“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WEEK 8 SCHEDULE
ADAMS CENTRAL (7-0) AT BLUFFTON (6-1)
ALEXANDRIA (6-1) AT FRANKTON (3-4)
AVON (0-7) AT ZIONSVILLE (3-4)
BEN DAVIS (6-1) AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL (3-4)
BENTON CENTRAL (1-6) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (4-3)
BLACKFORD (0-7) AT OAK HILL (3-4)
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (6-1) AT BREBEUF JESUIT (3-3)
BOWMAN ACADEMY (1-3) AT TRI-COUNTY (3-3)
BREMEN (4-3) AT SOUTH BEND RILEY (6-1)
BROWN COUNTY (1-6) AT NORTH PUTNAM (2-5)
BROWNSBURG (7-0) AT NOBLESVILLE (3-4)
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (1-5) AT WINCHESTER (5-2)
CARROLL (FLORA) (7-0) AT CLINTON PRAIRIE (5-2)
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (5-2) AT FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (0-7)
CASTLE (4-3) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (0-7)
CASTON (1-6) AT WINAMAC (2-5)
CENTRAL NOBLE (3-4) AT EASTSIDE (5-2)
CLARKSVILLE (0-7) AT NORTH HARRISON (5-2)
COLUMBIA CITY (5-2) AT LEO (5-2)
COLUMBUS EAST (2-5) AT JEFFERSONVILLE (0-7)
COLUMBUS NORTH (3-4) AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH (7-0)
CONCORD (4-3) AT MISHAWAKA (5-2)
CRAWFORD COUNTY (0-7) AT WEST WASHINGTON (4-3)
CRAWFORDSVILLE (0-7) AT TRI-WEST (6-1)
CROWN POINT (7-0) AT CHESTERTON (2-5)
CULVER ACADEMY (3-4) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (3-4)
DEKALB (4-3) AT BELLMONT (0-7)
DELPHI (2-5) AT CLINTON CENTRAL (1-5)
DELTA (5-2) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (6-1)
EASTERN HANCOCK (4-3) AT SHENANDOAH (1-6)
EDGEWOOD (1-6) AT NORTHVIEW (5-2)
EDINBURGH (1-6) AT NORTH DECATUR (4-3)
ELKHART (3-4) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (3-4)
ELWOOD (1-6) AT MISSISSINEWA (7-0)
EVANSVILLE BOSSE (2-5) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (7-0)
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (1-6) AT EVANSVILLE HARRISON (1-6)
EVANSVILLE NORTH (5-2) AT JASPER (4-3)
FAIRFIELD (4-3) AT LAKELAND (5-2)
FISHERS (5-2) AT WESTFIELD (6-1)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (0-6) AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (4-3)
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-7) AT HOMESTEAD (3-4)
FORT WAYNE SNIDER (6-1) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (3-4)
FORT WAYNE SOUTH (1-6) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (5-2)
FORT WAYNE WAYNE (4-3) AT FORT WAYNE NORTH (3-4)
FRANKLIN CENTRAL (4-3) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (6-1)
FRANKLIN COUNTY (3-4) AT BATESVILLE (6-1)
FREMONT (1-6) AT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-7)
GARRETT (3-4) AT ANGOLA (0-7)
GIBSON SOUTHERN (5-2) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (4-3)
GREENSBURG (0-7) AT EAST CENTRAL (7-0)
GREENWOOD (4-3) AT FRANKLIN (4-3)
GRIFFITH (3-4) AT CALUMET (2-5)
HAMMOND CENTRAL (4-3) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (1-5)
HAMMOND MORTON (3-3) AT HOBART (5-2)
HAMMOND NOLL (2-5) AT GARY WEST (4-3)
HANOVER CENTRAL (7-0) AT ANDREAN (3-4)
HERITAGE (6-1) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (1-6)
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (5-2) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (6-1)
HUNTINGTON NORTH (1-6) AT NORWELL (1-6)
INDIAN CREEK (4-3) AT SULLIVAN (4-3)
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (5-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (3-4)
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (3-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (4-3)
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (3-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (7-0)
INDIANAPOLIS TECH (0-7) AT MCCUTCHEON (4-3)
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (3-4) AT CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL (2-4)
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (4-3) AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (6-1)
IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY (0-7) AT MONROE CENTRAL (2-5)
JAY COUNTY (4-3) AT LAPEL (3-4)
JENNINGS COUNTY (3-4) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (6-1)
JOHN GLENN JV AT SOUTH BEND CLAY (0-6)
KANKAKEE VALLEY (3-4) AT HIGHLAND (3-4)
KOKOMO (6-1) AT RICHMOND (1-6)
LAKE STATION (2-5) AT BOONE GROVE (5-2)
LAVILLE (6-1) AT NORTH JUDSON (4-3)
LAWRENCE NORTH (5-2) AT CENTER GROVE (6-1)
LAWRENCEBURG (5-2) AT CONNERSVILLE (2-5)
LEWIS CASS (3-4) AT MANCHESTER (3-4)
LINTON-STOCKTON (6-1) AT EASTERN GREENE (3-3)
LOGANSPORT (3-4) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (6-1)
MACONAQUAH (5-2) AT WABASH (1-6)
MADISON (1-6) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (4-3)
MADISON-GRANT (6-1) AT EASTBROOK (5-2)
MARION (2-5) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (3-4)
MERRILLVILLE (5-2) AT LAKE CENTRAL (4-3)
MICHIGAN CITY (4-3) AT LAPORTE (1-6)
MONROVIA (5-2) AT CASCADE (5-2)
MOORESVILLE (3-4) AT MARTINSVILLE (4-3)
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (3-4) AT SHELBYVILLE (3-4)
MUNCIE CENTRAL (2-5) AT ANDERSON (2-5)
MUNSTER (2-5) AT LOWELL (2-5)
NEW ALBANY (2-5) AT SEYMOUR (4-3)
NEW CASTLE (1-6) AT NEW PALESTINE (5-2)
NEW HAVEN (7-0) AT EAST NOBLE (5-2)
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (0-7) AT PIKE (1-6)
NORTH DAVIESS (4-3) AT NORTH KNOX (4-3)
NORTH MONTGOMERY (4-3) AT FRANKFORT (1-6)
NORTH NEWTON (0-6) AT NORTH WHITE (7-0)
NORTH VERMILLION (5-2) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (4-3)
NORTHEASTERN (6-1) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (3-4)
NORTHWOOD (5-2) AT WAWASEE (1-6)
PAOLI (6-1) AT MITCHELL (2-5)
PARK TUDOR (7-0) AT SOUTH NEWTON (3-4)
PENDLETON HEIGHTS (5-2) AT YORKTOWN (4-3)
PENN (6-1) AT NEW PRAIRIE (6-1)
PERRY CENTRAL (4-3) AT SPRINGS VALLEY (6-1)
PERRY MERIDIAN (2-5) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (5-2)
PERU (7-0) AT NORTH MIAMI (1-6)
PHALEN ACADEMY (1-5) AT PURDUE POLYTECHNIC (2-5)
PIKE CENTRAL (1-6) AT FOREST PARK (4-3)
PIONEER (4-3) AT CULVER (0-7)
PLAINFIELD (6-1) AT WHITELAND (3-4)
PLYMOUTH (2-5) AT NORTHRIDGE (6-1)
PRINCETON (1-6) AT HERITAGE HILLS (6-1)
PROVIDENCE (7-0) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (0-7)
RENSSELAER CENTRAL (3-4) AT NORTHWESTERN (3-4)
RIVER FOREST (4-3) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (3-4)
RIVERTON PARKE (2-5) AT PARKE HERITAGE (2-5)
ROCHESTER (5-2) AT SOUTHWOOD (4-3)
SALEM (1-6) AT CHARLESTOWN (4-3)
SCOTTSBURG (4-3) AT EASTERN (PEKIN) (3-4)
SHERIDAN (6-1) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (5-2)
SILVER CREEK (5-2) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (6-1)
SOUTH ADAMS (4-3) AT WOODLAN (2-5)
SOUTH BEND ADAMS (1-6) AT JIMTOWN (3-4)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (2-5) AT HAMILTON HEIGHTS (7-0)
SOUTH DEARBORN (4-3) AT RUSHVILLE (2-5)
SOUTH DECATUR (6-1) AT MILAN (4-3)
SOUTH SPENCER (2-5) AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (1-5)
SOUTH VERMILLION (6-1) AT SEEGER (6-1)
SOUTHMONT (4-3) AT LEBANON (3-4)
SOUTHPORT (1-6) AT TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (3-4)
SOUTHRIDGE (5-2) AT NORTH POSEY (6-1)
SOUTHSIDE HOME SCHOOL AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (4-3)
SPEEDWAY (2-5) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (7-0)
TAYLOR (1-6) AT TRI-CENTRAL (1-6)
TELL CITY (4-3) AT TECUMSEH (0-7)
TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-7) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (5-2)
TIPTON (1-6) AT WESTERN (3-4)
TRI (4-3) AT HAGERSTOWN (5-2)
TRITON (5-2) AT KNOX (7-0)
TRITON CENTRAL (6-1) AT BEECH GROVE (3-4)
TWIN LAKES (4-3) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (5-2)
UNION CITY (2-5) AT CENTERVILLE (7-0)
UNION COUNTY (0-7) AT WES-DEL (2-5)
VALPARAISO (5-2) AT PORTAGE (0-7)
VINCENNES LINCOLN (5-2) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (6-1)
WARREN CENTRAL (3-4) AT CARMEL (4-3)
WARSAW (6-1) AT GOSHEN (1-6)
WASHINGTON (2-5) AT BOONVILLE (4-3)
WEST CENTRAL (6-1) AT FRONTIER (4-3)
WEST NOBLE (7-0) AT CHURUBUSCO (2-5)
WEST VIGO (1-6) AT CLOVERDALE (2-5)
WESTERN BOONE (5-2) AT DANVILLE (5-2)
WHEELER (4-3) AT WHITING (2-5)
WHITKO (1-6) AT NORTHFIELD (2-5)
OWEN VALLEY (2-5) AT GREENCASTLE (5-2)
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLL-COACHES
6A
1. CENTER GROVE (6-1)
2. BEN DAVIS (6-1)
3. BROWNSBURG (7-0)
4. CROWN POINT (7-0)
5. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (6-1)
6. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (5-2)
7. WESTFIELD (6-1)
8. FISHERS (5-2)
9. PENN (6-1)
10. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (5-2)
5A
1. BLOOMINGTON NORTH (7-0)
2. FORT WAYNE SNIDER (6-1)
3. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (6-1)
4. VALPARAISO (5-2)
5. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (6-1)
6. PLAINFIELD (6-1)
7. MERRILLVILLE (5-2)
8. DECATUR CENTRAL (5-2)
8. MISHAWAKA (5-2)
10. FLOYD CENTRAL (6-1)
4A
1. EAST CENTRAL (7-0)
2. EVANSVILLE REITZ (7-0)
3. NEW PALESTINE (5-2)
4. KOKOMO (6-1)
5. NEW HAVEN (7-0)
6. GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (6-1)
7. NEW PRAIRIE (6-1)
8. NORTHRIDGE (6-1)
9. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (6-1)
10. MISSISSINEWA (7-0)
3A
1. INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (7-0)
2. GUERIN CATHOLIC (5-2)
3. HANOVER CENTRAL (7-0)
4. GIBSON SOUTHERN (5-2)
5. TRI-WEST (6-1)
6. HERITAGE HILLS (6-1)
7. HAMILTON HEIGHTS (7-0)
8. TIPPECANOE VALLEY (7-0)
10. LAWRENCEBURG (5-2)
2A
1. LINTON-STOCKTON (6-1)
2. TRITON CENTRAL (6-1)
3. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (6-1)
4. LAVILLE (6-1)
5. FORT WAYNE LUERS (5-2)
6. BLUFFTON (6-1)
7. ALEXANDRIA (6-1)
8. EASTBROOK (5-2)
9. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (5-2)
10. INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (4-3)
1A
1. INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (7-0)
2. ADAMS CENTRAL (7-0)
3. CARROLL (FLORA) (7-0)
4. PROVIDENCE (7-0)
5. PARK TUDOR (7-0)
6. SOUTH PUTNAM (6-1)
7. SHERIDAN (6-1)
8. MADISON-GRANT (6-1)
9. NORTH WHITE (7-0)
10. TRITON (5-2)
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SECTIONAL BRACKETS
CLASS 4A
1. MUNSTER (7) | BRACKET
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL, GARY WEST SIDE, HAMMOND CENTRAL, HAMMOND MORTON, LAKE CENTRAL, MERRILLVILLE, MUNSTER
2. CROWN POINT (7) | BRACKET
CHESTERTON, CROWN POINT, HOBART, KANKAKEE VALLEY, LOWELL, PORTAGE, VALPARAISO
3. MICHIGAN CITY (6) | BRACKET
LAPORTE, MICHIGAN CITY, MISHAWAKA, PLYMOUTH, SOUTH BEND ADAMS, SOUTH BEND RILEY
4. ELKHART (6) | BRACKET
CONCORD, ELKHART, GOSHEN, NORTHRIDGE, PENN, WARSAW COMMUNITY
5. DEKALB (6) | BRACKET
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), DEKALB, EAST NOBLE, FORT WAYNE NORTH SIDE, FORT WAYNE NORTHROP, FORT WAYNE SNIDER
6. HOMESTEAD (6) | BRACKET
COLUMBIA CITY, FORT WAYNE SOUTH SIDE, FORT WAYNE WAYNE, HOMESTEAD, HUNTINGTON NORTH, NEW HAVEN
7. LOGANSPORT (6) | BRACKET
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE), KOKOMO, LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON, LOGANSPORT, MARION, MCCUTCHEON
8. ZIONSVILLE (6) | BRACKET
CARMEL, FISHERS, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN, NOBLESVILLE, WESTFIELD, ZIONSVILLE
9. PENDLETON HEIGHTS (8) | BRACKET
ANDERSON, GREENFIELD-CENTRAL, MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE), MUNCIE CENTRAL, NEW PALESTINE, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, RICHMOND, YORKTOWN
10. LAWRENCE NORTH (7) | BRACKET
INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH, INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL, INDIANAPOLIS CRISPUS ATTUCKS, LAWRENCE CENTRAL, LAWRENCE NORTH, NORTH CENTRAL, WARREN CENTRAL
11. BEN DAVIS (8) | BRACKET
BEN DAVIS, BREBEUF JESUIT, DECATUR CENTRAL, FRANKLIN CENTRAL, PERRY MERIDIAN, PIKE, RONCALLI, SOUTHPORT
12. TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO (5) | BRACKET
AVON, BROWNSBURG, PLAINFIELD, TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO, TERRE HAUTE SOUTH VIGO
13. GREENWOOD COMMUNITY (6) | BRACKET
BLOOMINGTON NORTH, BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, CENTER GROVE, GREENWOOD COMMUNITY, MARTINSVILLE, MOORESVILLE
14. FRANKLIN COMMUNITY (6) | BRACKET
COLUMBUS EAST, COLUMBUS NORTH, EAST CENTRAL, FRANKLIN COMMUNITY, SHELBYVILLE, WHITELAND COMMUNITY
15. SEYMOUR (6) | BRACKET
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE, FLOYD CENTRAL, JEFFERSONVILLE, JENNINGS COUNTY, NEW ALBANY, SEYMOUR
16. JASPER (6) | BRACKET
CASTLE, EVANSVILLE CENTRAL, EVANSVILLE F.J. REITZ, EVANSVILLE HARRISON, EVANSVILLE NORTH, JASPER
CLASS 3A
17. GRIFFITH (7) | BRACKET
BOONE GROVE, CALUMET, GRIFFITH, HAMMOND BISHOP NOLL, HANOVER CENTRAL, HIGHLAND, RIVER FOREST
18. BREMEN (5) | BRACKET
BREMEN, CULVER ACADEMY, GLENN, KNOX, TIPPECANOE VALLEY
19. JIMTOWN (6) | BRACKET
JIMTOWN, MISHAWAKA MARIAN, NEW PRAIRIE, SOUTH BEND CLAY, SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH, SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
20. WAWASEE (5) | BRACKET
FAIRFIELD, LAKELAND, NORTHWOOD, WAWASEE, WEST NOBLE
21. ANGOLA (7) | BRACKET
ANGOLA, FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER, FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA LUTHERAN, GARRETT, HERITAGE, LEO, WOODLAN
22. FRANKFORT (7) | BRACKET
BENTON CENTRAL, FRANKFORT, NORTH MONTGOMERY, RENSSELAER CENTRAL, TWIN LAKES, WEST LAFAYETTE, WESTERN
23. NORWELL (7) | BRACKET
BELLMONT, MACONAQUAH, MISSISSINEWA, NORTHWESTERN, NORWELL, OAK HILL, PERU
24. NEW CASTLE (5) | BRACKET
CENTERVILLE, DELTA, FRANKTON, JAY COUNTY, NEW CASTLE
25. MONROVIA (6) | BRACKET
CRAWFORDSVILLE, DANVILLE, LEBANON, MONROVIA, TRI-WEST HENDRICKS, WESTERN BOONE
26. NORTHVIEW (7) | BRACKET
BROWN COUNTY, EDGEWOOD, INDIAN CREEK, NORTHVIEW, OWEN VALLEY, SOUTH VERMILLION, WEST VIGO
27. INDPLS. BISHOP CHATARD (6) | BRACKET
GUERIN CATHOLIC, HAMILTON HEIGHTS, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN, HERRON, INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD, INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE
28. SPEEDWAY (6) | BRACKET
BEECH GROVE, CHRISTEL HOUSE, INDIANAPOLIS CARDINAL RITTER, INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON, PURDUE POLYTECHNIC, SPEEDWAY
29. BATESVILLE (7) | BRACKET
BATESVILLE, CONNERSVILLE, FRANKLIN COUNTY, GREENSBURG, LAWRENCEBURG, RUSHVILLE, SOUTH DEARBORN
30. PROVIDENCE (8) | BRACKET
CHARLESTOWN, CORYDON CENTRAL, MADISON CONSOLIDATED, NORTH HARRISON, PROVIDENCE, SALEM, SCOTTSBURG, SILVER CREEK
31. PRINCETON (7) | BRACKET
BARR-REEVE, HERITAGE HILLS, PIKE CENTRAL, PRINCETON COMMUNITY, SOUTHRIDGE, VINCENNES LINCOLN, WASHINGTON
32. GIBSON SOUTHERN (6) | BRACKET
BOONVILLE, EVANSVILLE BOSSE, EVANSVILLE MATER DEI, EVANSVILLE REITZ MEMORIAL, GIBSON SOUTHERN, MT. VERNON
CLASS 2A
33. NORTH NEWTON (7) | BRACKET
21ST CENTURY CHARTER, ANDREAN, ILLIANA CHRISTIAN, LAKE STATION EDISON, LIGHTHOUSE CPC, NORTH NEWTON, WHITING
34. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (6) | BRACKET
HEBRON, LAVILLE, NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE, CAREER ACADEMY, SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS), WHEELER
35. CENTRAL NOBLE (6) | BRACKET
CENTRAL NOBLE, CHURUBUSCO, EASTSIDE, FREMONT, PRAIRIE HEIGHTS, WESTVIEW
36. PIONEER (6) | BRACKET
LEWIS CASS, NORTH MIAMI, PIONEER, ROCHESTER, WINAMAC COMMUNITY, WABASH
37. BLUFFTON (6) | BRACKET
ADAMS CENTRAL, BLUFFTON, FORT WAYNE LUERS, MANCHESTER, SOUTH ADAMS, WHITKO
38. COVINGTON (6) | BRACKET
CARROLL (FLORA), CLINTON PRAIRIE, COVINGTON, DELPHI, LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC, SEEGER
39. EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (7) | BRACKET
BLACKFORD, EASTBROOK, EASTERN (GREENTOWN), ELWOOD, MADISON-GRANT, TAYLOR, TIPTON
40. WES-DEL (7) | BRACKET
ALEXANDRIA MONROE, LAPEL, MONROE CENTRAL, MUNCIE BURRIS, WAPAHANI, WES-DEL, WINCHESTER
41. HAGERSTOWN (5) | BRACKET
HAGERSTOWN, KNIGHTSTOWN, NORTHEASTERN, SHENANDOAH, UNION COUNTY
42. TRITON CENTRAL (5) | BRACKET
EASTERN HANCOCK, INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA, IRVINGTON PREPARATORY ACADEMY, RIVERSIDE, TRITON CENTRAL
43. SHERIDAN (5) | BRACKET
CASCADE, COVENANT CHRISTIAN (INDPLS.), PARK TUDOR, SHERIDAN, UNIVERSITY
44. SOUTHMONT (7) | BRACKET
CLOVERDALE, GREENCASTLE, NORTH PUTNAM, PARKE HERITAGE, RIVERTON PARKE, SOUTH PUTNAM, SOUTHMONT
45. SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) (6) | BRACKET
HAUSER, MILAN, NORTH DECATUR, SOUTH RIPLEY, SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER), SWITZERLAND COUNTY
46. HENRYVILLE (7) | BRACKET
AUSTIN, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL, CLARKSVILLE, EASTERN (PEKIN), HENRYVILLE, MITCHELL, PAOLI
47. NORTH DAVIESS (6) | BRACKET
EASTERN GREENE, LINTON-STOCKTON, NORTH DAVIESS, NORTH KNOX, SOUTH KNOX, SULLIVAN
48. FOREST PARK (6) | BRACKET
CRAWFORD COUNTY, FOREST PARK, NORTH POSEY, PERRY CENTRAL, SOUTH SPENCER, TELL CITY
CLASS 1A
49. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (7) | BRACKET
BOWMAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN, HAMMOND ACADEMY, KOUTS, MORGAN TOWNSHIP, TRI-TOWNSHIP, WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
50. MARQUETTE CATHOLIC (6) | BRACKET
ARGOS, CULVER COMMUNITY, MARQUETTE CATHOLIC, OREGON DAVIS, TRITON, WESTVILLE
51. LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN (6) | BRACKET
BETHANY CHRISTIAN, ELKHART CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN, FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY, HAMILTON, LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN
52. NORTH WHITE (5) | BRACKET
FRONTIER, NORTH WHITE, SOUTH NEWTON, TRI-COUNTY, WEST CENTRAL
53. SOUTHWOOD (5) | BRACKET
CASTON, LAKELAND CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, NORTHFIELD, SOUTHERN WELLS, SOUTHWOOD
54. ROSSVILLE (6) | BRACKET
ATTICA, CLINTON CENTRAL, FAITH CHRISTIAN, FOUNTAIN CENTRAL, NORTH VERMILLION, ROSSVILLE
55. COWAN (5) | BRACKET
ANDERSON PREPARATORY ACADEMY, COWAN, DALEVILLE, LIBERTY CHRISTIAN, TRI-CENTRAL
56. CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (7) | BRACKET
BLUE RIVER VALLEY, CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN, RANDOLPH SOUTHERN, SETON CATHOLIC, TRI, UNION (MODOC), UNION CITY
57. WHITE RIVER VALLEY (7) | BRACKET
BLOOMFIELD, CLAY CITY, DUGGER UNION, LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG), SHAKAMAK, WHITE RIVER VALLEY
58. BETHESDA CHRISTIAN (6) | BRACKET
BETHESDA CHRISTIAN, INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY, INDIANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF INDIANA, MTI SCHOOL OF KNOWLEDGE, TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
59. INDPLS. LUTHERAN (7) | BRACKET
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, EMINENCE, GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN, PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY, TINDLEY, VICTORY COLLEGE PREP
60. WALDRON (7) | BRACKET
EDINBURGH, JAC-CEN-DEL, MORRISTOWN, OLDENBURG ACADEMY, SOUTH DECATUR, SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE), WALDRON
61. CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF INDIANA (6) | BRACKET
BORDEN, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF INDIANA, LANESVILLE, ROCK CREEK ACADEMY, SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH), WEST WASHINGTON
62. MEDORA (5) | BRACKET
CROTHERSVILLE, MEDORA, NEW WASHINGTON, RISING SUN, TRINITY LUTHERAN
63. LOOGOOTEE (5) | BRACKET
LOOGOOTEE, ORLEANS, SHOALS, SPRINGS VALLEY, VINCENNES RIVET
64. NORTHEAST DUBOIS (5) | BRACKET
CANNELTON, EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN, NORTHEAST DUBOIS, TECUMSEH, WOOD MEMORIAL
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SCORES MONDAY
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=10/2/2023
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Z-RATINGS
4A
1 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 25.00
2 CATHEDRAL 23.51
3 CASTLE 23.40
4 RONCALLI 23.10
5 YORKTOWN 23.10
6 CENTER GROVE 22.90
7 FW CARROLL 22.85
8 ZIONSVILLE 22.60
9 MCCUTCHEON 22.57
10 LAPORTE 22.33
3A
1 BELLMONT 23.60
2 PROVIDENCE 22.50
3 ANGOLA 23.00
4 BENTON CENTRAL 22.56
5 NORTHWOOD
6 SILVER CREEK 22.16
7 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 21.68
8 NEW CASTLE 21.42
9 FW CONCORDIA 21.35
10 WOODLAN 21.32
2A
1 MUNCIE BURRIS 21.61
2 LINTON STOCKTON 21.58
3 SOUTH CENTRAL UNION MILLS 21.50
4 WES DEL 21.18
5 SOUTH ADAMS 21.06
6 WAPAHANI 20.66
7 NORTH POSEY 20.60
8 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 20.50
9 ANDREAN 20.45
10 CHRUBUSCO 20.40
1A
1 TECUMSEH 21.49
2 SPRINGS VALLEY 21.44
3 FW BLACKHAWK 21.26
4 SOUTHWOOD 21.13
5 VINCENNES RIVET 20.68
6 FAITH CHRISTIAN 20.66
7 TRINITY LUTHERAN 20.53
8 TRI-COUNTY 20.22
9 BORDEN 20.17
10 DALEVILLE 19.97
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER POLLS
3A
1. NOBLESVILLE
2. CARMEL
3. CENTER GROVE
4. PIKE
5. ZIONSVILLE
6. FISHERS
7. NORTHRIDGE
8. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
9. LAKE CENTRAL
10. COLUMBUS NORTH
11. CATHEDRAL
12. CASTLE
13. MUNSTER
14. FW CARROLL
15. GOSHEN
16. BROWNSBURG
17. WL HARRISON
18. HAMILTON SE
19. WARSAW
20. NORTHROP
2A
1. MISHAWAKA MARIAN
2. BREBEUF JESUIT
3. EV. MEMORIAL
4. SPEEDWAY
5. PROVIDENCE
6. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN
7. WEST LAFAYETTE
8. CASCADE
9. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN
10. HAMILTON HEIGHTS
11. BISHOP DWENGER
12. CULVER ACADEMIES
13. GUERIN CATHOLIC
14. HERITAGE HILLS
15. BISHOP NOLL
16. WEST NOBLE
17. GREENCASTLE
18. SB ST. JOSEPH
19. WASHINGTON COMMUNITY
20. NORTHWOOD
1A
1. WESTVIEW
2. COVENANT CHRISTIAN
3. FAITH CHRISTIAN
4. BETHANY CHRISTIAN
5. OLDENBURG ACADEMY
6. GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN
7. WHEELER
8. COVINGTON
9. PARK TUDOR
10. SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBY)
11. BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN
12. CARROLL (FLORA)
13. NORTHEAST DUBOIS
14. MUNCIE BURRIS
15. NORTH PUTNAM
16. UNIVERSITY
17. FOREST PARK
18. ROCK CREEK
19. SWITZERLAND COUNTY
20. ELKHART CHRISTIAN
INDIANA BOYS SECTIONAL SOCCER SCORES MONDAY
SILVER CREEK 4 CORYDON CENTRAL 0
MORGAN TWP. 8 WESTVILLE 0
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 14 DELPHI 0
SCECINA 8 INTERNATIONAL 1
COVENANT CHRISTIAN 7 BETHESDA CHRISTIAN 0
HENRYVILLE 4 TRINITY LUTHERAN 3
FORT WAYNE CARROLL 4 FORT WAYNE SOUTH 0
HERITAGE HILLS 2 MOUNT VERNON 1
JEFFERSONVILLE 7 JENNINGS COUNTY 0
HANOVER CENTRAL 12 RIVER FOREST 0
MORRISTOWN 1 KNIGHTSTOWN 1
WASHINGTON CATHOLIC 6 N. KNOX 1
HOMESTEAD 4 FORT WAYNE WAYNE 0
SPEEDWAY 6 CHRISTER HOUSE 1
VALPARAISO 3 PORTAGE 2
KOUTS 4 HEBRON 0
MUNSTER 7 E. CHICAGO CENTRAL 1
JAY COUNTY 5 YORKTOWN 1
CASTLE 4 EVANSVILLE REITZ 0
BREBEUF 4 GUERIN CATHOLIC 1
PENDLETON HEIGHTS 1 ANDERSON 0
EDGEWOOD 2 W. VIGO 1
BREMEN 10 GLENN 1
DANVILLE 5 SOUTHMONT 0
CONNERSVILLE 3 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 2
MILAN 1 S. RIPLEY 0
OAK HILL 3 PERU 1
MARTINSVILLE 2 TERRE HAUTE NORTH 0
FRANKFORT 6 RENSSELAER CENTRAL 3
CARMEL 5 WESTFIELD 1
GIBSON SOUTHERN 6 PRINCETON 2
CULVER ACADEMIES 4 MANCHESTER 2
FRANKLIN CENTRAL 7 WHITELAND 0
CONCORDE 9 MISHAWAKA 0
WESTVIEW 7 PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 0
LAKELAND CHRISTIAN 1 ELKHART CHRISTIAN 1
KOKOMO 2 LEBANON 1
SOUTHPORT 3 PERRY MERIDIAN 2
LAPORTE 3 MICHIGAN CITY 0
BROWNSBURG 9 MOORESVILLE 0
LAPEL 8 INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY 2
LAKE CENTRAL 12 HAMMOND 1
PURDUE POLY 5 BEECH GROVE 1
WHEELER 1 DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 0
OLDENBURG ACADEMY 1 SEEN CATHOLIC 0
WARSAW 3 COLUMBIA CITY 1
FLOYD CENTRAL 3 SEYMOUR 0
NEW CASTLE 1 CENTERVILLE 0
LAKELAND 2 ANGOLA 0
EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN 4 EVANSVILLE DAY 1
MITCHELL 2 VINCENNES RIVET 0
ROCK CREEK ACADEMY 7 EASTERN GREENE 2
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 2 HAMILTON HEIGHTS 1
HAMMOND NOLL 1 BOONE GROVE 1
FORT WAYNE NORTH 4 DEKALB 2
NORTHVIEW 3 BROWN COUNTY 2
JASPER 1 EVANSVILLE NORTH 0
NOBLESVILLE 2 MUNCIE CENTRAL 0
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 3 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 1
INDIANA BOYS SOCCER SECTIONAL BRACKETS: Class 3A Brackets | Class 2A Brackets | Class 1A Brackets
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER POLLS
1. CARMEL
2. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
3. NOBLESVILLE
4. CASTLE
5. WESTFIELD
6. CATHEDRAL
7. CARROLL
8. EAST CENTRAL
9. CROWN POINT
10. REITZ
11. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
12. PENN
13. HOMESTEAD
14. CHESTERTON
15. BROWNSBURG
16. NORTHRIDGE
17. MT. VERNON
18. WARSAW
19. GOSHEN
20. EVANSVILLE NORTH
2A
1. BREBEUF JESUIT
2. CHATARD
3. GUERIN CATHOLIC
4. BELLMONT
5. LEO
6. WEST LAFAYETTE
7. BISHOP DWENGER
8. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
9. MONROVIA
10. LAWRENCEBURG
11. GIBSON SOUTHERN
12. MISHAWAKA MARIAN
13. HANOVER CENTRAL
14. BATESVILLE
15. NORTHWOOD
16. NORTHWESTERN
17. SPEEDWAY
18. SILVER CREEK
19. TRI WEST
20. DANVILLE/JASPER
1A
1. PROVIDENCE
2. EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN
3. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN
4. PARK TUDOR
5. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
6. FW CANTERBURY
7. TRINITY
8. WESTVIEW
9. GREENCASTLE
10. ANDREAN
11. WHEELER
12. OLDENBURG
13. FAITH CHRISTIAN
14. FOREST PARK
15. BETHANY CHRISTIAN (GOSHEN)
16. BREMEN
17. ARGOS
18. N.E. DUBOIS
19. SOUTHMONT
20. SWITZERLAND COUNTY
INDIANA GIRLS SOCCER SECTIONAL SCORES MONDAY
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 2 WESTVILLE 1
INDIANA GIRLS SOCCER SECTIONAL BRACKETS: Class 3A Brackets | Class 2A Brackets | Class 1A Brackets
INDIANA BOYS REGIONAL TENNIS OCTOBER 3/4
1. PLAINFIELD (SECTIONALS 1-4)
2. JASPER (SECTIONALS 5-8)
3. EVANSVILLE BOSSE (HOSTED @ EVANSVILLE NORTH) (SECTIONALS 9-12)
4. JEFFERSONVILLE (SECTIONALS 13-16)
5. COLUMBUS NORTH (SECTIONALS 17-20)
6. CENTER GROVE (SECTIONALS 21-24)
7. NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (SECTIONALS 25-28)
8. MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE) (SECTIONALS 29-32)
9. LEBANON (SECTIONALS 33-36)
10. LAPORTE (SECTIONALS 37-40)
11. KOKOMO (SECTIONALS 41-44)
12. CULVER ACADEMIES (SECTIONALS 45-48)
13. PERU (SECTIONALS 49-52)
14. NOBLESVILLE (SECTIONALS 53-56)
15. CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (SECTIONALS 57-60)
16. NORTHWOOD (SECTIONALS 61-64)
INDIANA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY POLL
- FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA
- NOBLESVILLE
- HOMESTEAD
- NORTH CENTRAL
- HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
- CARMEL
- VALPARAISO
- FRANKLIN CENTRAL
- FORT WAYNE CARROLL
- MORGAN TOWNSHIP
- WESTFIELD
- ZIONSVILLE
- GUERIN CATHOLIC
- BROWNSBURG
- MT VERNON
- LAKE CENTRAL
- WARSAW
- COLUMBUS NORTH
- BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
- EAST NOBLE
- RONCALLI
- NORTHRIDGE
- EAST CENTRAL
- EDGEWOOD
- OAK HILL
INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY POLL
- CARMEL
- NOBLESVILLE
- ZIONSVILLE
- FISHERS
- BLOOMINGTON NORTH
- COLUMBUS NORTH
- FLOYD CENTRAL
- BROWNSBURG
- EVANSVILLE REITZ
- VALPARAISO
- HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
- WARSAW
- CENTER GROVE
- FRANKLIN CENTRAL
- LAKE CENTRAL
- PENN
- NORTHRIDGE
- AVON
- FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA
- LAPORTE
- BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
- GREENFIELD CENTRAL
- MT VERNON
- NORTH CENTRAL
- PORTAGE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 6 SCHEDULE
WEEK 6
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT NEW MEXICO STATE | 9 P.M. | CBSSN
THURSDAY, OCT. 5
SAM HOUSTON AT LIBERTY | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
WESTERN KENTUCKY AT LOUISIANA TECH | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
FRIDAY, OCT. 6
CORNELL AT HARVARD | 7 P.M. | ESPNU
KANSAS STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NEBRASKA AT ILLINOIS | 8 P.M. | FS1
SATURDAY, OCT. 7
OKLAHOMA VS. TEXAS (AT THE COTTON BOWL IN DALLAS, TEXAS) | 12 P.M. | ABC
MARYLAND AT OHIO STATE | 12 P.M. | FOX
LSU AT MISSOURI | 12 P.M. | ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE AT ARMY | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | 12 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
RUTGERS AT WISCONSIN | 12 P.M. | PEACOCK
WILLIAM & MARY AT VIRGINIA | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
TOLEDO AT UMASS | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
RHODE ISLAND AT BROWN | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
STONY BROOK AT MORGAN STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
STONEHILL AT MERRIMACK | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
HOLY CROSS AT BUCKNELL | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
GEORGETOWN AT PENN | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
LAFAYETTE AT PRINCETON | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
LEHIGH AT FORDHAM | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
DAYTON AT MOREHEAD STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
STETSON AT PRESBYTERIAN | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
YALE AT DARTMOUTH | 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+
SAMFORD AT WOFFORD | 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MARSHALL AT NC STATE | 2 P.M. | CW NETWORK
UTSA AT TEMPLE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT BUFFALO | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
VIRGINIA LYNCHBURG AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
WESTERN ILLINOIS AT NORTH DAKOTA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
VALPARAISO AT DRAKE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TENNESSEE TECH AT LINDENWOOD | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
THE CITADEL AT FURMAN | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
WASHINGTON STATE AT UCLA | 3 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
HOWARD AT NORTHWESTERN | 3 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT MISSOURI STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
MURRAY STATE AT SOUTH DAKOTA | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
UT MARTIN AT EASTERN ILLINOIS | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
TENNESSEE STATE AT KENNESAW STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
VIRGINIA TECH AT FLORIDA STATE | 3:30 P.M.
ALABAMA AT TEXAS A&M | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
SYRACUSE AT NORTH CAROLINA | 3:30 P.M.
PURDUE AT IOWA | 3:30 P.M. | PEACOCK
WAKE FOREST AT CLEMSON | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS AT NAVY | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
BALL STATE AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
BOWLING GREEN AT MIAMI (OHIO) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
KENT STATE AT OHIO | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT AKRON | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
GRAMBLING AT ALCORN STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MERCER AT EAST TENNESSEE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
VANDERBILT AT FLORIDA | 4 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UCF AT KANSAS | 4 P.M. | FOX
ARKANSAS STATE AT TROY | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
JACKSON STATE VS. ALABAMA A&M (IN MOBILE, ALA.) | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT NICHOLLS | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHWESTERN STATE AT LAMAR | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
WESTERN CAROLINA AT CHATTANOOGA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
UCONN AT RICE | 5 P.M. | ESPN+
SE MISSOURI STATE AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 5 P.M. | ESPN+
SE LOUISIANA AT UIW | 5 P.M. | ESPN+
TULSA AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
ROBERT MORRIS AT GARDNER-WEBB | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
COLORADO AT ARIZONA STATE | 6:30 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
KENTUCKY AT GEORGIA | 7 P.M. | ESPN
SOUTH ALABAMA AT UL MONROE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
OLD DOMINION AT SOUTHERN MISS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT ILLINOIS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA A&M AT SOUTHERN | 7 P.M. | ESPNU
SOUTHERN UTAH AT TARLETON STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MONTANA AT UC DAVIS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UNI AT INDIANA STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MICHIGAN AT MINNESOTA | 7:30 P.M. | NBC/PEACOCK
NOTRE DAME AT LOUISVILLE | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
ARKANSAS AT OLE MISS | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
GEORGIA TECH AT MIAMI (FLA.) | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
FRESNO STATE AT WYOMING | 8 P.M.
TEXAS TECH AT BAYLOR | 8 P.M. | ESPN2
TCU AT IOWA STATE | 8 P.M.
SAN JOSE STATE AT BOISE STATE | 8 P.M. | CBSSN
IDAHO AT CAL POLY | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
MCNEESE AT TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN AT UTAH TECH | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
OREGON STATE AT CAL | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
ARIZONA AT USC | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SOUTH FLORIDA AT UAB
TEXAS STATE AT LOUISIANA
NFL SCORES
MONDAY
SEATTLE 24 NY GIANTS 3
WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
CHICAGO BEARS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (THU) 8:15P (ET) 8:15P PRIME VIDEO
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS VS BUFFALO BILLS (TOTTENHAM) 2:30P (BST) 9:30A NFLN
HOUSTON TEXANS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT DETROIT LIONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
TENNESSEE TITANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS 1:05P (MST) 4:05P FOX
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT LOS ANGELES RAMS 1:05P (PT) 4:05P FOX
NEW YORK JETS AT DENVER BRONCOS 2:25P (MT) 4:25P CBS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 3:25P (CT) 4:25P CBS
DALLAS COWBOYS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 5:20P (PT) 8:20P NBC*
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (MON) 5:15P (PT) 8:15P ESPN
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
FULL SCHEDULE FOR 2023 MLB POSTSEASON
WILD CARD SERIES
TUESDAY, OCT. 3
AL WILD CARD A, GAME 1, ESPN PLATFORMS
AL WILD CARD B, GAME 1, ESPN PLATFORMS
NL WILD CARD A, GAME 1, ESPN PLATFORMS
NL WILD CARD B, GAME 1, ESPN PLATFORMS
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4
AL WILD CARD A, GAME 2, ESPN PLATFORMS
AL WILD CARD B, GAME 2, ESPN PLATFORMS
NL WILD CARD A, GAME 2, ESPN PLATFORMS
NL WILD CARD B, GAME 2, ESPN PLATFORMS
THURSDAY, OCT. 5
AL WILD CARD A, GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY), ESPN PLATFORMS
AL WILD CARD B, GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY), ESPN PLATFORMS
NL WILD CARD A, GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY), ESPN PLATFORMS
NL WILD CARD B, GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY), ESPN PLATFORMS
DIVISION SERIES
SATURDAY, OCT. 7
ALDS A, GAME 1, FOX/FS1
ALDS B, GAME 1, FOX/FS1
NLDS A, GAME 1, TBS
NLDS B, GAME 1, TBS
SUNDAY, OCT. 8
ALDS A, GAME 2, FOX/FS1
ALDS B, GAME 2, FOX/FS1
MONDAY, OCT. 9
NLDS A, GAME 2, TBS
NLDS B, GAME 2, TBS
TUESDAY, OCT. 10
ALDS A, GAME 3, FOX/FS1
ALDS B, GAME 3, FOX/FS1
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11
NLDS A, GAME 3, TBS
NLDS B, GAME 3, TBS
ALDS A, GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY), FOX/FS1
ALDS B, GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY), FOX/FS1
THURSDAY, OCT. 12
NLDS A, GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY), TBS
NLDS B, GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY), TBS
FRIDAY, OCT. 13
ALDS A, GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY), FOX/FS1
ALDS B, GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY), FOX/FS1
SATURDAY, OCT. 14
NLDS A, GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY), TBS
NLDS B, GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY), TBS
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
SUNDAY, OCT. 15
ALCS GAME 1, FOX/FS1
MONDAY, OCT. 16
NLCS GAME 1, TBS
ALCS GAME 2, FOX/FS1
TUESDAY, OCT. 17
NLCS GAME 2, TBS
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18
ALCS GAME 3, FOX/FS1
THURSDAY, OCT. 19
NLCS GAME 3, TBS
ALCS GAME 4, FOX/FS1
FRIDAY, OCT. 20
NLCS GAME 4, TBS
ALCS GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY), FOX/FS1
SATURDAY, OCT. 21
NLCS GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY), TBS
SUNDAY, OCT. 22
ALCS GAME 6 (IF NECESSARY), FOX/FS1
MONDAY, OCT. 23
NLCS GAME 6 (IF NECESSARY), TBS
ALCS GAME 7 (IF NECESSARY), FOX/FS1
TUESDAY, OCT. 24
NLCS GAME 7 (IF NECESSARY), TBS
WORLD SERIES
FRIDAY, OCT. 27
GAME 1 (AT BETTER 2023 RECORD), FOX
SATURDAY, OCT. 28
GAME 2 (AT BETTER 2023 RECORD), FOX
MONDAY, OCT. 30
GAME 3, FOX
TUESDAY, OCT. 31
GAME 4, FOX
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1
GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY), FOX
FRIDAY, NOV. 3
GAME 6 (IF NECESSARY, AT BETTER 2023 RECORD), FOX
SATURDAY, NOV. 4
GAME 7 (IF NECESSARY, AT BETTER 2023 RECORD), FOX
NHL PRE-SEASON
OTTAWA 3 PITTSBURGH 0
PHILADELPHIA 3 BOSTON 1
MONTRÉAL 5 TORONTO 4
NEW JERSEY 6 NY ISLANDERS 5
COLUMBUS 5 ST. LOUIS 3
CALGARY 5 WINNIPEG 4
EDMONTON 4 SEATTLE 1
WNBA SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
THE KEY STORYLINE FOR EACH WILD CARD GAME 1
The playoffs … are here. Nearly every night for the next month, there will be baseball with the highest possible stakes, games played of titanic magnitude. And these will be played all day. This is the fun part. This is what you were waiting for.
It all begins Tuesday, with four games in the Wild Card Series. They begin mid-afternoon on the East Coast — and right at lunchtime Pacific Time — so try to get as much done in the morning as possible. Because you’re not going to want to miss a second of any of this.
To help you through this maelstrom of baseball, we’re looking at one important storyline for each game on Tuesday, starting with the earliest (all times eastern).
RANGERS AT RAYS
Jordan Montgomery vs. Tyler Glasnow
3:08 p.m. on ABC
For most of the season, the Rangers weren’t just one of the most surprising success stories in baseball, they were perfectly situated for the postseason. They had a fantastic offense, a home crowd that clearly adored this team, some top-shelf starters and — most importantly — a clear path to the AL West title, the No. 2 seed in the American League and (perhaps most vital) a first-round bye in the postseason. One by one, all those things went away, most painfully with a 1-0 loss in the final game of the season in Seattle that handed the rival Astros the AL West. So, instead of kicking back and watching all these Wild Card Series while waiting to see who would earn the right to play them, the Rangers have to head to Tropicana Field to face a Rays team that won nine more games this year than they did.
Montgomery — Texas’ other rotation Deadline acquisition — suddenly has a ton on his shoulders, particularly considering the team’s well-documented bullpen problems. The Rays won four of their last five games and would love to get a crack at the Orioles in the ALDS. The Rangers spent the last weekend of the season sliding … and frittering away their division title. They best get started quick, or this might get away from them.
BLUE JAYS AT TWINS
Kevin Gausman vs. Pablo López
4:38 p.m. on ESPN
Surely, Twins players, support staff and (especially) fans are incredibly tired of hearing about the franchise’s 18-game postseason losing streak. You can certainly understand why players would consider it pointless: After all, Edouard Julien, the guy most likely to take the first at-bat for the Twins on Tuesday, was literally five years old when that streak started. (It’s fair to say it’s not Edouard’s fault, is what we’re saying.) But this postseason skid has been hanging over this franchise’s head for almost two decades now, and even if these players had nothing to do with it, they’re aware — constantly — of its existence.
Obviously, the Twins can’t advance if they don’t end the skid, but it’s more than that — they need to end the skid just to prove the skid can be ended. One of the keys to the Twins’ success this year was their starting pitching, and with López and Sonny Gray, they have just the guys to end it. But Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman — not to mention all those studs in the Blue Jays lineup — are gonna have a lot to say about that. If the Twins fall behind early in Game 1, how quickly does the dread set in at Target Field?
D-BACKS AT BREWERS
Brandon Pfaadt vs. Corbin Burnes
7:08 p.m. ET on ESPN2
The way the D-backs’ rotation has lined up — because they, unlike the Brewers, had to work to clinch a playoff spot in the season’s final week — is going to force them to start rookie Pfaadt in Game 1, holding ace Zac Gallen to Game 2. Pfaadt hasn’t pitched terribly lately — in two of his final three starts of the season, he didn’t allow a run — but expecting a rookie to go long in a game, particularly one against one of the best starters in the game, is probably unreasonable. But then again: The Brewers haven’t exactly been knocking the cover off the ball this year, though things perked up in the second half after they acquired Carlos Santana and Mark Canha at the Trade Deadline, both of whom have been excellent for Milwaukee.
MLB REPORTS LARGEST ATTENDANCE SPIKE IN 30 YEARS
Major League Baseball attendance experienced its largest growth in 30 years in 2023, the league announced on Monday.
Total attendance of 70,747,365 was up 9.6 percent over 2022 (64,556,636) and the average attendance of 29,295 was up 9.1 percent.
Seventeen of the 30 teams drew more than 2.5 million fans, matching the most in MLB history, and eight attracted more than 3 million.
Eleven weekends drew more than 1.5 million fans, compared to a total of five such weekends over the previous four full seasons (2018-19, 2021-22) combined.
Spectators also set streaming records this season with 12.7 billion minutes watched on MLB.TV, a 9 percent boost from last season’s total of 11.7 billion.
The number of users watching MLB.TV increased by 14 percent from 2022 and fans watched 17 percent more games than last season.
Factoring into the sport’s increased watchability was the marked decrease in the average length of the games, thanks in part to pitch clocks.
Games in 2023 averaged 2 hours, 39 minutes and 49 seconds, the shortest since 1985 and a decrease of 24 minutes from last season. Only nine games lasted 3 1/2 hours or longer, down from 390 such games back in 2021.
BRAVES OPEN POSTSEASON AS WORLD SERIES FAVORITES
After finishing the regular season with the best record in the majors, the Atlanta Braves are the favorite to win their second title in three years with the playoffs set to begin on Tuesday.
Atlanta went 104-58 to capture its sixth consecutive National League East crown. The Braves currently sit at +250 to win the World Series on BetMGM, while FanDuel has them at +260 and DraftKings has them at +330.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who went 100-62 to finish with the second-best record in the National League, have the second-best odds to go all the way. BetMGM and DraftKings both have the Dodgers at +425, while FanDuel puts them at +410.
Los Angeles will be heading to the postseason for the 11th consecutive season. It was eliminated by the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series in 2022, just two years removed from a championship.
The Dodgers made it to the NL Championship Series in 2021 but fell to Atlanta in six games.
BetMGM (+500), FanDuel (+480) and DraftKings (+450) all have the defending World Series champion Houston Astros with the third-best odds to win the title. It would mark Houston’s third championship in the past seven years. The Astros also won in 2017.
Two years after a brutal 52-110 season, the Baltimore Orioles turned heads by winning 101 games to clinch the American League East, and oddsmakers rewarded them for their efforts. Baltimore has the fourth-best odds to snag its first championship since 1983, sitting at +600 on BetMGM, +650 on DraftKings and +700 on FanDuel.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who fell to Houston in the 2022 World Series, enter the postseason as an NL wild card and are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the fifth-best odds (+1200) on BetMGM and FanDuel to get the job done this time around.
Philadelphia is +1300 on DraftKings, though, while the Rays see their line at +950.
The Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks, the NL’s two other wild cards, are the biggest underdogs at +3000 apiece on DraftKings and +5000 apiece on BetMGM. FanDuel has Arizona (+4000) with slightly better odds than Miami (+5000).
Over at DraftKings, the Astros are at +190 odds to come out of the AL, while Atlanta is at +150 to prevail in the NL. FanDuel believes an NL team will prevail in the World Series, putting the line at -138. An AL team winning is at +112.
Four wild-card series are set to begin on Tuesday. DraftKings has the Phillies as -180 favorites over the Marlins, the Milwaukee Brewers taking their series against the Diamondbacks at -160, the Rays ousting the Texas Rangers at -155 and the Minnesota Twins eliminating the Toronto Blue Jays (-125).
FanDuel also has Philadelphia (-200), Milwaukee (-192), Tampa Bay (-164) and Minnesota (-144) as the favorites in their respective wild-card series.
RANGERS AND RAYS READY TO LIGHT UP SCOREBOARD
The Texas Rangers had their sights on four days of rest and home-field advantage for their American League playoff opener.
Instead, they made a long flight from Seattle to Florida to play the best-of-three AL wild-card series on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. The series begins Tuesday at St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Rangers (90-72) led the AL West for nearly the entire season but dropped three of their final four regular-season games. The Houston Astros caught Texas on Sunday, held the tiebreaker edge to become division champs and earned the bye.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are the No. 5 seed and facing the No. 4 Rays (99-63), who fell one victory short of the franchise mark set in 2021.
“It’s going to be up to us to go through Tampa and play a really good team,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “So we’ve got to bounce back and get this offense going. It’s good to be here.”
Rangers All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien said, “We’re gonna have to take a different route now to get to our ultimate goal.”
Game 1 is expected to feature left-hander Jordan Montgomery starting for Texas and right-hander Tyler Glasnow for Tampa Bay.
Both teams have a lot of firepower. The Rays set franchise marks for homers (230) and runs (860) and Yandy Diaz (.330) became the first Tampa Bay player to win the batting title.
Texas (881) is the only AL club to score more runs than the Rays and the Rangers (233) also tied for the AL homer lead with the Minnesota Twins. Corey Seager (.327) battled Diaz for the batting crown, falling short with an 0-for-4 day in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Diaz is expecting the scoreboard to be busy during the series.
“Everybody knows those guys can score a lot of runs and they can hit,” Diaz said. “We’re going to have to score as many runs as we can. I think it’s going to be a good battle of the offenses.”
Texas won four of the six regular-season matchups with the Rays. But Tampa Bay took two of three at home in mid-June.
“Really good team. A lot of offense. Pretty versatile offense,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “And then their pitching, they’ve done a nice job here lately. They’ve had injuries, kind of like we’ve had here as of late, and they figured out ways to win games.”
The Rangers’ Max Scherzer hasn’t pitched since Sept. 12 due to a muscular injury in his shoulder. He said Sunday that he’s “still in the recovery process from a strain.” In addition, fellow right-hander Jon Gray (forearm) will miss the series.
Montgomery (10-11, 3.20 ERA) has been Texas’ best pitcher down the stretch. He is 2-0 with an 0.67 ERA over his past four starts and allowed just 19 hits in 27 innings.
Montgomery was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline and has gone 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts for the Rangers.
The 30-year-old has a 1.35 ERA in two career postseason appearances (one start).
Montgomery is 4-4 with a 5.12 ERA in 13 career starts against Tampa Bay.
Randy Arozarena (4-for-20) has two homers off Montgomery, while Manuel Margot (6-for-18) and Isaac Paredes (1-for-3) each have one.
Glasnow (10-7, 3.53) was up-and-down in September, going 3-3 with a 4.86 ERA in six outings.
Glasnow, 30, has struggled in the postseason. He is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA in nine starts.
Glasnow defeated the Rangers on June 9 when he gave up just one hit — a solo homer by Leody Taveras — in six innings.
He’s 3-0 in three career starts against Texas, allowing just that one run along with five hits. He has struck out 26 in 19 2/3 innings.
Semien is 4-for-9 against Glasnow.
PHIL NEVIN WON’T RETURN AS ANGELS’ MANAGER AFTER 2ND LOSING SEASON
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Phil Nevin will not return as the Los Angeles Angels’ manager next season.
The Angels announced Monday that they are declining their contract option for 2024 on Nevin, who ran the dugout for the last 1 1/2 seasons. Los Angeles will have its fourth manager in six seasons since the departure of Mike Scioscia, who held the job for 19 years.
Nevin went 119-149 in his first major league managerial job while both of his teams missed the playoffs. He managed this season on a one-year contract while owner Arte Moreno explored a sale of the team, only to take it off the market.
Nevin was promoted to the Angels’ top job in June 2022 when Joe Maddon was fired in the middle of a 14-game losing streak. Nevin, who had only joined Maddon’s staff as his third base coach in November 2021, became the first Orange County native to manage the Angels.
As a former elite infielder and No. 1 overall pick who still carries himself like a ballplayer, Nevin appeared to be well-liked by his players. But the Angels didn’t win for him, finishing 46-60 after he took over in 2022 and going 73-89 this season for the franchise’s eighth straight losing record.
“I know it didn’t go the way we wanted, but I’m proud of the way that room held together,” Nevin said Sunday. “It wasn’t fun. It’s not fun ending the way we did, but it’s a great group in there. There’s a lot of great things that are on the horizon here with the young players and the guys coming back. Good future.”
Nevin became the third big manager let go in four days following San Francisco’s Gabe Kapler and the New York Mets’ Buck Showalter.
Despite the presence of former AL MVPs Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on his roster when healthy, Nevin also faced significant obstacles while managing the Angels, who were forced to use a franchise-record 66 players due to injuries in each of his two seasons in charge.
The Angels were promising this season at times, and their 65-61 mark at the trade deadline prompted Moreno to spend on several veterans. The Angels immediately plummeted, losing seven straight games after the deadline and eventually finishing 17 games out of first place in the AL West.
The Halos went 17-38 in the season’s final two months while losing Ohtani, Trout, Anthony Rendon, Taylor Ward and more for the year to injury.
Although the club didn’t formally confirm it, general manager Perry Minasian is apparently staying for a fourth season with the Angels. In the news release announcing Nevin’s firing, the Angels also said Minasian will address the media Tuesday.
The club is mired in streaks of eight straight losing seasons and nine straight non-playoff seasons, both the longest active skids in the majors. The Angels have never won more than 77 games under Minasian, although the first-time GM has made occasional strides in improving their once-desolate prospect pool, which produced a handful of major league regulars this season.
If Minasian stays, the Angels will have front-office continuity as they attempt to re-sign Ohtani, who is a free agent this winter after six seasons in Anaheim.
Ohtani, the strong favorite to win his second AL MVP award, will play only as a designated hitter in 2024 before he attempts to return from elbow surgery to be a pitcher in 2025.
BREWERS PITCHER BRANDON WOODRUFF WILL MISS WILD CARD SERIES WITH SHOULDER INJURY
MILWAUKEE (AP) Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff will miss this week’s Wild Card Series against Arizona because of a right shoulder injury.
“Frankly, his availability for the postseason is up in the air at this point,” manager Craig Counsell said Monday, a day before the opener of the best-of-three series against the Diamondbacks.
Woodruff is dealing with what Counsell described as a capsular injury. He had been expected to start Game 2 for the NL Central champions, following Corbin Burnes.
Woodruff is seeking a second opinion and likely won’t have the results until the end of the week.
Woodruff, a 30-year-old right-hander, was 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts. He last pitched on Sept. 23 in Miami, giving up four runs and six hits in five innings.
Woodruff made two starts in April, then was sidelined until Aug. 6 with a sub-scapular strain. He began to feel an issue during a Sept. 23 outing at the Marlins.
“Thinking back on it now, I had no issues until probably Miami,” Woodruff said. “I could tell something a little bit maybe, the first couple innings but it wasn’t anything alarming to me. There was velocity drop but then it came back. I didn’t get to the point where I thought anything was going on. I just thought it was normal stuff.”
During a recent a batting practice session, Woodruff said “the ball was coming out great, but I didn’t feel that great.”
While playing catch on Sunday he said he realized he was having similar feelings to the time he first got hurt.
“I spoke up immediately,” Woodruff said.
Woodruff broke down when talking about the possibility that he won’t pitch this postseason.
“It sucks, man. We got a good clubhouse and I want to be a part of that,” he said with his head bowed. “Sitting here now, I may not. That’s the hard part. But we got a good group and I think we’ll be fine.”
Milwaukee will be missing a key pitcher for a third straight postseason series.
Corbin Burnes wasn’t available due to an oblique strain as the Brewers got swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Reliever Devin Williams couldn’t pitch in Milwaukee’s 2021 Division Series loss to Atlanta after he fractured a hand while punching a wall after the Brewers’ NL Central title-clinching celebration.
Outfielder Christian Yelich said the team will have to overcome adversity to win the series with the Diamondbacks.
“Woody’s a big part of what we do,” Yelich said. “At this time of year, it’s about being resilient. We still have a very talented team. It’s about staying together and staying connected.”
EX-MLB PITCHER TREVOR BAUER, WOMAN WHO ACCUSED HIM OF ASSAULT IN 2021 SETTLE LEGAL DISPUTE
LOS ANGELES (AP) Former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer and a woman who accused him of beating and sexually assaulting her in 2021 have settled their legal dispute, Bauer’s attorneys said Monday.
“Both of their respective claims have been withdrawn with prejudice, effective today,” attorneys Jon Fetterolf and Shawn Holley said in a statement.
The former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher was placed on administrative leave by MLB in July 2021 after the allegations were made by the woman, who said Bauer assaulted her on two different occasions at his home in Pasadena during what she said began as consensual sexual encounters between them.
The 32-year-old Bauer denied the allegation, saying the encounters were consensual.
Prosecutors decided not to file charges in February 2022.
Bauer was suspended an unprecedented 324 games by Major League Baseball, a ban reduced to 194 games by an independent arbitrator in December 2022. After Bauer’s suspension ended, the Dodgers cut him and no team picked him up. He now plays in Japan.
Bauer sued the woman, and she countersued. Their settlement calls for no exchange of money between the parties.
The woman will receive a separate $300,000 payout from her insurance company, her attorney, Jesse Kaplan, said in a letter to Bauer’s lawyers. That payment is independent of her settlement with Bauer.
“Quite frankly, regardless of the outcome in court, I’ve paid significantly more in legal fees than (the accuser) could ever pay me in her entire life, and I knew that would be the case going in,” Bauer said in a video statement. “But the lawsuit was never about the money for me. It was the only way for me to obtain critical information to clear my name.”
As part of the settlement terms, Bauer said he retained his right to speak publicly about the case.
“Now over the last two years, I’ve been forced to defend my integrity and my reputation in a very public setting, but hopefully this is the last time I have to do so, as I’d prefer to just remain focused on doing my job, winning baseball games and entertaining fans around the world,” he said. “So today I’m happy to be moving on with my life.”
Bauer faces a different accusation from an Arizona woman who alleges in a lawsuit he held a knife at her throat and choked her until she passed out during a rape that left her pregnant in late 2020.
Bauer was never arrested or charged and has countersued, denying the allegations and accusing the woman of faking a pregnancy and trying to extort money from him.
The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault.
NFL NEWS
CHARGERS QB JUSTIN HERBERT NOT EXPECTED TO MISS TIME DESPITE BROKEN MIDDLE FINGER ON LEFT HAND
(AP) — Justin Herbert is not expected to miss any playing time despite having a broken middle finger on his non-throwing hand.
The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback fractured the middle finger on his left hand late in the third quarter after it got caught in the helmet of Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby after being intercepted by Trevon Moehrig. He wore a split on the hand during the fourth quarter.
Herbert still ended up completing two of his three pass attempts in the fourth quarter, including one for 51 yards up the sideline to Joshua Palmer late in the fourth quarter to seal a 24-17 victory to improve Los Angeles’ record to 2-2.
“He’s a tough customer,” coach Brandon Staley said on Monday in updating Herbert’s situation.
The Chargers have their bye this week before hosting the Dallas Cowboys in a Monday night game on Oct. 16.
Herbert joked after the game that the injury was “just a flesh wound” but admitted that the pain level was pretty low and that he felt fine.
Herbert is tied for second in the league in completions (103), fifth in passer rating (106.3) and tied for seventh with seven touchdown passes.
This past offseason Herbert had surgery to his left shoulder because of a torn labrum.
ANALYSIS: FEW SURPRISES AMONG NFL’S TOP TEAMS A QUARTER INTO THE SEASON
The NFL’s top preseason contenders played like it in the first quarter of the season.
Defending champion Kansas City (3-1), Philadelphia (4-0), San Francisco (4-0), Dallas (3-1) and Buffalo (3-1) are 17-3 combined. The Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Cowboys and Bills are, in Dennis Green’s words, who we thought they were.
Of the six teams with the best Super Bowl odds entering the season, only the Bengals (1-3) haven’t lived up to expectations. Cincinnati is struggling because Joe Burrow is playing hurt. A calf injury has severely limited the NFL’s highest-paid player.
If Burrow can get healthy and get the Bengals going, they can’t be counted out because they’ve won road playoff games against Kansas City and Buffalo in the past two years.
Most of the frontrunners are winning despite not playing their best football.
The Chiefs barely escaped with a 23-20 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday night.
Their only loss came against the Lions (3-1) in the season opener — a game played without Travis Kelce and Chris Jones.
Patrick Mahomes posted
Patrick Mahomes posted the fourth-lowest passer rating (63.6) of his career against New York’s tough defense, but the two-time Super Bowl MVP made critical plays with his legs on a final drive to ice the win.
“It’s not always going to be a pretty four quarters, especially against a good defense, but it’s about, when the opportunity arises, going down and finishing,” Mahomes said.
The Eagles needed overtime to beat the Commanders 34-31 behind Jalen Hurts’ best game of the season. They’re undefeated even though they haven’t hit their stride. Philly’s passing attack took four weeks to click. The defense has been spotty. The Eagles face the Rams and Jets the next two weeks, so they have an opportunity to work out the kinks before the schedule gets tougher.
“When you can win different ways — you’re going to be put in all these scenarios through a long season, right? And so, it just builds confidence that, OK, we’ve been here before, we know how to win this way,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
Hurts played his first turnover-free game of the season, throwing for 319 yards and two TDs to lead Philadelphia back from a 10-point deficit.
“I think it is reassuring for us,” Hurts said. “When you feel those moments, they build so much character for you. … No one is satisfied. No one is ever satisfied. I’m never satisfied, but winning is the only thing that matters and we’ll enjoy those wins because we earned them and we know what winning can do if you take it in the right way, so we just want to keep that hunger, keep the eagerness to get better, just keep growing.”
The Bills have won three in a row following a season-opening loss to the Jets on the night Aaron Rodgers’ season ended. Their 48-20 win over Miami (3-1) was most impressive. Josh Allen and Co. sent a clear message that the AFC East still goes through Buffalo. The Dolphins came in unbeaten off a 70-point outburst.
“Every week is a different week,” Allen said. “It doesn’t matter what you did last week or what you’re going to do next week.”
Allen, who had a perfect 158.3 passer rating after throwing for 320 yards and four touchdowns, wants to see the Bills improve.
“I still think we have more,” Allen said. “We’re gonna have to learn a lot from this tape and find ways to get better, but we left a lot out there and we’re all focused on correcting those things.”
The Cowboys, coming off a stunning loss to Arizona, earned their third dominant win of the season, 38-3, over the Patriots. It was the worst loss in Bill Belichick’s career. Dallas has outscored its opponents 108-13 in three wins, but the offense still hasn’t hit its stride.
“Pretty efficient but still not to our standard, honestly,” QB Dak Prescott said. “To have as many opportunities as we had in the red zone and (just) have some field goals. … A lot of good comes from it and a lot of great comes from it when you win a game 38-3. So, it’s a lot easier to get better with a win like this and a score like that.”
The 49ers pulled away from the Cardinals in the fourth quarter of a 35-16 win. Brock Purdy improved to 11-0 in games he starts and finishes without injury. Christian McCaffrey has been outstanding on an offense filled with playmakers and the defense has been stingy.
Next week, the Cowboys visit the 49ers.
PANTHERS NEED TO GET TIGHT ENDS MORE INVOLVED IN THE PASSING GAME TO HELP OUT ROOKIE QB BRYCE YOUNG
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Panthers coach Frank Reich raved about the talent in the team’s tight ends room during training camp.
That makes it all the more perplexing that Carolina’s tight ends have been virtually non-existent with the team off to a disappointing 0-4 start, including a 21-13 loss on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
Carolina’s four tight ends have combined for just 13 catches for 114 yards and one touchdown through the first four games of the season. They had one catch for 7 yards on Sunday.
Given that a tight end can be a best friend as a checkdown option in an offensive led by a young quarterback such as Bryce Young, the Panthers could benefit from altering their offensive game plan to include them more moving forward.
Hayden Hurst has been the biggest disappointment of the bunch.
Hurst, who received a three-year, $21.7 million contract this past offseason as a free agent, had five catches for the 41 yards and a touchdown in Carolina’s season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, but has been quiet since with just five receptions for 38 yards the past three games. He was expected to be a major red zone target.
Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas and Gio Ricci each have one catch this season.
The inability of Hurst and crew to get open and the lack of plays going their way is one of the reasons Young has been sacked 11 times in three starts as the safety valve option hasn’t been there.
For a group that received big praise this summer, that isn’t up to par.
WHAT’S WORKING
Eddy Pineiro continues to be solid for the Panthers. He added two more field goals on Sunday, including a 56-yarder at the end of the first half. Pineiro is 8 of 9 on field-goal attempts with his only miss coming from 55 yards. “Eddy Money,” as some teammates are calling him, has made 27 of his past 28 field-goal attempts going back to last season.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
While No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud is thriving with the Houston Texans, Young is struggling in Carolina. Stroud has six touchdown passes and no interceptions and a QB rating of 98. Young has two touchdowns and two interceptions for a QB rating of 66.6. It’s unclear if the Panthers have some buyer’s regret this early in his career, but there is a growing faction of Carolina fans pushing for veteran Andy Dalton to start because they feel he gives the team the best chance to win right now. Dalton threw for 361 yards and two TDs in a 37-27 Week 3 loss vs. Seattle with Young out because of an ankle injury.
STOCK UP
Adam Thielen continues to prove that he still has it at age 33. The two-time Pro Bowl selection leads the Panthers with 27 catches for 287 yards and two touchdowns through four games. Thielen fought through an ankle injury on Sunday and caught seven passes for 76 yards against his former team and was open for an easy touchdown after a double move on Carolina’s final drive. Thielen clearly needs help from his fellow wide receivers and isn’t getting it.
After the game, Reich praised Thielen for his toughness.
“I think he rolled up his ankle,” Reich said. “What a competitor that guy is. Man, what a competitor. I mean that guy, I have so much respect for that guy. He is the best.”
STOCK DOWN
Carolina’s offensive line continues to struggle. They allowed five sacks — all in the second half — while failing to open running lanes. Miles Sanders was held to 19 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Chuba Hubbard was the top rusher with 41 yards on 14 carries, and as a team the Panthers were held to 2.7 yards per carry. The Panthers had six different rushes that went for no gain or negative yardage.
The good news is veteran guard Austin Corbett is eligible to return from injured reserve this week.
However, it could be some time before Corbett sees game action. He tore his ACL in the final game of the 2022 season and hasn’t played or practiced since.
INJURIES
Carolina’s defense grew even thinner on Sunday. Starting cornerback Donte Jackson went down with a shoulder injury in the first half, leaving the Panthers without three of their four starting defensive backs.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn (hamstring) is on injured reserve and safety Xavier Woods missed the game because of a hamstring injury. It’s little surprise that Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson took advantage, catching six passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Another Jefferson TD catch was called back on a holding penalty by Josh Oliver.
Previously, the Panthers also lost linebacker Shaq Thompson to a season-ending broken leg.
KEY NUMBER
1 of 164 — Number of teams that have started the season 0-4 and went on to reach the playoffs in the Super Bowl era. The only team to do it was the 1992 Chargers, so the Panthers have their back up against the wall.
NEXT STEPS
Things won’t get any easier on Sunday as the Panthers travel to face the Detroit Lions.
THE WEEKS CHANGE. THE OPPONENTS CHANGE. THE STEELERS’ INABILITY TO GENERATE POINTS DOES NOT
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin is correct. There is nothing “mystical” about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ straightest path to success.
No “mojo” or “juju” or other any other buzzword Pittsburgh’s longtime coach might throw out — whether he believes in it or not — required.
Get ahead early. Run the ball to control the clock. Force opponents to become one-dimensional in an effort to catch up, a frequently treacherous proposition when T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
It’s time-tested, cliche and boring.
And at the moment, seemingly unattainable too.
Not with an offense where consistency, production and cohesion — especially in the first half — are more rumor than fact. Not with a gameplan that might be worth less than the page it’s laminated on. Not with an offensive coordinator in Matt Canada who, 38 games into his tenure, can’t make adjustments on the fly with any sense of regularity.
Pittsburgh’s performance in a lopsided 30-6 loss to Houston on Sunday didn’t look much different than the opener against San Francisco, or that strange Monday night win over Cleveland, or even a somewhat competent victory against the Raiders in Week 3.
Every Thursday Canada stresses the coaching needs to be better. The plan needs to be better. And every Sunday (or Monday) the results look the same. Week after week. And — as seems to increasingly be the case — season after season.
The Steelers (2-2) have started 12 drives in the first quarter across their first four games. Those drives have ended with one touchdown, four first downs, four turnovers and three punts. Take out a 72-yard strike to Calvin Austin against Las Vegas, and Pittsburgh’s other 38 snaps on those first-quarter drives have produced a grand total of 49 yards, or 1.3 yards per play.
While Tomlin can talk about “changes” ahead of next Sunday’s visit from Baltimore (3-1), the reality is Pittsburgh’s biggest issue appears to be the decision to bring Canada back for a third season.
A strong second half to 2022 led by a run-heavy attack and quarterback Kenny Pickett’s relationship with Canada led owner Art Rooney II to retain Canada. And during the preseason, it looked as if it was the right call when the first-team offense scored touchdowns on all five possessions Pickett was in the huddle.
As October begins, August looks like a mirage.
The level of defensive game planning ramps up tenfold when the wins and losses start counting.
Opponents have exchanged checkers for chess pieces. The Steelers have exchanged nothing but puzzled looks.
WHAT’S WORKING
The running game … when they turn to it. Najee Harris ran for a season-best 71 yards against the Texans, averaging a solid 5.1 yards per carry on his 14 attempts.
And yet with Pittsburgh facing fourth-and-1 at the Houston 34 late in the third quarter with the game still in the balance, Canada called for a four-wide receiver set that had Pickett line up in the shotgun with Harris standing to his right.
The result was a momentum-sapping sack that ended with Pickett limping off the field after tweaking his left knee and leaving his status going forward uncertain.
The Steelers spent a significant amount of money (and draft capital) in beefing up the offensive line, signing Isaac Seumalo from Philadelphia and selecting left tackle Broderick Jones and massive tight end Darnell Washington in the first three rounds in April.
Not trusting that group to help the 235-pound Harris advance the ball the three feet necessary to get the first down was curious at best and baffling at worst. And emblematic of the Canada era.
WHAT’S NOT
Watt sets the bar so high on a weekly basis that when he doesn’t single-handedly tilt the game in Pittsburgh’s direction it seems as if something is wrong.
While Watt admitted he needed to be better after a quiet performance against a team featuring a rookie quarterback and a patchwork offensive line, he was hardly the only player in white who failed to produce. The Steelers were pushed around while giving up 451 yards.
STOCK UP
Punter Brad Wing filled in capably in his return to the NFL after a six-year absence. With Pressley Harvin sidelined with a hamstring injury, Wing averaged a solid 47.6 yards per kick.
While it won’t be enough for Wing to stick around when Harvin returns, the 32-year-old Australian — who served as Pittsburgh’s punter in 2014 before beginning a nomadic football odyssey that included stops in multiple minor leagues — showed there’s still plenty of life left in his left leg.
STOCK DOWN
Cornerback Patrick Peterson’s career will make the debate about his Hall of Fame worthiness a lengthy one whenever the time comes. And his leadership is vital to a secondary that includes second-round pick Joey Porter Jr.
It’s the on-field product that’s troubling.
The 33-year-old Peterson — a three-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler — is starting to look his age. Peterson has never given up more than five touchdowns in a season. He’s already been beaten for scores four times in four games in 2023.
INJURIES
Pickett isn’t the only one who left Houston hurting. Left tackle Dan Moore (knee), tight end Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) and defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal (knee) were also banged up against Houston.
NEXT STEPS
Pittsburgh has been one of the few teams that’s had success against Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. The 2019 MVP is just 2-3 against the Steelers. Jackson’s 67.4 quarterback rating when facing Pittsburgh is his lowest against any opponent. If the Steelers want to head into their bye week with any positive vibes, finding a way to beat their rivals is a must.
ISSUES IN THE RED ZONE ARE A BROKEN RECORD FOR COWBOYS HEADING INTO 49ERS SHOWDOWN
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott and Tony Pollard collided in the backfield on a botched handoff that forced yet another field-goal try for the Dallas Cowboys inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Not even the worst loss of New England coach Bill Belichick’s storied career could mask a growing concern for the Cowboys going into a showdown with San Francisco on Sunday.
Prescott and company are having trouble turning red zone trips into end zone trips.
Dallas got a touchdown once in four trips inside the Patriots 20, a meaningless tack-on TD late in the 38-3 victory that was the third blowout win in four games for the Cowboys (3-1).
While it’s worth noting that the touchdown that put Dallas ahead for good in the first quarter came from the 20 and didn’t technically count as a red zone trip, the messy Prescott-Pollard play was emblematic of the issue.
“We won 38-3 so I’m not going to sit here and harp on that,” said Prescott, whose 20-yard TD toss to CeeDee Lamb was his first to a receiver this season. “But that definitely gives us something to work on.”
The Cowboys came out of the rout of the Patriots 29th in the NFL in touchdown rate inside the 20 at 36.8%.
The inefficiency cost them in their only loss, 28-16 to Arizona, which has lost its other three games. It never mattered much in three blowout victories because of a defense that has allowed just 13 points total in those games while scoring an NFL-best three TDs.
“Just got to keep working,” said coach Mike McCarthy, who took over the play-calling this season. “This is a good place to be when you’re winning by a significant margin of victory, and you still feel like you have lot of work to do. I like where we are.”
The upside for the Cowboys: Rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey still hasn’t missed amid all the stalls in the red zone. The 28-year-old is 13 of 13, becoming the eighth kicker in NFL history with at least that many makes in a perfect start to a career. The record is 18.
WHAT’S WORKING
Cornerback DaRon Bland had his second interception return for a touchdown this season against the Patriots, after linebacker Leighton Vander Esch scooped up a fumble and scored.
It was the first time the Cowboys had two defensive touchdowns in a game in 10 years, and Dallas has a league-best 12 TDs on defense since defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was hired in 2021.
After the game, a reporter asked McCarthy if he could remember having a cornerback (Bland) and running back (Pollard) tied for the team lead in touchdowns (two) after five games.
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” McCarthy said. “We’ve led the league the last two years in takeaways. It’s no surprise for us as far as how our guys play.”
WHAT NEEDS HELP
The mental hurdle of facing the unbeaten 49ers (4-0) is substantial for the Cowboys, who have lost to San Francisco in the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
Prescott had a long pause before his answer to what ended up being the final question he took after beating the Patriots. He said it couldn’t be more obvious what the locker room was like after the 19-12 divisional round loss at the 49ers last season. The rematch is in California, too.
“We’re so far past that, to be honest,” Prescott said.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was asked when the attention will turn to the 49ers.
“Is that who we play next week?” Lawrence asked, somewhat rhetorically while getting “yes” for an answer. “All right. I’ll turn to San Francisco on Tuesday.”
STOCK UP
The health of the offensive line improved after three starters were missing in the loss to the Cardinals. Six-time All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle) and C Tyler Biadasz (hamstring) returned against New England.
Now Dallas waits for LT Tyron Smith to come back from a knee injury. He was active but didn’t play against Arizona and was inactive against the Patriots.
STOCK DOWN
Although it wasn’t an easy catch, rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker couldn’t hang on to one of Prescott’s better throws of the game in the end zone on the opening possession. It would have been a red zone TD. Schoonmaker was targeted three times without a catch.
INJURIES
The depth at running back will be tested after Pollard backup Rico Dowdle injured a hip against the Patriots. Undersized rookie sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn had just 9 yards on eight carries.
The bright spot for Dallas was undrafted rookie fullback Hunter Luepke helping the Cowboys feel better about the red zone with a 3-yard touchdown run late in the game.
KEY NUMBER
9-1 — That’s the Dallas record after losses since the start of 2021. The .900 winning percentage is the highest among NFL teams coming off losses in that span.
NEXT STEPS
The playoff losses to San Francisco extended Dallas’ long stretch without even a trip to the NFC championship game, now at 27 seasons. But the Cowboys have dominated recent regular-season meetings, winning six of seven going back to 2005.
FORMER PATRIOTS, 49ERS TE RUSS FRANCIS DIES IN PLANE CRASH
Russ Francis, a three-time Pro Bowl tight end who won a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, died Sunday in a plane crash in upstate New York. He was 70 years old.
Francis was one of two people killed in the crash at the Lake Placid Airport on Sunday afternoon. Francis had recently purchased the Lake Placid Airways scenic tour business and was a passenger in the Cessna 177 Cardinal piloted by Richard McSpadden, who also perished. The plane experienced an emergency after takeoff and was not able to make it back to the airport.
Francis was selected No. 16 overall by the New England Patriots in the 1975 NFL Draft and finished his career with 40 touchdowns in 167 career games (148 starts) with the Patriots (1975-80, 1987-88) and 49ers (1982-87).
“On behalf of the entire New England Patriots organization, we extend our sincerest sympathies to the family of Russ Francis, who tragically passed away yesterday,” Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said in a statement. “Russ was a fan favorite throughout his playing career. He was a dynamic player on the field who had an even bigger personality off it. He knew no boundaries, pushed the limits and lived his life to the fullest. Our thoughts are with Russ’s family, friends, teammates and the many Patriots fans who mourn his loss.”
Francis was a two-time All-Pro, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, a member of the Patriots all-decade team (1970s) and a member of the Patriots 35th Anniversary Team.
He caught five passes for 60 yards in the 49ers’ 38-16 victory against the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX and finished his career with 393 receptions for 5,262 yards.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
AP TOP 25 REALITY CHECK: ANOTHER RANKED RED RIVER RIVALRY, BUT TEXAS, OKLAHOMA COULD BE EVEN HIGHER
Perfect starts by Texas and Oklahoma have set up the 43rd meeting between the Red River Rivals where both teams will be ranked.
The Longhorns were No. 3 in Sunday’s AP Top 25 and the Sooners moved up a couple of spots to a season-high No. 12.
The top of the rankings were mostly unchanged, with Georgia No. 1 and Michigan No. 2, though the Bulldogs received a season-low 35 first-place votes out of a possible 62.
The Texas-Oklahoma rivalry has the second-most ranked matchups of any series in major college football. Michigan-Ohio State is No. 1. The Wolverines and Buckeyes have played 48 times when both teams were ranked, including last year.
The combined ranking of 15 for Oklahoma and Texas is the best for a Red River Game since 2011, when they were a combined 14, with the Sooners at No. 3 and Longhorns 11th.
In 2018, the only time Texas and Oklahoma have met in the Big 12 Conference championship, the combined ranking also was 14 (Oklahoma at No. 5 and Texas at No. 9).
This will be the last Red River Rivalry played in the Big 12, with Texas and Oklahoma headed to the Southeastern Conference next year. And as with 2018, it could very well be the first of two meetings.
There is a long way to go, but Texas and Oklahoma were the only two ranked teams in the Big 12 this week. The last time the Big 12 had only two ranked teams was September 2021.
The last time Texas and Oklahoma played in the regular season with both in the top 10 was 2008, when No. 5 Texas beat No. 1 Oklahoma.
Longhorns fans recall that one especially well because the Sooners ended up being ranked higher at the end of the regular season and went on to play for both the Big 12 and BCS championships.
Reality Check believes both the Longhorns and Sooners have a case to be ranked even higher this week.
No. 1 Georgia (5-0)
Next: vs. No. 20 Kentucky, Saturday.
Reality check: Bulldogs have had the No. 1 rushing defense in the SEC by yards per carry each of the last four seasons. After giving up 219 yards and 5.1 per carry to Auburn — much of the damage on QB runs — Georgia is ninth in the SEC (3.97 ypc) against the run. Aberration? Kentucky will be a good test.
Ranked: For the first time in a while, too high.
No. 2 Michigan (5-0)
Next: at Minnesota, Saturday.
Reality check: Wolverines are doing everything they can with the schedule they have to prove they are one of the best teams in the country. It’s just hard to get excited about it.
Ranked: Touch high.
No. 3 Texas (5-0)
Next: vs. No. 12 Oklahoma in Dallas, Saturday.
Reality check: The Longhorns’ defense is ranked just ahead of Michigan at 23rd in the country in yards per play allowed (4.71) and their offense is tied for 19th in the country, with Georgia at 6.89 yards per play.
Ranked: Texas should be No. 1.
No. 4 Ohio State (4-0)
Next: vs. Maryland, Saturday.
Reality check: Been a relatively slow start to the season for All-America WR Marvin Harrison Jr., which means he is still second in the Big Ten in catches (4.3) and yards receiving (84.0) per game.
Ranked: Little high.
No. 5 Florida State (4-0)
Next: vs. Virginia Tech, Saturday.
Reality check: Seminoles’ running game has had moments, but other than fattening up against Southern Miss it has not gotten really cranked up. Watch for that the next few weeks.
Ranked: Too low.
No. 6 Penn State (5-0)
Next: vs. UMass, Oct. 14.
Reality check: The Nittany Lions are very good at defense, but they have also feasted on three offenses (West Virginia, Iowa and Northwestern) that rank among the bottom 30 in the country.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 7 Washington (5-0)
Next: vs. No. 8 Oregon, Oct. 14.
Reality check: Huskies have been so good offensively it has masked their penalty problem. They are 128th in the country at nearly nine flags per game.
Ranked: Too low.
No. 8 Oregon (5-0)
Next: at No. 7 Washington, Oct. 14.
Reality check: Ducks have been playing smothering defense, holding four of five opponents below 225 total yards. It won’t be that stingy against the Pac-12’s best offenses, but it still might be what separates Oregon from the rest of the contenders.
Ranked: Too low.
No. 9 USC (5-0)
Next: vs. Arizona, Saturday.
Reality check: The defense is still a problem, but the game management can be puzzling, too. The Trojans average 6.35 yards per carry, fourth best in the nation, but they are averaging 27 attempts per game, 126th in the country.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 10 Notre Dame (5-1)
Next: at No. 25 Louisville, Saturday.
Reality check: Irish played without WRs Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse against Duke and it showed. And it’s not as if either of those players is a star. Notre Dame needs some serious development at wide receiver.
Ranked: Too low.
No. 11 Alabama (4-1)
Next: at Texas A&M, Saturday.
Reality check: Crimson Tide has attempted 108 passes, tied with Rutgers and Nebraska for the fewest among Power Five teams. How far can this take ‘Bama?
Ranked: Too low.
No. 12 Oklahoma (5-0)
Next: vs. No. 3 Texas in Dallas, Saturday.
Reality check: Last year’s struggles seem to be keeping voters from really buying in on the Sooners. That and no marquee victories. This week we’ll learn if the caution has been warranted.
Ranked: Too low.
No. 13 Washington State (4-0)
Next: at UCLA, Saturday.
Reality check: Cougars need to become more disruptive on defense. They average fewer than five tackles for loss per game. Related: Washington has a similar issue.
Ranked: Little high.
No. 14 North Carolina (4-0)
Next: vs. Syracuse, Saturday.
Reality check: With WR Tez Walker ineligible, J.J. Jones (18.5 yards per catch) and Nate McCollum (21 catches for 220 yards) have become one of the most productive tandems in the ACC.
Ranked: Little low.
No. 15 Oregon State (5-0)
Next: at California, Saturday.
Reality check: DT Sione Lolohea makes the Beavers really tough to run against.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 16 Mississippi (4-1)
Next: vs. Arkansas, Saturday.
Reality check: Is beating LSU a signature win for coach Lane Kiffin? TBD. The Rebels seem like a team good enough to beat just about anybody on its schedule — or lose.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 17 Miami (4-0)
Next: vs. Georgia Tech, Saturday.
Reality check: Portal additions of upperclassmen C Matt Lee and OG Javion Cohen have given an otherwise young offensive line a big boost.
Ranked: Little low.
No. 18 Utah (4-1)
Next: vs. California, Oct. 14.
Reality check: The Utes had quite a run in September, despite a load of injuries, but they currently have the second-worst offense in the Power Five — only ahead of Iowa. If they can’t change that they’re not going to stay ranked much longer.
Ranked: OK, for now.
No. 19 Duke (4-1)
Next: vs. North Carolina State, Oct. 14.
Reality check: The ceiling for the rest of this season will be determined by the health of QB Riley Leonard (right ankle). The upcoming schedule (N.C. State, at Florida State, at Louisville) doesn’t give the Blue Devils much room to manage without him.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 20 Kentucky (5-0)
Next: at No. 1 Georgia, Saturday.
Reality check: Another team that fixed its offensive line with the help of the portal — the left side of OT Marques Cox and OG Dylan Ray were both transfer additions. They have helped the Wildcats re-establish their rugged identity.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 21 Missouri (5-0)
Next: vs. No. 23 LSU, Saturday.
Reality check: QB Brady Cook was getting booed at home just a few weeks ago. He now has thrown an SEC-record 347 straight passes without an interception.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 22 Tennessee (4-1)
Next: vs. Texas A&M, Oct. 14.
Reality check: For all the talk about QB Joe Milton, Jaylen Wright might be the engine in this offense. The third-year running back is averaging 7.13 yards per carry.
Ranked: Little high.
No. 23 LSU (3-2)
Next: at No. 21 Missouri, Saturday.
Reality check: Tigers defense is a mess without obvious solutions and there really isn’t a great reason for this team to be ranked.
Ranked: Too high.
No. 24 Fresno State (5-0)
Next: at Wyoming, Saturday.
Reality check: DB Carlton Johnson is tied for the national lead with four interceptions, leading a defense that has allowed only 19 points in the last three games.
Ranked: Just right.
No. 25 Louisville (5-0)
Next: vs. No. 10 Notre Dame, Saturday.
Reality check: Cardinals have an interesting schedule the rest of the way with nonconference games against the Irish and Kentucky, but no Florida State, North Carolina or Clemson on the ACC slate.
Ranked: Just right.
NO. 2 MICHIGAN LOOKS TO KEEP FOOT ON GAS VS. MINNESOTA
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh hopes great chemistry can defy gravity.
Harbaugh is pleased with the state of his program from top to bottom. It’s hard to argue, considering the Wolverines are undefeated, ranked No. 2 and have five easy wins to their credit. They will face unranked Minnesota in Minneapolis on Saturday night.
Michigan (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) easily passed its first road test last weekend, crushing Nebraska 45-7. The Wolverines have scored at least 30 points in each game while allowing a total of just 30 points. The Cornhuskers didn’t score until late in the fourth quarter after Michigan had gone deep into its bench.
“When things are scary good, that’s where you want to be,” Harbaugh said. “That’s who you want to be with and how you want to be doing things.”
However, Harbaugh knows every opponent will be trying to knock his team off its perch.
“The law of averages say it’s going to catch up to you, to see if you can defy Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of gravity,” he said. “What goes up must come down, and the gravitational force of the earth is tremendous. So are some of the forces against a football team, things that are set there to divide a football team. The ones that aren’t divided are the ones playing in the playoffs and eventually champions.”
Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy has surpassed the 1,000-passing-yard mark this season while throwing for 10 touchdowns. He connected with Roman Wilson for two scores against Nebraska and also rushed for a touchdown.
“He’s very consistent in what he does,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said. “You can tell he’s an overachiever. He’s the ultimate competitor. But not only that, he connects with the football team.”
Blake Corum, Michigan’s top running back, is averaging 5.7 yards per carry and has scored nine times.
The Golden Gophers (3-2, 1-1) will need to improve dramatically to pull off an upset. They have lost to the Wolverines in 25 of the teams’ past 27 meetings.
Minnesota recorded an unimpressive 35-24 nonconference win over Louisiana last Saturday. The previous week, the Golden Gophers squandered a 21-point, fourth-quarter lead and lost in overtime to Northwestern.
Golden Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has completed 58.7 percent of his passes with five touchdowns. He also has been picked off four times.
Freshman running back Darius Taylor, the Big Ten’s leading rusher, missed the Louisiana game with a leg injury. He rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns against the Wildcats. Redshirt freshman Zach Evans picked up the slack with 85 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Taylor’s status for this week’s game was undetermined. The Gophers can use all the help they can get against the juggernaut that is Michigan.
“Sometimes you can’t tell who’s in the game (for the Wolverines) and who just made that play because no one guy is the star,” Fleck said. “They’re all the stars that make up their team, and that’s hard to do. That’s hard to create. And I think (Harbaugh has) done a great job of creating, I think, one of the best teams in the country.”
BIG 10 FOOTBALL
IOWA, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN AND MINNESOTA EARN WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONORS
Following Week 5 contests, the Big Ten Conference Offensive, Co-Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:
Offensive Player of the Week
Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
QB – Sr. – Ewa Beach, Hawaii – Thompson
- Accounted for six touchdowns in Maryland’s 44-17 win over Indiana to move the Terrapins to 5-0 on the season
- Completed 24-of-34 passes for 352 yards and threw five touchdowns, while also rushing for 15 yards and a touchdown on the ground
- Became the first Maryland quarterback to exceed 9,000 career passing yards in the win, improving his total to 9,343 career passing yards, which ranks 13th all-time in the Big Ten
- The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns his third career Offensive Player of the Week award
- Last Maryland Offensive Player of the Week: Taulia Tagovailoa (Sept. 12, 2022)
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Nick Jackson, Iowa
LB – Gr. – Atlanta, Ga. – Lovett School
- Had 10 tackles, his second straight game with 10 or more stops, in Iowa’s 26-16 victory over Michigan State
- Also added a key forced fumble in the fourth quarter on Michigan State’s second-to-last possession, which led to a game-sealing field goal
- Jackson, who has 22 career games with 10 or more tackles, has 42 tackles over his last four games with 9+ stops in each contest
- Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
- Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Sebastian Castro (Sept. 11, 2023)
Josaiah Stewart, Michigan
EDGE – Jr. – Bronx, N.Y. – Everett (Mass.)
- Recorded the first two sacks of his career in Michigan’s 45-7 victory against Nebraska
- Set a new career high for tackles (5), leading the defense in tackles for the first time
- Part of a defense that permitted only 106 yards on the ground to the nation’s No. 1 rush offense (including 74-yard run)
- Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
- Last Michigan Defensive Player of the Week: Aidan Hutchinson (Nov. 29, 2021)
Special Teams Player of the Week
Cooper DeJean, Iowa
DB – Jr. – Odebolt, Iowa – OA-BCIG
- Returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown to give the Hawkeyes their first lead of the second half at 23-16 over Michigan State in an eventual 26-16 victory
- The 70-yard punt return touchdown is the first of his career, the 15th longest in program history and the first punt return touchdown by a Hawkeye since 2020
- Also had six tackles defensively and he intercepted a pass – his first of the season
- Garners the first Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career
- Last Iowa Special Teams Player of the Week: Tory Taylor (Sept. 26, 2022)
Freshman of the Week
Zach Evans, Minnesota
RB – Heath, Texas – Rockwall-Heath
- Saw his first action of the season against Louisiana and rushed 15 times for 85 yards and one touchdown
- Averaged 5.7 yards per carry and did not have a negative rush
- His longest run on the day was 18 yards
- Earns the first Freshman of the Week honor of his career
- Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Darius Taylor (Sept. 25, 2023)
BIG 10 WEEK 6 RELEASE
• Conference action continues this week, with five Big Ten contests highlighted by a trio of divisional matchups. Action kicks off on Friday at 8 p.m. ET when Nebraska travels to Illinois. Indiana, Michigan State and Penn State will enjoy byes this week, with the complete schedule appearing to the right.
• Three Big Ten teams appear in the AP Poll this week. Michigan leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 4 Ohio State and No. 6 Penn State. Maryland and Wisconsin are both receiving votes.
• Four Big Ten teams remain undefeated on the season, as Maryland, Michigan and Penn State are all 5-0, while Ohio State is 4-0.
• Maryland and Penn State currently rank among the top 20 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Nittany Lions rank No. 3 nationally in scoring defense (9.6 points per game), while ranking 12th in scoring offense (40.6 points per game). The Terrapins rank No. 15 nationally in scoring offense (38.6 points per game), while ranking 16th in scoring defense (13.2 points per game).
• Four additional Big Ten teams rank in the top 25 in terms of scoring defense: Michigan (1st, 6.0 points per game), Ohio State (2nd, 8.5 points per game), Rutgers (12th, 12.8 points per game) and Iowa (21st, 16.8 points per game).
• Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa accounted for six touchdowns in a 44-17 win over Indiana to move the Terrapins to 5-0 on the season on Saturday. The senior completed 24-of-34 passes for 352 yards and threw five touchdowns, while also rushing for 15 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Tagovailoa also became the first Maryland quarterback ever to eclipse the 9,000 career passing yards mark in the win over the Hoosiers. He currently ranks 13th all-time in Big Ten history with 9,343 career passing yards.
• Michigan extended several streaks with a 45-7 victory against Nebraska last weekend. The Wolverines have won 17 straight games against Big Ten teams, the second-longest streak in school history. The Wolverines are averaging a scoring margin of +28.4 across their five wins this season, the fourth-highest figure in the country, the best in the Big Ten and the best scoring margin to start the season since 1904. They’ve won 25 straight games against unranked teams for the third-longest active win streak nationally. They also didn’t commit a penalty in a game for the first time this century.
• Iowa recorded its’ 19th consecutive game holding opponents under 400 yards, marking the longest active streak in the FBS, with a 26-16 victory against Michigan State last weekend. The Hawkeyes had two interceptions in the game for the first time, improving to a 27-17 advantage in points off turnovers this season. Hawkeye junior Cooper DeJean returned a 70-yard punt which is the 15th longest return in program history. It marked the first punt return of his career and the longest play of the season for Iowa.
• The Penn State defense fueled the 41-13 win against Northwestern on Saturday. The Nittany Lions recorded posted six sacks, an interception, two forced turnovers, 12 tackles for loss and held the Wildcats to 175 total yards. It’s the fifth time in the last two seasons that Penn State held a Big Ten team to fewer than 200 total yards with all five of those coming in their last seven conference games. Penn State joins UCLA as the only FBS teams to allow fewer than four yards per play.
• Twelve Big Ten Conference students are among the 201 semifinalists for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy. Now in its 34th year, the Campbell Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete. Representing the Big Ten as this year’s Campbell Trophy semifinalists are Illinois’ Isaiah Williams, Indiana’s Trey Walker, Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, Michigan’s Zak Zinter, Michigan State’s Maverick Hansen, Nebraska’s Brian Buschini, Northwestern’s Bryce Gallagher, Ohio State’s Cody Simon, Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, Purdue’s Gus Hartwig, Rutgers’ Mayan Ahanotu and Wisconsin’s Maema Njongmeta.
• The 2023 campaign will feature 99 All-Big Ten honorees (first-, second-, third-team or honorable mention) selected by either the coaches or the media last season, with Ohio State leading the way with 16 all-conference returnees. The East Division welcomes back 56 all-conference players, while the West returns 43. Illinois is the only West team with double-digit all-conference returnees with 10, while each team has at least one All-Big Ten performer returning.
• Last season, the Big Ten posted the fifth-highest single-season attendance total in conference history with 6,333,196 fans attending home games. Excluding 2020, this marked the ninth consecutive season and 10th time in 11 seasons that more than six million fans have attended Big Ten home football games.
• This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2024, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl. Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium. The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game.
| Friday, October 6, 2023 Football | ||||
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links |
| Nebraska | Illinois | 8:00 P.M. | Champaign, Ill. (Conf.) | TV: FS1 Stats |
| Saturday, October 7, 2023 Football | ||||
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links |
| Maryland | Ohio State | 12:00 P.M. | Columbus, Ohio (Conf.) | Stats Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network Audio |
| Rutgers | Wisconsin | 12:00 P.M. | Madison, WI (Conf.) | TV: Peacock Stats Radio: Badger Sports Network Video |
| Howard | Northwestern | 3:00 P.M. | Evanston, IL | TV: BTN Radio: WGN Radio 720 Video |
| Purdue | Iowa | 3:30 P.M. | Iowa City, Iowa (Conf.) | TV: Peacock Stats Radio: WAZY (96.5 FM) |
| Michigan | Minnesota | 7:30 P.M. | Huntington Bank Stadium (Conf.) | TV: NBC Stats Video |
MAC FOOTBALL
MAC ANNOUNCES WEEK 5 FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
MAC Football East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Terion Stewart, Bowling
Terion Stewart, Bowling Green, RB
Sophomore, Memphis, Tenn.
Sophomore, Memphis, Tenn. (Sandusky HS (Ohio)
Bowling Green’s Terion Stewart played a pivotal role in leading Bowling Green to a historic 38-27 victory over Georgia Tech, marking the first time the Falcons have defeated an ACC opponent. Stewart rushed for an impressive 138 yards on 26 carries, which included a touchdown. Stewart achieved his second 100-yard rushing game of the season, which was punctuated by eight rushes of 10 yards or more. Additionally, he contributed to the passing game with one reception for 27 yards. His TD capped a 10-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 5 minutes and 6 seconds of the third quarter, providing Bowling Green with a commanding 31-14 lead.
MAC Football East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Deshawn Jones Jr., Bowling Green, CB
Junior, Akron, Ohio (East CLC)
Bowling Green’s Deshawn Jones Jr. played a pivotal role in Bowling Green’s historic 38-27 victory over Georgia Tech. Jones 45-yard interception return for a touchdown served as the decisive blow that secured the win for the Falcons. Despite a challenging start that saw Georgia Tech take an early 14-0 lead, Jones and the BGSU defense rallied. The BGSU defense held the Yellow Jackets to just 293 yards of total offense for the remainder of the game. Notably, their strong defensive effort resulted in Georgia Tech being held scoreless for nearly 40 minutes. This was particularly impressive given that the Yellow Jackets entered the game averaging 33.8 points per game and were ranked No. 17 nationally in total offense.
MAC Football East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Anthony Venneri, Buffalo, Punter
Sophomore, Hamilton, Ontario (St. Tomas More)
Anthony Venneri averaged 49.8 yards on six punts against Akron on Saturday. Four of his six punts were at least 50 yards, including a game-long 63-yarder. Three of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. He was routinely flipping the field in the Bulls’ victory. In addition, in the fourth quarter, he laid a vicious hit on the Akron punt returner.
MAC Football West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Treyson Bourguet, Western Michigan, QB
R-Freshman, Tuscon, Ariz. (Salpointe Catholic)
Bourguet had career highs in all passing categories as WMU picked up its first MAC win of the season, defeating Ball State 42-24. Bourguet passed for 328 yards and three touchdowns on 24-of-39 attempts. It was the first 300+ yard passing game for a Bronco QB since Kaleb Eleby back on Nov. 21, 2021 against Northern Illinois. Bourguet also helped WMU to season-highs in points scored and total yards offense with 461. “
MAC Football West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Kyle Moretti, Central Michigan, Linebacker
Junior, Arvada, Colo (Pomona H.S.)
With a team-high 10 tackles, Kyle Moretti led the Chippewas in tackles for the fourth time in the last five games. It marked Moretti’s third 10-plus tackle game on the year. He finished the day with 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.
MAC Football West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Jacquez Stuart, Toledo, Kickoff Returner
Jr., Miami, Fla. (Northwestern)
Jacquez Stuart had kickoff returns of 31 and 48 yards in the second half in Toledo’s 35-33 win over NIU. Overall he had four kickoff returns for 119 yards.
KIRBY SMART, GEORGIA LOCK IN ON UNDEFEATED KENTUCKY
All of the hand-wringing over losing defensive standouts to the NFL draft becomes a pertinent topic this week.
Not because Georgia head coach Kirby Smart misses the likes of Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, but because the Kentucky Wildcats are anchored by a physical pro prospect in running back Ray Davis. The Vanderbilt transfer ran for 280 yards and scored four total touchdowns in leading Kentucky’s takedown of Florida.
“He’s an exceptional back. As good a back as I’ve seen in a long time,” Smart said, comparing Davis to a bigger model of former Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift, who is now with the Eagles.
“This guy is smooth, explosive. … He’s aggressive in the way that he runs. One-cut runner. They do a tremendous job blocking for him, so it’s not all him. They are committed to running the ball.”
Kentucky (5-0) might be a more complete team now than the 2021 version that went to Athens with a 6-0 record and lost 30-13 to undefeated Georgia. The Wildcats have the same number of explosive runs and passes this season and are getting it done on defense.
The Wildcats feature an assortment of unique defensive looks and vary which personnel drops off the line into coverage to confuse the quarterback. While Carson Beck passed his first road test in the SEC, beating Auburn 27-20 last week, the Wildcats are capable of flipping the field thanks to playmakers in the secondary. Kentucky has three defensive touchdowns this season, including two pick 6s by cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
“You don’t play a lot of people just like them,” Smart said. “They have a lot of overhangs, what I call depth in their defense. They have people at the second level all over the place. There’s not a lot of free yards. They play odd front, they play 3-4 and 4-3. These guys are really good at stopping the run. They have a really good scheme. It’s not easy to mimic.”
Georgia has 22 consecutive wins at home and the Bulldogs have won 10 games in a row against Kentucky.
Smart said he’s concerned about getting wide receiver Ladd McConkey (back) in good enough shape to play him more significant snaps, starting this week.
Former Georgia and Miami (Fla.) coach Mark Richt joined Smart at his Monday press conference to announce a fundraising event, the Chick-fil-a Richt’s Dawg Bowl, to help find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease and Crohn’s Disease on Oct. 18. The private bowling event during the Georgia bye week has a goal of raising $750,000 for the University of Georgia Isaacson Center for Neurological Disease research. Richt is fighting Parkinson’s and his granddaughter was diagnosed with Crohn’s.
“We’re going to get to a million, whatever it takes,” Smart said of the fundraising effort.
Smart said he plans to get some bowling practice in before the event.
STAT WATCH: DAVIS’ FBS SEASON-BEST RUSHING GAME FOR KENTUCKY PUSHES HIM OVER 3,000 CAREER YARDS
Kentucky’s Ray Davis turned in one of the Southeastern Conference’s top individual performances against Florida and became the fourth active player in the Football Bowl Subdivision to go over 3,000 career rushing yards.
Davis’ career-best 280 yards on 26 carries in a 33-14 win Saturday was the national season high and second-most ever against the Gators. Davis ran for three touchdowns and caught a pass for another score.
That made him the first SEC player since 2019 to record at least 250 yards and four touchdowns from scrimmage, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Davis’ rushing total was the third highest in Wildcats history, and 19 yards short of the school record, and it pushed his career total to 3,091 yards.
Davis played his first two seasons at Temple and his third and fourth at Vanderbilt. He opted to transfer to Kentucky for his final season rather than declare for the NFL draft.
His 118.8 yards per game ranks fourth nationally and first in the SEC.
Two other players went over 200 yards, increasing the season total to nine. Old Dominion’s Kadarius Callway ran 11 times for 236 yards with TD runs of 70, 69 and 75 yards in a loss to Marshall and Texas’ Jonathan Brooks had 20 carries for 217 in a win over Kansas.
HE DOES IT ALL
Texas State’s Ismail Mahdi became the FBS leader in all-purpose yards when he piled up a national season-high 316 against Southern Mississippi.
Mahdi returned the opening kickoff 100 yards, making him the first Texas State player to do that since Willard Dearing in 1959. He finished with 89 rushing yards, 89 receiving yards and 138 kick return yards.
Mahdi, who leads the nation with 186.8 all-purpose yards per game, finished with four touchdowns. He was the first Texas State player since Karrington Bush in 2008 to have touchdowns as a rusher, receiver and kick returner.
Texas Tech’s Drae McCray also had a 100-yard kick return over the weekend, taking one all the way against Houston.
LOT OF LEG
San Diego State’s Jack Browning kicked the longest field goal in Mountain West Conference history with his 61-yarder to end the first half at Air Force.
Browning broke the conference record of 59 yards by Air Force’s Joey Ashcroft in 2003 and the school record of 57 yards by Ed Corral in 1980. Both of those kicks were made at Air Force’s Falcon Stadium, which sits at an elevation of 6,621 feet in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Only Wyoming’s stadium is higher.
Browning, whose previous long field goal was 52 yards, matched Missouri’s Harrison Mevis for longest this season. Mevis’ 61-yarder beat Kansas State on Sept. 16.
HALF-DOZEN THROUGH AIR
Returning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of Southern California and Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor became the first quarterbacks this season to throw six touchdown passes.
Williams did it against Colorado and Raynor against Massachusetts.
Williams became the first player in 25 years to throw six TD passes for two different schools, according to ESPN Stats & Info. His other six-TD game came in 2021, against Texas Tech, when he played for Oklahoma.
FEAR THIS TURTLE
Taulia Tagovailoa became the first Maryland quarterback since Scott Milanovich in 1994 to throw for five touchdowns in a game.
Tagovailoa did it in a 44-17 win over Indiana, finishing 24 of 34 for 352 yards. He connected with Jeshaun Jones for 62 yards on the game’s first play from scrimmage, setting up a touchdown and pushing him past 9,000 career passing yards. His 292.8 yards per game leads the Big Ten.
NBA NEWS
NBA WILL ALLOW JA MORANT TO TRAVEL, PRACTICE WITH GRIZZLIES DURING HIS SUSPENSION
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Two-time All-Star point guard Ja Morant will be able to travel with the Memphis Grizzlies, practice with his teammates and even take part in shootarounds throughout his 25-game suspension to start the NBA season, the team confirmed Monday.
Then the Grizzlies believe Morant will have to leave arenas a few hours before tipoff under the terms that the NBA is allowing him to work under throughout his suspension.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Morant’s second suspension in June, making clear the guard must stop his “alarming” habit of flashing guns on social media. The suspension came a month after a second video of Morant flashing a handgun was streamed online.
Zach Kleiman, the Grizzlies’ president of basketball operations and general manager, said the approach is great for both Morant and the Grizzlies. The key will be Morant continuing to “stay on track,” according to Kleiman.
“There’s steps that I think Ja is continuing to take that are really positive and in the right direction,” Kleiman said. “It’s great to have him here. I think he’s put himself in a position where there’s no reason why he can’t keep following through on this. So we’re glad he’s here and can’t wait to have him back.”
Morant isn’t talking Monday as part of the Grizzlies’ media day. Kleiman called the suspension “appropriate” after the NBA draft and challenged the guard to change the behavior that led to two bans in four months for the No. 2 overall pick in 2019 and the 2020 Rookie of the Year.
Coach Taylor Jenkins said they have a full plan for Morant to help him outside of his work with the Grizzlies. Now they know exactly what Morant can do with his teammates, which should have the guard ready for his return Dec. 19 when Memphis visits New Orleans.
“It’s great having that clarity for sure,” Jenkins said of learning the guardrails for what Morant will be allowed to do. “He’s so impactful for our team.”
KAWHI LEONARD: ‘NO LEAGUE POLICY HELPING ME PLAY MORE’
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard pushed back on the notion that he’s one of the targets of a new policy on overload management, saying Monday that “if the league is trying to mock me … they should stop.”
He was reacting to the NBA’s new Player Participation Policy (PPP) that was passed last month. That is, once someone told him.
“What are they?” Leonard first answered when asked about his thoughts.
“Load management” became synonymous with Leonard’s playing time beginning while he was still in Toronto after a knee injury.
“If the league is trying to mock what I did with the Raptors, they should stop because I was injured during that whole year,” Leonard told reporters Monday. “But other than that, if I’m able to play, I’ll play basketball.
“I’m not a guy that’s sitting down for load management. … I work out every day in the summertime to play the game, not to sit out and watch others play,” Leonard said. “No league policy is helping me to play more games.”
The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the PPP, a policy preventing teams from resting more than one “star” player in a game and setting forth punishments for violating the measure.
A star is defined as someone who made an All-Star team or All-NBA team in the past three seasons. The PPP replaces the Player Resting Policy and will be implemented for the 2023-24 season.
The new policy also dictates that teams ensure the availability of star players for nationally televised games and for the in-season tournament, which will make its debut in 2023-24. Teams must balance games missed on the road vs. home, with the preference leaning toward more home games missed.
The Clippers got 52 games out of Leonard and 56 from fellow All-Star Paul George during the 2022-23 regular season. George missed the final nine games of the season and the full playoff series against Phoenix. Leonard was absent for the final three games of the series after tearing the meniscus in his right knee.
Leonard, who missed all of the 2021-22 season after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn right ACL, has not played more than 57 games in a season since coming to Los Angeles in 2019.
George’s 56 games last season were a personal best in his four years with the team.
“If I’m hurt, I can’t play basketball,” Leonard said. “These last two years … I tore my ACL, I tore my meniscus. … I either guard the best player, or the best player is guarding me.”
DISGRUNTLED HARDEN NO-SHOW AT 76ERS’ MEDIA DAY, TRAINING CAMP STATUS UNCLEAR AFTER TRADE DEMAND
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) James Harden skipped the Philadelphia 76ers’ media day and his status for training camp this week in Colorado is unclear because the franchise has yet to meet the disgruntled guard’s demand for a trade.
“He’s not here today,” team president Daryl Morey said Monday. “He continues to seek a trade and we’re working with his representation to resolve that in the best way for the 76ers and hopefully all parties.”
Morey said Harden was being treated like any other player on the roster and was expected to attend training camp.
The 34-year-old Harden’s relationship with the Sixers has been obliterated following an offseason in which he was fined $10,000 for publicly calling Morey a liar. Harden did picked up his $35.6 million contract option this season in June with the expectation the team would try to trade him. When no deal materialized for the seven-time All-NBA player, he blasted Morey at a promotional event in China.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said at the event. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
Harden has been one of the league’s top players for the past decade, having won three scoring titles and the 2018 league MVP award. He led the league in assists last season.
‘He’s on the roster. We’re excited for him to help him if he chooses that,” Morey said.
Harden is a 10-time All-Star but essentially forced his way with trades out of Houston and Brooklyn and now seems intent on adding the Sixers to the list. It appears playing as the second option behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid and chasing a championship in Philly is no longer seriously on the table.
“We’ll either move James for a player of a caliber that helps our championship contention or for draft picks that will let us go in short order go get a player like that,” Morey said.
Morey said Embiid remained committed to winning a championship in Philadelphia.
“We have to show all the time that we’re putting the team in a great position to win,” Morey said.
The Sixers are set to open camp under new coach Nick Nurse, who was hired to replace Doc Rivers, who never led the Sixers past the second round of the playoffs. Harden’s play last season was a pivotal reason why the Sixers’ championship run stalled.
Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories against the Boston Celtics. Harden was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and he went scoreless in the second half.
Without Harden, or an able replacement, the Sixers are suddenly well behind in the Eastern Conference after the Milwaukee Bucks added seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard and the Boston Celtics on Sunday pulled off a deal for All-Star guard Jrue Holiday.
The Sixers were set to leave Monday for camp at Colorado State.
“We have a lot of questions,” Morey said. “Obviously, James is the big one.”
KEVIN PORTER BARRED FROM HOUSTON ROCKETS AFTER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARREST IN NEW YORK
HOUSTON (AP) The Houston Rockets have told Kevin Porter Jr. that he cannot be with the team in any capacity in the wake of his domestic violence arrest last month.
Porter was arrested after an alleged attack on his former WNBA player girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick in a New York City hotel room Sept. 11. Prosecutors said that the attack left her with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye.
The 23-year-old Porter has pleaded not guilty to felony assault and strangulation and is due back in court in Manhattan on Oct. 16.
“The allegations against him are deeply troubling,” general manager Rafael Stone said at Houston’s media day Monday. “Going back a few weeks, as soon as I heard the allegations, I informed his representatives that he could not be part of the Houston Rockets. They understood and he has not been with the team or around the team or had any interaction with the team since that time and will not be at media day today or in training camp.”
Stone said that aside from that, everything else related to Porter and his situation fall under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement and will be handled by the league.
“What’s left for the team to do is to evaluate the best steps for our organization that remain in compliance with the league domestic violence policy,” Stone said.
Porter signed a four-year, $82.5 million contract with the Rockets before last season and was expected to be a big part of the team as Houston looks to return to contention after several dreadful seasons. Stone was asked if he believes Porter will ever be part of the team again.
“I can’t answer that and stay in compliance with the policy,” Stone said. “So I think this is now a league matter.”
Last year, Porter averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in his third year in Houston after one season in Cleveland.
While his talent is undeniable, his NBA career has been more noteworthy for his problems off the court.
In November 2020, while playing for the Cavaliers, Porter was arrested after police said they found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car after a single-vehicle crash. Porter claimed he didn’t know the gun was there, and his charges were eventually dismissed.
Porter, a 2019 first-round draft pick from the University of Southern California, was traded from Cleveland to Houston a few months later after he reportedly blew up at the Cavaliers’ general manager after finding out that his locker had been moved to make room for a newly acquired player.
In April 2021, the NBA fined Porter $50,000 for violating the league’s COVID-19 health and safety rules by visiting a Miami strip club. In January 2022, the Rockets suspended Porter for a game after then-coach Stephen Silas said the player had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.
Stone was asked if the Rockets knew of any unpublicized problems in his past before signing him to the extension.
“There weren’t any issues like this that I’m aware of,” Stone said.
NHL NEWS
STEVE YZERMAN-LED RED WINGS HOPE THEY FINALLY HAVE ENOUGH TALENT TO END 7-YEAR POSTSEASON DROUGHT
DETROIT RED WINGS
COACH: Derek Lalonde (35-37-10 in debut season).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 12 at New Jersey.
DEPARTURES: F Dominik Kubalik, F Filip Zadina, F Pius Suter, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Adam Erne, D Jordan Oesterle, D Robert Hagg.
ADDITIONS: F Alex DeBrincat, F Daniel Sprong, F J.T. Compher, D Jeff Petry, D Justin Holl, D Shayne Gostisbehere, G Alex Lyon, G James Reimer.
GOALIES: Ville Husso (26-22-7, 3.11, 0.896 save percentage), Reimer 12-21-8, 3.48, 0.890), Lyon (14-9-4, 2.89, 0.912).
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
LAST SEASON: Finished just under .500 in best season since 2016, the last year the once-proud franchise was in the playoffs, but still ended up in seventh place in the eight-team Atlantic Division. Captain Dylan Larkin had a career-high 79 points and matched a career high with 32 goals. Defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond were solid in their second seasons. Husso emerged as a No. 1 goaltender.
STRENGTHS: Depth. Hall of Famer and team general manager Steve Yzerman made moves in free agency and via trades to add desperately needed talent at forward, on defense and in goal. The Red Wings potentially have more players with NHL experience than roster spots up front, on the back end and between the pipes. That has not been the case in recent years with the rebuilding team.
WEAKNESSES: Lack of a superstar. Detroit has many solid players and some standouts, but it lacks a dynamic player who can change a game and the chances the franchise can finally make the playoffs. The Red Wings haven’t had a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa in 2009. Larkin and winger Alex DeBrincat could potentially pass the benchmark.
WHAT TO EXPECT: The Red Wings might have enough talent to end a seven-year postseason drought, which matches the longest in franchise history (1971-77). Yzerman provided a desperately needed dose of hope by acquiring DeBrincat from Ottawa in July and signed him to a four-year extension worth about $7.8 million annually. While Detroit may have a better record than it did a year ago, the Motor City might have to wait at least another year to experience playoff hockey again.
PLAYER TO WATCH: DeBrincat. The 25-year-old winger, who is from suburban Detroit, is getting paid like a star and he has to produce like one for the team to avoid another rebuilding year. He had 27 goals and 66 points last season in Ottawa, slipping a bit after scoring 41 times the previous year in Chicago to match his career high from the 2018-19 season.
TKACHUK AND THE FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE LOOKING FOR MORE AFTER STIRRING RUN TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL
FLORIDA PANTHERS
COACH: Paul Maurice, second season. (817-712-99 over 26 seasons)
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 12 at Minnesota.
DEPARTURES: F Anthony Duclair, F Eric Staal, D Marc Staal, D Radko Gudas, G Alex Lyon.
ADDITIONS: D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D Dmitry Kulikov, F Steven Lorentz, D Niko Mottola, G Anthony Stolarz.
GOALIES: Sergei Bobrovsky (24-20-3, 3.07 GAA, 0.901 save percentage) and Spencer Knight (9-8-3, 3.18, 0.901).
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
LAST SEASON: Matthew Tkachuk’s first season with the Panthers was a resounding success. They were the last team to make the Eastern Conference playoffs and almost were the last team standing in the NHL, after ousting Boston — the best regular-season team in league history — followed by Toronto and Carolina in what became the Panthers’ first run to the Stanley Cup Final since 1996. Year 2 of the Paul Maurice era brings stability, and there’s an understanding of the systems that he needed much of the year to install last season.
STRENGTHS: Tkachuk doesn’t even think he’s entering his prime yet, which is a delightful sentiment for Florida and probably a frightening one for every other club. Including the playoffs, he finished his first Florida season with 133 points and 197 penalty minutes — only the second player in NHL history to post such numbers in a season (Kevin Stevens, 1991-92). Aleksander Barkov is still one of the most underappreciated stars in the game, and Sergei Bobrovsky’s scintillating playoff run shows he still can be one of the best goalies in the NHL.
WEAKNESSES: Injuries are already a problem and the Panthers haven’t played a real game yet. Florida knew when last season ended that several players — most notably defensemen Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad — would miss lots of time to start this season because of what they played through during last season’s playoffs. Montour and Ekblad are both recovering from shoulder surgeries and could be back sometime around mid-December, but Florida will be about 30 games into the season by then.
WHAT TO EXPECT: A core that features Tkachuk, Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Bobrovsky is going to be good enough to compete. But the Atlantic Division is brutal and could be the NHL’s best. Nobody — not even the Panthers — thinks it will be easy to get back into the playoffs. But the lesson from last year has to be that every game counts, and that it’s incredibly hard to get into the postseason when there are pronounced regular-season slides.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Bobrovsky. Playoff Bob was a sight to behold last spring; he wasn’t the reason why Florida didn’t win the Cup. If he can bring flashes of that to the regular season, it will take pressure off the scoring lines. But Bobrovsky is also going to have new defensemen in front of him, and that’s going to take some time to adjust to.
RANGERS LOOKING FOR INCREASED SCORING CHANCES UNDER LAVIOLETTE, TEAM’S THIRD COACH IN FOUR YEARS
NEW YORK RANGERS
COACH: Peter Laviolette, (752-503-25-150 over 21 seasons, 1 Stanley Cup title).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 12 at Buffalo.
DEPARTURES: RW Patrick Kane, RW Vladimir Tarasenko, C Tyler Motte, G Jaroslav Halak, coach Gerard Gallant.
ADDITIONS: F Blake Wheeler, F Nick Bonino, F Tyler Pitlick, D Erik Gustafsson, G Jonathan Quick.
GOALIES: Igor Shesterkin (37-13-8, 2.48 GAA, 0.916 save percentage) and Quick (16-15-6, 3.41 GAA, 0.882).
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
LAST SEASON: Coming off a run to the conference finals, the Rangers were in win-now mode last season, especially after acquiring veteran forwards Kane and Tarasenko ahead of the trading deadline. They finished third in the Metropolitan Division and topped 100 points for the second straight season but were ousted by New Jersey in the first round.
STRENGTHS: Shesterkin gives the Rangers a strong chance to win most nights. He is 73-13-12 with nine shutouts, a 2.29 GAA and 0.925 save-percentage while making 110 starts the last two seasons. The Rangers have the potential to be a high-scoring team again after averaging 3.33 goals per game last season, ninth in the league. Artemi Panarin (29 goals, 63 assists) will be looked to boost his goal-scoring after falling one goal short of joining Mika Zibanejad (39 goals, 52 assists) and Chris Kreider (36 goals, 22 assists) in the 30-goal club. The Rangers should be strong on the power play again, after finishing seventh (24.7%) last year and fourth (25.2%) the previous season.
WEAKNESSES: The top two lines account for the bulk of the scoring, and when they struggle the team has a hard time producing. Always looking for the perfect extra pass, the Rangers find it hard to generate chances when the lanes are clogged. Gallant urged more shots on net to create opportunities, something that Laviolette will also be looking to encourage.
WHAT TO EXPECT: A handful of newcomers were brought in to bolster depth, but a team with championship aspirations has its third coach in four years after Laviolette replaced the fired Gallant. Laviolette will be tasked with find a better scoring balance, with the Kid Line of Kappo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil likely to be broken up with all three getting chances on the top two lines. A solid road team last season at 24-9-8 the Rangers will need to replicate that early as they play seven of their first nine away from Madison Square Garden. Defensemen Adam Fox (12 goals, 60 assists) and K’Andre Miller (nine goals, 34 points) both topped 40 points, and Laviolette has said he wants all defensemen to be more involved in the offense.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Chytil (22 goals, 23 assists) took a big step forward a year ago, nearly doubling his previous career high for points — 23 in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The energetic 24-year-old Czech could see time centering the second line with Kakko and Kreider.
REBUILDING PHILADELPHIA FLYERS LOOK FOR A FRESH START, SCORING BOOST WITH NEW FACES
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
COACH: John Tortorella
COACH: John Tortorella (704-579-37 over 22 seasons, 1 Stanley Cup title)
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 13 at Columbus.
DEPARTURES: D Ivan Provorov, C Kevin Hayes, F James van Riemsdyk, D Tony DeAngelo.
ADDITIONS: President Keith Jones, GM Danny Briere, G Cal Petersen, F Garnet Hathaway, D Marc Staal.
GOALIES: Carter Hart
GOALIES: Carter Hart (22-23-10, 2.94 GAA, .907 save percentage), Samuel Ersson (6-3, 3.07, .899), Cal Petersen (5-3-2, 3.75, 0.868).
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
LAST SEASON: The Flyers finished with the third-fewest points (75) in the Eastern Conference in Tortorella’s first season at the helm. The club also had issues off the ice, including controversy surrounding D Ivan Provorov’s refusal to take part in Pride Night in January. Tortorella seemingly butted heads with veterans Kevin Hayes and Tony DeAngelo, neither of whom are with the club anymore. Philadelphia also chose not to re-sign veteran James van Riemsdyk. Philadelphia did get a strong season from F Travis Konecny, who had a team-leading 61 points in 60 games, and a solid campaign from G Carter Hart. But the Flyers received inconsistent or subpar performances from several other youngsters, something Tortorella hopes turns around in 2023-24.
STRENGTHS: Hart was a steadying presence in net and has been solid – and, at times, spectacular – in his five seasons in Philadelphia. Backup Samuel Ersson delivered some outstanding performances last season. The acquisition of veteran netminder Cal Petersen in the offseason trade that sent Provorov to Columbus gives Philadelphia quality depth between the pipes.
WEAKNESSES: The Flyers ranked 29th of 32 NHL teams last season with 220 goals, and they let go of established NHL goal scorers Hayes and van Riemsdyk. F Owen Tippett had 27 goals last season and again will be counted on heavily to find the net. Besides Konecny and Tippett, though, the Flyers have little in the way of established NHL scoring. They will hope that forwards Morgan Frost (19 goals) and Joel Farabee (15) can up their goal tallies from a season ago,
WHAT TO EXPECT: The Flyers have gone three straight seasons without making the playoffs and expectations are low to end the drought this season. However, with changes in the front office, some talented prospects and the fiery Tortorella behind the bench, the club has hopes that they are on the right path to once again become consistent playoff contenders.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Neither C Sean Couturier (back) nor F Cam Atkinson (neck) played last season. The 30-year-old Couturier established himself as one of the league’s top two-way centers, tallying 460 points in 721 games over 11 seasons, and would be a key piece to the club’s rebuild if healthy. Similarly, the 34-year-old Atkinson, with 236 goals in 700 games, would give the Flyers some needed scoring if he can return to form.
ISLANDERS LOOK TO BUILD ON SUCCESS AS THEY ENTER SECOND SEASON UNDER COACH LANE LAMBERT
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
COACH: Lane Lambert,
COACH: Lane Lambert, (42-31-9).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 14 vs. Buffalo.
DEPARTURES: F Josh Bailey, F Zach Parise.
ADDITIONS: RW Julien Gauthier.
GOALIES: Ilya Sorokin (31-22-7, 2.34 GAA, 0.924 save percentage) and Semyon Varlamov (11-9-2, 2.70 GAA, 0.913).
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
LAST SEASON: A 1-7-3 stretch in January knocked the Islanders five points out of a wild-card spot. They made a big trade to bolster the offense by getting Bo Horvat ahead of the trade deadline, but had to deal with several injuries, especially star center Mathew Barzal missing the final 23 games. However, they won eight of their last 13 games, and got some help to earn a playoff spot with a win in their last game. Against the Hurricanes, they suffered three one-goal losses, including the series-ending Game 6, and found themselves with an anemic power play that went 1 for 18.
STRENGTHS: Sorokin followed up a 26-win campaign two seasons ago with 31 wins last year. The 35-year-old Varlamov is in the latter stages of his career but complements Sorokin to provide one of the best tandems in the NHL. Defensively, the Islanders allowed 2.65 goals per game, fifth in the league and will look to keep up their strong play there. Brock Nelson finished with career highs of 39 assists and 75 points, and his 36 goals were one short of the career-best he set the previous year.
WEAKNESSES: The power play struggled all last season as the Isles converted on just 15.8% of their chances, better than only Anaheim and Philadelphia. Lambert will again have to try to solve the lackluster production with the man-advantage. A full season with Horvat and Barzal should help.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Going into the second season under Lambert, the Islanders will again rely on the defense-first mentality that has carried over from the Barry Trotz days. That approach has helped the Islanders get opportunistic and timely scoring. The Islanders return mostly the same lineup that played in the first-round loss to Carolina, so there is familiarity. Horvat struggled after coming over from Vancouver on Jan. 30, but should be settled into his new surroundings and teammates. The Islanders had some success bringing up some young players to fill in for injuries, and will be looking to bring in some youngsters again. After reaching the Stanley Cup semifinals in 2020 and 2021, the Islanders’ championship window may have already closed. With Carolina, New Jersey and the New York Rangers likely to repeat in the top three of the Metropolitan Division, the Islanders may have to settle for contending for a wild card spot again.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Horvat finished with seven goals and nine assists in 30 games with the Islanders after putting up 31 goals and 23 assists in 49 games with the offensive-minded Canucks. With his family joining him on Long Island in the offseason and a training camp with the team, he will be counted on to boost his production for the Islanders.
NASCAR NEWS
KEVIN HARVICK’S CREW CHIEF DENIES CHEATING LED TO HARVICK’S DISQUALIFICATION AT TALLADEGA
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — The crew chief for Kevin Harvick insisted he didn’t cheat and race conditions caused Harvick to become the first driver disqualified at Talladega Superspeedway since 1972.
Harvick lost to Ryan Blaney at Talladega on Sunday in a drag race to the finish line. The margin of victory was 0.012 seconds and Harvick was credited with a second-place finish in the final superspeedway race ahead of his retirement at the end of the season.
Some two hours after the race, NASCAR disqualified Harvick, saying the windshield fasteners on the No. 4 Ford were not secure in post-race inspection. The disqualification dropped Harvick from second to 38th — his first last-place finish of the season — and stripped him of all stage points earned Sunday.
Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief Rodney Childers chalked the loose windshield up to rough racing conditions for 500 miles and not cheating in a since-deleted social media post.
“There have been times I’ve got caught doing something I shouldn’t have. … got DQ’d for the car buffering in the draft all day and some windshield bolts vibrating out. My guys had silicon on the threads and gobbed on the tip. Still came out. Not sure what else we could do,” Childers wrote Sunday night on X, formerly Twitter. The post was deleted by Monday morning.
It was the first disqualification of a Cup driver at Talladega since May 7, 1972, when the restrictor plate fell out of Marty Robbins’ carburetor on his Dodge.
Even before the disqualification, Harvick’s winless streak in his final season stretched to 43 races dating back to last year. Harvick was eliminated from the playoffs after the round of 16.
He had joked the fans might have torn the Talladega grandstands down if he’d won, but settled for just not crashing.
“That would have been great. Talladega has been so up-and-down through the years,” Harvick said. “We’ve had some great moments and some bad moments. The last superspeedway race and we went out with everything rolling, so that’s a good thing.”
BIG 10 WRESTLING
2023-24 BIG TEN WRESTLING SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
https://bigten.org/documents/2023/10/2//2023_24_Big_Ten_Wrestling_Schedule.pdf?id=8295
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference office announced the dates and opponents for the 2023-24 wrestling season Monday. The schedule features eight conference duals for each of the 14 Big Ten programs and concludes with the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, to be held over the second weekend in March at Maryland.
All 14 teams will open Big Ten action Jan. 12-21. On opening night, Jan. 12, Maryland, Nebraska and Rutgers will play host to Michigan, Iowa and Indiana, respectively. The final regular-season dual will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18, with Indiana traveling to Northwestern, Iowa hosting Wisconsin and Nebraska visiting reigning Big Ten Champion Penn State.
The 110th Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be held March 9-10, 2024, at XFINITY Center in College Park, Md., with Maryland playing host to the event for the first time. All 14 conference schools will participate in the championships, which begins Saturday, March 9, with the first-round, quarterfinal, semifinal and wrestleback matches taking place during Sessions I and II. Action continues Sunday, March 10, with consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches getting underway during Session III and the first-, third- and fifth-place matches highlighting Session IV.
The 2023-24 Big Ten wrestling schedule can be found in the link above. Times and television designations will be announced at a later date.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/NEWS
COLTS FOOTBALL: COLTS WILL ACTIVATE JONATHAN TAYLOR AND HE COULD PLAY SUNDAY AGAINST TENNESSEE
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indianapolis Colts will activate All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor this week and he could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Coach Shane Steichen told reporters Monday he expects Taylor to practice starting Wednesday and the team will then evaluate whether he’s ready to start playing in games.
The former Wisconsin Badgers and New Jersey prep star missed all of the Colts offseason workouts following offseason ankle surgery and spent all of training camp and the first four weeks of the regular season on the PUP list.
Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ who rushed for nearly 3,000 combined yards in his first two seasons, has been mired in an ugly contact dispute with the team. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and was hoping to cash in with an extension before this season.
Steichen said he has been speaking with Taylor regularly and that his top rusher is eager to get back to work.
FEVER BASKETBALL: FEVER’S ALIYAH BOSTON UNANIMOUS CHOICE AS WNBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Aliyah Boston had an incredible first season and was honored by the league as the WNBA Rookie of the Year on Monday.
The No. 1 pick in the draft started every game for Indiana averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks. She shot 57.8% from the field and became the first rookie to lead the league in that stat.
The South Carolina graduate was a unanimous choice by the 60-person national media panel, becoming the fifth rookie to be chosen on every ballot and first since A’ja Wilson did it in 2018.
Boston became the second Fever player to ever win the award, joining Tamika Catchings. Boston headlined the league’s all-rookie team that also included Seattle’s Jordan Horston, Washington’s Li Meng and the Minnesota duo of Dorka Juhasz and Diamond Miller.
The Fever won 13 games this past season — more than double what they did last year. Indiana missed out on the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year, but have the best chance at winning the draft lottery and getting the No. 1 pick again.
INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
IUMS OPENS OCTOBER AT KENTUCKY
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana men’s soccer (3-3-3, 0-1-2 B1G) kicks off October with consecutive road contests, starting with a midweek matchup at Kentucky (3-6-0, 0-3-0 Sun Belt) on Tuesday (Oct. 3).
Fans can watch the match on the ESPN+ digital platform. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at the Wendell and Vickie Bell Soccer Complex.
KICKING OFF
• Indiana is among the country’s best in two key statistical categories: The Hoosiers rank No. 9 in goals against average (.556) and No. 12 in shots per game (16).
• IU has kept clean sheets in five of its nine matches this season.
• Captain and senior defender Joey Maher made his 70th career appearance and start for IU in its last match against Michigan. In those 70 matches, Maher has helped the Hoosiers keep 36 clean sheets.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
• Kentucky is 3-6-0 and 0-3-0 in Sun Belt Conference matches, but all three of its wins have come at home.
• The Wildcats are led by 12th-year head coach Johan Cedergren, who has compiled a 135-62-33 record at Kentucky.
• Junior forward Logan Dorsey leads the Wildcats with three goals while sophomore defender Max Miller has collected a team-best four assists.
• Kentucky was selected to the NCAA Tournament in each of last five seasons coming into the 2023 campaign.
SERIES HISTORY
• Indiana has historically dominated the matchup, winning 26 of 33 matches since the series began in 1973 as well as 17 of the first 18 meetings.
• Indiana is 3-0 against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament all-time. In their last tournament meeting, Victor Bezerra became the third Hoosier to score a hat trick in an NCAA Tournament match while leading IU to a 3-0 win over the Wildcats.
INDIANA WRESTLING
INDIANA WRESTLING ANNOUNCES 2023-24 SCHEDULE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– The Indiana Wrestling program has announced the team’s schedule for the 2023-24 season.
The Hoosiers will compete 12 dual matches and six invitationals or championship events. For Indiana’s duals, there will be eight Big Ten matches and four in the non-conference.
The season will start with The Citadel Invite on Nov. 5 in Charleston, S.C. The next week, Indiana will compete in its first dual against Rider on Nov. 10 at home in Wilkinson Hall.
The rest of the pre-Big Ten slate will feature tournament trips to Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pa. for the Keystone Classic on Nov. 19 and Sheridan Invitational on Dec. 22, respectively.
A road dual at Princeton on Dec. 3 and home dual versus Central Michigan Dec. 9 will come in between those two tournaments.
For their last event prior to Big Ten competition, Indiana will have the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn. on the docket.
Indian’s Big Ten duals will start with road trips on the weekend of Jan. 12-14 at Rutgers (1/12) and Penn State (1/14).
Then, the Hoosiers will have three straight home duals against Maryland (1/21), Purdue (1/27) and Michigan State (2/4).
To close out the Big Ten season, Indiana will go to Ohio State (2/11) and then in the final conference weekend host Michigan (2/16) and go to Northwestern (2/18).
To end the regular season, Indiana will host Chattanooga on Feb. 23.
The Big Ten Championships will take place from March 9-10 in College Park, Md. and the 2024 NCAA Championships will be held from March 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo.
The 23-24 schedule features duals against six teams who finished in the top 25 of the 2023 NCAA Championships team standings, including three top ten teams and defending Big Ten and national champion, Penn State.
INDIANA ATHLETICS
IU ATHLETICS APP LAUNCHES NEW UPDATED VERSION
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Athletics in conjunction with SIDEARM Sports has launched a redesigned IU Athletics app to provide a personalized and custom experience for Hoosier fans. All fans are encouraged to download the newest version before IU Football faces Rutgers for Homecoming on Oct. 21.
The upgraded app will be a centralized home for all 24 sports at Indiana University. Itwill include game day content including fan experiences, accessing tickets, parking information, schedules and much more from one convenient location.
For continued ease and flexibility of mobile ticketing, all fans are encouraged to download their digital tickets prior to entering Memorial Stadium or Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on game day for a fast, easy experience at the door. Fans will still be able to use the app to follow news, rosters, schedules and exclusive content from the university’s official YouTube channel in addition to links for stats and broadcasts along with the ability to shop the IU Team Store.
In addition, selected venues use the Hoosier Light Show in conjunction with CUE audio. Fans can easily participate in these Light Shows by accessing the Hoosier Light Show tab under “more” at the bottom right of the app menu and clicking “Hoosier Lights.”
If you previously had the app downloaded, you can download the newest version from Apple App Store and Google Play (search IU Hoosiers).
The IU Athletics app is a SIDEARM NextGen mobile app, which is the future of digital fan engagement, promoting a superior user experience through a fully native app that ensures fans will not have to leave the app to access any content.
About the SIDEARM NextGen Mobile Apps
The cutting-edge SIDEARM NextGen mobile apps use a proprietary, one-of-a-kind design system that was built for the market it serves: college athletics. Because of this, fans will have a faster, more immersive on-the-go experience that is directly in line with their engagement and interaction on IUHoosiers.com. This type of digital experience is unavailable anywhere else.
PURDUE FOOTBALL
RYAN WALTERS MONDAY PRESSER
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Coming off the first Big Ten win of his career, Purdue head coach Ryan Walters met with the local media on Monday for his weekly press conference. Walters broke down his thoughts on the win over Illinois on Saturday, as we as previewed the upcoming clash at Iowa on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Peacock.
A transcript of his weekly press conference is below:
Q. What are your first thoughts on Iowa?
RYAN WALTERS: You know, you still traditionally still want to run the ball first. They play with multiple tight ends, heavy sets. They are a throw-second mentality. The backup is a big guy. He’s got a big arm. Talented in that aspect. Not as mobile as the starter.
So we’ll take that into consideration on the way we’re game planning, but they still have the same personnel around them, so we got to be able to hold up in the run game; be able to hold up in the line of scrimmage; be able to be creative with the ways we cover the tight ends.
Q. The defense looked like it played outstanding. Having watched it back I forgot they had a few open touchdowns that were dropped or overthrown. How do you address the secondary coverage?
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, I mean, the two times they were open was on a double move. We also hit them on a double move, right, and then a play-action pop pass where we lost eyes.
But that is the give and take, where you are aggressive in this the way you play the game defensively, and try and get hits on a quarterback.
When the quarterback gets hit as much as he did, you tend to overthrow these type of throws.
So I wasn’t as concerned. Like I said, we can teach the technique on the double move. Got to be more patient with the eyes on the tight end, but I think there is a reason they missed those plays, and it’s because we were in the backfield a lot.
Q. What is the status of OC Brothers?
RYAN WALTERS: He should be available this week.
Q. Plan on him getting his role back if that’s the case? If not, obviously Yanni had a great game on Saturday.
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, really happy with the way Yanni played and prepared. See how this week’s practice goes. You know, Yanni played better than that position has played up to this point.
Q. Ryan, what was the key to unlocking this run game over the past two weeks?
RYAN WALTERS: You know, I think just combination of things. One, I think our offensive line was playing better. Obviously Gus getting inserted into the lineup and feeling comfortable helps just with his experience, his athleticism, mindset, the way he communicates.
I think our running backs are starting to hit their groove, and we as an offensive staff are finding out what they’re good at and what’s their comfort level and the type of runs that we’re calling.
I think Hud’s ability to push the ball down the field also helped to create favorable boxes to run the ball.
And I thought Graham did a nice job of sticking to what was working. Any time you can run the ball the way we did and have balance that way it bodes well offensively for sure.
Q. Do you have an update an Max Klare’s status?
RYAN WALTERS: Still waiting on the diagnosis. Didn’t look great, but we’ll see.
Q. And then obviously if he were to miss time, you got Garrett Miller. Just talk about what he brings to the table and what you saw out of him on Saturday?
RYAN WALTERS: Garrett?
Q. Yes.
RYAN WALTERS: You know, we’re starting to see what everybody was talking about when I got here in December. His explosiveness down the field. He’s a big guy that can move very fluidly and he’s strong in the run game. Got good hands. He’s got a good feel for the game. Good football player.
I think as he gets more and more comfortable with the system, more and more comfortable with overcoming the mental aspect, hurdles of going through that type of injury, I think his play will only improve.
Q. Ryan, can you talk about how you just kept Devin Mockobee engaged. I know he had the fumble again, but you guys had him right back out there a series or so later and let him carry the ball at the goal line and score as well.
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, one, you hold him accountable, right? Like nobody is happy with — including him — with the ball security issues we’ve had. But he is hard to tackle, hard to bring down, and he runs with an edge.
So of course like he got to the sideline and we had a conversation, but at the end of the day, like you want to keep him engaged because we’re going to need him. He’s a good player. He runs the football very well. Like I said, going against him defensively he’s hard to bring down.
So you want him to continue to maximize his potential, and we’re better when he is running the ball. So you don’t want to take the stinger out, his running style away from him, because that’s part of who he is and why he’s good.
But what he has to understand, man, when he has the ball in his hands he has a program’s life in his hands and has to protect that at all costs.
Q. Do you think it’s a fair assessment to say that the offense has really developed an identity for running the football, that’s become maybe the strength of the offense?
RYAN WALTERS: It was definitely the strength on Saturday. I do think that when we are playing with balance it allows us to play with pace, which allows us to be aggressive, which opens up every aspect of the offense.
We were running the ball, so we were able to push it down the field. We’re throwing quick game to open up running lanes. So I think Graham just did a really good job of understanding what the defense was trying to do to us, how to counter that, and then when they adjusted how to adjust based off what pictures they were presenting, which is why we had the sort of offensive output that we did on Saturday.
Q. What was the defense more aggressive than the first four games this last Saturday as far as blitzes, stunts, things of that nature?
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, I would say so.
Q. Talk about moving the coordinators to the box a little bit, Graham and Kevin, why you decided to that. Looks like it’s going to happen again this week. You had to be pleased with the results.
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, so to answer both questions, offensively Graham has spent a lot of the time in the box. He’s spent more time up than he has down. I think with Hudson’s maturity and understanding of the offense now, it allowed Graham to go up top, because you can see better from up there, right? You can see the rotations defensively, see alignments. You can see what happened during the play from that bird’s-eye view a lot cleaner than from the sideline.
Graham has great communication with Doege, and Doege is a former quarterback, so he can talk to the Qs in between series to relay message that Graham has. So that’s why we made that move offensively.
And obviously it worked, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? We’ll keep him up there.
Defensively is the same thing. Kane for the last two years and even when he was at SMU, was upstairs, so I felt like the communication that he and I had the last two seasons when he was in the box was very informative and quick and concise. You know, nobody knows the defense or the signals the way I do, and so just made sense for him to go upstairs and for me to be signalling and for us to communicate that way on game day.
Q. Just talk about Iowa and their ability to win games, special teams and defense, and you’ve seen them obviously over the years. Yes on paper they have some issues with injuries. What makes them especially dangerous or is that really what makes them especially dangerous to you?
RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, so to me what makes them dangerous is Iowa is going to be Iowa, and they have been since 1999. They’re going to play really, really sound defense and not make mistakes, make you earn it.
Special teams is going to be a weapon for them, and then they’re going to manage the game on offense and not try to do things just to do them. They’re going to try to control the clock. If they can win the game 9-6, that’s the style of play they like. I know people out that way are upset with that model, but it’s worked since 1999.
Getting to know Coach Ferentz over the last couple years and then now as a head coach, you can just tell that program operates the way it operates, and they don’t care what anybody else things about it because that has been a winning formula for them.
So we’ll have to do a good job of not letting them dictate the pace, the tempo, or the style of play, and try to do everything we can to play our brand of ball and make them adjust to it.
PURDUE AIMS TO KEEP ROLLING AT IOWA
Both Purdue and Iowa are coming off wins, but the teams will have different vibes when they meet for a Big Ten West contest Saturday in Iowa City.
Purdue (2-3, 1-1 Big Ten) is coming off its best performance of the year, a 44-19 victory at home over Illinois.
Quarterback Hudson Card (18-for-26, 217 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions), a transfer from Texas, continued a solid start to the season. Card is completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 1,244 yards and five TDs.
The Iowa defense held an opponent under 20 points for the second time this year.
Meanwhile, Iowa enters with a good record (4-1, 1-0) but is somewhat in a state of disarray.
After suffering a shutout loss at Penn State the week prior, the Hawkeyes struggled at home last Saturday to beat a bad Michigan State team, needing a punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
Worse, starting quarterback Cade McNamara suffered a serious knee injury and had to be carted off of the field. He is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Backup quarterback Deacon Hill took over from there in the win, and he’ll likely be the starter against Purdue.
Hill went 11 of 27 for 115 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception, although he was plagued by six dropped passes.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was satisfied with how Hill handled a tough situation and feels he can be a good leader for the team the rest of the season if needed.
“He’s a different style of quarterback,” Ferentz said. “He’s a big quarterback, but he throws the ball well.
“It’s his strength and I thought (Saturday), we hadn’t really seen him in game action when the game is on the line. And I thought he showed a lot of good things.”
Purdue head coach Ryan Walters said he doesn’t anticipate his team will prepare for Iowa much differently with Hill at quarterback.
“They still have the same personnel around him,” Walters said. “We’ve got to be able to hold up in the run game, be able to hold up on the line of scrimmage and be able to be creative in the ways we cover their tight ends.”
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
CJ COX COMMITS TO BOILERMAKERS
6-2 combo guard CJ Cox has verbally committed to Purdue. Cox mad the announcement Monday on twitter: “I am very excited to announce my commitment to Purdue University!” he said on social media. “Thank you to Coach Painter, Coach Brantley and the entire coaching staff for this amazing opportunity. I also wanna thank my parents, sister and rest of my family for always being there for me.”
Other Purdue Class of 2024 commitments include former Brownsburg wing Kanon Catchings (currently with Overtime Elite), center Raleigh Burgess of Cincinnati and shooting guard Jack Benter of Brownstown Central.
PURDUE WRESTLING
BIG TEN RELEASES 2024 WRESTLING SCHEDULE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2024 wrestling dual schedule on Monday, revealing the dates for Purdue’s final eight matches of the upcoming season.
Today’s announcement put the final pieces of the puzzle into place for the 2023-24 schedule, as the Boilermakers will face Rutgers along with their traditional seven opponents comprising of the Big Ten West schools and rival Indiana.
“We are excited for the opportunities ahead of us,” said head coach Tony Ersland. “We work all offseason to face the best competition in the country in the Big Ten and we welcome the challenges that that brings us. We’re very pleased with how the schedule played out and can’t wait to get things going.”
Ersland’s team will come into the year with four individuals in the Intermat preseason rankings, led by 2023 NCAA Runner-Up and preseason No. 1 at 125 pounds Matt Ramos. The redshirt-junior is the first Boilermaker to sit atop a preseason list since Intermat debuted its rankings in 1998 and the first to be No. 1 since Chris Fleeger in March of 2003.
The Big Ten slate will be a gauntlet once again as the Boilermakers’ eight conference opponents have a combined 55 wrestlers in the preseason ranks, 23 of which are in the top-10. Five of the eight teams appeared in the initial Intermat team dual rankings.
The conference slate begins at home on Sunday, January 14 when Rutgers makes the trip to West Lafayette for the first time since 2019. The Boilermakers have won the last two matchups with the Scarlet Knights, most recently taking an 18-15 win in Piscataway, N.J., in January of 2021.
Purdue will then travel for three straight road contests. A weekend headed west starts with a Friday night dual on January 19 against Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and finishes in Lincoln on Sunday, January 21 in a match with Nebraska. In the Boilermakers last trip to Lincoln, they came away with an 18-15 upset over the No. 10 ranked Cornhuskers. It was the first top-10 dual win of Ersland’s head coaching career.
The final leg of the road trip will be a short drive down south to face intrastate rival Indiana. The Boilermakers have taken 12 of the last 13 against the Hoosiers and haven’t lost in Bloomington since 2009.
Purdue kicks off February with a home dual against Wisconsin on Sunday the 4th. The following weekend is a home/away combo with the Boilermakers taking on Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., on Friday, February 9th before returning home to face Minnesota in Holloway Gymnasium on Sunday the 11th. Purdue battled for upset wins at four different weight classes to grab an 18-14 win over the Gophers on senior night the last time the two programs took the mat in West Lafayette.
The final dual of the season comes at home on Friday, February 16 against Illinois. It was a decisive 25-13 victory for the Boilermakers over the Fighting Illini in their most recent matchup in Holloway.
Purdue’s schedule will give them a two week break before heading to College Park, Md., for the Big Ten Championships March 9-10. It will be the first time Maryland has hosted the event since joining the conference in 2014. The NCAA Championships return to Kansas City, Mo., for the first time since 2003 where Purdue took 14th, the program’s best finish in the last 30 years.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES OPEN PRACTICE AND ADDITIONAL TICKET OPTIONS
Fans of Butler Men’s Basketball will get their first opportunity to see the team this weekend and now have access to additional ticket options to experience games at Hinkle Fieldhouse during the 2023-24 season.
Butler will welcome fans to Hinkle this Saturday (Oct. 7) for an open men’s basketball practice that begins at 10 a.m. The practice will include a blue-white scrimmage. Members of the team will sign autographs following practice. Fans should enter through Gate 4 with doors opening at 9:45 a.m. Parking in the main Hinkle Fieldhouse lot will be free Saturday morning.
Five-game ticket packs for the upcoming 2023-24 season are on sale now. The packs feature the first weekend game of the regular season (against Southeast Missouri State on Friday, Nov. 10) and four additional games that can be selected from groupings of options. Single-game tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. Season-ticket holders, Bulldog Club members, and Butler faculty and staff have access to single-game presales in advance of Friday.
Fans can purchase tickets online at ButlerSports.com/BuyTickets or in person at the Butler Athletics Ticket Office at Hinkle Fieldhouse (which is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.).
Season tickets for the 2023-24 Butler Basketball season remain on sale, providing the best seating locations still available for the upcoming season. Contact the Butler Ticket Office at tickets@butler.edu or 317-940-DOGS (3647) to place your order.
Butler’s home schedule will feature an increase to 19 games this season, highlighted by all 10 BIG EAST rivals visiting Hinkle. Butler will also host Texas Tech Nov. 30 in the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, and the Pac 12’s Cal comes to Indianapolis Dec. 9.
Thad Matta returned to his alma mater to lead the Butler basketball program in April of 2022. His 2023-24 roster will feature 10 newcomers, including five transfers who averaged double figures last season for their previous team.
BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER
BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER TO HOST CROSS-TOWN FOE, IUPUI
The Butler men’s soccer team plays a non-conference match on Tuesday, hosting IUPUI in the Sellick Bowl for a 7 pm kickoff. The Bulldogs (1-6-1, 1-2-0 BIG EAST) most recently suffered a 5-0 loss at No. 12 Georgetown, while the Jaguars (4-3-3, 3-0-1 Horizon League) are coming off a 2-2 draw at Detroit Mercy.
Bulldog Bits
(as of 10/2/23)
With an average of 5.88 saves per match, Caleb Norris leads the BIG EAST and is 9th nationally with 47 total saves. His save percentage (.758) is third in the conference (58th).
Palmer Ault’s four goals rank sixth in the BIG EAST and 84th nationally.
The Matchup
SERIES RECORD: Butler leads, 13-2-3
LAST MEETING: Oct. 8, 2022 – Sellick Bowl – Butler 4, IUPUI 1
Butler has won the most recent four matches and five of the previous six.
The teams tied 2-2 in 2013.
IUPUI’s most recent win (3-0) was in 2011.
Scouting IUPUI
Previous match: at Detroit Mercy T, 2-2
In addition to Detroit Mercy, IUPUI has earned draws against Eastern Illinois (1-1) and Bellarmine (1-1). Notable results include wins over Wright State (2-0) and Oakland (2-1) as well as losses to Notre Dame (0-5), Dayton (0-4), and Loyola Chicago (0-5).
Individual Statistics
Offensive standouts for IUPUI include:
#24 Josemir Gomez (5g)
#10 Lukas Hackaa (4g, 1a)
#17 Logan Finnegan (2g)
#8 Emerson Nieto (3a)
#1 Lucas Morefield (4-3-0) has logged the most time in goal for the Jaguars. In eight starts, he has allowed 17 goals (2.17 GAA) and has made 23 saves (.575 SV%), producing a pair of shutouts. Bryson Najarian (0-0-3, 3 GA, 11 SV) has two starts and three appearances.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S TENNIS
ANDREACH AND GHOSH LEAD IRISH AT THE NOTRE DAME INVITATIONAL
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis team hosted Columbia, DePaul, Harvard, Kentucky and Northwestern over the weekend for the Notre Dame Invitational. The teams competed in individual competition against other teams, with no team scores being kept. Julia Andreach and Nibi Ghosh led the way for the Fighting Irish, as both finished 5-1 on the weekend. Andreach and Ghosh each finished 3-0 in singles competition. Overall, the Fighting Irish finished 24-12 over the weekend.
Friday started off with the Irish competing with Columbia. The Irish had a clean sweep of the five doubles flights. Pairings of Andreach and Carrie Beckman, as well as Bojana Pozder and Akari Matsuno each won 6-2. Page Freeman and Maria Olivia Castedo combined for a 6-3 win and Yashna Yellayi teamed with Rylie Hanford for a 6-4 victory. Castedo and Ghosh added another doubles competition, this against a team from DePaul, earning a 7-6 (8-6) victory.
Singles competition saw seven of 10 events go the way of the Irish. Pozder, Andreach, Matsuno and Hanford each earned straight-set victories. Beckman battled to earn a 6-2, 5-7, 12-10 win over Columbia’s Clarine Lerby. Nibi Ghosh added a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win, and Castedo earned a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win, each coming against opponents from Northwestern.
Saturday saw the Irish split four doubles competitions. Beckman and Andreach defeated a pair from Harvard 6-1, and Yellayi and Hanford earned a 7-6 (5) win over another tandem in Crimson.
Singles competition started strong as Pozder didn’t allow a point in a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Andreach was equally as dominating with a 6-1, 6-1 win. Freeman needed just two sets to put away her opponent, 6-4, 6-1. Ghosh earned a win over an individual from Northwestern, again in straight sets at 6-2, 6-2.
The Sunday finale pitted Notre Dame against competitors from Kentucky. In three doubles matches, the Irish took home two wins. Pozder and Castedo teamed up for a 6-3 win, as Ghosh and Matsuno earned a 6-4 win.
Singles action saw the Irish take four of six matches. Andreach and Beckman each rallied for three-set winners. Andreach earned a 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 win, with Beckman earning a come from behind 4-6, 6-5, 10-4 win. Matsuno and Ghosh used straight sets to earn their wins. Matsuno came at 6-3, 6-2, with Ghosh earning a 6-4, 6-4 win.
INDIANA STATE VOLLEYBALL
SYCAMORES’ HOLLAND TABBED MVC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
ST. LOUIS – After posting double-doubles in each of the Sycamores’ last two matches, Indiana State outside hitter Kira Holland was named the MVC Freshman of the Week Monday afternoon.
Holland averaged more than four kills per set in both of Indiana State’s matches over the weekend, notching double-doubles in road contests at Missouri State and Southern Illinois. She tallied a career-best 20 kills along with 11 digs against Missouri State and followed with 17 kills and 11 digs against Southern Illinois, leading all players in kills in both matches.
Holland also added a pair of aces, one block solo and one assist against Missouri State, while she recorded another service ace at SIU. She was responsible for nearly 40 percent of Indiana State’s kills and 22 percent of the Sycamores’ digs over the weekend.
Holland leads all MVC freshmen with 3.15 kills per set this season, while her 2.50 digs per set this season ranks third among freshmen in the conference. She ranks in the top 25 overall in the conference in both kills (13th) and digs (23rd). Holland’s numbers through the first two weekends of conference play are even better, as she has averaged 3.53 kills and 2.93 digs per set across Indiana State’s first four MVC matches.
The weekly honor is the first of Holland’s career and the second MVC Freshman of the Week honor for a Sycamore this season after Macy Lengacher previously earned the honor during the opening weekend of play. It marks the first time since 2021 that the Sycamores had multiple MVC weekly honorees in one season, and marks the first time in program history that Indiana State has had multiple MVC Freshman of the Week honors in the same season.
Holland and the Sycamores play their first home conference matches of the season Friday and Saturday against preseason favorites Drake and Northern Iowa. The Sycamores face Drake Friday evening at 6 p.m., with their Saturday afternoon tilt against Northern Iowa slated for 4 p.m.
INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL
LAWRENCE NAMED MVFC NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State running back Plez Lawrence was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Newcomer of the Week as announced by the conference office on Monday morning.
Lawrence made the most of his first collegiate start on Saturday afternoon as the redshirt freshman recorded 203 rushing yards on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns against Murray State. The Kokomo, Ind. native took the ball between the tackles for a majority of the contest with a 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter his longest carry of the night. He also broke loose for a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Lawrence added carries of 22 and 16 yards throughout the night in leading the Sycamores to the most rushing yards by an ISU team since November 23, 2019, against Missouri State (325 yards).
Lawrence became the first freshman in the MVFC to break 200 rushing yards in a single game since South Dakota State’s Pierre Strong Jr. went for 253 rushing yards and three touchdowns against South Dakota on November 17, 2018. He also the first ISU running back to crack 200 rushing yards since Dominique Dafney went for 244 yards and four touchdowns in the 2019 against MSU.
Lawrence is the first ISU football player to claim an MVFC weekly honor in the 2023 season. He’s also the first ISU player to claim the Newcomer of the Week honor since linebacker Garret Ollendieck was honored by the conference office in the 2022 season finale against Missouri State.
SOUTHERN INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
ANDERSON, SOBIERALSKI VOTED AS OVC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Senior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) and junior setter Carly Sobieralski (Indianapolis, Indiana) were given Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week honors for the first time in University of Southern Indiana Volleyball history. Anderson secured OVC Offensive Player of the Week while Sobieralski was voted as OVC Setter of the Week after the Screaming Eagles’ top-tier performance last weekend.
USI went 2-1 on the week after sweeping Tennessee State University over the weekend. The Eagles racked up 138 kills with a whopping 0.216 hitting percentage to pair with 33 aces, 28 blocks, and 161 digs. After the week, USI is fourth in the OVC standings and holds a 4-2 conference record.
Anderson, who was voted unanimously, receives OVC Offensive Player of the Week status for the first time in program history. The outside hitter nabbed an OVC-leading 49 kills and 11 aces to go with a stellar 0.264 attacking percentage. She also put up nine blocks and a conference-high 65 points in 12 sets played. This is not the first weekly award Anderson has received as she was named the GLVC Offensive Player of the Week twice as well as the AVCA Division II Player of the Week between 2020 and 2021.
Sobieralski has dominated the passing game this season, especially last week after capturing an OVC-best 113 assists with 9.42 assists per set, leading to OVC Setter of the Week accolades. She combined 23 digs and a pair of blocks in 12 sets played to pair with her offensive abilities for the week. This is Sobieralski’s first career weekly honor and the first for a USI setter since October 2021.
Also voted for weekly awards this week were Southeast Missouri State University’s Tara Beilsmith and Lucy Arndt for Defensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, respectively.
The Eagles, who are 8-9 overall, are back in action this weekend to face Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at Screaming Eagles Arena on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Dig Pink Night will highlight Friday’s match while Saturday’s match will be Mental Health Awareness Day. Sobieralski will also be acknowledged prior to Saturday’s match for earning 1,000 career assists.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASKETBALL
SCREAMING EAGLES MADNESS TO TIP OFF 2023-24 USI BASKETBALL SEASON
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The annual University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles Madness (formerly Midnight Madness) is scheduled for October 18 (Wednesday) in Screaming Eagles Arena to introduce the 2023-24 USI Women’s and Men’s Basketball teams. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the event is open to the public at no charge.
Screaming Eagles Madness will begin at fan friendly 7 p.m. with the evening featuring USI Women’s and Men’s Basketball team introductions, performances from the USI Cheer and Dance teams, giveaways, and a variety of fan competitions. USI students will have a chance to enjoy the “block party” in front of the arena prior to the event and will include food, music, and games.
Festivities in the arena are not only open to students, but also faculty, staff and the general public.
USI Men’s Basketball enters its fourth season under the leadership of USI Men’s Basketball Head Coach Stan Gouard. The team will open its season against at Saint Louis University November 6. This will be the 25th season with the Screaming Eagles for Rick Stein, USI Women’s Basketball Head Coach. USI Women’s Basketball will open its season against Wright State University on November 6 at the Screaming Eagles Arena.
UINDY MEN’S TENNIS
DERACHE FINISHES AS RUNNER-UP AT ITA FALL REGIONAL
ALLENDALE, Mich. – The ITA Division II Men’s Midwest Regional Championships are in the books and the University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team is coming home with a second-place finish in the hands of sophomore Matthieu Derache. In the B draw, the freshman
David Simeonov
David Simeonov finished in second place as well. Tom Zeuch ended his tournament of the A draw in third place.
INS & OUTS
Derache fought through a tough three-set battle to force his way into the finals, taking on Sean Miller of Grand Valley State. Derache fell in the first set 6-3, but battled back into it, coming out on top after a 6-3 second and a 10-6 tiebreak.
On the other side of the semifinals, Zeuch battled the tough Ruben Fonga of Tiffin who came in as the No. 2-seed. Zeuch fought but was bested 6-0, 6-3.
The finals saw Fonga keep his momentum going, taking the first set 6-2. Derache fought, but to no avail, ending his run with a 6-4 second set.
In the B draw, Simeonov was excellent in his first match of the day, surviving a three-set bout with Bendix Schroeder of McKendree to carve his spot in the finals. He would face off with Joe Kelt of Wayne State in the finals, with Kelt finding the edge, winning in straight sets.
DAY 2
The round of 16 was a piece of cake for all the Greyhounds that remained in action, all three taking their matches in straight sets in a show of dominance. Derache faced a familiar foe in Bojan Radoman of fellow-GLVC program Southwest Baptist, while Zeuch ended the tournament of Lucas Gonzalez of the GVS Lakers. On the B draw, Simeonov also made short work of a GLVC-foe, taking down McKendree’s Lorenzo Del Biondo.
The excellence of the singles competition did not end there for the Hounds trifecta in the quarters, with all three matches having a common theme. Derache found a blazing fast 6-0, 6-2 victory over the No. 8-seeded Marlon Wilken of Drury. It was two 6-1 sets for Zeuch for his quarterfinals match, as he sunk the No. 7-seed Yarolsav Sharyy, also of Drury. And as if it was planned, Simeonov made it a bad day to be a Panther, dropping Jesus Gonzalez of Drury in three sets.
While singles thrived for the Hounds, doubles play faltered as Zeuch and Louis Picaud as well as Erwan Momo Andre and Derache saw their run end in the round of 16.
DAY 1
Starting bright and early in Michigan, the tournament started with singles play. Derache and Zeuch both found quick victories in their first-round matchups, Derache winning 7-5, 6-3 and Zeuch claiming a 6-1, 6-2 dub.
For Erwan Momo Andre, the first round saw an uphill battle as he dropped his first set 7-5. EMA rebounded exceptionally well, going 6-0 in set two and then 10-6 in the tiebreak. Louis Picaud suffered a heartbreaking two-set, double tiebreaker loss in his first match of the tournament.
Simeonov and Pedro Franca were the B draw representatives for the Hounds, with both winning in straight sets in the first round.
Continuing into the round of 32, Zeuch rallied back from a 6-1 first set loss to grab 6-3 and eventual 10-6 set victories to keep his weekend alive. Derache, much like Zeuch, dropped the first set of his second match of the day, but eeked out a 6-4 second and then a 10-3 third to capture the victory. The A-draw run was over after the second round for EMA as he fell to the No. 2-seed Ruben Fonga of Tiffin in straight sets.
Simeonov once again found the win in his second-round match, while Franca fell 6-3, 6-2.
For doubles it was smooth sailing for all three Greyhounds pairs as Zeuch and Picaud took down a pair of Rockhurst Hawks 8-5. Continuing the magic from the NCAA tournament, the French connection of Derache and Momo Andre found the win 9-8 with a 7-5 tiebreak to move the pair into Sunday action. Battling in the B draw, Franca and Simenov won 8-5.
UINDY FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL MOVES UP ONCE AGAIN IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
WACO, Texas—The UIndy football team continued to climb the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, moving up two more spots to No. 12. The Greyhounds sport s cpotless 4-0 record after earning a 26-13 conference win at Missouri S&T last Saturday.
GLVC-rival Truman State University cracked the top 25 this week, making it 11 Super Region 3 teams in the rankings.
AFCA DIVISION II COACHES POLL
| RK | SCHOOL (1st-place votes) | REC | PTS | PREV |
| 1. | Ferris St. (Mich.) (26) | 3-1 | 745 | 1 |
| 2. | Colorado School of Mines (3) | 5-0 | 721 | 2 |
| 3. | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 5-0 | 688 | 3 |
| 4. | Minnesota St. | 5-0 | 633 | 4 |
| 5. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 5-0 | 610 | 5 |
| 6. | West Florida | 4-1 | 590 | 6 |
| 7. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 3-1 | 579 | 7 |
| 8. | Delta St. (Miss.) | 5-0 | 548 | 8 |
| 9. | Harding (Ark.) | 5-0 | 501 | 10 |
| 10. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 5-0 | 469 | 12 |
| 11. | Benedict (S.C.) (1) | 5-0 | 418 | 13 |
| 12. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 4-0 | 394 | 14 |
| 13. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 5-0 | 359 | 15 |
| 14. | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 4-1 | 352 | 9 |
| 15. | Western Colorado | 5-0 | 344 | 17 |
| 16. | Davenport (Mich.) | 4-0 | 275 | 18 |
| 17. | Minnesota-Duluth | 5-0 | 272 | 19 |
| 18. | Central Missouri | 4-1 | 208 | 21 |
| 19. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 5-0 | 186 | 22 |
| 20. | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 4-1 | 156 | 11 |
| 21. | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 3-2 | 131 | 20 |
| 22. | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 4-1 | 90 | 24 |
| 23. | Assumption (Mass.) | 3-1 | 80 | 23 |
| 24. | Truman (Mo.) | 5-0 | 75 | NR |
| 25. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 4-1 | 54 | 25 |
Others Receiving Votes: Augustana (S.D.), 51; Virginia St., 47; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 45; Virginia Union, 35; Tiffin (Ohio), 31; Missouri Western St., 28; Texas-Permian Basin, 18; Barton (N.C.), 6; Limestone (S.C.), 6; Charleston (W.Va.), 3; Central Washington, 2.
BROWN, SUKUP VOTED GLVC FOOTBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
INDIANAPOLIS – University of Indianapolis sophomore quarterback Gavin Sukup and junior safety Michael Brown were joined by Southwest Baptist University junior kicker Logan Turner in being named the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Players of the Week in football, it was announced by the league office Monday.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Gavin Sukup, #14 Indianapolis
So. | QB | Seward, Neb.
Major: Sociology
Team Result: 26-13 W at Missouri S&T (9/30)
Responsible for all three UIndy touchdowns in the Greyhounds’ road Conference win over S&T
Went 16-for-24 through the air for 203 yards, including a 53-yard strike in the first quarter
Highlighted by three-yard score to put UIndy up 10 points in the fourth quarter
Added 20 rushing yards
Earns second career Offensive Player of the Week Award (10/2/23, 9/4/23)
Last Greyhounds’ Offensive Player of the Week: Gavin Sukup (9/4/23)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Michael Brown, #14 Indianapolis
Jr. | S | Indianapolis, Ind.
Major: Exercise Science
Team Result: 26-13 W at Missouri S&T (9/30)
Helped UIndy limit the league’s top passing offense to just 151 yards, the Miners’ lowest total of the year
Nabbed two interceptions, with the first coming in the Greyhounds’ endzone to end a S&T drive and the other sealing the game for UIndy in the fourth quarter
Racked up five total tackles, including two solo stops
Added two pass break-ups and one quarterback hurry
Earns second career Defensive Player of the Week Award (10/2/23, 10/24/22)
Last Greyhounds’ Defensive Player of the Week: Justin Thomas (9/25/23)
MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER
KATIE KOGER TABBED CL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JACKSON, Mich. – On Monday morning, the Crossroads League announced the Players of the Week for the week of September 25 through October 1. For the second time this season, Katie Koger has been named the Offensive Player of the Week for the Knights.
Katie Koger was dominant Marian’s pair of wins, scoring four of Marian’s seven goals on the week. Koger led the Knights with three goals for a hat trick in a 5-0 shutout win at Goshen, before scoring the equalizer in Marian’s 2-2 draw with (RV) Taylor. Koger finished the week with eight total points and averaged a .800 shot on goal percentage.
Marian will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Grace for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
MARIAN VOLLEYBALL
EMMA LYONS CLAIMS FIRST CAREER CROSSROADS LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Jackson, Mich. – After putting up strong numbers in three consecutive matches for the Marian volleyball defense, sophomore libero Emma Lyons has been named the Crossroads League Defensive Player of the Week. Lyons honor is the first of her career, as she is the first Marian volleyball player to win an athlete of the week honor from the Crossroads League.
Lyons was unstoppable in the back row in Marian’s 2-1 week, posting a perfect week in serve receive while racking up 78 digs in three four-set matches. Lyons set a career-high and modern-day single match record for Marian volleyball with 38 digs 38 in Marian’s match against No. 3 IWU, and followed with matches of 21 and 19 digs to end the week with a digs per set average of 6.50.
To date this season, Lyons is fourth overall in the league in total digs, while leading the Crossroads League in digs during league games. Lyons is the top overall player in digs per set, and leads all liberos in assists per set the season with an average of 1.31. The sophomore is 30th overall in the entire NAIA in digs per set this season.
Marian will be on the road for their lone match of the week, traveling to Ohio on Wednesday night to take on No. 19 Mount Vernon Nazarene.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS
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/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NFL STANDINGS
| American Football Conference | |||||||||||||
| East Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 0.0 | 139 | 55 | 2-0-0 | 1-1-0 | 2-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 3 W | |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 0.0 | 150 | 119 | 1-0-0 | 2-1-0 | 3-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1 L | |
| New England Patriots | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2.0 | 55 | 97 | 0-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1 L | |
| New York Jets | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2.0 | 62 | 84 | 1-2-0 | 0-1-0 | 1-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 3 L | |
| West Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 0.0 | 101 | 60 | 1-1-0 | 2-0-0 | 2-0-0 | 0-0-0 | 3 W | |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 1.0 | 110 | 104 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-2-0 | 1-0-0 | 2 W | |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2.0 | 62 | 101 | 0-1-0 | 1-2-0 | 1-3-0 | 1-1-0 | 3 L | |
| Denver Broncos | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2.0 | 100 | 150 | 0-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 0-2-0 | 0-1-0 | 1 W | |
| North Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| Baltimore Ravens | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 0.0 | 99 | 58 | 1-1-0 | 2-0-0 | 3-1-0 | 2-0-0 | 1 W | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 1.0 | 62 | 100 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 2-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 1 L | |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 1.0 | 76 | 60 | 2-1-0 | 0-1-0 | 2-2-0 | 1-2-0 | 1 L | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2.0 | 49 | 94 | 1-1-0 | 0-2-0 | 0-3-0 | 0-2-0 | 1 L | |
| South Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 0.0 | 97 | 99 | 0-2-0 | 2-0-0 | 2-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1 L | |
| Houston Texans | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 0.0 | 96 | 79 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 2-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 2 W | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 0.0 | 80 | 82 | 1-2-0 | 1-0-0 | 1-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 1 W | |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 0.0 | 72 | 70 | 2-0-0 | 0-2-0 | 2-1-0 | 0-0-0 | 1 W | |
| National Football Conference | |||||||||||||
| East Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.0 | 118 | 90 | 2-0-0 | 2-0-0 | 3-0-0 | 1-0-0 | 4 W | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 1.0 | 124 | 41 | 2-0-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 1 W | |
| Washington Commanders | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2.0 | 89 | 120 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 0-1-0 | 2 L | |
| New York Giants | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 3.0 | 46 | 122 | 0-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-3-0 | 0-1-0 | 2 L | |
| West Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| San Francisco 49ers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 0.0 | 125 | 58 | 2-0-0 | 2-0-0 | 3-0-0 | 2-0-0 | 4 W | |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 1.0 | 111 | 91 | 1-1-0 | 2-0-0 | 3-1-0 | 0-1-0 | 3 W | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 2.0 | 98 | 85 | 0-1-0 | 2-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1 W | |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 3.0 | 88 | 102 | 1-1-0 | 0-2-0 | 1-3-0 | 0-1-0 | 1 L | |
| North Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 0.0 | 106 | 83 | 1-1-0 | 2-0-0 | 2-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 2 W | |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 1.0 | 100 | 96 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 2-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 1 L | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 2.0 | 90 | 95 | 0-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-2-0 | 0-0-0 | 1 W | |
| Chicago Bears | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 3.0 | 75 | 137 | 0-2-0 | 0-2-0 | 0-2-0 | 0-1-0 | 4 L | |
| South Division | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Pct | GB | PF | PA | Home | Road | vs. Conf | vs. Div | Streak | ||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 0.0 | 84 | 68 | 1-1-0 | 2-0-0 | 3-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 1 W | |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 1.0 | 62 | 77 | 2-0-0 | 0-2-0 | 2-1-0 | 1-0-0 | 2 L | |
| New Orleans Saints | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 1.0 | 62 | 76 | 1-1-0 | 1-1-0 | 1-2-0 | 1-1-0 | 2 L | |
| Carolina Panthers | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 3.0 | 67 | 102 | 0-2-0 | 0-2-0 | 0-4-0 | 0-2-0 | 4 L | |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1909 Tigers outfielder Ty Cobb becomes the first player in baseball history to win the Triple Crown, leading the Junior Circuit in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. The ‘Georgia Peach’ accomplishes the feat by batting .377, driving in 107 runs, and hitting nine homers, all of which are inside-the-park round-trippers for the American League champs.
1909 The Tigers end the season with 98 victories to extend their American League record for most wins in a season after recently surpassing the 95 established by the 1904 Red Sox. Detroit boasted a pair of 20-game-winners, George Mullin (29) and Ed Willett (22), with Sam Crawford (.314) and Ty Cobb (.377) providing the majority of the offense for the champions of the American League.
1919 Cuban native Adolfo Luque becomes the first player from Latin America to appear in a World Series. In Game 3 of the Fall Classic, ‘the Pride Of Havana’ pitches a scoreless eighth inning for the Reds in a 3-0 loss to the White Sox at Comiskey Park.
1924 At Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl, the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League beat the Eastern Colored League’s Hilldale Giants (PA), 6-2, in the opening game of the first Colored World Series. The ten-game event, where KC will capture the crown, winning five games to 4 with one tie, features games played in Chicago, Kansas City, and Baltimore.
Amazon Baseball’s First Colored World Series: The 1924 Meeting of the Hilldale Giants And Kansas City Monarchs
1937 Johnny Allen’s bid for a perfect season is spoiled when Hank Greenberg drives in the game’s only run in the first inning, and Jake Wade throws a one-hitter against the Indians in the 1-0 loss to Detroit on the last day of the season at Navin Field. The 32-year-old right-hander from Lenoir (NC) will finish the season 15-1, with his .938 won-loss percentage the best in the major leagues.
1937 In the season finale, Hank Greenberg gets the lone ribbie when Detroit defeats the Indians, 1-0. The 26-year-old Tiger first baseman finishes the season with 183 RBIs, just one shy of Lou Gehrig’s 1931 American League record.
1947 In Game 4 of the Fall Classic, Bill Bevens, after issuing 11 walks, comes within one out from pitching the first no-hitter in World Series history. The 30-year-old Yankee right-hander, in his final major league appearance, loses his claim to fame and the game when Cookie Lavagetto, pinch-hitting for Eddie Stanky, hits a two-out ninth-inning double giving the Dodgers a 3-2 improbable victory.
1948 After taking his position in center field in the bottom of the eighth inning at Fenway Park, Joe DiMaggio, is removed from the game by Yankee manager Bucky Harris. As the superstar of their hated rivals limps off the field, the enthusiastic Red Sox crowd of 35,000 gives Joltin’ Joe a lengthy and loud standing ovation, a gesture he will later refer to as one of the greatest thrills of his career.
1948 After going 0-for-4 on the last day of the campaign, Cardinal outfielder Stan Musial falls one home run shy of winning the Triple Crown, with Johnny Mize and Ralph Kiner of the Giants and Pirates, respectively, sharing the home run title with 40. The eventual MVP paced the National League with a .376 batting average and 132 RBIs for the second-place Redbirds, leading the Senior Circuit in 11 offensive categories.
1951 In Game 3 of the National League playoff series at the Polo Grounds, Bobby Thomson’s one-out three-run homer off Ralph Branca beats the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, 5-4, and the Giants win the pennant, the Giants win the pennant. The round-tripper, better known as the ‘shot heard around the world,’ becomes one of the famous home runs in baseball history.
1962 At Dodger Stadium, the Giants beat Los Angeles, 6-4, to take the rubber game of the best-of-three National League playoffs, clinching the National League pennant. LA shortstop Maury Wills sets a major league record for the most games played in a season, appearing in all of his team’s 165 games.
1965 Cardinal right-hander Bob Gibson goes the distance, beating Houston at the Astrodome, 5-2, to become a 20-game winner for the first time. The future Hall of Famer will win twenty games four more times in the next five seasons.
1965 At Metropolitan Stadium, Angels’ first baseman Vic Power (Pellot) ends his 12-year major league career going 1-for-5 with an RBI single in a 5-2 loss to the Twins. The .284 career hitter will be the last active player to have worn a Philadelphia A’s uniform (1954).
1965 On the last day of the season, Giants’ outfielder Willie Mays hits his 52nd home run to break the franchise record he established in 1955. The ‘Say Reds hurler Billy McCool gives up hey Kid’s’ league-leading home run when San Francisco defeats Cincinnati at Candlestick Park, 6-3.
1966 Tigers GM James Campbell announces former Reds and Phillies skipper Mayo Smith will replace the late Chuck Dressen, the team’s manager who died in August following a heart attack. Detroit coach Bob Swift fills the position on an interim basis, unable to complete the season after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
1968 In the third inning of Game 2 of his complete-game World Series victory over St. Louis, Tiger starting pitcher Mickey Lolich hits a solo homer off Nelson Briles. The Busch Stadium round-tripper will be the only home run the southpaw will hit during his 16-year big league career.
1970 Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar becomes the first pitcher to homer in a league championship game. The right-hander’s fourth-inning grand slam proves to be the difference in the Orioles’ 10-6 ALCS Game 1 victory over Minnesota.
1972 Surpassing Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente appears in his 2,433rd game for the most ever played in a Pirates uniform. Sadly, it will be the last regular-season game the Pittsburgh outfielder will play before dying in a plane crash during the off-season.
1974 Future Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson becomes the first black skipper in major league history when he signs a $175,000 contract to manage and play for the Indians. During his 16 years at the helm for four franchises, the former superstar will compile a 1065-1176 (.475) record while piloting the Tribe, Giants, Orioles, and the Expos/Nationals.
1976 After being at the Dodger’s helm for 23 years, Walter Alston’s managerial career ends when the team drops a 3-2 decision to the Padres, finishing the campaign ten games behind the Reds. During his tenure, beginning in Brooklyn in 1954, the skipper known as Smokey to his players compiles a 2040-1613 (.523) record en route to capturing seven pennants and four World Series titles.
1976 On the last day of the season, Kansas City’s George Brett and Hal McRae and Minnesota’s Rod Carew are separated by .001 for the batting title. Brett, who goes 3-for-4, edges his Royals teammate (.333 vs. .332) for the American League crown with the deciding hit, a misplayed line drive inside-the-park home run, leading McRae to believe the lack of effort was intentional.
1976 As the Brewers’ designated hitter, Hank Aaron gets an infield single off Tiger hurler Dave Roberts in his last major league at-bat. Except for Minnie Minoso’s appearance in three games with the White Sox as a 50-year-old in 1980, ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ becomes the last major leaguer to have played in the Negro Leagues.
1982 On the last day of the season, the Brewers celebrate their American League East title-clinching victory on the field at Memorial Stadium after beating the Orioles, 10-2, to edge Baltimore by one game in the final standings. The 51,642 hometown fans, although disappointed by the results, stay after the game and give retiring manager Earl Weaver a heartfelt, tremendous 45-minute series of ovations for his 15-year tenure as the Birds’ skipper.
1987 Benito Santiago’s consecutive game hitting streak ends at 34 when the backstop is hitless in three trips to the plate by Dodger hurler Orel Hershiser, who tosses a complete game in a 1-0 loss to the Padres. The stretch of straight games with a hit by the 23-year-old represents a new mark for rookies and catchers.
1990 George Brett pinch hits a fifth-inning RBI sac fly and then singles in the seventh to end the season, winning the batting title with a .329 average. The Royals’ superstar is the only player to win three hitting crowns in three decades (1976-.333; 1980-.390).
1993 The Rockies become the fourth National League team and the only one this century not to shut out an opponent during the season. The other clubs to achieve this dubious distinction include the 1898 Brooklyn Bridegrooms, 1898 St. Louis Browns, 1898 Washington Senators, and the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.
1993 The Giants, despite winning 103 games, are eliminated from the Western Division race when the Dodgers derail their division dreams, 12-1. Catcher Mike Piazza, who will be named the league’s Rookie of the Year, hits two home runs in the game.
1993 Eighty-three-year-old Mel Harder throws the ceremonial ‘last’ pitch at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. As a member of the 1932 Indian squad, he also had thrown the first pitch as the team’s starting pitcher in the ballpark’s inaugural game, a 1-0 defeat to Lefty Grove and the A’s.
1995 The Yankees, 9-6 victors over the Mariners in the Bronx, and the Rockies dropping a 5-4 decision to the Braves in Colorado become the first clubs to participate in the postseason not having been a first-place team. The two wild-card clubs will not advance further in the playoffs, losing their three-out-of-five divisional series.
1996 The Devil Rays and Tropicana Dole Beverages of North America, located near Bradenton, announce an agreement to rename the ThunderDome. The ballpark will become known as Tropicana Field with the city of St. Petersburg, receiving more than $13 million as part of the sweet deal.
1999 Cardinal first baseman Mark McGwire hits #65 and his final homer of the season, passing Ted Williams and Willie McCovey to move into the tenth spot on the all-time career home run list with 522 round-trippers.
1999 In the final regular-season game played at the Astrodome, Mike Hampton (22-4) beats the Dodgers, 9-4. The victory clinches the division title as the Astros finish one game ahead of the Reds in the National League Central.
2000 Against the Braves, Cardinal rookie starter Rick Ankiel sets a modern-day major league record by uncorking five wild pitches in the third inning of Game 1 of the NLDS. The left-hander joins Buffalo’s Bert Cunningham, who accomplished the same feat in the first inning in an 1890 Players League contest.
2001 Orioles outfielders Tim Raines and Tim Raines Jr. become the second father-son combination to play for the same team on the major league level when Tim Sr. pinch-hits in a game in which Tim Jr. was playing center field. In 1990, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played in the same contest for the Mariners.
2001 Barry Bonds walks three times, breaking Babe Ruth’s major league record established in 1923 of 170 walks. Astros’ reliever Nelson Cruz gives up the historic base on balls in the sixth, and the Giants left fielder will finish the season with 177.
2004 On the last day of the season, Blue Jays television announcer John Cerutti is found dead in his SkyDome hotel room. The death of the 44-year-old Albany (NY) native, a former big-league pitcher, is due to natural causes, with foul play not being suspected.
2004 At the site of the franchise’s first National League game in 1969, the Expos, scheduled to move to Washington, D.C. next season, play their last game in their 36-year history, losing to the Mets at Shea Stadium, 8-1. Their finale, which turns out to be the rubber match of the franchise series with New York, gives the Amazin’s a 299-298 advantage in the 597 contests played since 1969.
2005 The ax begins to fall when two managers lose their jobs the day after the season ends. Skippers Jim Tracy (Dodgers/5 years/427-383) and Alan Trammell (Tigers/3 years/186-300) are the first to go.
2006 Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria hires his fourth manager since buying the team four years ago. Florida hires Braves’ third-base coach Fred Gonzalez to replace first-year skipper Joe Girardi, who had a well-publicized feud with the owner during the season.
2007 After winning their tenth World Series championship last season, the Cardinals announce that senior vice president and general manager Walt Jocketty (1,117-968, .536) will no longer have a role with the team. The former GM, who will be replaced on an interim basis by his assistant John Mozeliak, watched the Redbirds make seven postseason appearances, winning two National League pennants and the 2006 World Series during his 13-year tenure with the club.
2007 The construction for the $250 million renovations of Kauffman Stadium, which includes reducing seating, adding an outfield concourse, a team hall of fame and conference center, and a new HD scoreboard, begins with a ceremonial groundbreaking inside the ballpark. The improvements, scheduled to be completed by Opening Day in 2009, will keep the Royals in Kansas City until 2030, a 15-year extension of their current deal.
2008 Jerry Manuel, who replaced Willie Randolph in June, signs a two-year deal to manage the Mets. The likable 54-year-old skipper, who compiled a 55-38 record in his interim role, built a three-and-a-half game division lead over Philadelphia in September but, like his predecessor, could not stop the team from collapsing at the end of the season.
2009 Needing only a win or a Colorado loss for the past week, the Dodgers finally clinch the National League West title with a 5-0 victory over the wild-card Rockies. The title marks Joe Torre’s 14th consecutive season in the postseason, having won thirteen previous divisional titles, ten with the Yankees, one with the Braves, and now his second with LA.
2010 The Giants return to the playoffs for the first time in six years when they beat the Padres on the last day of the season. After losing the first two games of the weekend series to San Diego, San Francisco avoids ending the season tied with their West Division foe with a 3-0 victory at AT &T Park.
2010 Entering the final day of the season tied with the Yankees, the Rays win their second AL East crown when their rivals lose to Boston. Although the title is not in jeopardy, even with a loss because of their overall record against New York this season, Tampa Bay rallies for a 3-2 victory over Kansas City in 12 innings, taking the division by a game.
2010 With an 8-7 victory over the Phillies and a San Diego loss to San Francisco later in the day, the Braves reach the postseason for the first time since 2005. Atlanta had won 14 straight division titles under skipper Bobby Cox, who announced his retirement at the end of the season, but this is the first time the team has won the National League Wild Card.
2010 Josh Hamilton finished the regular season with a .359 average, the best in franchise history, to become the third Ranger player to win an American League batting crown. The Texas outfielder joins Julio Franco, who hit .341 in 1991, and Michael Young, who led the Junior Circuit in 2005 with a batting average of .331.
2010 According to Ken Macha, he will become the first managerial casualty in the offseason after hearing that the Brewers have decided not to pick up the option on his contract for 2011. The 60-year-old skipper, who reached the playoffs with the team two seasons ago as the NL Wild Card team, will be informed tomorrow by Doug Melvin, Milwaukee’s general manager.
2010 The Pirates, with their 5-2 loss in Miami, finish the season with a 17-64 record on the road. The Bucs’ dismal away-from-home performance equals the 1963 Mets’ infamous mark for a 162-game season.
2012 Adam Dunn, having struck out 222 times, doesn’t play in the team’s finale to avoid the dubious distinction of breaking the major league mark for strikeouts in a season. The White Sox All-Star finishes with one less whiff than Mark Reynolds’ record, established by the first baseman in 2009 when he played for the Diamondbacks.
2012 In the final game of the season with the AL West title on the line, Ranger’s center fielder Josh Hamilton’s fourth-inning error opens the floodgates that allow the A’s to erase a five-run deficit when they score six times en route to their 12-5 victory at the Oakland Coliseum. The Texas loss puts the team into the new one-game AL Wild Card contest against Baltimore.
2012 The Astros, a National League expansion team established in 1962, play their final game in the Senior Circuit, 5-4 loss to Cubs, setting a franchise record for defeats in a season, finishing with 107, one more last year. Houston, who will play in the AL West next season, becomes the first team to drop 106 or more decisions in consecutive campaigns since the 1964-65 Mets.
2012 After getting off to a slow start in the regular-season finale against Philadelphia, Teddy Roosevelt finally beats George, Abe, and Tom to the finish line, winning the Presidents’ Race for the first time since the popular race debuted at RFK Stadium in 2006. The mascot’s first victory in over 500 tries is assured when a green furry creature, who bears a striking resemblance to a phony Phillie Phanatic, waylays the other three presidential contenders in right field.
2012 Miguel Cabrera clinches the AL Triple Crown, becoming the first player since 1967 when Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat with Boston. The Tigers’ third baseman and eventual MVP led the circuit in average (.330), home runs (44), and RBIs (139), playing with the American League champs.
2012 Fernando Rodney extends his franchise record to 48 saves when he is brought in to face Jim Thome and gets the DH to hit a fly ball for the final out in the Rays’ 4-1 victory over Baltimore at Tropicana Field. Allowing only five earned runs over 74.2 innings, the right-handed closer improves his single-season record for the lowest ERA (0.60) by a reliever in baseball history, bettering Dennis Eckersley’s 0.61 mark established in 1990.
2013 Alex Rodriguez announces he has filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court, accusing Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig of pursuing “vigilante justice” as part of a “witch hunt” to “destroy” his reputation and career. On August 5, the MLB gave the Yankees star a 211-game suspension for allegedly violating baseball’s drug agreement.
2015 In the nightcap of a Citi Field twin bill, Max Scherzer throws his second no-hitter of the season when the Nationals beat the first-place Mets, 2-0. The 31-year-old right-hander becomes the fifth pitcher to hurl two no-hitters in the same regular season, joining Nolan Ryan (1973 Angel), Virgil Trucks (1952 Tigers), Allie Reynolds (1951 Yankees), and Johnny Vander Meer (1938 Reds).
2018 The Orioles decide not to renew the contracts of executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, who compiled a 669-684 record (.494) during his nearly nine-year tenure with the Birds that included three playoff appearances. The sixty-year-old Duquette, the Red Sox GM from 1994-2002, spent seven seasons in Baltimore’s front office after a nine-year absence from Major League Baseball.
2020 The Padres win a playoff series for the first time in 22 years when Craig Stammen and eight relievers combine to throw a four-hitter to blank the Cardinals, 4-0, in the deciding Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series. San Diego’s last postseason success occurred in 1998 when the team beat the Braves to clinch the NL flag before facing the Yankees in the Fall Classic.
WORLD SERIES HISTORY
1905 WORLD SERIES
New York Giants (4) vs Philadelphia Athletics (1)
After refusing an invitation to play the Boston Americans the 1904 World Series, the New York Giants agreed to participate in the 1905 Fall Classic in an effort to win back it’s fan approval. Many were upset by the Giants’ “no thanks” attitude of the previous year and it was clearly visible in their regular season attendance. This time, John T. Brush and company were eager to take on the American League champion Philadelphia Athletics after an National League race in which the Giants won one-hundred five games. The Series would be contested under guidelines drawn up by the Giants’ owner, seeking to stabilize an event he earlier had cancelled. Besides outlining a revenue formula, the John T. “Brush Rules” called for a best-of-seven format.
The Giants were extremely confident going into their first combined post-season championship for obvious reasons. Their pitching rotation read like an All-Star ballot and featured Christy Mathewson (thirty-one victories), Joe McGinnity (twenty-one) and Red Ames (twenty-two) and also included Dummy Taylor (fifteen) and Hooks Wiltse (fourteen). New York wound up using only two of its “big five” as starters in the Series, but that twosome proved more than enough. The Athletics were not as fortunate and were still reeling from the late-season loss of standout lefthander Rube Waddell.
In the opening game, lefthander Eddie Plank, a twenty-five game winner for the Athletics, was matched up against the Giants ace Mathewson. Recalling memories of the first World Series, it remained a pitcher’s duel until the fifth inning when the Giants offense finally broke through for two runs. Game 1 was all Mathewson – on both sides of the ball. At the plate, he contributed a single in the fifth that ignited New York’s scoring drive and a key sacrifice in the ninth. On the mound, he completed a four-hit, 3-0 victory and did not walk a single batter. For Game 2, Athletics manager Connie Mack called on righthander Chief Bender to even the score. He obliged the legendary skipper with support from Bris Lord’s run-scoring singles in the third and eighth innings. In the end, Bender out-dueled the Giants’ Joe McGinnity for a 3-0 victory. The Series was now tied and an interesting trend had developed with two shutouts in two games.
With two day’s rest, Game 1 winner Christy Mathewson was given the start for Game 3. Once again, the righthanded sensation dominated the contest and held Philadelphia to only four hits and one walk. First baseman Dan McGann was the Giants’ big gun in a 9-0 romp, collecting two singles and a double and driving in four runs. New York was now ahead, but the Athletics refused to roll over and entered the following contest with a renewed vigor. Game 4 represented the ultimate pitcher’s duel and to this day, is still considered one of the best match-ups ever on the mound during a World Series. This time McGinnity and Plank hooked up in a contest that allowed only nine hits and one run. Philadelphia matched the Giants play in every aspect of the game and only lost due to a crucial infield error. The 1-0 triumph increased New York’s Series lead to three games to one.
Once again, Mack decided to go with Chief Bender to halt the Giants in Game 5, while McGraw decided to stick with a winner and brought Mathewson back for a third performance. Pitching on only one day of rest, the Giant’s workhorse was again up to the challenge allowing only six hits with no walks. His counterpart was almost as good yielding only five hits, but allowing two runs. The 1905 New York Giants suddenly found themselves the champions of a contest that they had previously boycotted and had a newfound respect for their American League rivals who made them earn it.
Mathewson was clearly the most valuable player of the 1905 Fall Classic although the award had not yet been established. In the space of six days, he pitched three shutouts and permitted only fourteen hits. The Giants’ ace struck out eighteen and walked one in twenty-seven innings. Besides Mathewson and McGinnity, the only other Giants pitcher to see action was Ames, who worked all of one inning (as a reliever in Game 2). Pitching was the most noteworthy aspect of the Series with five shutouts in five games.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
October 3, 1920 – 1st official game between two American Professional Football Association teams (APFA that later became the NFL) Columbus Panhandles versus the Dayton Triangles. Triangle Park , Dayton, Ohio. The Triangles triumphed 14-0 with all of the points being scored in the second half. Also Rock Island Independents put 21 points against Muncie to possibly score the first points in NFL history (APFA) as the game started later (central time) so may have scored before the 0-0 halftime score of Dayton vs Columbus.
October 3, 1989 – Art Shell becomes the Oakland Raiders new Head Coach after being promoted through the organization for which he once played. The new position of the 42 year old makes him become the very first African-American to be a Head Coach in the NFL.
October 3, 1995 – Retired NFL running back O.J. Simpson is found not guilty of murdering his wife Nicole and friend Ronald Goldman.
October 3, 2004 – The New England Patriots win their 18th consecutive NFL (spanned over two seasons). The Patriots tripped up the Buffalo Bills 31-17 on Tom Brady’s 298 yards passing and 2 touchdowns.
October 3, 2008 – 13 years to the day he was found not guilty of murder above, the former NFL running back O.J. Simpson is found guilty of unrelated charges of kidnapping and armed robbery.
Hall of Fame Birthday for October 3
October 3, 1902 – Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf was a coach that turned programs around and made them winners. The National Football Foundation shares his story with us and explains that Pappy started his coaching vocation at Oklahoma City, who prior to his arrival had won only one game in 3 seasons. Year one with Coach Waldorf the team had 5 “W”s, after year two they notched up another 8 wins. In 1928 he spent time as an assistant at Kansas and then the next season to took the reins once more and coached Oklahoma State, who in 1928 sported a dismal 1-7. The 1929 through 1935 campaigns with Pappy at the helm, the team was 34-10-7 and had won all four Missouri Conference Championships, never losing to rival Oklahoma I might add!
1934 was a year on the move once again and Waldorf took over a Kansas State University program that had never won a championship. That same year Pappy guided them to the Big 6 Title! The 1935 season at Northwestern they sported a record of 4-3-1 but one of the wins was over a very talented Notre Dame team, and earned Pappy Waldorf the Coach of the Year Award, the very first time the honor was handed out! The next season the Wildcats won the Big 10 Conference. He left there after 12 brilliant seasons to the West Coast to Coach California University. Cal had not seen a winning season in 8 years but again in year one of Pappy on the job they were 9-1 and Pacific Coast Champs. The man had a knack for picking up programs and the National Football Foundation recognized it and placed Pappy Waldorf into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
26 – 28 – 23 – 13 – 7 – 34 – 35 – 14 – 11 – 16 – 19 – 27 – 20 – 45 – 4 – 25 – 21 – 77 – 24 – 51 – 8
October 3, 1904 – New York Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson struck out 16 St Louis Cardinals in a 3-1 Giants victory. It was a new MLB record and it really shortened the length of the game as the contest finished in just 1 hour, 15 minutes.
October 3, 1919
October 3, 1919 – Cuban player Dolf Luque became the first Hispanic player to appear in a Baseball World Series. During the contest Luque pitched 1 inning of relief in the Cincinnati Reds’ 3-0 loss at the hands of the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park
October 3, 1920 – St Browns 1st baseman George Sisler collected his 257th hit of the season to set MLB record that lasts until the 21st century. The Browns beat White Sox, that day 16 – 7.
October 3, 1945 – Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs met in the World Series for the 4th time. Hank Borowy, Number 26 pitched a 6-hit shutout as Cubs win Game 1, 9-0 at Briggs Stadium. Detroit ended up winning that series, 4 games to 3.
October 3, 1950 – Philadelphia Phillies choose not to request MLB rule on star left-hander Number 28, Curt Simmons‘ eligibility to play in World Series despite being on furlough from Army; Phillies swept, 4-0 by NY Yankees
October 3, 1951 – The Famous Shot Heard Round the World occurred when Bobby Thomson, Number 23 of the Giants crushed a 3-run homer off Number 13, Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers, bottom 9th inning, 1 out, to give New York Giants dramatic 5-4 playoff win and NL pennant at the Polo Grounds
October 3, 1953 – NY Yankees legendary center fielder Number 7, Mickey Mantle hits a grand slam off of the Dodgers Number 34, Russ Meyer. The Bronx Bombers hold on to win, 11-7 v Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of Baseball World Series. The Yankees eventually won the series, 4-2
October 3, 1956 – Sal Maglie, Number 35 pitched a complete game as Brooklyn Dodgers beat NY Yankees, 6-3 in Game 1 of Baseball World Series at Ebbets Field The Yankees ended up winning the series, 4-3
October 3, 1965 – The Chicago Cubs lost their season finale 6-3 to Pirates. In the game though Ernie Banks (Number 14) and Don Kessinger (Number 11) combined to tie MLB record of 3 triple plays in a season
October 3, 1965 – New York’s Number 16, Whitey Ford notched win #232 in a season ending 11-5 victory versus the Boston Red Sox. With the victory he became the Yankees’ winningest pitcher
October 3, 1972 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame left-handed pitcher Phillies’ Number 32, Steve Carlton won his 27th game of the season as Philadelphia beats the Chicago Cubs, 11-1 at Wrigley Field. Carlton accounted for almost half Phillies 59 season wins.
October 3, 1972 – Roric Harrison, Number 44 homered as the Baltimore Orioles defeated Cleveland, 4-3. He was the last AL pitcher to hit a home run until MLB inter-league play 25 years later.
October 3, 1974 – Future Basketball Hall of Fame guard Number 44, Jerry West (“Mr. Clutch”) retires after 14 NBA seasons with the LA Lakers. West had 25,192 career points, and averaged 29.1 ppg in 153 playoff games
October 3, 1982 – Center fielder Robin Yount, Number 19 homered twice as Milwaukee beat up the Baltimore Orioles, 10-2 at Memorial Stadium to win the Brewers only AL East Championship
October 3, 1989 – Darryl Sittler (Number 27), Vladislav Tretiak (Number 20), and Herbie Lewis (Number ) were each inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as players, along with builders Alan Eagleson and Father David Bauer
October 3, 1990 – Detroit 1st baseman Cecil Fielder, Number 45 became just the 11th player in MLB history to hit 50 HRs in a season; 50th & 51st in 10-3 win v NY Yankees at Yankee Stadium
October 3, 1990 – Kansas City 3rd baseman Number 5, George Brett becomes first in MLB history to win a batting title in 3 different decades. In the game Brett went 1 for 1 in Royals, 5-2 loss to Cleveland to win AL batting title with .329 average; AL batting champion 1976, 80
October 3, 1999 – St Louis 1st baseman Mark McGwire, Number 25 hits his 65th homer of the season in a rain shortened 9-5 win over Cubs at Busch Stadium; wins 2nd straight HR title over Sammy Sosa, Number 21 of the Cubs, who hits his 63rd HR in same game
October 3, 2001 – After a 21-season career, Paul Coffey (Mostly wearing Number 77) officially retires from the NHL, having won 4 Stanley Cups with Edmonton Oilers, finishing 2nd on all-time list for points by defensemen (1,531 in 1,409 games), and playing in 14 All-Star Games
October 3, 2001 – San Diego outfielder Rickey Henderson, Number 24 scored a run in the 3rd inning of the Padres’ 12-5 loss to LA Dodgers to tie the MLB record of 2,245 runs scored held by the legendary Ty Cobb
October 3, 2001 – San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, Number 25 Is walked for the 171st time in 11-8 win at Houston; breaks Babe Ruth’s 1923 MLB single-season record for walks
October 3, 2004 – Seattle Mariners Japanese right fielder Number 51, Ichiro Suzuki adds 2 more singles in a 3-0 defeat to Texas, to finish the season with a MLB record 262 hits
October 3, 2012 – Miguel Cabrera, Number 24 went 0 for 2 in the batter’s box in a 1-0 Tigers win over the KC Royals to end the season as MLB’s first Triple Crown winner since Boston’s Number 8, Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. leads AL with .330 average, 44 homers and 139 RBI
TV TUESDAY
| MLB PLAYOFFS | TIME ET | TV |
| AL Wild Card Game 1: Texas at Tampa Bay | 3:08pm | ABC |
| AL Wild Card Game 1: Toronto at Minnesota | 4:38pm | ESPN |
| NL Wild Card Game 1: Arizona at Milwaukee | 7:08pm | ESPN2 |
| NL Wild Card Game 1: Miami at Philadelphia | 8:08pm | ESPN |
| NHL PRESEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Washington vs. Boston | 7:00pm | NHLN |
| Anaheim vs. Los Angeles | 10:00pm | NHLN |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Champions League: Union Berlin vs Sporting Braga | 12:45pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: Salzburg vs Real Sociedad | 12:45pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: Manchester United vs Galatasaray | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: København vs Bayern München | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: Lens vs Arsenal | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: PSV vs Sevilla | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: Napoli vs Real Madrid | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: Internazionale vs Benfica | 3:00pm | Paramount+ |
| WNBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Semifinals Game 5: Connecticut at New York | 8:00pm | ESPNU NBATV |