THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 6 SCHEDULE

ADAMS CENTRAL (4-1) AT SOUTH ADAMS (2-3)

ALEXANDRIA (3-2) AT OAK HILL (3-2)

ATTICA (0-5) AT NORTH VERMILLION (4-1)

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (0-5) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (0-5)

BENTON CENTRAL (0-5) AT TWIN LAKES (2-3)

BLACKFORD (2-3) AT MISSISSINEWA (5-0)

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (3-2) AT SOUTHPORT (0-5)

BLUFFTON (5-0) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (0-5)

BOONE GROVE (2-3) AT RIVER FOREST (3-2)

BOONVILLE (2-3) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (3-2)

BOWMAN ACADEMY (0-5) AT NORTH WHITE (1-4)

BREMEN (2-3) AT JOHN GLENN (1-3)

CALUMET (3-2) AT WHITING (2-3)

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (1-4) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (4-1)

CARMEL (2-3) AT NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (0-5)

CARROLL (FLORA) (5-0) AT TRI-CENTRAL (1-4)

CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (3-2) AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE (2-2)

CASTLE (4-1) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (5-0)

CASTON (1-4) AT CULVER (1-4)

CENTERVILLE (5-0) AT NORTHEASTERN (5-0)

CHARLESTOWN (1-4) AT SCOTTSBURG (3-2)

CHURUBUSCO (2-3) AT FREMONT (2-3)

CLINTON CENTRAL (3-2) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (1-4)

CLINTON PRAIRIE (3-2) AT DELPHI (3-2)

COLUMBUS EAST (3-2) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (3-1)

CONCORD (5-0) AT NORTHWOOD (3-2)

CONNERSVILLE (2-3) AT NORTH DECATUR (4-1)

COVENANT CHRISTIAN (0-5) AT BEECH GROVE (2-3)

COVINGTON (2-3) AT PARKE HERITAGE (1-4)

CRAWFORDSVILLE (2-3) AT NORTH MONTGOMERY (1-4)

CROWN POINT (5-0) AT VALPARAISO (4-1)

DANVILLE (4-1) AT SOUTHMONT (3-2)

DECATUR CENTRAL (2-2) AT PLAINFIELD (5-0)

DELTA (3-2) AT NEW CASTLE (3-2)

EAST CENTRAL (3-2) AT SOUTH DEARBORN (4-1)

EASTERN (PEKIN) (1-4) AT NORTH HARRISON (3-2)

EDINBURGH (0-5) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (3-2)

ELKHART (4-1) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (3-2)

ELWOOD (1-4) AT EASTBROOK (3-2)

EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-5) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (5-0)

EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-5) AT VINCENNES LINCOLN (2-3)

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (4-1) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (2-3)

FAIRFIELD (2-3) AT ANGOLA (1-4)

FAITH CHRISTIAN (2-2) AT TRI-COUNTY (3-2)

FISHERS (3-2) AT AVON (1-4)

FOREST PARK (4-1) AT SOUTH SPENCER (2-3)

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (0-4) AT PARK TUDOR (3-2)

FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (2-3) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (0-5)

FORT WAYNE NORTH (3-2) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (4-1)

FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (1-4) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (1-4)

FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (2-3) AT SEEGER (3-2)

FRANKLIN (2-3) AT MOORESVILLE (1-4)

FRANKLIN CENTRAL (2-2) AT NOBLESVILLE (2-3)

FRANKLIN COUNTY (2-3) AT GREENSBURG (0-5)

FRONTIER (4-0) AT NORTH NEWTON (1-4)

GARRETT (5-0) AT WEST NOBLE (5-0)

GARY WEST (4-1) AT WHEELER (3-2)

GIBSON SOUTHERN (4-1) AT HERITAGE HILLS (4-1)

GOSHEN (0-5) AT WAWASEE (0-5)

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (5-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (4-0)

GREENWOOD (2-3) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (2-3)

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (3-2) AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (1-4)

GRIFFITH (5-0) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (1-4)

GUERIN CATHOLIC (3-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (4-1)

HAMILTON HEIGHTS (1-4) AT LOGANSPORT (4-1)

HAMMOND CENTRAL (2-3) AT ANDREW (ILL.)

HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (3-2) AT MARION (3-2)

HERITAGE (4-1) AT TIPTON (4-1)

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (4-1) AT MADISON (3-2)

HIGHLAND (1-4) AT ANDREAN (2-3)

HOBART (3-2) AT LOWELL (2-3)

HOMESTEAD (3-2) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (3-2)

HUNTINGTON NORTH (3-2) AT DEKALB (2-3)

INDIAN CREEK (1-4) AT EDGEWOOD (2-3)

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (2-1) AT PHALEN ACADEMY

INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (4-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (2-3)

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (2-2) AT BREBEUF JESUIT (4-1)

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (1-3) AT CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-3)

INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (3-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS TECH (2-2)

JASPER (2-3) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-4)

LAKE CENTRAL (3-2) AT MICHIGAN CITY (1-4)

LAKE STATION (1-4) AT HAMMOND NOLL (2-3)

LAKELAND (4-1) AT CENTRAL NOBLE (0-5)

LAVILLE (2-3) AT KNOX (3-2)

LAWRENCE CENTRAL (2-3) AT CENTER GROVE (4-1)

LAWRENCE NORTH (5-0) AT BEN DAVIS (1-4)

LAWRENCEBURG (4-1) AT BATESVILLE (4-1)

LEO (4-1) AT BELLMONT (0-5)

LEWIS CASS (2-3) AT WHITKO (0-5)

LINTON (3-2) AT GREENCASTLE (2-3)

MADISON-GRANT (5-0) AT FRANKTON (0-5)

MCCUTCHEON (2-3) AT ANDERSON (0-5)

MERRILLVILLE (4-1) AT LAPORTE (0-5)

MILAN (3-2) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (3-2)

MITCHELL (1-4) AT BROWN COUNTY (3-2)

MONROE CENTRAL (4-1) AT WES-DEL (2-3)

MONROVIA (4-1) AT SPEEDWAY (3-2)

MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (1-4) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (2-3)

MUNCIE CENTRAL (1-4) AT KOKOMO (1-3)

MUNSTER (1-4) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (4-1)

NEW ALBANY (3-2) AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH (4-1)

NEW HAVEN (0-5) AT COLUMBIA CITY (5-0)

NORTH JUDSON (5-0) AT TRITON (4-1)

NORTH KNOX (2-3) AT PRINCETON (0-5)

NORTH PUTNAM (5-0) AT CASCADE (5-0)

NORTHFIELD (1-4) AT WABASH (1-4)

NORTHRIDGE (1-4) AT MISHAWAKA (4-1)

NORTHWESTERN (5-0) AT MACONAQUAH (4-0)

NORWELL (2-3) AT EAST NOBLE (4-1)

OWEN VALLEY (0-5) AT SULLIVAN (1-4)

PAOLI (5-0) AT EASTERN GREENE (2-3)

PENN (4-1) AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS (0-5)

PERRY CENTRAL (2-3) AT CLARKSVILLE (0-5)

PERU (2-3) AT ROCHESTER (4-1)

PHALEN ACADEMY AT IRVINGTON PREP (0-3)

PIONEER (4-1) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (1-4)

PLYMOUTH (3-2) AT WARSAW (3-2)

PORTAGE (2-3) AT CHESTERTON (3-2)

PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (3-2) AT EASTSIDE (1-4)

PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD (1-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-4)

RENSSELAER CENTRAL (1-4) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (4-0)

RICHMOND (0-5) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (5-0)

RIVERTON PARKE (3-2) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (5-0)

RUSHVILLE (3-2) AT LAPEL (4-1)

SALEM (1-4) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (1-4)

SEYMOUR (2-3) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (5-0)

SHELBYVILLE (1-4) AT YORKTOWN (3-2)

SHENANDOAH (3-2) AT HAGERSTOWN (3-2)

SILVER CREEK (3-2) AT JEFFERSONVILLE (3-2)

SOUTH BEND RILEY (2-2) AT NEW PRAIRIE (3-2)

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (0-5) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (2-3)

SOUTH DECATUR (3-2) AT CLOVERDALE (3-2)

SOUTH PUTNAM (3-2) AT WEST VIGO (2-3)

SOUTHRIDGE (3-2) AT TELL CITY (3-2)

SOUTHWOOD (0-5) AT MANCHESTER (2-3)

SPRINGS VALLEY (4-1) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (0-5)

TAYLOR (2-3) AT SHERIDAN (3-2)

TECUMSEH (0-5) AT NORTH POSEY (4-1)

TERRE HAUTE NORTH (1-4) AT COLUMBUS NORTH (4-1)

TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (1-3) AT NORTHVIEW (5-0)

TIPPECANOE VALLEY (4-1) AT JIMTOWN (3-2)

TRI (2-3) AT WINCHESTER (1-4)

TRITON CENTRAL (3-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (1-3)

TRI-WEST (2-3) AT LEBANON (3-2)

UNION CITY (0-5) AT UNION COUNTY (0-5)

WARREN CENTRAL (5-0) AT PIKE (3-2)

WASHINGTON (4-1) AT PIKE CENTRAL (2-3)

WEST CENTRAL (3-2) AT SOUTH NEWTON (3-2)

WEST LAFAYETTE (3-2) AT WESTERN (0-5)

WEST WASHINGTON (2-3) AT NORTH DAVIESS (4-1)

WESTERN BOONE (5-0) AT FRANKFORT (0-5)

WESTFIELD (5-0) AT BROWNSBURG (5-0)

WHITELAND (3-1) AT MARTINSVILLE (5-0)

WINAMAC (2-2) AT NORTH MIAMI (3-2)

WOODLAN (2-3) AT JAY COUNTY (2-3)

ZIONSVILLE (3-2) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (3-2)

INDIANA AP HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLLS

CLASS 6A

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	WESTFIELD (5) (5-0)	168	1
2.	BROWNSBURG (4) (5-0)	166	2
3.	WARREN CENTRAL (5-0)	136	3
4.	CROWN POINT (5-0)	126	4
5.	CENTER GROVE (4-1)	116	5
6.	LAWRENCE NORTH (5-0)	84	6
7.	INDPLS CATHEDRAL (3-2)	68	7
8.	HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (4-1)	34	9
9.	ELKHART (4-1)	30	NR
10.	FISHERS (3-2)	22	NR

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 11, COLUMBUS NORTH 20. 12, PENN 10. 13, CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) 6. 14, HOMESTEAD 4.

CLASS 5A

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	CONCORD (5) (5-0)	166	2
2.	PLAINFIELD (3) (5-0)	150	1
3.	VALPARAISO (1) (4-1)	148	3
4.	LAFAYETTE JEFF (5-0)	130	5
5.	MERRILLVILLE (4-1)	120	4
6.	BLOOMINGTON NORTH (4-1)	64	7
6.	WHITELAND (3-1)	64	8
8.	E. CENTRAL (3-2)	42	10
9.	DECATUR CENTRAL (2-2)	38	9
10.	WARSAW (3-2)	36	6

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 11, CASTLE 28. 12, BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 4.

CLASS 4A

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	NEW PALESTINE (7) (5-0)	166	1
2.	EV. REITZ (1) (5-0)	150	2
3.	MARTINSVILLE (5-0)	136	3
4.	INDPLS CHATARD (1) (4-1)	134	5
5.	GREENFIELD (5-0)	104	4
6.	MISHAWAKA (4-1)	98	T 6
7.	INDPLS BREBEUF (4-1)	76	8
8.	COLUMBIA CITY (5-0)	52	9
9.	E. NOBLE (4-1)	30	NR
10.	LEO (4-1)	24	T 6

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 11, NORTHVIEW 8. 12, INDPLS RONCALLI 8. 13, HANOVER CENTRAL 4.

CLASS 3A

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	EV. MEMORIAL (9) (5-0)	180	1
2.	HERITAGE HILLS (4-1)	144	2
3.	GIBSON SOUTHERN (5-0)	114	3
4.	MISSISSINEWA (5-0)	112	6
5.	W. NOBLE (5-0)	78	9
6.	FT. WAYNE LUERS (4-1)	70	8
7.	GARRETT (5-0)	56	10
(TIE)	LAWRENCEBURG (4-1)	56	NR
9.	GUERIN CATHOLIC (3-2)	46	4
10.	BATESVILLE (4-1)	40	5

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 11, EV. MATER DEI 38. 12, GRIFFITH 18. 13, KNOX 10. 14, W. LAFAYETTE 10. 15, NORTHWESTERN 8. 16, MACONAQUAH 6. 17, SOUTHRIDGE 2. 18, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 2.

CLASS 2A

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	BROWNSTOWN (5) (5-0)	172	1
2.	LAFAYETTE CATHOLIC (4) (4-0)	162	2
3.	INDPLS LUTHERAN (4-1)	124	4
4.	WESTERN BOONE (5-0)	102	6
5.	N. POSEY (4-1)	100	3
6.	BLUFFTON (5-0)	84	7
7.	ADAMS CENTRAL (4-1)	62	8
8.	LINTON (3-2)	32	5
9.	MONROVIA (4-1)	24	NR
(TIE)	HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (4-1)	24	NR

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 11, PAOLI 20. 12, N. PUTNAM 16. 13, NORTHEASTERN 16. 14, TRITON CENTRAL 14. 15, S. VERMILLION 12. 16, LAPEL 10. 17, CENTERVILLE 10. 18, ROCHESTER 6.

CLASS 1A

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	N. JUDSON (8) (5-0)	178	1
2.	PROVIDENCE (1) (5-0)	156	2
3.	CARROLL (FLORA) (5-0)	144	3
4.	MADISON-GRANT (5-0)	130	4
5.	N. DECATUR (4-1)	94	5
6.	TRITON (4-1)	74	6
7.	S. PUTNAM (3-2)	60	8
8.	SPRINGS VALLEY (4-1)	52	7
9.	PIONEER (4-1)	40	9
10.	FOREST PARK (4-1)	22	10

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 11, MONROE CENTRAL 16. 12, FRONTIER 10. 13, KNIGHTSTOWN 8. 14, MILAN 6.

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Z-RATINGS

4A

1. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
2. YORKTOWN
3. FLOYD CENTRAL
4. BROWNSBURG
5. CENTER GROVE
6. FW CARROLL
7. EVANSVILLE NORTH
8. WESTFIELD
9. WARSAW
10. CROWN POINT

3A

1. RONCALLI
2. TRI-WEST
3. NORTHVIEW
4. NEW PALESTINE
5. ANGOLA
6. CATHEDRAL
7. NORTHWOOD
8. HAMMOND NOLL
9. DANVILLE
10. JENNINGS COUNTY

2A

1. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
2. WAPAHANI
3. BENTON CENTRAL
4. SOUTHWOOD
5. TECUMSEH
6. WESTERN BOONE
7. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
8. ADAMS CENTRAL
9. SCECINA
10. MUNCIE BURRIS

1A

1. TRINITY LUTHERAN
2. LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC
3. TRI-COUNTY
4. FAITH CHRISTIAN
5. DALEVILLE
6. MORGAN TOWNSHIP
7. LOOGOOTEE
8. RIVERTON PARKE
9. COVINGTON
10. SPRINGS VALLEY

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SCORES

https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=9/24/2024

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER SCORES

https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/scores/?date=9/24/2024

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER SCORES

https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls/scores/?date=9/24/2024

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26

ARMY AT TEMPLE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN

FRIDAY, SEPT. 27

VIRGINIA TECH AT NO. 7 MIAMI (FLA.) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN

WASHINGTON AT RUTGERS | 8 P.M. | FOX

SATURDAY, SEPT. 28

KENTUCKY AT NO. 6 OLE MISS | 12 P.M. | ABC OR ESPN

MINNESOTA AT NO. 12 MICHIGAN | 12 P.M. | FOX

NEBRASKA AT PURDUE | 12 P.M. | PEACOCK

NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT NC STATE | 12 P.M. | THE CW

MARYLAND AT INDIANA | 12 P.M. | BTN

BUFFALO AT UCONN | 12 P.M. | CBSSN

WESTERN KENTUCKY AT BOSTON COLLEGE | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK

HOLY CROSS AT SYRACUSE | 12 P.M. | ESPN+/ACC EXTRA

NAVY AT UAB | 12 P.M. | ESPN2

SOUTH FLORIDA AT TULANE | 12 P.M. | ESPNU

DAYTON AT MARIST | 12 P.M. | ESPN+

HARVARD AT BROWN | 12 P.M. | ESPN+

BUCKNELL AT LEHIGH | 12 P.M. | ESPN+

COLUMBIA AT GEORGETOWN | 12:30 P.M. | ESPN+

HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT INDIANA STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+

VALPARAISO AT MOREHEAD STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+

SAN DIEGO AT DRAKE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+

COLGATE AT PENN | 1 P.M. | ESPN+

FORDHAM AT MONMOUTH | 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

VIRGINIA LYNCHBURG AT BUTLER | 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

BALL STATE AT JAMES MADISON | 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+

MERCER AT WOFFORD | 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+

RICHMOND AT ELON | 2 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

DELAWARE STATE AT CAMPBELL | 2 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

NORTH ALABAMA AT WEST GEORGIA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

SOUTHERN UTAH AT AUSTIN PEAY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

ROBERT MORRIS AT EASTERN KENTUCKY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

EAST TENNESSEE STATE AT THE CITADEL | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT SOUTH DAKOTA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

MURRAY STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

SAMFORD AT FURMAN | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

YALE AT CORNELL | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

TEXAS STATE AT SAM HOUSTON | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

LINDENWOOD AT EASTERN ILLINOIS | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL AT NORFOLK STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT ILLINOIS STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT MISSOURI STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

HOWARD AT PRINCETON | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

CAL POLY AT NORTHERN COLORADO | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

WISCONSIN AT NO. 13 USC | 3:30 P.M. | CBS

NO. 15 LOUISVILLE AT NO. 16 NOTRE DAME | 3:30 P.M. | PEACOCK

NO. 21 OKLAHOMA AT AUBURN | 3:30 P.M. | ABC

ARKANSAS AT NO. 24 TEXAS A&M | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN

UMASS AT MIAMI (OH) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+

LOUISIANA AT WAKE FOREST | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK

LIBERTY AT APPALACHIAN STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+

FRESNO STATE AT UNLV | 3:30 P.M. | FS1

SAN DIEGO STATE AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN

GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPNU

WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MARSHALL | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+

AKRON AT OHIO | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+

EASTERN MICHIGAN AT KENT STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+

MAINE AT UALBANY | 3:30 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

SACRED HEART AT DELAWARE | 3:30 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

MORGAN STATE AT STONY BROOK | 3:30 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

NORTH CAROLINA AT DUKE | 4 P.M. | ESPN2

UTSA AT EAST CAROLINA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

TENNESSEE TECH AT GARDNER-WEBB | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

SACRAMENTO STATE AT NORTHERN ARIZONA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

NORTHWESTERN STATE AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

MISSISSIPPI STATE AT NO. 1 TEXAS | 4:15 P.M. | SEC NETWORK

OLD DOMINION AT BOWLING GREEN | 5 P.M. | ESPN+

LOUISIANA TECH AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

UT MARTIN AT KENNESAW STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

WAGNER AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

HAMPTON AT WILLIAM & MARY | 6 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

LIU AT VILLANOVA | 6 P.M. | FLOSPORTS

PORTLAND STATE AT CHATTANOOGA | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT TENNESSEE STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

MONTANA STATE AT IDAHO STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

ALABAMA A&M AT FLORIDA A&M | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

NO. 3 OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN STATE | 7 P.M. | PEACOCK

STANFORD AT NO. 17 CLEMSON | 7 P.M. | ESPN

UL MONROE AT TROY | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

CHARLOTTE AT RICE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

TULSA AT NORTH TEXAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

LAMAR AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT GRAMBLING | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

MCKENDREE AT WESTERN ILLINOIS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

JACKSON STATE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

DAVIDSON AT PRESBYTERIAN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AT TARLETON STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

NO. 2 GEORGIA AT NO. 4 ALABAMA | 7:30 P.M. | ABC/ESPN+

NO. 19 ILLINOIS AT NO. 9 PENN STATE | 7:30 P.M. | NBC

MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT MEMPHIS | 7:30 P.M. | ESPNU

SOUTH ALABAMA AT NO. 14 LSU | 7:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK

FLORIDA STATE AT SMU | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK

NEW MEXICO AT NEW MEXICO STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+

AIR FORCE AT WYOMING | 8 P.M. | CBSSN

MONTANA AT EASTERN WASHINGTON | 8 P.M. | ESPN+

MCNEESE AT WEBER STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+

ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT UTAH TECH | 9 P.M. | ESPN+

WASHINGTON STATE AT NO. 25 BOISE STATE | 10 P.M. | FS1

IDAHO AT UC DAVIS | 10 P.M. | ESPN+

ARIZONA AT NO. 10 UTAH | 10:15 P.M. | ESPN

NO. 8 OREGON AT UCLA | 11 P.M. | FOX

NO. 20 OKLAHOMA STATE AT NO. 23 KANSAS STATE | TBD

NO. 18 IOWA STATE AT HOUSTON | TBD

NO. 22 BYU AT BAYLOR | TBD

TCU AT KANSAS | TBD

CINCINNATI AT TEXAS TECH | TBD

COLORADO AT UCF | TBD

INDIANA HOOSIERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

INDIANA 31 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 7

INDIANA 77 WESTERN ILLINOIS 3

INDIANA 42 UCLA 13

INDIANA 52 CHARLOTTE 14

SEPTEMBER 28 VS. MARYLAND TBA

OCTOBER 5 AT NORTHWESTERN TBA

OCTOBER 19 VS. NEBRASKA TBA

OCTOBER 26 VS. WASHINGTON TBA

NOVEMBER 2 AT MICHIGAN STATE TBA

NOVEMBER 9 VS. MICHIGAN TBA

NOVEMBER 23 AT OHIO STATE TBA

NOVEMBER 30 VS. PURDUE TBA

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

PURDUE 49 INDIANA STATE 0

NOTRE DAME 66 PURDUE 7

OREGON STATE 38 PURDUE 21

SEPTEMBER 28 VS. NEBRASKA 12:00

OCTOBER 5 AT WISCONSIN TBA

OCTOBER 12 AT ILLINOIS TBA

OCTOBER 18 VS. OREGON 8:00

NOVEMBER 2 VS. NORTHWESTERN TBA

NOVEMBER 9 AT OHIO STATE TBA

NOVEMBER 16 VS. PENN STATE TBA

NOVEMBER 22 AT MICHIGAN STATE 8:00

NOVEMBER 30 AT INDIANA TBA

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

NOTRE DAME 23 TEXAS A&M 13

NORTHERN ILLINOIS 16 NOTRE DAME 14

NOTRE DAME 66 PURDUE 7

NOTRE DAME 28 MIAMI OH 3

SEPTEMBER 28 VS. LOUISVILLE 3:30

OCTOBER 12 VS. STANFORD 3:30

OCTOBER 19 AT GEORGIA TECH TBA

OCTOBER 26 AT NAVY 12:00

NOVEMBER 9 VS. FLORIDA STATE 7:30

NOVEMBER 16 VS. VIRGINIA 3:30

NOVEMBER 23 AT ARMY 7:00 (YANKEE STADIUM)

NOVEMBER 30 AT USC TBA

BUTLER BULLDOGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

BUTLER 40 UPPER IOWA 7

BUTLER 19 MURRAY STATE 17

BUTLER 53 HANOVER 0

SEPTEMBER 28 VS. VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY-LYNCHBURG 1:00

OCTOBER 5 VS. MOREHEAD STATE 1:00

OCTOBER 12 AT DRAKE 1:00 CT

OCTOBER 19 VS. DAYTON 1:00

OCTOBER 26 AT DAVIDSON 1:00

NOVEMBER 2 VS. STETSON 1:00

NOVEMBER 9 AT VALPO 1:00 CT

NOVEMBER 16 VS. ST. THOMAS 1:00

NOVEMBER 23 AT PRESBYTERIAN 1:00

BALL STATE CARDINALS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

BALL STATE 42 MISSOURI STATE 34

MIAMI FL 62 BALL STATE 0

CENTRAL MICHIGAN 37 BALL STATE 34

SEPTEMBER 28 AT JAMES MADISON TBA

OCTOBER 5 VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN TBA

OCTOBER 12 AT KENT STATE TBA

OCTOBER 19 AT VANDERBILT TBA

OCTOBER 26 VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS TBA

NOVEMBER 5 VS. MIAMI OH TBA

NOVEMBER 12 AT BUFFALO 7:00

NOVEMBER 23 VS. BOWLING GREEN TBA

NOVEMBER 29 AT OHIO TBA

INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

PURDUE 49 INDIANA STATE 0

EASTERN ILLINOIS 27 INDIANA STATE 20

INDIANA STATE 24 DAYTON 13

SEPTEMBER 28 VS. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 1:00

OCTOBER 5 AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE 2:00

OCTOBER 12 VS. MURRAY STATE 1:00

OCTOBER 19 AT MISSOURI STATE 3:00

OCTOBER 26 VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 1:00

NOVEMBER 2 VS. NORTH DAKOTA 1:00

NOVEMBER 9 AT SOUTH DAKOTA 2:00

COLTS SCHEDULE

HOUSTON 29 INDIANAPOLIS 27

GREEN BAY 16 INDIANAPOLIS 10

INDIANAPOLIS 21 CHICAGO 16

SEPT. 29: VS. PITTSBURGH, 1 P.M., CBS

OCT. 6: AT JACKSONVILLE, 1 P.M., CBS

OCT. 13: AT TENNESSEE, 1 P.M., CBS

OCT. 20: VS. MIAMI, 1 P.M., FOX

OCT. 27: AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M., CBS

NOV. 3: AT MINNESOTA, 1 P.M., CBS

NOV. 10: VS. BUFFALO, 1 P.M., CBS

NOV. 17: AT N.Y. JETS, 8:20 P.M., NBC PEACOCK

NOV. 24: VS. DETROIT, 1 P.M., FOX

DEC. 1: AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M., CBS

DEC. 15: AT DENVER, 4:25 P.M., CBS

DEC. 22: VS. TENNESSEE, 1 P.M., CBS

DEC. 29: AT N.Y. GIANTS, TBD

JAN. 5: VS. JACKSONVILLE, TBD

WEEK 4 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26

DALLAS COWBOYS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 29

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (1:00P CBS)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)

PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P CBS)

DENVER BRONCOS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P CBS)

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P FOX)

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:05P FOX)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4:05P FOX)

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4:25P CBS)

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)

BUFFALO BILLS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (8:20P NBC)

MONDAY, SEPT. 30

TENNESSEE TITANS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (7:30P ESPN)

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT DETROIT LIONS (8:15P ABC)

WEEK 5 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, OCT. 3

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)

SUNDAY, OCT. 6

NEW YORK JETS VS MINNESOTA VIKINGS (9:30A NFL NETWORK, TOTTENHAM)

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (1:00P CBS)

BUFFALO BILLS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P CBS)

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1:00P FOX)

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS (4:05P FOX)

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4:05P FOX)

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (4:25P CBS)

NEW YORK GIANTS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:25P CBS)

DALLAS COWBOYS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8:20P NBC)

MONDAY, OCT. 7

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8:15P ESPN)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

DETROIT 2 TAMPA BAY 1

CHICAGO CUBS 10 PHILADELPHIA 4

MILWAUKEE 7 PITTSBURGH 2

CLEVELAND 6 CINCINNATI 1

KANSAS CITY 1 WASHINGTON 0

BALTIMORE 5 NY YANKEES 3

BOSTON 6 TORONTO 5

ATLANTA 5 NY METS 1

MIAMI 4 MINNESOTA 1

CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3 LA ANGELS 2

HOUSTON 4 SEATTLE 3

ST. LOUIS 7 COLORADO 3

OAKLAND 5 TEXAS 4

SAN FRANCISCO 11 ARIZONA 0

SAN DIEGO 4 LA DODGERS 2

WNBA SCORES

NEW YORK 91 ATLANTA 82

LAS VEGAS 83 SEATTLE 76

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCORES

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES

NFL NEWS

RETIRED NFL QUARTERBACK BRETT FAVRE SAYS HE HAS PARKINSON’S DISEASE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he told a congressional committee Tuesday.

Favre made the disclosure as part of his testimony about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi. Favre, who does not face criminal charges, has repaid just over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a welfare program in the state and was also an investor in a biotech company with ties to the case. The biotech firm has said it was developing concussion treatments.

The former football star, 54, told the committee that he lost his investment in the company that he thought “was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others.”

“As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me — I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s — this is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre said.

What causes Parkinson’s disease is unknown, and it is unclear if Favre’s disease is connected to his football career or head injuries. He said on a radio show in 2022 that he estimates he may have experienced “thousands” of concussions in his two decades in the NFL.

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, scientists believe that the disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and those environmental factors “may include head injuries, pesticide exposure or area of residence.”

Favre “is one of the 90,000 people in the U.S. who will be diagnosed with PD this year alone,” said Parkinson’s Foundation CEO John Lehr.

In the 2022 interview, Favre said he initially thought the number of concussions he had received playing football was low, but realized it could be much higher once he learned more about them, including that they can happen without causing someone to lose consciousness.

During one 2004 game, Favre sustained a concussion but returned after sitting out only two plays and threw a touchdown pass without having been cleared to return to action.

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback appeared at the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee hearing to advocate reform of the federal welfare system to better prevent fraud.

“The challenges my family and I have faced over the last three years — because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse, and are unjustifiably trying to blame me, those challenges have hurt my good name and are worse than anything I faced in football,” Favre said.

House Republicans have said the scandal in Mississippi points to the need for an overhaul in the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Favre says he provided services to the nonprofit that paid him with state funds, but the state auditor has said Favre did not show up for the speaking engagements.

Favre has said he didn’t know the payments he received came from welfare funds and has noted his charity had provided millions of dollars to poor kids in his home state of Mississippi and in Wisconsin, where he played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

Favre was known for his durability during his Hall of Fame career. He had an NFL-record streak of 297 consecutive starts, a figure that goes up to 321 if playoff games are included.

He won three straight MVP awards with the Green Bay Packers from 1995-97. Favre led the 1996 Packers to their first Super Bowl title in nearly three decades and brought them back to the Super Bowl the following year.

Favre was with Green Bay from 1992-2007 and also played for the Atlanta Falcons (1991), New York Jets (2008) and Minnesota Vikings (2009-10). At the time of his retirement in 2011, Favre owned multiple NFL career passing records. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

49ERS STAR RB CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY HEADS TO GERMANY TO SEE A SPECIALIST FOR HIS ACHILLES INJURY

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey went to Germany to consult with a specialist about his Achilles tendinitis.

Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that has bothered him since early in training camp and has forced him onto injured reserve to start the season.

“I know he’s going to see a specialist that I believe can help him with his Achilles process,” Shanahan said Monday. “I think he’s doing that over these next few days, and hopefully, it’ll help.”

McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis before the season opener Sept. 9 against the Jets.

He was a late scratch for that game and then went on injured reserve on Sept. 14, two days after experiencing pain in the Achilles tendon following a practice. He is eligible to return for a Week 6 game at Seattle but there is no indication that he is close to being able to play.

McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.

After missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey had been healthy the past two seasons.

He missed only one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past 10 years.

The Niners have been heavily impacted by injuries early this season with star receiver Deebo Samuel and All-Pro tight end George Kittle also missing time, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave likely suffering a season-ending injury Sunday.

Hargrave has a partially torn triceps that will require surgery. Shanahan said there is a possibility he could return if San Francisco makes a deep playoff run, but the team is planning on going the rest of the way without one of its top defensive players.

“It’s a big one,” Shanahan said. “I thought he had his best game yesterday. I thought he was a huge factor, really affected the quarterback in that game. It’s a big loss. He’s one of our better players. He was definitely going in the right direction and was going to have a big year.”

In other injury news, quarterback Brock Purdy has a sore back following Sunday’s loss. An MRI came back clean and Purdy is listed as day to day.

San Francisco should get Kittle back this week after he missed a game with a hamstring injury suffered in practice last week.

Shanahan said he hasn’t gotten any recent updates on the status of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who is expected back sometime in the second half of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl.

COACH: ‘NO NEED’ TO NAME JUSTIN FIELDS STEELERS’ LONG-TERM STARTER YET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of five 3-0 teams in the NFL, but their quarterback situation remains up for discussion.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin indicated the team will “have a decision to make” when Russell Wilson recovers from a calf injury and becomes available for the first-string job again.

Justin Fields has helped Pittsburgh start undefeated, but close wins over the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers weren’t enough for him to get a long-term vote of confidence from Tomlin.

Asked Tuesday why he has yet to name Fields the team’s permanent starter, Tomlin replied, “Because there’s no need.” He said Fields will enter the building Wednesday with the mindset that he’s the starter — for Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts (1-2), anyway.

“Sometimes in this business, man, there’s a myriad of complex decisions that need to be made,” Tomlin said. “I’ve learned to make ‘em when it’s appropriate and it’s not necessary as we sit here right now. When Russ gets to an appropriate point of health and we have a decision to make, I’ll make it and I’ll announce it and I’ll be really transparent about it, but until then, I don’t care how many ways you guys ask me, I got no intentions of making the decision that’s unnecessary at this juncture.”

Fields has completed 73.3 percent of his passes this year for 518 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. He’s been sacked six times but also has rushed for 90 yards and a score.

Both Fields and Wilson were acquired by Pittsburgh in the offseason, the former in a trade with the Chicago Bears and the latter as a free agent on a one-year contract.

–Field Level Media

REPORT: SAINTS C ERIK MCCOY (GROIN) EXPECTED TO MISS 6-8 WEEKS

New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy is expected to require surgery on his groin that would sideline him for six to eight weeks, NFL Network reported Tuesday.

The injury is not expected to end McCoy’s season, per the report.

McCoy, 27, sustained the injury in the first quarter of the Saints’ 15-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

He has started all three games this season and all 77 contests in which he has played since being selected by New Orleans in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time last season.

–Field Level Media

LIONS COACH: ‘STUBBORN’ FRANK RAGNOW WANTS TO PLAY THROUGH PEC INJURY

Three-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow sustained a partially torn pectoral muscle during the Detroit Lions’ 20-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Ragnow, however, is intent on playing in the Lions’ next game on Monday against the visiting Seattle Seahawks, coach Dan Campbell said on 97.1 The Ticket in Southfield, Mich.

“First of all, Frank is stubborn. He’s hard-headed Frank. He’s tough, he’s stubborn, so he wants to go, and he always wants to go, but this is something we’re still talking about right now,” Campbell said. “I’m not entirely sure what we’re gonna do with him.”

Campbell said Ragnow played through the injury while lining up for all 68 offensive snaps against the Cardinals.

“A lot of it is where’s he going to feel by middle or end of the week,” Campbell said. “But he does have something in there and he did play through some of this last week. And so we’ll do what’s best for him and what’s best for us in the moment, ultimately. But you know how I feel about Frank, we all do. Appreciate the heck out of him. He’s tough, man.”

Ragnow, 28, has started all three games this season and all 83 contests in which he has played since being selected by the Lions with the 20th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

REPORT: BENGALS RT TRENT BROWN (KNEE) OUT FOR SEASON

Cincinnati Bengals starting right tackle Trent Brown sustained a torn patellar tendon and is out for the remainder of the season, NFL Network reported on Tuesday.

Per the report, Brown is expected to make a full recovery.

Brown was injured during the second quarter of Cincinnati’s 38-33 loss to the Washington Commanders on Monday. It occurred as the Bengals were driving inside the Washington 20. Brown went down and several offensive line teammates came over to help him onto the cart.

Brown was declared out soon after reaching the locker room. He was replaced by Cincinnati’s first-round pick, Amarius Mims, who made his NFL debut earlier in the game.

Brown, 31, was a Pro Bowl performer in 2019 for the then-Oakland Raiders, one of his four NFL teams. He was a starter for the New England Patriots through their run to the Super Bowl championship after the 2018 season.

Brown has appeared in 103 games with 96 starts for the 49ers, Patriots, Raiders and Bengals since he was selected by San Francisco in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

ILLINOIS AND INDIANA ARE BOTH 4-0 AND SITTING ATOP THE BIG TEN STANDINGS

No, this is not a typo or somebody’s idea of a joke: Illinois and Indiana, two perennial also-rans in the mighty Big Ten, are both 4-0 and sitting atop the conference standings.

The last time both of those schools were unbeaten after the first four games was in 1910. The last time Indiana and Illinois finished the same season with winning records was in 2007 — Indiana was 7-6, Illinois was 9-4.

A lot of football ranging from mediocre to bad has been played in Bloomington, Indiana, and Champaign, Illinois.

It’s been more than two decades since either school won a Big Ten title. Illinois coach Ron Turner did it in 2001 when he guided the Illini to a 10-2 finish. John Pont was the coach when Hoosiers last won a Big Ten crown in 1967.

So there hasn’t been much to crow about — until 2024.

Indiana beat FIU 31-7 in the opener, routed FCS squad Western Illinois in Week 2 and then grabbed everyone’s attention by going on the road and walloping new Big Ten member UCLA 42-13. Indiana came back the next week and beat Charlotte 52-14.

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio who threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns against UCLA, is currently the top-rated quarterback in the conference. Wake Forest transfer Justice Ellison is among the top 10 in the conference with 290 rushing yards and four touchdowns going into Saturday’s game at Maryland (3-1).

“I think this team has learned a lot, and I think they’ve developed some pretty strong intangibles,” first-year Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said. “We certainly have strong character on this football team and a lot of really good guys as well as good players. We’re looking forward to what’s ahead. I think the whole key right now is maintaining our focus.”

Illinois under fourth-year coach Bret Bielema dispatched Eastern Illinois 45-0, got by then-No. 19 Kansas 23-17 and beat Central Michigan 30-9. The Illini showed they were no fluke last week with a 31-24 overtime win at then-No. 22 Nebraska.

Illinois debuted in the AP Top 25 two weeks ago and have moved up five spots to No. 19. They will look for their third win over a ranked team when they travel to No. 9 Penn State (3-0) on Saturday.

“I wanted those guys to understand, it’s great, right?,” Bielema said. “Now every week you kind of set the standard over again.”

The Illini’s Luke Altmyer, who transferred from Ole Miss last year, leads conference quarterbacks with 10 touchdown passes. He was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Nebraska.

Besides Penn State, the other conference unbeatens are Ohio State, Oregon and Rutgers — all 3-0.

PAC-12 FILES FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST MOUNTAIN WEST OVER $43 MILLION IN ‘POACHING’ PENALTIES

The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it calls an unlawful and unenforceable “poaching penalty” that could cost the rebuilding conference more than $40 million for adding Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court.

The antitrust complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California and is seeking a declaratory judgement by a judge.

“The action challenges an anticompetitive and unlawful ‘Poaching Penalty’ that the MWC imposed on the Pac-12 to inhibit competition for member schools in collegiate athletics,” the lawsuit said.

The Mountain West has exit fees of upwards of $17 million for departing schools. Those fees can increase depending on how much advanced notice a school provides. There are also poaching fees that were put in place in the Mountain West’s scheduling agreement with Oregon State and Washington State, the only current Pac-12 members this season.

The fee starts at $10 million and increases by an increment of $500,000 for every additional school the Pac-12 adds from the Mountain West.

With four already on board, the total is $43 million.

The Pac-12 has also targeted Mountain West schools Utah State and UNLV. Adding them would cost another $24.5 million.

BASEBALL NEWS

PADRES CLINCH POSTSEASON BERTH WITH 4-2 WIN OVER NL WEST-LEADING DODGERS IN OPENER OF CRUCIAL SERIES

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado started a game-ending triple play and the San Diego Padres clinched a postseason berth with a 4-2 victory over the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Jake Cronenworth hit an early two-run homer for the streaking Padres, assured at least a National League wild card with five games left in the regular season. They moved within two games of Los Angeles, with two games remaining in their critical series at Dodger Stadium.

“Just to get this lead back up to three, it’s really important,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

After the Dodgers scored once in the ninth inning, they had runners at first and second when Miguel Rojas hit a sharp grounder to Machado at third base. The former Dodger stepped on the bag and went around the horn for a triple play that ended it.

“We’ve got to give Manny credit,” Roberts said. “He made a heck of a play.”

The Dodgers hit into two double plays earlier in the game.

San Diego’s celebration was delayed when the Dodgers challenged the out call at second base, but the ruling was upheld following a replay review.

“It’s shocking,” Roberts said of the ending. “It’s the least likely outcome.”

WILSON GETS WINNING HIT IN 9TH AS A’S OPEN FINAL SERIES AT COLISEUM WITH 5-4 VICTORY OVER RANGERS

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jacob Wilson’s single with one out in the ninth inning gave the Oakland Athletics a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night in the opener of their final series at the Coliseum.

Zack Gelof stole second after leading the inning off with a single, and Wilson hit the first pitch he saw off Josh Sborz (2-2) into center field for the A’s eighth walk-off of the season. A’s closer Mason Miller (2-2) escaped a first-and-third jam with one out in the top of the ninth to keep the game tied.

Wilson, a 22-year-old rookie, said it was special that he could possibly record the last walk-off hit at the Coliseum, the A’s home since 1968.

“That would be pretty cool to know that my first (walk-off hit) was the last one here,” Wilson said.

Jonah Heim evened the score with a solo homer in the eighth after Gelof had given the A’s a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a sacrifice fly. Brandon Lowe’s solo home run cut a 3-1 deficit in half in the fourth, and Texas tied the game in the fifth when Heim was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Tyler Soderstrom had a pair of doubles for the A’s and scored a run.

GIANTS HIT 5 HOMERS, CONTINUE RUN AGAINST PLAYOFF CONTENDERS WITH 11-0 WIN OVER DIAMONDBACKS

PHOENIX (AP) — Michael Conforto and Brett Wisely each hit three-run homers in San Francisco’s six-run third inning, and the Giants won their fifth straight against playoff contenders by crushing the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-0 on Tuesday night.

The Giants have nearly perfected the role of spoiler recently, going 7-1 against Baltimore, Kansas City and Arizona. San Francisco stretched its season-high winning streak by bashing five homers against the Diamondbacks, including three off Brandon Pfaadt (10-10) in the first three innings.

“Things happen like this and it gets contagious,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “You start playing well and you just feel like you’ve got a chance to win.”

Patrick Bailey hit a solo homer in the second inning, Conforto launched his 20th in the third and Wisely followed with his three-run homer to put the Giants up 7-0.

Tyler Fitzgerald hit a two-run homer and Heliot Ramos added a solo shot among his four hits. Logan Webb (13-10) allowed four hits in six scoreless innings.

“We’re having fun and that’s a good thing to watch from the dugout,” said Webb, the first Giants pitcher with consecutive 200-inning seasons since Jeff Samardzija in 2016-17. “We’re making plays, we’re pitching well and that’s building chemistry.”

WINN HOMERS, DRIVES IN 4 RUNS AS CARDINALS TOP ROCKIES 7-3

DENVER (AP) — Masyn Winn homered, doubled and drove in four runs, Lars Nootbaar scored twice, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 on Tuesday night.

St. Louis rallied to spoil the beginning of the last homestand of Charlie Blackmon’s career with a run in the seventh and four in the eighth. Blackmon tripled and doubled.

Blackmon, who announced he will retire at the end of the season, received a standing ovation when he led off the bottom of the first before getting hit by Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy.

His triple in the fifth gave Colorado a 3-2 lead. It was the 68th of his career, the most in franchise history, but the lead didn’t hold up after starter Ryan Feltner left the game one pitch into the seventh inning with cramping in his pitching arm.

“It was pretty much the whole front side of my arm, just tightness,” Feltner said of his right arm. “It was compounding over the course of the game. Nothing crazy.”

The Cardinals tied it in the seventh when Colorado’s mistake on a comebacker to reliever Victor Vodnik loaded the bases, and Nootbaar scored from third on shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s wild relay throw on a potential inning-ending double play.

WHITE SOX REMAIN AT 120 LOSSES AND TIED WITH ’62 METS, RALLYING PAST ANGELS 3-2

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox remained tied with the 1962 New York Mets for the modern major league record of 120 losses in a season, rallying to score three runs in the eighth inning and beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Andrew Benintendi hit a tiebreaking, two-out single to help the White Sox (37-120) stave off infamy for at least one more night.

Fans voiced their displeasure with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf by chanting “Sell the team!” throughout the game and booed when Los Angeles’ Eric Wagaman grounded out to end it, apparently unhappy they didn’t get to witness the record-breaking loss.

“It’s been a long season,” Benintendi said. “I think that people here tonight were maybe trying to see history. But they’re going to have to wait one more day. Maybe.”

Jonathan Cannon pitched three-hit ball over six scoreless innings for Chicago. The White Sox have five games left — two more against the Angels and three at Detroit — to set a record no team wants.

Chicago had never dropped more than 106 games prior to this year. The White Sox passed that mark with plenty of time to spare when the New York Mets beat them on Sept. 1.

HEYWARD, BREGMAN AND TUCKER HOMER AS ASTROS BEAT MARINERS 4-3 TO CLINCH 4TH STRAIGHT AL WEST TITLE

HOUSTON (AP) — Jason Heyward hit a go-ahead, two-run homer and made a dazzling defensive play as the Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Tuesday night to clinch their fourth consecutive AL West championship.

Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker each added a solo home run for the Astros, who are headed to the postseason for the eighth year in a row.

The Astros trailed by one with no outs in the fifth inning when Victor Caratini singled before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jeremy Peña.

Heyward, who wowed on defense in the top of the inning, launched his home run to the second deck in right field off Logan Gilbert (8-12) to put Houston on top 4-3.

Heyward, who signed with the Astros last month after his release by the Dodgers, is filling in for Yordan Alvarez, who is out with a knee sprain.

“What an opportunity,” Heyward said. “You never know where you’re going to be. It’s a different journey than most to get here, but it’s really cool that the game allows that to happen. And to come into a winning clubhouse, with a winning culture, that says a lot about what people think of me and it’s fun to give that back to them.”

The Mariners had runners on first and third with one out in the eighth before Ryan Pressly retired Mitch Garver on a flyball. Josh Hader took over and struck out J.P. Crawford to preserve the lead.

ORIOLES CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH, OVERCOME JUDGE’S 56TH HOME RUN TO BEAT YANKEES 5-3

NEW YORK (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles clinched their second straight playoff berth, overcoming Aaron Judge’s major league-leading 56th home run to beat the New York Yankees 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Baltimore’s win combined with Minnesota’s loss to Miami nine minutes later assured the injury-depleted Orioles at least an American League wild card.

“Last year winning the American League East was just such an achievement for us and the expectations were much lower,” general manager Mike Elias said. “We came into this year with higher expectations. We made a lot of moves that kind of pushed some chips in for this year and then we just didn’t have the fortune that we would have hoped for. I think today is a sense of relief.”

Anthony Santander hit his 44th home run and Ramón Urías and Colton Cowser also went deep for Baltimore (87-80), which closed within five games of the AL East-leading Yankees (92-65) with five games left. The Orioles’ win clinched the season series and the tiebreaker against the Yankees, but Baltimore would have to finish 5-0 while New York goes 0-5 for the Orioles to finish atop the division.

New York, which locked up a playoff berth last week, would win the AL East with one more victory.

ROYALS SEIZE ON THROWING ERROR IN 10TH TO BEAT NATIONALS 1-0 AND HOLD ON TO 2ND AL WILD CARD

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City’s 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals held on to the second American League wild card with a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Isbel, the Royals’ automatic runner to begin the 10th, reached third on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single to short and crossed the plate on Nasim Nuñez’s low throw to first to end Kansas City’s seven-game slide.

“It’s a little bit of a sigh of relief,” Ragans said. “We knew it’s going to come down to probably a game like this to get us back on track.”

Kansas City and Detroit are both 83-74 but the Royals own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams are two games up on Minnesota.

After three games without a hit with a runner in scoring position, the Royals were 2 for 11 in that situation Tuesday, though neither plated a run.

“There’s definitely frustration, but I think tonight it was more like, disbelief,” said Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We know we’re too good a team to have that continue for a long period of time.”

HARRIS AND SCHWELLENBACH SHINE AS BRAVES DOWN METS 5-1 IN OPENER OF PIVOTAL SERIES

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II had three more hits, including a solo home run and an RBI double, and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach shut down the New York Mets again as the Atlanta Braves cruised to a 5-1 win Tuesday night in the opener of a pivotal three-game series.

“Felt good to come out swinging and get some runs early,” Harris said. “That’s what we did tonight. Pitching was phenomenal from Schwellenbach. We just have to come out and do the same thing the next two days.”

Marcell Ozuna added his 39th home run for Atlanta, which trails the Mets by one game in the National League playoff race with five remaining. New York (87-70) stayed a half-game ahead of Arizona (87-71) for the second of three wild cards, while the Braves (86-71) moved within a half-game of the Diamondbacks for the league’s last postseason berth when Arizona lost 11-0 to San Francisco at home.

Those three teams are competing for two spots that remain available, after San Diego punched its playoff ticket with a 4-2 victory at Dodger Stadium.

Schwellenbach (8-7) threw seven strong innings, giving up one run and three hits with four strikeouts. He allowed one run and five hits while striking out 15 batters over 14 innings in two wins against the Mets this season.

WNBA NEWS

IONESCU SCORES 36 POINTS AND LIBERTY ADVANCE TO WNBA SEMIFINALS WITH 91-82 WIN OVER DREAM

NEW YORK (AP) The New York Liberty have been focused on bringing the first championship to the franchise after falling just short last year.

They moved one step closer to that goal as Sabrina Ionescu tied a franchise playoff record with 36 points to help the Liberty beat the Atlanta Dream 91-82 on Tuesday night and advance to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs.

“The ultimate goal is what it is. But, you know, it’s every single game is a championship game to get to that final goal,” Ionescu said. “And obviously our goal is to not lose at home. So this was really important for us to come out, take these two and have a couple days off and kind of rest, recharge and get ready for whatever it is we’re going to play.”

Jonquel Jones added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the top-seeded Liberty, who swept the best-of-three series and will face Las Vegas in the next round that begins Sunday in New York. The Aces beat the Liberty in the WNBA Finals last season.

“We have unfinished business,” Jones said.

The Liberty took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter and the teams went back and forth before a layup by Courtney Vandersloot made it 75-72 with 5:41 left and started a 12-2 run. Breanna Stewart followed later in the spurt by swooping in for an offensive tip-in. It was her first points since the second quarter.

Leonie Fiebich, who scored 21 points in the opening game, then had a three-point play to extend the advantage to 82-74 with 4:11 left. She then hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to give New York a double-digit advantage for the first time in the game.

“It had a little bit of everything,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said of the run.

Atlanta couldn’t get closer than seven the rest of the way.

“I don’t think it was anything they did different,” Rhyne Howard said of New York’s stretch run. “We fought pretty hard, laid it out there. Coach told us to not go home with any regrets and we did that.”

Allisha Gray and Howard did all they could to try and stave off elimination. Gray finished with 26 points and Howard added 19. She also had a massive block on Stewart on a fast break in the third quarter.

“We watched it four or five times before we came in here (to the postgame presser),” Howard said smiling.

Stewart was impressed with the play by Howard

“She timed it really well,” the Liberty star said. “She got the block. I got the win.”

Unlike Game 1, when New York jumped all over Atlanta, the Dream got off to a quick start behind Gray. They led 28-19 as Gray had 14 points in the opening 10 minutes, hitting all five of her shots, including four 3-pointers.

Atlanta was up 11 in the second quarter before Ionescu started hitting deep 3s. She rallied the Liberty to take a brief 40-36 lead before the Dream closed the half on a 12-3 run to go up 48-43 at the break.

Ionescu tied Cappie Pondexter for the most points by a Liberty player in the postseason. Pondexter set the mark in 2010 also against the Dream.

“I guess I should have had one more,” Ionescu said, laughing.

The game drew another sellout crowd for New York that included Olympian Gabby Thomas, singer Pharrell as well as Spike Lee and Whoopi Goldberg. Rapper Ja Rule performed at halftime.

Ionescu said she got a high five from Lee during the third quarter.

“I felt like New York was injected into me. I was like, we’re winning this,” Ionescu said.

ACES CLOSE OUT STORM 83-76 AND WILL MAKE THEIR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE WNBA SEMIFINAL APPEARANCE

LAS VEGAS (AP) Kelsey Plum scored 29 points, A’ja Wilson had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and the Las Vegas Aces closed out the Seattle Storm 83-76 on Tuesday night to advance to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Las Vegas, which has won 11 straight home games in the playoffs, swept the best-of-three series to set up a rematch of the 2023 WNBA Finals against top-seeded New York starting Sunday. The Aces are trying to become the first team to win three titles in a row since Houston won four straight from 1997-2000 in the league’s first four seasons.

Wilson set a WNBA record by recording 20-plus points and at least 10 rebounds in 13 career playoff games, passing Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker. The WNBA MVP, who missed her first six shots in Game 1, went 5 of 7 from the field in the first quarter and finished 9 of 17.

After Seattle took its first lead of the game with 7:58 left in the fourth quarter, the Aces scored the next seven points for a 71-65 lead on Jackie Young’s fast-break layup.

The Storm had a chance to get within 78-74 with 2:22 left but Ezi Magbegor missed both free throws. Chelsea Gray answered at the other end with a jumper from the free-throw line for an eight-point lead. Tiffany Hayes sealed it with a layup in traffic with 46 seconds to play.

Gray had 12 points and nine assists for Las Vegas. Plum, who was held to only two points in Game 1, finished 11 of 15 from the field.

Gabby Williams scored 20 points and Nneka Ogwumike had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Seattle. Magbegor, who missed Game 1 due to a concussion, added 14 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 13 and Jewell Loyd was held to nine points on 3-of-11 shooting. Seattle was 6 of 12 from 3-point range in the first half before finishing 8 of 23.

Las Vegas made nine straight shots in the first quarter to build an early double-digit lead. Wilson completed a three-point play and Gray sank a 3-pointer on the next possession as Las Vegas opened the game on a 15-4 run. Plum and Gray each added a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions to extend it to 23-7.

Wilson, Plum and Gray combined to score all of Las Vegas’ 28 first-quarter points.

Seattle went on a 9-0 run in the second quarter to get within 39-38 as Las Vegas went more than four minutes without making a field goal. But the Aces closed the half on a 6-0 run, capped by Wilson’s two free throws with 2.8 seconds left.

NBA NEWS

BOSTON CELTICS’ SUMMER OF SNUBS COULD KEEP JAYSON TATUM AND JAYLEN BROWN HUNGRY FOR REPEAT TITLE

BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum has a new tattoo on his back, another gold medal to hang around his neck, and a chip on his shoulder.

The Boston Celtics star reported for his eighth NBA season on Tuesday after an eventful few months in which he helped the franchise win an 18th championship and then joined the U.S. team for its victory at the Paris Games, only to be consigned to being a role-player and getting benched for two games in the middle of the Olympics.

“In real time, it was tough,” Tatum said at the Celtics media day, acknowledging “I guess you could say that” it would motivate him when the Celtics try to repeat as NBA champions.

“Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season? No,” said Tatum, whose new ink is a picture of himself cradling the championship trophy. “It was a unique circumstance — something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career. But I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason.”

The Celtics return to practice on Wednesday, and the biggest obstacle to a repeat championship may be the complacency that can set in after winning the first one. That’s why Tatum’s Olympic humiliation may be just what coach Joe Mazzulla was looking for to keep his star focused. (Tatum had also been bypassed for Finals MVP in favor of teammate Jaylen Brown, who also — by virtue of coming into the league a year earlier — was the highest-paid player in the NBA.)

“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP, and I didn’t play in two of the games of the Olympics,” Tatum said. “So that was odd. But if you know Joe, that makes sense.”

Also nursing a bruised ego is Brown, who was not selected to the Olympic team and took to social media to complain about the snub. Reporters didn’t wait long before asking Brown about it.

“Damn. Question No. 1,” Brown said with a laugh. “Don’t I get to warm up a little?”

“The past is the past,” he said. “I’m extremely motivated, for obvious reasons. I’m ready to get after it.”

The Celtics had the shortest offseason in the league, beating Dallas in the NBA Finals on June 17 and then returning to practice about a week earlier than most of the NBA because they open the preseason in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 4. Three of them didn’t even get the summer off: Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all played for the United States at the Olympics.

Holiday said the break was plenty.

“I love this game, so basketball isn’t like a hassle to me or anything,” he said. “I guess I love this job that I have. I had some great experiences this summer, so I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

The Celtics return virtually the same roster that won it all: Fifteen players are back from last year’s team, including the top 11 scorers. The last NBA team to win back-to-back titles was the Golden State Warriors, who won three in four seasons from 2015-18.

“It was never about trying to just win one,” Tatum said. “All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be?”

Mazzulla said having the same team back can be good or bad: New players would bring a new, unsatisfied hunger. But even with the same team, the season will be different and the team will be challenged to adjust.

“There’s pros and cons to both. If I had to choose one, I’d choose the one we have,” Mazzulla said. “Just because something worked before doesn’t mean it’s going to work again. So where do we have to stay the same and where we have to change?”

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said he remembers the offseason after he coached Butler to the NCAA championship game and lost on a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer. “You get patted on the back all summer, and you get told how great you are,” he said.

“For me, this is as good of a challenge as you’re going to get if you’re a competitor. So we should be excited about it,” Stevens said. “They understand the target they have. They understand how human nature will play a role against you. They’ve been through it. What we should have is the confidence to get through anything.”

And in case he needed any extra motivation, Stevens said he never got a chance to hang out with the championship trophy this summer.

“No one offered it to me,” he said. “Maybe that’s the next target, right? You’ve got to get another one and Year 2, you get a chance to take it for a day.”

Injury updates

Center Kristaps Porzingis, who had offseason surgery to fix the ankle injury that limited him to seven playoff games during the championship run, said he was recovering well.

“I don’t know if we’re interested in putting a timeline on him, because the injury is unique,” Stevens said. “We are very, very pleased where he is, and maybe a little surprised.”

Stevens said Luke Kornet (wrist) and Xavier Tillman Sr. (knee) also had procedures in the offseason and were on pace to be ready for the Oct. 22 opener against the New York Knicks.

White has spent much of the summer dealing with the dental problems arising from his face-plant in the clinching game of the Finals. White said he had three root canals last week and needs one more trip to the dentist to finish up.

AUTO RACING

STUBBS: CUP SERIES’ ROUND OF 12 OFFERS PLENTY OF STORYLINES

After Kyle Larson’s dominant performance in Saturday’s Bristol Night Race, the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field was whittled down from 16 drivers to 12. Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, Harrison Burton and Martin Truex Jr. all saw their postseason hopes come to an end at Bristol, and four more drivers will be eliminated after Charlotte on Oct. 13.

With the playoff grid reset, here are the storylines to follow before the Round of 12, comprised of Kansas, Talladega and the Charlotte Roval.

Will Talladega be Larson’s death knell, or just a bump in the road?

Larson’s relationship with superspeedway racing has always been rocky. Ever since he finished 38th in his inaugural Daytona 500 start in 2014, he’s been snakebitten on drafting tracks. Talladega is in between two of Larson’s best tracks, but if he fails to win at Kansas, a disastrous day at Talladega could end up being the nail in the coffin of his playoff hopes. You can’t count him out at the Charlotte Roval, but it’s not wrong to say that Kansas could make or break his title hopes. Talladega doesn’t care about your championship aspirations — a truth ever since the track was a part of the inaugural Chase schedule in 2004.

Hamlin’s hopes on life support

Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 team have made one fact very apparent over the last month — momentum matters. A crippling penalty that voided 10 playoff points after Michigan sent the team into a postseason spiral. Finishes of 24th and 23rd at Atlanta and Watkins Glen forced Hamlin to drive the race of his life at Bristol. A fourth-place finish earned him a Round of 12 bid, but the speed just isn’t under the hood like it needs to be at the moment. Hamlin’s drafting acumen has been significantly nullified with NASCAR’s Next Gen car, meaning Talladega isn’t a race he’s guaranteed to be up front in.

Blaney, Byron look to repeat 2023 performances

Defending champion Ryan Blaney and William Byron both won in the Round of 12 last season, and parlayed those victories into Championship Four appearances at Phoenix. Byron’s win came in the round’s opener at Texas, the 1.5-mile track that’s been swapped with Kansas this year. Unsurprisingly, Blaney’s triumph came at Talladega, where he’s now won three races in the last four years. A win isn’t necessary for either driver to advance, but it wouldn’t hurt to guarantee a Round of 8 berth early.

‘Bowman the Showman’ no longer an underdog

Getting through the first round may have been the most pivotal step in Bowman’s championship chase. He earned finishes of seventh and fifth at Kansas and Talladega earlier in the season, and in five races at the Charlotte Roval, he’s never finished outside of the top-10. This round shapes up well for Bowman, who’s also won at Las Vegas and Martinsville in his career — tracks that make up two of the three races in the Round of 8.

Finally… who is eliminated?

With every passing round, the margin for error gets slimmer. The best teams and drivers will rise to the top after this round. Here are the four drivers I’m picking to miss the Round of 8.

Austin Cindric

Cindric has made it to the Round of 12 for the second time in three seasons. He may have silenced his critics in the first round, but the No. 2 team simply doesn’t have the speed or pedigree behind it to knock out one of the favorites. Cindric’s best chance at advancing could be a win at Talladega, but putting all of your eggs into that basket isn’t advisable. A solid postseason run for Cindric will come to an end at Charlotte.

Daniel Suarez

Much like Cindric, the No. 99 team overperformed in the first round. However, Trackhouse as a whole has been a tick off in 2024, and it’s hard to trust a driver who finished 31st in the elimination race at Bristol, only saved by a cushion built up at Atlanta and Watkins Glen. Suarez can’t be completely written off, but his second playoff run with Trackhouse will end just like his first.

Chase Briscoe

“The Lady in Black” may have slipped on Briscoe’s glass slipper when he won the Southern 500, but the cruel hand of the Charlotte Roval will finally wrangle it off. Briscoe managed to make a Cinderella run to the Round of 8 in 2022, but he doesn’t have the speed that he did two years ago. The Roval does provide an excellent opportunity for Briscoe to snag a win, but excellence is the requirement to advance to the Round of 8. The No. 14 team may have the hopes of an entire organization on their back, but like Cindric and the No. 2 team, they don’t have enough speed to knock out the big dogs.

Denny Hamlin

Call it crazy, abominable or whatever other word you want to use — Hamlin barely clawed his way into the Round of 12, and if he doesn’t win at Kansas, things could go south very quickly. It seems ill-advised to bet against one of the best drivers of the 21st century, but Hamlin is infamous for coming up short when the chips are down. For the 19th consecutive season, it won’t be Denny Hamlin’s year to hoist the Cup.

–Samuel Stubbs, Field Level Media

TOP INDIANA SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES

COLTS FOOTBALL

COLTS RELEASE UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART FOR WEEK 4 GAME VS. PITTSBURGH STEELERS

OFFENSE

• WR: Michael Pittman Jr., Ashton Dulin
• LT: Bernhard Raimann, Blake Freeland
• LG: Quenton Nelson, Danny Pinter OR Tanor Bortolini
• C: Ryan Kelly, Danny Pinter OR Tanor Bortolini
• RG: Will Fries, Dalton Tucker
• RT: Braden Smith, Matt Goncalves
• TE: Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree
• TE: Kylen Granson, Will Mallory
• WR: Josh Downs, Anthony Gould
• WR: Alec Pierce OR Adonai Mitchell
• QB: Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger
• RB: Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Tyler Goodson
• Jonathan Taylor had 23 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the Colts’ Week 3 win over the Chicago Bears. Sunday marked Taylor’s 18th 100-yard rushing game, which is third-most in franchise history.
• Alec Pierce and Anthony Richardson connected for yet another deep ball on Sunday against the Bears, this time for a 44-yard completion. Pierce now has 225 receiving yards on nine catches and leads the league with 25.0 yards per reception.

DEFENSE

• DE: Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, Genard Avery
• DT: Taven Bryan, Adetomiwa Adebawore
• NT: Grover Stewart, Raekwon Davis
• DE: Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo, Isaiah Land
• WLB: E.J. Speed
• MLB: Zaire Franklin, Segun Olubi
• SAM: Jaylon Carlies, Grant Stuard
• CB: Samuel Womack III, Dallis Flowers
• FS: Julian Blackmon, Rodney Thomas II
• SS: Nick Cross, Trevor Denbow
• N: Kenny Moore II, Chris Lammons
• CB: Jaylon Jones
• Laiatu Latu recorded the first sack of his NFL career in the Colts’ win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, forcing a fumble that was then recovered by Grover Stewart. The Colts then scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession.
• Zaire Franklin tallied a team-high 15 tackles (five solo) against the Bears, passing Gary Brackett (23) for the second-most 10-plus tackle games in franchise history.
• E.J. Speed and Nick Cross also registered double-digit tackles against the Bears with 12 and 10, respectively.

SPECIALISTS

• P: Rigoberto Sanchez
• PK: Matt Gay
• H: Rigoberto Sanchez
• LS: Luke Rhodes
• KR: Anthony Gould OR Dallis Flowers, Josh Downs
• PR: Anthony Gould, Josh Downs, Dallis Flowers

COLTS SIGN DE DEREK RIVERS, DT JOSIAH BRONSON TO PRACTICE SQUAD; RELEASE CB KELVIN JOSEPH FROM PRACTICE SQUAD; PLACE QB JASON BEAN ON PRACTICE SQUAD INJURED LIST

Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts today signed defensive tackle Josiah Bronson and defensive end Derek Rivers to the practice squad. The team also placed quarterback Jason Bean on the Practice Squad Injured list and released cornerback Kelvin Joseph from the practice squad.

Bronson, 6-3, 295 pounds, has played in eight career games in his time with the New England Patriots (2024), Miami Dolphins (2022-23), Dallas Cowboys (2021-22), Cleveland Browns (2021) and New Orleans Saints (2021). He has registered 12 tackles (eight solo) and 1.0 tackle for loss. Bronson was originally signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2021, out of Washington.

Rivers, 6-5, 250 pounds, participated in 2024 training camp with Indianapolis. He has played in 24 career games (one start) in his time with the Colts (2023-24), Houston Texans (2021-23), Los Angeles Rams (2020) and New England Patriots (2017-20). Rivers has registered 16 tackles (11 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He has also appeared in three postseason contests and has recorded one special teams tackle. Rivers was originally selected by the Patriots in the third round (83rd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Youngstown State.

Bean, 6-2, 196 pounds, was signed to the team’s practice squad on August 28, 2024, after participating in the Colts’ offseason program and training camp. He was originally signed by Indianapolis as an undrafted free agent on May 9, 2024. Collegiately, Bean played in 51 career games (30 starts) at Kansas (2021-23) and North Texas (2018-20) and completed 414-of-699 passes for 5,969 yards with 55 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He also compiled 251 carries for 1,344 yards (5.4 avg.) and 14 touchdowns. In 2023, Bean saw action in 12 games (10 starts) and completed 124-of-199 passes for 2,130 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also registered 47 carries for 280 yards (6.0 avg.) and three touchdowns.

Joseph, 6-1, 195 pounds, was signed to the team’s practice squad on September 11, 2024. He has appeared in 31 career games (three starts) in his time with the Colts (2024), Kansas City Chiefs (2024), Seattle Seahawks (2023), Dolphins (2023) and Cowboys (2021-23). Joseph has recorded 29 tackles (25 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 10 special teams stops. He has played in three postseason contests and has tallied one forced fumble and two special teams stops. Joseph was originally selected by the Cowboys in the second round (44th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Kentucky.

INDIANA FEVER

SUN HOSTS INDIANA WITH 1-0 SERIES LEAD

Indiana Fever (20-20, 11-9 Eastern Conference) at Connecticut Sun (28-12, 14-6 Eastern Conference)

Uncasville, Connecticut; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Sun -7; over/under is 163.5

WNBA PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Sun lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Connecticut Sun host the Indiana Fever in the first round of the WNBA playoffs with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Sun won the last meeting 93-69 on Sept. 22 led by 27 points from Marina Mabrey, while Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 points for the Fever.

The Sun’s record in Eastern Conference play is 14-6. Connecticut averages 80.1 points while outscoring opponents by 6.5 points per game.

The Fever are 11-9 against Eastern Conference opponents. Indiana is 3-3 in games decided by less than 4 points.

Connecticut’s average of 5.9 made 3-pointers per game is 3.3 fewer made shots on average than the 9.2 per game Indiana allows. Indiana has shot at a 45.6% rate from the field this season, 2.5 percentage points above the 43.1% shooting opponents of Connecticut have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Alyssa Thomas is scoring 10.6 points per game and averaging 8.4 rebounds for the Sun.

Caitlin Clark is averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists for the Fever.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sun: 6-4, averaging 80.4 points, 33.7 rebounds, 21.4 assists, 6.7 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.6 points per game.

Fever: 5-5, averaging 90.4 points, 33.8 rebounds, 21.4 assists, 6.0 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 91.7 points.

INJURIES: Sun: Tiffany Mitchell: out (illness).

Fever: None listed.

INDIANA FOOTBALL

NOTEBOOK – UNBEATEN START THE NORM FOR CIGNETTI AND IU STAFF

PETE DIPRIMIO | IUHOOSIERS.COM

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Curt Cignetti has been here before, this 4-0 record and dominant play.

Yes, he’s the first Indiana head coach to ever win his first four games, but he did it his last three seasons at James Madison.

Besides his own coaching prowess, it reflects staff and player continuity. Cignetti brought with him six coaches from James Madison, along with 13 Dukes players.

“We are used to being successful, this staff that I brought in, the players that are here,” Cignetti said on Monday. “When you win, it’s about maintaining your edge and avoiding complacency and not having the warm fuzzies and not taking the rat poison, right? Eliminating the noise and the clutter, focusing on what’s going to help you get to the point where you can perform to the best of your ability on Saturday. It’s the preparation part, the physical and mental preparation.

“We have a mature team. I’m confident that those guys will be on point this week in practice and that we’ll have a good week.”

The Hoosiers, who host Maryland (3-1) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, are playing with the confidence you’d expect from a team coming off four straight blow-out victories.

‘Success leads to confidence, which leads to success,” Cignetti said. “They go hand in hand. But you still have to put the work in during the week because everything we do isn’t fun.

You’ve got to pay the price in terms of your commitment level, make some choices and decisions, good ones, and sacrifices. We should be a confident football team right now, but we’ve got to put the work in.”

Maryland’s Billy Edwards Jr. might be the best quarterback IU will play all season. He completes 75.0 percent of his passes for 1,155 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions. He’s also rushed for two TDs.

Edwards Jr. is coming off a huge performance against Villanova, completing 28-of-32 passes for a career-high 328 yards and two touchdowns. His 87.5 completion percentage was a school record.

Cignetti is well aware of how good Edwards is. When he was in his first year coaching at James Madison, Cignietti recruited Edwards, who started at Wake Forest before transferring to Maryland.

“He was the guy we had targeted,” Cignetti said. “I sat with his dad in my office a couple of times.

“He can make all the throws. He’s got a lot of snaps under his belt. They’ll also run him, and he’s a threat when he gets out of the pocket as well when he drops back and escapes the pocket. So, he’s a very competitive guy with good arm strength, and a good leader. They like him, and I can see why.”

IU’s 202 points are its most ever in any four-game stretch. The previous record was 183 in 2015.

Defensively, the Hoosiers have held all four opponents to less than 300 total yards. That’s the best since at least 1996.

IU is ruthlessly efficient in the red zone, scoring on 22 of its 24 opportunities inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. That includes 20 touchdowns.

“We’ve run the ball well down there and thrown it well,” Cignetti said. “Our quarterbacks have played well in the pass game. We’ve had some open guys. (Quarterback Kurtis Rourke has) found them. We’ve separated at the receiver position. And we have been down there a lot.

“I don’t think we’ve probably played the most difficult schedule up to this point. I’m not trying to shortchange anybody we’ve played. The tests are going to become tougher week in, week out. Hopefully, we’ll have the same number of opportunities and success in the future. Touchdowns are critical down there.”

Maryland’s biggest offensive weapon outside of quarterback is receiver Tai Felton, who is making an early Heisman Trophy case. He burned Villanova with a career-high 14 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.

It was his fourth-straight game with more than 100 receiving yards, tying the program record. He has 41 catches for 604 yards and five touchdowns. That ranks second, third and fourth nationally.

Only San Jose State’s Nick Nash, with 637, has more receiving yards.

Maryland is just a 27-24 loss to Michigan State away from being undefeated. It averages 34.8 points and gives up 16.8. It runs for 155.3 yards a game and passes for 308.8.

The Terps have three players who have rushed for at least 134 yards — Roman Hemby (201, 2 TDs), Ray Nolan (158, 2), and Colby McDonald (134).

Besides Felton, they have another big-play receiver in Kaden Prather, who has 21 catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns.

“They are very talented, well coached,” Cignetti said. “They have a lot of good players, a lot of good athletes. Offensively, they have a dynamic receiving corps, good running backs, a good offensive line. They’re a little young, but big and talented.

“The defensive line is loaded. They play a lot of guys. This will be a tremendous challenge.”

Maryland’s potent offense won’t cause Cignetti to alter his coaching routine and spend more time this week with the defense. He says he has complete faith in Haines and his defensive staff.

“I always watch all three phases,” Cignetti said. “I watched all of Maryland’s games. I put a lot of time in the off-season into Maryland.

“Once the week starts, I’m at the point now where I let Bryant go a little bit. I don’t look over his shoulder. There was a time I used to watch defensive practice, maybe make a few notes and call the staff in. I have not done that this year.

“We did meet Sunday after the (Charlotte victory) about a few things defensively, but I have total confidence in him and the defensive staff that they’re going to put a great plan together, which gives us the best chance of being successful.”

PURDUE VOLLEYBALL

BIG TEN PLAY TO OPEN IN HOLLOWAY

AYHAWK CLASSIC

Thursday, September 19

7 p.m. ET | #4 Penn State at #10 Purdue | BTN | WSHY 104.3 FM

Saturday, September 14

6:30 p.m ET | #10 Purdue at #16 Minnesota | BTN | WSHY 104.3 FM

West Lafayette, Ind. – After finishing the non-conference slate 9-2, the No. 10 Purdue Boilermakers are set to begin their Big Ten journey at home vs. the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions (10-1) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. Then, Purdue will travel to Minneapolis to take on the No. 16 Minnesota Golden Gophers at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Both matches will air on Big Ten Network.

SCHEDULE NOTES

The Boilermakers return home on Wednesday after 24 days on the road and is in a stretch with three consecutive top-10 matchups.

Including this weeks matches, Purdue will continue a stretch with four of five matches vs. top-10 teams and five of six vs. top-20 teams.

PURDUE VS. PENN STATE: RECENT HISTORY AT A GLANCE

Purdue swept the series vs. Penn State last year: W, 3-2  at home on 11/5/23 and W, 3-1 on 10/22/23. Last season, both teams reached the NCAA Regional Semifinals in Madison, Wisconsin, however Penn State was #12 and Purdue #13 in the AVCA final poll.

In the last three years, Purdue owns a 3-2 record vs. Penn State.

Neither team has beaten the other in sweeping fashion since 2016.

PURDUE VS. MINNESOTA: HISTORY AT A GLANCE

Purdue is 4-1 over the last three years vs. Minnesota.

The Boilermakers have won two of the last three matches in Minneapolis: (W 3-1 in 2021, L 1-3 in 2022 and W 3-1 in 2023).

In the last 10 years, only three matches have gone to five sets between the two teams (3 of 17).

PURDUE: QUICK HITS

Purdue is No. 2 in the nation in blocks per set (3.26) and No. 14 in hitting % (.289).

Last week Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine were named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List.

Three Boilers are averaging 2.5 kills per set or higher: Hudson (4.34), Chicoine (3.42) and Colvin (2.50).

Purdue is 29-9 in sets won this season.

The Boilermakers adjustments during a match have led to improved play from first to second set.

Raven Colvin leads the nation in blocks and is averaging a .454 hitting %. The senior has hit .700 twice already and recorded 16 kills vs. Cal (9/5) and two 10-block matches.

Freshman DS Ryan McAleer is a regular in the back row and has recorded a perfect reception % in eight matches and just one error in the last seven consecutive matches combined.

Eva Hudson nearly had an errorless match at now-#9 Kansas, committing just one attack error in the final points of the match. This season, she is averaging 4.34 kills per set and 4.76 points per set this season.

Chloe Chicoine owns a team-leading four double-doubles this season.

ADJUST AS THEY GO: PURDUE’S SET 1 VS. SET 2 IMPROVEMENTS

Purdue has improved in at least one facet from Set 1 to Set 2 in 10 out of 11 matches, including a 10-match streak.

The Boilermakers sideout % increased in seven out of 11 games from Set 1 to Set 2.

Every time errors decreased, they decreased by at least three.

In eight of Purdue’s 11 matches, the team improved in multiple statistical categories (decrease in errors, hitting % increase, sideout % increase, block increase and/or kill increase).

SCOUTING #4 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

After facing a Kansas team ranked #1 in the nation in hitting % last week, Purdue will take on a Penn State team that ranks second in the nation this week (.329).

The Boilermakers will take on a Penn State team that has just edged Purdue out for first in the league in kills per set (14.57), a mark that also ranks fifth nationally.

Penn State owns a 3-1 record vs. top-15 opponents, including a sweep vs. then-#4 Louisville at home. and a 3-2 win vs. Kentucky. The team’s lone loss is to #1 Pitt in straight sets last week at Pitt.

Individually, middle Taylor Trammell ranks 8th in the nation in hitting % (.481) and setter Izzy Starck is 15th in assists per set.

The team is led by 2023 2nd Team All-American Jess Mruzik, who was named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List last week. She is averaging 4.09 kills per set on a .307 clip.

SCOUTING #16 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

One of the best defenses in the nation, Minnesota leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally in digs per set (17.66) and third in the league, 14th in the nation in opponent hitting % (.140).

The gophers have held opponents under .200 for the last seven straight matches.

Prior to playing Purduue, Minnesota will take on #7 Wisconsin at home on Wednesday on BTN directly following the Purdue vs. Penn State matchup.

Veteran setter Melanie Shaffmaster was named to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List last week. She is averaging 8.46 assists per set, leads the team in service aces (13) and is second on the team in digs per set (3.43).

Three gophers lead the attack: Julia Hanson (3.61 kills/set), McKenna Wucherer (2.67/set) and Lydia Grote (2.47/set). Meanwhile, Calissa Minatee leads the efficiency with a .421 clip.

ON A MISSION: RAVEN COLVIN

No player in DI is taking care of business like Colvin for both hitting % and blocks, ranking #1 in blocks per set (.203) and #11 in hitting % (.454).

She is hitting and blocking more efficiently than any time in her career.

Colvin has nearly doubled her hitting efficiency compared to 2023: .454% vs. .280%.

She has not hit below .440% in six straight matches.

Colvin ranks #4 in Purdue history with 535 career blocks. She is one of just two blockers in program history to post as many this century (last: record-holder Stephanie Lynch, 660 blocks, 2005-08).

She also ranks #2 in Purdue history and the only Boilermaker this century to record 1.40 career blocks per set (record holder: Donna Gill, 1.49 blocks/set, 1991-92).

She is on track to set a Big Ten season record in blocks/set (current record: 1.85 set in 1996).

Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after back-to-back .571% performances, 7 blocks vs. #10 Kentucky and four vs. Houston.

The Boiler has recorded two 10-block performances: vs. K-State (8/30) and at Utah State (9/7).

Number of matches with one or fewer attack errors: 6

Number of matches hitting .300 or above: 6

Number of matches hitting .400 or above: 8

Number of matches hitting .500 or above: 4

Number of matches hitting .700 or above: 2

SMOOTH & STEADY: SETTER TAYLOR ANDERSON

Anderson has set Purdue to four matches over .300%, including .310 vs. #10 Kentucky and .450 vs. UC Davis.

She is averaging 10.95 assists per set, 2.24 digs per set and 1.18 blocks per set.

She leads all Big Ten setters with 45 blocks this season (second-most is 34 by USC’s Mia Tuman).

Anderson has gotten more aggressive on the attack compared to her freshman season, averaging .53 kills per set compared to .31 from last season (35 kills in 2023 vs. 20 already in 2024). In fact, her numbers are up in virtually every category including digs per set (1.97 vs.  2.24), assists per set (9.88 vs. 10.95) and blocks (.85 vs. 1.18).

Has posted 7 or more blocks three times this season.

40 or more assist in a match this season: 5

50 or more assists in a match this season: 1

Double-doubles this season: 3

QUICK HITS: LAST WEEK AT A GLANCE

Purdue went 1-2 in Kansas after playing two top-10 teams in under 24 hours.

Over the tournament, Purdue was even with opponents in kills/set (14.45), out-blocked opponents (2.64 vs. 2) and out-served opponents (11-9). The difference-maker came in defensive plays (13.82 vs. 15.00 digs/set).

Extra points were needed to decide Set 1 at #10 Kansas (29-31) and Set 4 vs. #9 Creighton (25-27).

Purdue held four set points in Set 1 at Kansas before falling, 29-31.

Colvin hit .453% over the tournament.

Anderson averaged 10.91 assists/set, 2.27 digs/set and 1.36 blocks/set.

Hudson averaged 4.27 kills/set, .280% and went nearly errorless at Kansas.

PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

GEARLDS EXTENDED THROUGH 2028-29

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After reaching the postseason three times in her first three seasons, Katie Gearlds is set to continue her time on the sidelines of Purdue Women’s Basketball, as her alma mater officially announced her contract extension through the 2028-29 season.

“We are excited for Katie Gearlds to continue leading Purdue Women’s Basketball as we restore the program to national prominence,” said Executive Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Bobinski. “Katie is passionate about our proud history of success and is intently focused on building a program with a foundation for sustained, championship-level performance.  Our athletic department and the entire Purdue community look forward to supporting Katie, her team and staff this upcoming season and beyond.”

In three short years, Gearlds guided the Boilermakers to three postseason appearances, three ranked wins and reestablished Purdue’s presence on the recruiting front.

“I am excited to continue leading this incredible program,” Gearlds said. “I am grateful for the support of Athletic Director Mike Bobinski, President Mung Chiang, the Purdue Board of Trustees and Deputy Athletic Director Tiffini Grimes have shown me and our program. From watching the program’s success as a kid in this state to wearing Purdue across my chest to getting to lead this incredible team, Purdue has had a profound impact on my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring more success to this university and continue to develop our young women into leaders when they graduate.”

Gearlds’ had a short turnaround before her first season in 2021-22, taking over the program just 43 days ahead of the season opener. Purdue reached the WNIT for the first time since 2017-18, defeated a ranked opponent for the first time in three years and posted a 10-win improvement, the best by a head coach in her first year.

Following her first full offseason with the program, Gearlds’ second year saw the Boilermakers return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016-17. Purdue downed two ranked opponents, including a win over No. 2 Ohio State for the program’s first ever true road win over an AP top-5 team.

In 2024-25, Gearlds took Purdue back to the postseason with a WNIT run that ended in the Great 8, the Boilermakers’ deepest postseason run since 2009. Point guard Jeanae Terry became the only player in Big Ten men’s or women’s basketball history to amass 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 700 assists in a career.

Gearlds joined Lin Dunn and Carolyn Peck as the only Purdue head coaches to post win improvements in each of their first two seasons.

Gearlds’ teams have broken the single-game and single season 3-point records, posted the longest home winning streak since 2007, and set the Purdue record for home non-conference wins with 19 straight, including postseason play. The Boilermakers also recorded their first winning record in Big Ten action since 2016-17 with a 9-8 mark in 2022-23.

One of the best to lace them up for Purdue, Gearlds guided Purdue to two Big Ten Tournament titles, four NCAA Tournament appearances with three Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight during her career from 2004-07. She still ranks fourth in program history with 1,974 points.

Gearlds and the Boilermakers will open the 2024-25 season on Nov. 6 with a home contest against Purdue Fort Wayne.

The 2024-25 Purdue women’s basketball season is presented by Purdue Global, Purdue University’s online educational solution for working adults.

NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

NO. 16 NOTRE DAME HAS SCORE TO SETTLE WITH NO. 15 LOUISVILLE

Louisville coach Jeff Brohm knows that revenge will be a motivating factor when No. 16 Notre Dame hosts the No. 15 Cardinals on Saturday in South Bend, Ind.

Last October, Louisville posted a 33-20 upset at home over then-No. 10 Notre Dame. This time, the Cardinals (3-0) will head to Notre Dame Stadium, where the Fighting Irish (3-1) are eager to avoid another loss in front of a national audience.

“We expect their best,” Brohm said. “They will be ready to play, and they will be fired up to win this football game. So that’s why we have to worry about ourselves, have a great week of practice, and come ready to play. We can’t have a lot of mistakes.”

This season, Louisville has avoided crucial errors. The Cardinals have victories against Austin Peay, Jacksonville State and Georgia Tech in their first three contests.

Notre Dame already has had one major stumble, a stunning 16-14 home loss against Northern Illinois on Sept. 7. The Fighting Irish have rebounded with two straight wins against Purdue and Miami (Ohio) by a combined margin of 94-10.

Quarterback Riley Leonard has helped the Fighting Irish find their footing. Leonard has six rushing touchdowns and one passing TD and is averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes.

Leonard threw for 154 yards and ran for 143 in a 28-3 win over Miami last week.

“I’m really proud of him,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “He was the player of the game for our offense (last week) in terms of what he did. … And there is always room to grow. We’re never satisfied. We’re greedy people.”

Leonard and several other key players are new to the Fighting Irish this season, but Freeman said he would show clips of last year’s defeat to Louisville to help motivate his team.

“It’s a lot like therapy,” Freeman said. “Sometimes, you’ve got to revisit some of those dark places to kind of get out of it what you need to. So we’re definitely going to revisit last year, but my intentions are to make sure we gain the wisdom and the learning opportunities that the film of last year will truly tell us.”

Meanwhile, Louisville is eyeing a 4-0 start one year after opening the season with six straight wins. The Cardinals are led by Tyler Shough, a senior who has completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 850 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions this season.

Ja’Corey Brooks is Shough’s top target with 17 catches for 297 yards and two scores.

Brohm said he understands the high stakes surrounding this week’s matchup.

“This is a huge stage for our team,” he said. “To go up there and play in this atmosphere against a really good opponent can be a huge momentum swing in our direction if we can find a way to win, without question. It gives your team credibility and definitely elevates your program, so this is one of those games that you’ve got to take advantage of.”

NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER

FERREIRA HITS HOLE IN ONE; IRISH WOMEN CONCLUDE TIME AT MARY FOSSUM INVITATIONAL

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The University of Notre Dame women’s golf team wrapped up the Mary Fossum Invitational with a memorable Round 3, including a hole-in-one by Montgomery Ferreira and the team finishing with the third lowest score on the final 18. Overall, the team shot a 894 (+30) for ninth place while shooting a 290 in the final round, a tournament low for the Irish.

“The Mary Fossum Invitational was a good step forward for our team,” head coach Caroline Powers Ellis said. “Our preparation last week really helped us on this course and our players excelled at committing to the game plan. To finish the tournament with a great final round, the third best in the field, gives our players an extra boost of confidence that we can compete amongst the great teams of college golf.”

With an eagle on hole 7 (par 3), Ferreira recorded the first hole-in-one for the program this season. The senior was also the only hole-in-one performance of the whole tournament, and one of just four eagles.

Maddy Bante led the Irish with 25th-place finish and hit par on the final round for a final score of 222 (+6) while Faustine Errecade took 31st individually with a score of 224 (+8).

Alex Lapple recorded a 71 (-1) score in the final round, recording the lowest round score for the team at the tournament, and tied for 47th overall with Ferreira and Bridget Wilkie who all finished at 228 (+12).

“There is always more work to be done and we are committed to the process of getting a little better each day,” Powers Ellis ended.

The team will have a weekend off before returning to the course Oct. 4-6 for the Evie Odom Invitational in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER

ROOU’S SECOND STRAIGHT HAT TRICK LEADS IRISH WIN OVER DETROIT MERCY

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Matthew Roou accomplished a feat that had not been achieved by a Notre Dame men’s soccer player in 45 years on Tuesday evening in Notre Dame’s 3-1 win over Detroit Mercy.

The senior recorded his second hat trick in as many matches, becoming the second player in program history to record two hat tricks in a single season, as Kevin Lovejoy accomplished recorded three hat tricks during the 1979 season.

The win moves Notre Dame’s record to 3-1-3 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Irish picked up right where they left off. After scoring six goals the last time out against Chicago State, Notre Dame scored twice in the opening 12 minutes, both courtesy of Roou.

The opening goal came in the ninth minute when Bryce Boneau slipped a pass to Roou into the area, who calmly placed his shot just inside the near post to put Notre Dame on top 1-0.

Just three minutes later Roou struck again after forcing a turnover in the final third and quickly converting it to a goal. Kyle Genenbacher intercepted a pass out of the back and quickly found Jack Flanagan on the flank. The forward centered a pass to Roou, who poked the ball past the Titans’ keeper to double the lead at 2-0.

Notre Dame controlled play for the remainder of the first half and held the two goal lead after the first 45 minutes of action.

The Titans came out of the break and cut the Irish lead in half within the first two minutes of play off just their second shot of the match.

The Irish limited Detroit Mercy’s chances the rest of the way, holding the visitors to just one shot for the remaining 43 minutes while creating chances at the other end.

Notre Dame’s pressure paid off in the final moments of the match, as Roou was brought down in the box to earn the penalty and set up his hat trick. The senior sent the keeper the wrong way and converted from the spot for his third goal and to deliver the Irish the 3-1 victory.

McFARLAND FAMILY MEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH CHAD RILEY’S TAKE

On the match…

“Credit to Detroit Mercy, they are a good team and well coached and I can see the progress they are making. We are happy to get the win and I think we had some great moments of quality tonight.”

On Roou’s back-to-back hat tricks…

“It’s awesome. He’s our goal scorer. We want more people to score but we want Roou hitting the back of the net. He’s playing really well and scoring goals but he’s also doing a lot of other things so we are really pleased with his performance.”

ND NOTES

With the win, the Irish improve to 13-2-0 against Detroit Mercy in the all-time series

The Irish are now unbeaten in their last 40 matches when scoring first, improving to 35-0-5 during the run

Roou’s hat trick gives him 28 career goals, the most on the active roster

The hat trick is the third in Roou’s career, as he previously accomplished the feat in a win over IUPUI on August 27, 2023 and in a victory over Chicago State on Sept. 20, 2024

Boneau’s assist gives him 14 in his Notre Dame career, tied with Baffour for most on the active roster

Flanagan picked up the first assist of his young career and now has seven on the year

Genenbacher registered his first assist of the year and now has five points on the season and 10 assists in his career

UP NEXT

The Irish have a big ACC showdown at Alumni Stadium at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 24, as No. 12 Clemson comes to town for a rematch of the 2023 NCAA College Cup final. Admission to the match is free and the game will air on ESPNU.

BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER

BULLDOGS FIGHT FROM BEHIND, FALL TO RAIDERS

INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler men’s soccer team played from behind most of the night in a loss to Wright State, losing by the final of 3-2 in a non-conference match at the Sellick Bowl. The Raiders (4-3-2, 1-0-1 Horizon) scored the only goal in the first half and led, 2-0, before the Bulldogs (3-4-2, 0-1-0 BIG EAST) put one in in the 58th minute. Wright State then converted a penalty kick to go back up by two with about ten minutes to play. Butler fought back, scoring a goal in the 85th minute, but could not find an equalizer.

Key Moments

40′ | Wright State crashed the area and connected two quick passes, through Butler defenders and in front of the goal. The ball was punched in by Conner Osterholt for a 1-0 lead.

       HALFTIME

57′ | The Raiders’ Gabe Gotting received a short pass right in front of Butler’s goal. He was able to maneuver through defenders and finish for a 2-0 lead.

58′ | Alejandro Moroso-Maza sent a corner kick to the far post. Henri Kumwenda headed the service back toward the near post, and Ryan Hannosh headed it out of the air and into the back of the net. The gap was closed to one goal.

81′ | Wright State drew a penalty in the area and converted. The lead was once again two goals, at 3-1.

85′ | After a foul on the Raiders, a Nick Graziano service finds the head of Josemir Gomez. The redirection bounces, hits the far post, and goes into the goal. The Bulldogs trail by one, 3-2, with five minutes on the clock.

Butler Points Summary

GOALS: Ryan Hannosh, Josemir Gomez

ASSISTS: Alejandro Moroso-Maza, Henri Kumwenda, Nick Graziano

Bulldog Bits

Ryan Hannosh’s goal was his fifth of the season and the seventh of his career.

The goal from Josemir Gomez was his sixth of the season and the 22nd of his collegiate career.

Alejandro Moroso-Maza’s assist was his first of the season and the second of his career.

Henri Kumwenda’s assist was his first of the season and third of his career.

Nick Graziano’s assist was his first of the season and the second of his career.

Up Next

Butler travels to Marquette for a BIG EAST matchup on Saturday, Sept. 28.

IU-INDY MEN’S SOCCER

TWO FIRST HALF GOALS FROM LEATHERNECKS SEE THEM PAST THE JAGS

INDIANAPOLIS – In a quick one-game break from league play, the IU Indianapolis men’s soccer team took on a familiar foe in Western Illinois, falling 2-1 after giving up two first half goals. Tyson Aschliman’s second tally of his young career came in the second half, but the Jaguars were unable to find the tying goal in the final minutes of the match.

“We were way too exposed in the first half, and Western exploited that,” head coach Sid van Druenen stated following the match. “We reminded the guys of some things at the half, and the second half was a completely different picture.”

Both sides struggled to find their footing in the opening minutes of the contest, leading to lots of changes of possession and back and forth. The first real scoring chance of the match came in the tenth minute when Leevi Swearengen cut in from the left side of the field and whipped a shot towards goal, but Declan Finnegan was up to the challenge, forcing the ball over the bar.

After the hosts settled into the game, they held the lion’s share of possession for the back half of the opening ’45. With the bulk of possession came more attacking opportunities, which mostly came from crosses from wide areas into the box. Despite racking up nine first-half shots, only two were on target and were straight forward saves for Alexis McHaud.

Against the run of play, the Leathernecks (5-3-1, 0-0 OVC) scored back-to-back goals in just under a minute to take control of the match. The first, coming off a Jaguar turnover in the midfield, was scored by Diego Porras who was in the right place at the right time as a clearance attempt went off his body to find the back of the net. The second came just 49 seconds later from Liam Gainey, who collected his fourth goal of the campaign with the first-half tally. After the ball was headed back and forth between the sides following a Leatherneck goal kick, it ended up at the feet of Benjamin Graham who played an excellent ball in behind the back line to the feet of Gainey who made no mistake with the finish, finding the side netting to beat Declan Finnegan.

Similar to the first half, IU Indianapolis (3-4-1, 0-2 HL) controlled the ball for the majority of the second stanza, holding over 60 percent of the possession. The hosts, needing two goals threw numbers forward, had twice the number of shots as Western in the second half, but again struggled to find the target and was plagued by near misses.

The breakthrough finally came in the 77th minute when Giovanni Leon played a beautiful ball over the top of the defense from his centerback position to a streaking Stan Klaver who perfectly crushed a cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Aschliman converted the splendid service, slotting the ball passed the keeper with his right foot for his second tally of his young career. The assist was also Klaver’s second of the year.

With just over ten minutes to play and only down a goal, the Jaguars continued to push forward in search of the equalizer. The hosts looked to have found that goal with just over six minute to play, but Micah Ramirez had other ideas, making the save of the match to maintain his sides’ one-goal advantage. The play began with a diagonal ball to Aschliman from Owen Parrish, a cross was then sent into a dangerous spot and Christian Nielsen did excellent to send a powerful header to the upper corner, but a diving Ramirez denied the goal.

Despite having a few more opportunities, the Jaguars were unable to capitalize, dropping the match, 3-2, for the team’s third consecutive loss. The team will look to get back on track when they return to conference play at the weekend, travel to Oakland to face the Golden Grizzlies on Saturday (Sept. 28).

INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL

SYCAMORES COME OFF BYE WEEK WITH NONCONFERENCE MATCHUP AGAINST HOUSTON CHRISTIAN

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns to the field this week as the Sycamores welcome Houston to Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon are Kickoff between the Sycamores and the Huskies is set for 1 p.m. ET and will carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.

Quick Notes

Houston Christian at a Glance

Houston Christian enters the weekend’s contest with a 1-3 overall record following this past weekend’s 45-7 loss at UTSA. The Huskies picked up their first win of Head Coach Jason Bachtel’s tenure on September 14 with a record-setting 70-7 win over Louisiana Christian. The 70-7 win featured a new single-game scoring record for HCU with eight different players finding the end zone in the contest.

HCU was selected seventh overall in the Southland Conference preseason poll as announced in the preseason. The Huskies received 41 total points in the poll. Three HCU players were named to the SLC Preseason All-Conference team including PK Dillon Fedor, OL Dion Daniels, and DL Zae Smith. Houston Christian pulled in the No. 1 recruiting class in FCS according to 247Sports composite recruiting rankings.

Former HCU linebacker Jalyx Hunt was drafted in the third round by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is one of three HCU players in the NFL including Bailey Zappe (New England) and Caleb Johnson (Jacksonville Jaguars).

About the Matchup

Saturday’s contest against Houston Christian marks the first time the two programs have competed against each other in their respective program histories. The Sycamores do not have an extensive history against the Southland Conference lining up against just McNeese State (1-1) and Stephen F. Austin (0-1) overall. Saturday’s contest marks just the third time the Sycamores have hosted a Southland Conference team since 1982.

Sept. 10, 1977 – at McNeese State – L, 25-7

Sept. 18, 1982 – vs. McNeese State – W, 13-10

Sept. 22, 2001 – vs. Stephen F. Austin – L, 31-13

On This Date

Indiana State has posted a 6-3 overall record on September 28 thoughout program history according to current records on hand. The Sycamores have hosted three times at Memorial Stadium with the latest, a 34-31 overtime win over Murray State back in 2002. The Sycamores topped Drake, 17-10, back in the 1985 season, while falling to Ball State back in 1991.

1957 – at Evansville – L, 34-27

1963 – at Illinois State – W, 20-7

1968 – at Butler – W, 28-12

1974 – at Northern Illinois – W, 23-14

1985 – vs. Drake – W, 17-10

1991 – vs. Ball State – L, 14-10

1996 – at Liberty – W, 34-10

2002 – vs. Murray State – W, 34-31 (OT)

2013 – at Tennessee Tech – L, 38-37

Defense Scores

Indiana State’s defense accomplished a feat that had not happened since 2012 as the Sycamore defense scored a pair of touchdowns in Saturday’s win over Dayton. Both Jorge Valdes (90-yard pick-six) and Garret Ollendieck (12-yard scoop-and-score) scored defensive touchdowns in the first half against the Flyers to propel Indiana State to the 24-13 victory over Dayton in the Sycamores’ 2024 home opener.

It marked Indiana State’s first game with multiple defensive touchdowns since October 13, 2012, when Johnny Towalid returned a pair of pick-sixes for the Sycamore defense against North Dakota State. Overall, Indiana State has recorded at least one turnover in all three games in the 2024 season.

Last Five Defensive Touchdowns

Sept. 14, 2024 vs. Dayton – Garret Ollendieck 12yd FR TD

Sept. 14, 2024 vs. Dayton – Jorge Valdes 90yd INT TD

Oct. 14, 2023 – at Illinois State – Garret Ollendieck 27yd INT TD

Sept. 8, 2023 – at Indiana – Maddix Blackwell 75yd FR TD

Sept. 17, 2022 – vs. Montana – Lucas Hunter 15yd FR TD

Win Whatever It Takes

Indiana State set a mark that has only been accomplished five times since 1996 in their last contest against Dayton as the Sycamores topped the Flyers 24-13 back on September 14. The Sycamores won the contest courtesy of their two defensive touchdowns as the Indiana State offense was limited due to quarterback Elijah Owens sitting out due to injury.

Indiana State topped the Flyers to record their first win of the 2024 season despite recording just 92 yards of total offense on the day. It marked the first time an FCS team had won a game with fewest than 100 yards of total offense since Morgan State topped Howard back on Sept. 25, 2010, with just 64 yards.

Last Five Times an FCS Team Won With Less Than 100 Total Yards

Sept. 14, 2024 – Indiana State 24, Dayton 13 (ISU 92 total yards)

Sept. 25, 2010 – Morgan State 20, Howard 3 (MSU 64 total yards)

Nov. 4, 2006 – Albany 16, Robert Morris 6 (UA 91 total yards)

Oct. 19, 1996 – Bucknell 10, Princeton 6 (BUCK 90 total yards)

Sept. 28, 1996 – Southern 19, Tennessee State 18 (SOU 93 total yards)

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER

MASTODON WOMEN’S SOCCER TRAVELS TO ROBERT MORRIS

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer (6-3-1, 1-0-0 Horizon League) hits the road for their first Horizon League away game against Robert Morris on Thursday (Sept. 26) at 4 p.m.

Game Day Information
Who: Robert Morris Colonials (2-4-3, 1-1-0 Horizon League)
When: Thursday, September 26 | 4 PM
Where: Moon Township, Pa.
Watch: Link (ESPN+)
Live Stats: Link

Know Your Foe

Robert Morris started 1-3-3 in non-league games, with their lone win coming against Le Moyne. The Colonials tied with Southern Indiana (Aug. 22), who lost to Purdue Fort Wayne two weeks later (Sept. 5). Robert Morris is 1-1 in league play thus far. A couple of Colonials lead the team in goals through the early part of the season. Grad student Haleigh Finale and junior Paloma Swankler each have three. Grad student Brenna Murray has started every game in goal this year after starting all 20 games last year. Murray owns a 1.47 goals against average on the season.

Series History

Purdue Fort Wayne leads the series history 5-1-1. The Mastodons have won the last three meetings.

The Mastodons Are The Most

The Mastodons’ six wins are the most in the Horizon League. The ‘Dons lead the HL in overall winning percent with .650.

Home Sweet Hefner

The Mastodons have a 72.22% winning percentage at home since joining the Horizon League in 2020 (21-5-10). Purdue Fort Wayne has gone 5-1-1 this season at home.

Mastodon Starters

Four Mastodons have started every game this season: Chloe Mariotti, Allison Adams, Lizzie Haub and Bella Reitano.

Freshman Starters

Purdue Fort Wayne freshmen Maci Toporcer, Sam Christle, Maddy Kopala and Hailey Hoskins have recorded starts for the Mastodons this season.

Can’t Lose if You Don’t Allow a Goal

The Mastodons are giving up 1.30 goals per game, the best mark in the Horizon League.

Mastodon Masterclass

Morgan Gallagher and Allison Adams swept the second week of Horizon League Player of the Week Awards. Gallagher earned Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week following a victory against Tiffin (Aug. 22), posting a career-high three points off the bench, an assist and scoring the last goal of the game. Adams played 143 of the 180 available minutes on the defensive line that gave up just one goal. Both players earned their first Horizon League Player of the Week, respectfully.

Freshman Contributors

Three key freshmen carried the Mastodons to a win over Eastern Illinois (Aug. 25). Hailey Hoskins scored the game winning goal on her first shot collegiate shot attempt, Sam Christle earned a shutout in her collegiate debut and finished the match with eight saves. Maci Toporcer took back-to-back shots on goal in the first half.

Touching Up The Record Book

Bella Reitano sits in 10th place for career goals per game in the Purdue Fort Wayne record book. Reitano is just two goals and two assists away from placing top 10 in both career record books.

‘Dons Wear Prada

Gigi Ricciardi did a fashion industry internship based in Florence, Italy this summer.

#OneHL Member

Gigi Ricciardi represents the athletic department on the Horizon League’s #OneHL group. #OneHL is a subset of the Horizon League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and seeks to bring about meaningful change and action to social issues across the League.  #OneHL initiatives include the annual Coach John McLendon Celebration, a partnership with Athlete Ally and civic engagement. #OneHL meets throughout the 2024-25 academic year via video conference.

Coming Up

The Mastodons will stay on the road, as they travel to Youngstown State on Sunday (Sept. 29).

EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER

ACES MEN’S SOCCER BLANKED AT XAVIER

CINCINATTI – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team was kept out of the net for the first time in 2024 in a 2-0 loss to the Xavier Musketeers.

The Purple Aces defense was tested in their third of four straight road games in Cincinnati. Graduate forward Sami Owusu (Denver / Dayton) was the only UE player with multiple shots while senior midfielder Jose Vivas (Teruel, Spain) had the only chance on net. Freshman goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove HS) made three saves in the loss.

Evansville’s offense struggled in the first half with two offside’s calls in the first 13 minutes of action. The Aces didn’t find the offensive zone until two thirds into the first half as Owusu launched a ball just high of the goal in the 33rd minute. Xavier dominated play in the first 45 minutes with six shots. The final shot ended up in the back of the net for the Musketeers in the 42nd minute, putting UE down by one going into the second half.

The start of the second half played out in similar fashion for Evansville as Xavier scored a long goal in the 49th minute to put the Aces down by two. The match’s pace slowed down after the goal as both teams fought for the ball in the midfield. UE’s offense came alive in the 71st minute with four straight shots at the net.

Vivas chance came in the 74th minute after he stripped the ball from a Musketeer defender. He took the ball all the way into the 12 and fired. But the shot was saved by Xavier’s goalkeeper coming out of the net to make the save with a slide tackle. Sophomore winger Auden Engen Vik (Tondheim, Norway) took a shot on the rebound, but it was blocked by a Musketeer. Vik’s blocked shot in the 75th minute ended up being Evansville’s final opportunity of the night.

The Aces return to Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday. UE will have its last of four away games in Peoria to take on Bradley. Kick-off for Evansville’s return to conference play on September 28th is set for 7 p.m.

VALPO FOOTBALL

VALPO FOOTBALL TO KICK OFF PFL PLAY ON SATURDAY

Valparaiso (2-2, 0-0 PFL)

at Morehead State (2-2, 0-0 PFL)

Game #5 Saturday, Sept. 28, Noon CT

Jayne Stadium (10,000) – Morehead, Ky.

This Week in Valpo Football: The Valparaiso University football program will kick off Pioneer Football League play this week by visiting Morehead State on Saturday afternoon in Kentucky. The Beacons will look to extend their winning streak to three after prevailing in one-score games at Brown Field each of the last two weeks.

Previously: Valpo is coming off a 31-23, double overtime victory over Roosevelt at Brown Field, the team’s second straight cliff-hanging triumph to close the nonconference slate. Ryan Hawk drilled three field goals including a 39 yarder in the first overtime to extend the game. Michael Mansaray ran for 132 yards and two scores, including an 18 yarder to begin the second overtime that stood as the game winner. Jake Birmingham had a team-high seven tackles including a strip sack and fumble recovery.

Series Notes: Valpo is just 5-24 all-time against Morehead State including a 3-11 all-time record in Morehead, Ky. The Beacons’ last trip to Morehead resulted in the program’s first road win over the Eagles since 2006, a 40-35 victory in October 2022. Morehead State won 24-21 last year at Brown Field in the latest installment of a matchup that almost always comes down to the wire. In that game, Morehead State kicked a 28-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired to capture a contest that Valpo led 21-14 with 2:31 remaining. Since the start of the 2014 season, eight of the 10 matchups between these two teams have been decided by seven points or fewer.

Following the Beacons: Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+. In addition, the hometown radio call featuring Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst) will be available on 95.1 FM Valparaiso, ValpoAthletics.com and the TuneIn Radio app. Links to live video, audio and stats can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.

Head Coach Landon Fox: Landon Fox (19-37) is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Valparaiso University football program in 2024. Over the last four seasons, Fox has led Valpo to 14 Pioneer Football League victories, the most in a four-year period in program history. This stretch marks Valpo’s most league wins in a four-year period in any conference since 1961-1964. Fox finished the 2023 season with 17 victories as Valpo head coach, tied for the seventh most in program history. He coached his 2023 team to a 3-2 record at Brown Field, the group’s highest home win total since 2017. Fox’s teams continued to thrive academically in 2023 as well, led by PFL Scholar-Athlete of the Year Evan Annis, who became the first Beacon to earn that honor. He was part of a group of five Academic All-PFL selections, tied for the most in the league and the program’s most since 1998. During the 2022 campaign, Valpo had 64 PFL Honor Roll members, the most in program history. After spending the previous 11 seasons as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at the University of Dayton, Fox was named the head football coach at Valpo prior to the 2019 season. He helped the Flyers finish with 10 winning seasons in his 11 years on staff and guided a defensive backfield that produced one All-American, four Academic All-Americans, two PFL Special Teams Players of the Year and three corners who were invited to NFL Rookie Minicamp. Prior to joining Dayton’s staff, Fox served as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Wayne State University in Detroit from 2005-2007. He also spent time as a defensive graduate assistant at Ball State University (2004), Dayton (2002-2003) and Lakeland College (2001). Fox began his coaching career as an assistant varsity coach at Preble Shawnee High School in Camden, Ohio during the 2000 season. During his playing days, Fox was a team captain and all-conference performer at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio from 1995-1999 and graduated with a degree in physical education and health in May 2000 before earning his master’s degree in education from Lakeland in May 2002.

With a Win on Saturday, Valpo Would…

Extend its winning streak to three, which would be the program’s first three-game winning streak since the 2003 season. Valpo had two separate three-game streaks during the league-championship season of 2003, including wins over Dayton, San Diego and Drake in October. The program has not won three straight in over two decades entering this week.

Snap a nine-game road losing streak that dates back to a 45-24 win at Marist on Nov. 12, 2022.

Win the league opener for the fourth time in the last five years. Valpo had three straight PFL-opening victories before falling to Marist 36-30 at Brown Field to start the 2023 PFL campaign.

Free Football

Valpo’s 31-23, double-overtime victory over Roosevelt in Week 3 marked the program’s 27th one-score game in Landon Fox’s 54 games as head coach.

That came after Valpo’s 20-17 victory over NAIA No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan in Week 3.

Since the start of the 2023 season, six of the seven games played at Brown Field have been decided by eight points or fewer and three of them have gone to overtime.

Valpo vs. Roosevelt was just the second double overtime game nationally in FCS this season, joining UT Martin at SEMO on Sept. 7.

Valpo played its first double overtime game since Sept. 6, 1997, a 35-34 win over Hope. That was also Valpo’s most recent nonconference OT contest prior to the tilt with Roosevelt.

Valpo played its first overtime game of the season and first since Nov. 11, 2023 vs. Stetson (W 23-20). The program went seven straight seasons without an overtime game from 2014 to Spring 2021, but has now played four overtime games over the last four seasons, all at Brown Field.

Not One, But Two PFL Honors

Valpo earned a pair of Pioneer Football League weekly awards following the team’s Week-4 victory over Roosevelt.

Michael Mansaray, who went for a season-high 132 rushing yards while scoring two touchdowns, was named the PFL Offensive Player of the Week. His 51-yard touchdown run in the third quarter broke a 10-10 tie, then he scored on an 18-yard run on Valpo’s possession of the second overtime, a play that held up as the game-winning score.

Mansaray took the first snap of the game as Valpo operated out of the wildcat, so he was technically the team’s starting quarterback for the contest. He became the first Valpo player to earn the PFL Offensive Player of the Week Award after starting at QB since Jimmy Seewald in October 2017.

Ryan Hawk, who went 3-for-4 on field goals including a career-long 51 yarder, was named the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week. His 51 yarder was the longest by a Valpo player since Andrew McCawley on Nov. 8, 2003 and he became one of 19 FCS kickers this season (through Week 4) with a field goal of longer than 50 yards. He became the first Valpo player with three made field goals in a game since Dimitrios Latsonas on Oct. 26, 2019 vs. Stetson.

Hawk, who also went 2-for-2 on PATs and booted four of his five kickoffs for touchbacks, made a pressure-packed 39 yarder on Valpo’s possession of the first overtime, a kick that he had to make to extend the game.

This marked the first time Valpo won two PFL weekly awards in the same week since Oct. 23, 2022, when Aaron Dawson (offense) and Brian Bartholomew (special teams) were honored following Valpo’s victory at Morehead State.

Hawk helped Valpo win the PFL Special Teams Player of the Week Award for the second straight week, while Mansaray won Valpo’s first offensive award since Dawson on Nov. 13, 2022.

Hawk’s 51-yard field goal outdid his previous career long of 47 that was set on Sept. 9, 2023.

Other Notes Wrapping Up Week 4: Valpo 31, Roosevelt 23

Valpo secured multiple nonconference wins in the same season for the first time since 2014 (William Jewell and Missouri Baptist). Valpo will play its PFL opener with two wins already under its belt for the first time since 2007.

Brian Thomas made a 21-yard touchdown catch, his second career score and first since Oct. 21, 2023 at Davidson.

Michael Mansaray is up to four rushing touchdowns on the young season after his pair against the Lakers. He enjoyed his first 100-yard rushing effort and the team featured a 100-yard rusher for the third straight week.

Quarterback Caron Tyler had exactly 17 pass attempts for the third straight week, this time boasting a career-best 11 completions while totaling 88 yards and one score.

Valpo held Roosevelt to just 42 rushing yards, outgaining the Lakers on the ground 178-42. This marked Valpo’s best performance in terms of rushing defense since holding Marist to 36 rushing yards on Nov. 12, 2022.

Valpo prevailed despite being outgained 328-266. Each team had exactly 58 offensive snaps.

Sam Johnson averaged 46.5 yards per punt on four attempts including a long of 58. He already has seven punts of 50+ yards this season.

Rylan Woods had his first Valpo interception, a game-ending pick in the second overtime. He helped Valpo win the turnover battle for the second straight week.

Jake Birmingham had a strip sack – his first career sack, first career fumble recovery and second career forced fumble. He also paced the team with seven tackles.

Ryan Mann, who passed for a 2-point conversion two weeks prior at Youngstown State, had a 2-point conversion run in the second overtime. This marked Valpo’s first successful 2-point conversion run since Chris Duncan on Oct. 27, 2018 vs. Drake.

Scouting the Opponent: Morehead State

Coming off back-to-back losses to full scholarship opponents, falling 59-2 at No. 8 Montana and 42-13 at Eastern Kentucky.

Started the season with back-to-back wins, beating Central State (Ohio) 17-10 and Kentucky Christian 48-7.

Under the direction of first-year head coach Jason Woodman, who had served as the head coach at Fairmont State since 2013.

Picked ninth of 11, one place ahead of Valpo, in the PFL Preseason Poll.

Went 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the league last year.

UINDY MEN’S GOLF

MEN’S GOLF PLACES 6TH AT UINDY FALL INVITATIONAL

INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy men’s golf team hosted the UIndy Fall Invitational on Monday and Tuesday, placing sixth out of nine teams. Taking place at Broadmoor Country Club, the competition included three 18-hole rounds.

INS & OUTS

Eight out of the nine teams are in-region opponents for UIndy.  GLVC rival Missouri S&T won the tournament with the rest of the field including Ashland, Charleston (WV), Ferris State, Illinois-Springfield, Missouri-St. Louis, Northwood, and Tiffin.

The Greyhounds shot -4 under, they opened the tournament with a -5 finish after round one. Sophomore Alexander Nestun was the top finisher for the Hounds, placing 10th at -7. Nestun tabbed 16 birdies during the tournament, seven of which came during the first 18.

Sophomore Caleb Michaels was T26th overall at even. During the first round, Michaels secured an eagle on 12. Junior Drew Rowen finished +1, placing 28th.

Rounding out the lineup for the Greyhounds was sophomores Cameron Young (+3) and Joseph Armfield who placed 30th and T33rd, respectively.

Junior Jackson Watkins competed as an individual completing the tournament at +8, finishing T29. Freshman Justin Repovs also competed as an individual, this being his first collegiate tournament. Repovs placed 56th at +23.

UP NEXT

UIndy will head to St. Joseph, Mo. next week to compete in the Midwest Region Preview. Hosted by Missouri-St. Louis, the tournament will begin on Monday, Sept. 30, and last through Tuesday, Oct. 1 at St. Joseph Country Club.

MARIAN MEN’S GOLF

HEFFNER LEADS MARIAN’S RUNNER-UP FINISH AT NAIA NATIONALS PREVIEW

Silvis, Ill. – The Marian men’s golf team completed their second tournament of the 2024 fall season on Tuesday afternoon, finishing as the runner-up at TPC Deere Run in the NAIA National Championship Preview. Brandon Heffner led Marian in the tournament, earning a top-five finish in the event.

Marian recorded a team score of 591 over the 36-hole tournament, firing a +13 score as a team in round one, while firing a +3 team score in the second round on Tuesday. Mt. Mercy won the tournament by two shots over Marian, while the Knights finished six-shots ahead of (RV) Northwestern Ohio. Hastings and Northwestern rounded out the top-five in the tournament.

Brandon Heffner led Marian with a 143 total score, finishing one-over par for the tournament. Heffner (73, 70) finished eight shots out of first place finisher Theo Baker of Mt. Mercy. Joining the senior in the top-10 were Augie Mann and Weston Ogden, who tied for 10th with a 147 total. Mann shot a 76 in round one and 71 in round two, while Ogden played consistent with scores of 73 and 74.

Jacob Paine finished 38th overall in the tournament, firing a 75 and 79 to get to his total score of 154. Nolan Potter rounded out the lineup, shooting a 155 with his round scores of 83 and 72.

The Knights will compete again next Monday and Tuesday, traveling out to Arizona to play in the OUAZ Fall Invite.

WABASH SOCCER

HOLDS OFF EARLHAM IN 5-3 WIN

RICHMOND, Indiana — Wabash took an early 3-0 at Earlham Tuesday evening but needed a second goal from Ben Wallace and an insurance goal from Alfredo Campos to secure a 5-3 victory over the host Quakers at Matlack-Messer Stadium.

Wabash improved to 7-2-0 overall with the win.

How it Happened

The Little Giants scored first in the 15th minute when Campos delivered his fourth goal of the season off a pass from Bruno Zamora. Wabash made it 2-0 when Wallace scored his first goal of the season five minutes later on a penalty kick. That score held through halftime until Logan Dottenwhy tallied his second goal of the season early in the second half to put Wabash up 3-0.

Wallace found the back of the net for the second time just 30 seconds later to put the Little Giants in front 4-0 with what would prove to be the game-winning goal of the match.

Earlham (1-6-1) rallied to score three goals over the next 15 minutes to trim the Wabash lead to one at 4-3. Campos ended any last comeback effort by the Quakers with his team-leading fifth goal of the season and second of the match with 12 minutes remaining in the contest.

Wabash outshot Earlham by one, 14-13, and held a one-shot advantage in shots on goal, 7-6. Henry Geisel made three saves in goal for the Little Giants to earn his first win of the season.

Wabash plays Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday, September 28, at 3:30 p.m. at Fischer Field.

VINCENNES VOLLEYBALL

CENTRALIA, Ill. – The Vincennes University volleyball team had their Region 24 winning streak snapped Tuesday night when the Blazers fell in four sets at Kaskaskia College.

The Blue Angels ended the VU winning streak at 44 matches as Vincennes fell 14-25, 25-18, 20-25, 17-25.

The match started out well for the Trailblazers, building a quick 10-7 lead over Kaskaskia, before the Blue Angels used a pair of big scoring runs to pull away late in the opening set and take set one 25-14 over Vincennes.

VU would look to rebound and even the match in the second set and got off to a great start, growing a big 14-5 early advantage.

Kaskaskia would try to cut into the big deficit down the stretch of the set, but were only able to cut the VU lead down to six as the Blazers took set two 25-18 and evened the match at 1-1.

Vincennes forced a pivotal third set and the momentum would swing back-and-forth throughout most of the set as both teams traded the lead and left the score even at 20-20.

Kaskaskia would close out the third set strong and take a 2-1 match lead by scoring the final five points of the third set to win 25-20.

With their backs against the wall, the Trailblazers refused to give up, battling in the fourth set after falling behind early.

Unfortunately for Vincennes, Kaskaskia was able to make a few more plays late in set four to pull away and ride the home crowd to a 25-17 set four win to take the match 3-1.

“You need to be ready to match the other team’s intensity, especially in their place and we failed to do that tonight,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “When you fail to do that, you get beat, it’s as simple as that. It’s disappointing that after such a great weekend, we took a couple of steps backwards.”

The Trailblazer offense was led by sophomore Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) who led the Blazers with 13 kills, six digs, two blocks, one set assist and one ace.

Sophomores Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) and Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ill.) had a good game at the net, each recording six kills, with Dalla Pozza posting a team-high five blocks and two aces, while Czyzewski added four blocks.

Sophomore Laura Tavares (Meridia, Venezuela) finished her night with five kills, six digs, one set assist and one block.

Freshmen Martyna Sadowska (Pila, Poland) and Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) rounded out the VU offensive numbers with Sadowska ending with three kills and one block, while Fister finished the match with one kill and a pair of digs.

Sophomore setter Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.) ran the VU offense with a team-high 28 set assists, five kills, one ace and one dig.

Sophomore libero Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) matched the team-high in digs on the night with six digs and two set assists, while fellow sophomore Dylan DeCoursey (Montgomery, Ind.) added two set assists.

Freshman Julianna Rettig (Antioch, Ill.) had a really good match in her second appearance in the Blue and Gold this season, finishing her night with a pair of digs, two set assists and one ace.

Freshman Ashley Earp (Mattoon, Ill.) rounded out the VU box score by recording one block on the night.

“Julianna stepped up in only her second collegiate match to pass and serve well,” Sien added. “Allison had a good night at the net with blocking and hitting and Isadora played well all around in both the front and back rows.”

The Trailblazers will look to rebound, regroup and hopefully begin a new Region 24 winning streak when they return to the home floor of the Physical Education Complex Friday, Sept. 27 to take on John A. Logan College at 7 p.m. eastern.

The Blazers will then close out the weekend by heading to Champaign, Ill. for the Parkland College Fall Challenge Saturday, Sept. 28 and face-off against NJCAA Division II No. 5-ranked Heartland C.C. at 4 p.m. eastern and Lincoln Land C.C. at 6 p.m. eastern.

“We don’t have a choice now, we have to play perfectly from this point on in all Region play,” Sien said. “This should be a wake up call for all of us that we need to be at our very best at all times.”

INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEBSITES

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

3 – 4 – 6 – 35 – 29 – 28 – 1 – 17 – 34 – 10 – 24 – 33 – 26

September 25, 1908 – Chicago Cubs’ Ed Reulbach became the only pitcher to throw doubleheader shutout

September 25, 1926 – NHL grants franchises to Chicago Black Hawks & Detroit Red Wings

September 25, 1932 – Jimmie Foxx, Number 3 of the Philadelphia Athletics hit his 58th HR in last game of season

September 25, 1934 – Lou Gehrig, Number 4 of the Yankees played in his 1,500th consecutive game

September 25, 1955 – Detroit outfielder Al Kaline, wearing Number 6, at just age 20, became the youngest batting champ

September 25, 1956 – Brooklyn Dodger Number 35, Sal Maglie tossed a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies, for 5-0 win

September 25, 1965 – Amazing feat here! 60 year old Satchel Paige, Number 29 of Kansas City Athletics pitches 3 scoreless innings

September 25, 1980 – Jerry Mumphrey (Number 28) joined legends who formerly played for the Padres organization Ozzie Smith (Number 1) and Gene Richards (Number 17) as the only players to steal 50 bases in a season, for the Padres

September 25, 1981 – Houston Astros Number 34, Nolan Ryan’s 5th career no-hitter as Astros beat Dodgers 5-0

September 25, 1984 – New York Met Rusty Staub (Number 10) joined Ty Cobb, who hit home runs as both a teen and in their 40s in the MLB

September 25, 1985 – Rickey Henderson, Number 24 steals Yankee record 75th base of season

September 25, 1986 – Houston Astro Mike Scott, Number 33 threw a no-hit gem against the San Francisco Giants, for a 2-0 shutout victory

September 25, 1989 – Boston Red Sox Wade Boggs, Number 26 became the first to get 200 hits along with 100 walks in 4 consecutive seasons

FOOTBALL HISTORY

The Cyclone

September 25, 1904 – Charles “The Black Cyclone” Follis becomes the first African-American player to play professional football and get paid. A team from Shelby, Ohio known as the Shelby Blues of the Ohio League signed Mr. Follis under contract on September 15, 1904  for the 1904 season. Charles shows up on the roster of the Blues for the 1902 and 1903 seasons as well but it is unclear if he was paid for those games. This first game of the 1904 season according to an article in the Shelby Daily Globe took place on September 25, 1904 against the Marion Athletic Club. Follis per a 1980 article in the PFRA’s Coffin Corner, led Shelby to a 29-0 victory over rival Marion, headlined by his 83 yard scoring run! Charles Follis was reported to be 6′-0″ tall and weighed in at 200 pounds and strength and speed at that size made him a very difficult  runner for the opposition to bring down. The Coffin Corner article goes on to report that Follis helped start his Wooster High School football team in 1899 as a junior. That first Wooster team went undefeated and held all opponents scoreless! A few years later Shelby Athletic Club Manager, F. C. Schiffer noticed Follis playing for the Wooster Athletic Club and it was shortly thereafter that Shelby manager offered Follis a job at a local hardware store and a place on his football team. Charles became endeared by the Blues faithful for not only his football prowess but also for his kind disposition. Opposing fans and players were not so friendly to accept him on account of the color of his skin. The racial ignorance led to many instances of “dirty play” by opponents towards Follis and opposing fans shouting disparaging words at him. Through it all Follis kept a level head and focussed on the game at hand. Injuries in 1906 forced Charles to discontinue playing football but he did go on to play professional baseball for a couple seasons until his untimely death in 1910 at the age of 31 from pneumonia.

Hardshell Helmets arrive

September 25, 1939 – Riddell introduces the Shell Helmet. 1st helmet to use a hard plastic shell available to players. It’s internal suspension strap system was adopted by General George S Patton and the US Servicemen in WWII. Only the college and high school games adopted the plastic shells at this time. The leather helmet era in the NFL ended at the beginning of the 1949 season when the plastic shells were adopted for use in the League.

Wildcats streak finally ends

September 25, 1982 – Northwestern University breaks its 34 game losing streak by knocking off Northern University 31-6. The Wildcats were coached by Dennis Green and his preparation led to his Northwestern squad overcoming the longest losing streak in Division I football.

USC to the SEC

September 25, 1990 – The Southeastern Conference welcomed the University of South Carolina into their Conference of collegiate athletics. The Gamecocks officially entered the SEC on July 1, 1991 along with the University of Arkansas. According to the SEC’s official website, They completed their first year of competition in the SEC in the 1991-1992 school year.

SEC Adds another School

September 25, 2011 – The Southeastern Conference welcomed Texas A&M into their Conference of Collegiate Athletics. The Aggies and The University of Missouri officially entered the SEC on July 1, 2012. According to the SEC’s official website, They completed their first year of competition in the SEC in the 2012-2013 school year.

The Mighty Have Fallen

September 25, 2022 – Two of the early AFC favorites for the 2022 season fell in week 3 of the NFL regular season.

     – The Buffalo Bills made it exciting in Miami at the end scoring a safety with little time remaining of the fourth and down by four. Dolphins punter, Thomas Morstead lined up in the end zone for a punt, and with little room (the ball was spotted on about the 1 yard line) booted it directly into Trent Sherfield’s rear end. The ball ricocheted off Sherfield through the end zone for a safety, giving the Bills a great chance to win as they got the ball back on the free kick. The Bills drove the ball into field goal range but with no time outs remaining could not get set up to spike the ball before time elapsed and lost to Miami 21-19. What a game.

    – The Kansas City Chiefs, another favorite fell to the 0-1-1 Indianapolis Colts. Colts Rookie tight end Jelani Woods, hooked up with veteran QB Matt Ryan and scored two touchdowns, including the game-winner with less than a minute left to carry Indy over the Chiefs 20-17.  After trailing throughout all of the second half, Colts quarterback Matt Ryan found Jelani Woods for a 12-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left in the game to go up three. KC stud signal caller Patrick Mahomes almost led the Chiefs to another crazy comeback finish, as he got them just a few yards from field-goal range, his final pass intended for Juju Smith-Schuster was tipped and then intercepted by Rodney McLeod game over Colts win in an upset.

September 25, 2022 – Jacksonville Jaguars 2nd year quarterback Trevor Lawrence won his first road game. The Jags young defense played great and so did the offense winning 38-10 over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium in LA. In an odd story,  Lawrence is the second quarterback in the NFL common draft era to start his career with nine road losses and then win on his 10th road start. He is in good company though as the only other one to do so was Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, who also won his 10th road start in Week 3 of his second season in a game versus the Chargers.

September 25, 2022 – Aaron Donald registered the 100th sack of his career, becoming only the second Defensive Tackle to reach the 100 sack plateau. He got it on the elusive Kyler Murray too, no easy feat as the LA Rams knocked off Arizona 20-12.

Hall of Fame Birthday for September 25

September 25, 1975 – Dat Nguyen was a former Texas A&M linebacker that played in the 1995 through the 1998 season at the university.  Per his bio on footballfoundation.org, Dat is the only player in A&M history to lead the team in tackles for four straight seasons. His 1998 season may have been his finest though as he won both the Bednarik and the Lombardi Awards, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous First-Team All-American selection. The Aggies made it to the Cotton Bowl that season and despite falling to UCLA in the game, Dat earned the Defensive MVP honors as he registered a Cotton Bowl record 15 solo tackles. The Dallas Cowboys picked Day Nguyen in the 3rd round of the 1999 NFL Draft and played seven seasons with the team. In 2003 he became the first Vietnamese-American to become an All-Pro in the NFL. After his football playing days he coached as an assistant on both the Cowboys and with A&M and also hosted a radio talk show. Most recently he gives back to the community by serving on the Fellowship for Christian Athletes and working with the San Antonio Sports Foundation, focusing on improving playgrounds and facilities at schools. The National Football Foundation selected Dat to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

Sept. 25

1941 — Pete Reiser’s homer and Whitlow Wyatt’s five-hitter helped Brooklyn beat the Boston Braves 6-0 and clinch the Dodgers’ first pennant in 21 years.

1955 — Detroit’s Al Kaline, at the age of 20, became the youngest player to win a batting title, finishing his second season with a .340 average. Ty Cobb was one day older when he won the crown, batting .350 in 1907, also playing for Detroit.

1956 — Sal Maglie of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.

1960 — The New York Yankees clinched manager Casey Stengel’s 10th and last American League pennant with a 4-3 victory over Boston.

1965 — Satchel Paige, at 60, became the oldest player in the majors, taking the mound for Kansas City and pitching three scoreless innings over the Boston Red Sox. He gave up one hit, to Carl Yastrzemski.

1965 — Willie Mays, who hit 51 home runs in 1955, joined Ralph Kiner as only the National Leaguers to have more than one 50-home run season.

1974 — Dr. Frank Jobe transplanted a tendon from Tommy John’s right wrist to the Dodger pitcher’s left elbow. The revolutionary ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction allowed John to win an additional 164 games, more than half of his career total of 288 victories.

1980 — Oakland’s Brian Kingman lost his 20th game when the A’s were defeated by the Chicago White Sox 6-4. Kingman was the first pitcher to lose 20 games with a winning team since Dolf Luque went 13-23 for the 1922 Cincinnati Reds.

1984 — Rusty Staub of the Mets became the second player to hit homers as a teenager and past his 40th birthday. Staub’s game-winning home run off Larry Anderson to give the Mets a 6-4 victory over Philadelphia at Shea Stadium. Ty Cobb was the other major leaguer to accomplish the feat.

1987 — San Diego’s Benito Santiago set a modern major league record for rookies by hitting safely in his 27th consecutive game in a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1998 — The New York Yankees set the AL record for wins with their 112th, beating Tampa Bay 6-1 to break the victory mark held by the 1954 Cleveland Indians.

2001 — Richie Sexson and Jeromy Burnitz became the first teammates to hit three home runs apiece in a game as Milwaukee defeated Arizona 9-4.

2003 — Toronto’s Carlos Delgado became the sixth player to homer in four straight at-bats in one game as the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10-8 at SkyDome. Delgado tied the game at 8-8 in the eighth with his fourth homer, a solo shot off Lance Carter.

2007 — Prince Fielder, at 23 years, 139 days old, became the youngest major league player to hit 50 home runs in a season, connecting twice in Milwaukee’s 9-1 rout of St. Louis.

2013 — The New York Yankees failed to make the playoffs for only the second time in 19 years, getting mathematically eliminated during their 8-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

2016 — Jose Fernandez, 24, ace right-hander for the Miami Marlins, was killed in a boating accident.

2017 — Aaron Judge broke Mark McGwire’s major league record for home runs by a rookie, hitting a pair for the second straight day to raise his total to 50 and lead the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 11-3.

2018 — Max Scherzer became the 17th pitcher since 1900 to strike out 300 batters in a season, reaching that milestone by fanning 10 in seven innings during Washington’s 9-4 win over Miami.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Sept. 25

1866 — Jerome Park, named for its founder Leonard Jerome, opens in the Bronx in New York. Jerome, seeking to emulate the British racing system, also establishes the American Jockey Club, precursor to the present Jockey Club, formed in 1894.

1920 — Molly Bjurstedt Mallory wins her fifth title in six years with a two-set victory over Marion Zinderstein in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships.

1926 — Walter Hagen wins his third straight and fourth overall PGA Championship. Hagen beats Leo Diegel 4 and 3 in the championship match at Salisbury Golf Links in Westbury, N.Y.

1949 — Louise Suggs wins the U.S. Women’s Open by 14 strokes over Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

1962 — Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson at 2:06 of the first round at Comiskey Park in Chicago to win the world heavyweight title.

1966 — Gloria Ehret wins the LPGA Championship by three strokes over four-time champion Micke Wright.

1982 — Ricky Edwards rushes for 177 yards and four touchdowns to help Northwestern end its 34-game losing streak in a 31-6 victory over Northern Illinois.

1988 — Americans sweep the medals in the long jump at the Seoul Olympics; Carl Lewis wins his second gold of the Games with leap of 8.72m ahead of teammates Mike Powell & Larry Myricks.

1988 — Super swimmer Matt Biondi wins his 5th gold medal of the Seoul Olympics anchoring the victorious American 4 x 100m medley relay team.

1994 — Oliver McCall scores a major upset by stopping Lennox Lewis 31 seconds into the second round to capture the WBC heavyweight title in London.

1995 — Jerry Rice has 181 yards receiving in San Francisco’s 27-24 loss to Detroit. It’s his 51st 100-yard game, which breaks Don Maynard’s NFL record.

1997 — WNBA announces it will add Detroit & Washington, D.C. franchises.

2000 — American basketball player Vince Carter jumps over 7 foot 2 Frédéric Weis in 2000 Summer Olympics, known in France as “le dunk de la mort” (the dunk of death).

2004 — Bobby Seck of Hofstra throws eight touchdown passes to tie an Atlantic 10 mark and set a school record in the Pride’s 62-43 victory over Rhode Island.

2005 — Fernando Alonso becomes Formula One’s youngest champion by finishing third in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Alonso, 24, a six-time winner in his third full season in Formula One, ends Michael Schumacher’s five-year hold on the title.

2010 — Collingwood and St. Kilda plays to a 68-68 tie, the first in an Australian Rules football grand final since 1977, setting up a rematch to decide the league title.

2011 — The Detroit Lions snap a 13-game losing streak with a 26-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions, who won in the Metrodome for the first time since 1997, are 3-0 for the first time since 1980.

2013 — Skipper Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USA win the America’s Cup with one of the greatest comebacks in sports history to keep the oldest trophy in international sports in the United States. Spithill steers Oracle’s space-age, 72-foot catamaran to its eighth straight victory, speeding past Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand in the winner-take-all Race 19 on San Francisco Bay. All but defeated a week ago, the 34-year-old Australian and his international crew twice rallies from seven-point deficits to win 9-8.

2016 — Rory McIlroy rallies to enter a three-man playoff and win the FedEx Cup. After trailing by three shots with three holes to play in the Tour Championship, McIlroy holes a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to win the playoff and claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus.

2022 — Laver Cup Men’s Tennis, London: Team World sweeps final day for 13-8 victory over Team Europe; tournament marks retirement of Roger Federer.

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Sept. 26

1942 — Jockey Club stewards revoke Eddie Arcaro’s license for one year after his display of “rough riding” aboard odds-on favorite Occupation in the Cowdin Stakes on Sept. 19, in which he attempted to injure a fellow rider during the race.

1961 — New York Yankee Roger Maris ties Babe Ruth’s 34-year-old record with his 60th homer, off Jack Fisher of Baltimore.

1981 — Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros becomes the first player to pitch five no-hit, no-run games. This one is a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Astrodome.

1981 — Kelvin Bryant of North Carolina rushes for 173 yards and scores four touchdowns in a 56-14 victory over Boston College, giving him 15 touchdowns over the last three games, an NCAA record.

1983 — Australia II wins America’s Cup yacht race to end the longest winning streak in sporting history. Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, wins the title in the seventh and final race. Australia II crosses the finish line with a winning margin of 41 seconds over Liberty, which is skippered by Dennis Conner. The U.S. had successfully defended the cup over a period of 132 years, since the schooner America won it in a fleet race around England’s Isle of Wight in 1851.

1992 — Rocky Mountain’s Steve Thompson rushes for 405 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-36 overtime victory over Carroll College. The rushing total is the second highest in NAIA history.

1996 — SF Giant Barry Bonds is 2nd player to hit 40 HRs & steal 40 bases.

1998 — Prairie View A&M ends its NCAA-record 80-game losing streak by stopping a 2-point conversion in the final minute for a 14-12 victory over Langston. The victory is the Panthers’ first since Oct. 28, 1989, when they defeated Mississippi Valley 21-12.

2000 — At the Sydney Olympics, the U.S. softball team completes a stunning comeback by edging Japan 2-1 in extra innings to win its second straight gold medal.

2004 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis passes for 393 yards and five first-half touchdowns in a 45-31 win over Green Bay. Manning has the most TD throws in one half since Tommy Kramer in 1986, and the most yards in a quarter, 247, since Boomer Esiason in 1996.

2004 — San Francisco’s 34-0 loss at Seattle ends a 420-game streak of not being blanked for the 49ers, an NFL record.

2010 — Christine Sinclair has two goals and Marta adds a goal and two assists as the FC Gold Pride beat the Philadelphia Independence 4-0 to win the Women’s Professional Soccer championship.

2010 — Seattle’s Leon Washington returns two kickoffs — 101 and 99 yards — for touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 27-20 win over San Diego.

2015 — Aaron Green catches a tipped pass in the back of the end zone with 23 seconds left and No. 3 TCU outlasts Texas Tech 55-52 in the Big 12 opener for both teams. On fourth-and-goal from the 4, Trevor Boykin throws four touchdown passes and finishes with a career-high 509 yards for TCU.

2015 — Sebastian Giovinco breaks the MLS single-season points record, assisting on two goals in Toronto FC’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire to push his total to 35.

2017 — Sylvia Fowles grabs a WNBA Finals-record 17 rebounds and scores 13 points to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 70-68 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 2, evening the series at one game apiece.

2021 — United States regains the Ryder Cup beating Team Europe 19-9 at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin.

TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY

MLB REGULAR SEASON	TIME ET	TV
Seattle at Houston	2:10pm	MLBN ROOT SCHN
Chi. Cubs at Philadelphia	6:05pm	MARQ NBCS-PHI
Cincinnati at Cleveland	6:40pm	Bally Sports Ohio Bally Sports Great Lakes
Milwaukee at Pittsburgh	6:40pm	Bally Sports Wisconsin ATTSN-PIT
Tampa Bay at Detroit	6:40pm	Bally Sports Sun Bally Sports Detroit
Kansas City at Washington	6:45pm	Bally Sports Kansas City MASN2
Baltimore at NY Yankees	7:05pm	YES MASN
Boston at Toronto	7:07pm	NESN Sportsnet
NY Mets at Atlanta	7:20pm	SNY Bally Sports South
LA Angels at Chi. White Sox	7:40pm	NBCS-CHI Bally Sports West
Miami at Minnesota	7:40pm	Bally Sports Florida Bally Sports North
St. Louis at Colorado	8:40pm	Bally Sports Midwest Rockies.TV
San Francisco at Arizona	9:40pm	MLBN NBCS-BAY YurView
Texas at Oakland	9:40pm	NBCS-CA Bally Sports Southwest
San Diego at LA Dodgers	10:10pm	MLBN Padres.TV SNLA
WNBA PLAYOFFS	TIME ET	TV
First Round Game 2: Indiana at Connecticut	7:30pm	ESPN
First Round Game 2: Phoenix at Minnesota	9:30pm	ESPN
SOCCER	TIME ET	TV
Coppa Italia: Pisa vs Cesena	10:00am	Paramount+
Coppa Italia: Udinese vs Salernitana	12:30pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Bodø / Glimt vs Porto	12:45pm	CBSSN Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: AZ vs Elfsborg	12:45pm	Paramount+
La Liga: Girona vs Rayo Vallecano	1:00pm	ESPN+
La Liga: Barcelona vs Getafe	1:00pm	ESPN+
League Cup: Arsenal vs Bolton Wanderers	2:45pm	Paramount+
League Cup: Liverpool vs West Ham United	3:00pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Anderlecht vs Ferencváros	3:00pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Dynamo Kyiv vs Lazio	3:00pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Galatasaray vs PAOK	3:00pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Ludogorets vs Slavia Praha	3:00pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Manchester United vs Twente	3:00pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Midtjylland vs Hoffenheim	3:00pm	Paramount+
UEFA Europa League: Nice vs Real Sociedad	3:00pm	Paramount+
Coppa Italia: Genoa vs Sampdoria	3:00pm	Paramount+
Campeones Cup: Genoa vs Sampdoria	7:30pm	MLS Season Pass Fubo
US Open Cup: Los Angeles FC vs Sporting KC	10:30pm	MLS Season Pass