Ferencváros vs Nice | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Real Sociedad | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: PAOK vs Viktoria Plzeň | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Qarabağ vs Ajax | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Roma vs Dynamo Kyiv | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Rapid Wien vs Noah | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Celje vs İstanbul Başakşehir | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Larne vs Shamrock Rovers | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Gent vs Molde | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Jagiellonia Białystok vs Petrocub | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Hearts vs Omonia Nicosia | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: St. Gallen vs Fiorentina | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Djurgården vs Vitória Guimarães | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: APOEL vs Borac Banja Luka | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Panathinaikos vs Chelsea | 12:45pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Twente vs Lazio | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Anderlecht vs Ludogorets | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Rangers vs FCSB | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Malmö FF vs Olympiakos Piraeus | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Olympique Lyonnais vs Beşiktaş | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Fenerbahçe vs Manchester United | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Porto vs Hoffenheim | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Europa League: Athletic Club vs Slavia Praha | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Bačka Topola vs Legia Warszawa | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: The New Saints vs Astana | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Real Betis vs København | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Paphos vs Heidenheim | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Olimpija vs LASK Linz | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: HJK vs Dinamo Minsk | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
UEFA Conference League: Mladá Boleslav vs Lugano | 3:00pm | Paramount+ VIX |
Women’s Friendly: USA vs Iceland | 7:30pm | TBS Peacock MAX |