THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY AUGUST 16, 2024

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGES

BISHOP CHATARD AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN, 7 P.M.

FISHERS AT LAWRENCE NORTH, 7 P.M.

WESTFIELD AT BEN DAVIS, 7 P.M.

CARMEL AT MCCUTCHEON, 7 P.M.

ZIONSVILLE AT KOKOMO, 7 P.M.

CENTER GROVE AT BROWNSBURG, 6 P.M.

NORTH CENTRAL AT NOBLESVILLE, 7 P.M.

WARREN CENTRAL AT AVON, 7 P.M.

PIKE AT LAFAYETTE JEFF, 7 P.M.

CATHEDRAL AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL, 7 P.M.

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL, 7 P.M.

MT. VERNON AT PERRY MERIDIAN, 7 P.M.

SOUTHPORT AND TECH AT DECATUR CENTRAL, 7 P.M.

TRI-WEST AT PLAINFIELD, 7 P.M.

COLUMBUS EAST AT WHITELAND, 7 P.M.

FRANKLIN AT RONCALLI, 7 P.M.

BREBEUF JESUIT AT LEBANON, 7 P.M.

INDIAN CREEK AT BEECH GROVE, 7 P.M.

MUNCIE CENTRAL AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL, 7 P.M.

SCECINA AT NEW PALESTINE, 7 P.M.

MOORESVILLE AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS, 7:30 P.M.

DANVILLE AT WEST LAFAYETTE, 7 P.M.

SHORTRIDGE AT COVINGTON, 7 P.M.

JENNINGS COUNTY AT SHELBYVILLE, 7 P.M.

MARTINSVILLE AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH, 7 P.M.

CASCADE AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG), 7 P.M.

GREENWOOD AT COLUMBUS NORTH, 7 P.M.

GUERIN CATHOLIC AT LUTHERAN, 7 P.M.

SPEEDWAY AT WESTERN BOONE, 7 P.M.

ALEXANDRIA AT HAMILTON HEIGHTS, 7 P.M.

PURDUE POLY AT KNIGHTSTOWN, 7 P.M.

CHRISTEL HOUSE AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN, 7 P.M.

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN AT PARK TUDOR, 7 P.M.

EASTERN HANCOCK AT CARDINAL RITTER, 7 P.M.

MONROVIA AT NORTH MONTGOMERY, 7 P.M.

HAGERSTOWN AT LAPEL, 7 P.M.

TRITON CENTRAL AT MILAN, 6 P.M.

TINDLEY VS. IRVINGTON PREP, AT CHRISTEL HOUSE, 7 P.M.

BROWN COUNTY AT EDINBURGH, 7 P.M.

SHERIDAN AT CRAWFORDSVILLE, 7 P.M.

INDIANA SRN WEEK ONE BROADCAST SCHEDULE

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL AT JASPER

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL AT BEECH GROVE

BATESVILLE AT TRITON CENTRAL

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1 (ALL TIMES EASTERN)

ADAMS CENTRAL      AT          GARRETT                                      7:00 PM            

ALEXANDRIA                AT          WES-DEL                                      7:00 PM            

ANDREAN                       AT          MERRILLVILLE                           8:00 PM            

ATTICA                             AT          CULVER                                         7:30 PM            

AVON                                AT          LAFAYETTE JEFF                        7:00 PM           

BATESVILLE                   AT          TRITON CENTRAL                     7:00 PM           

BELLMONT                     AT          HERITAGE                                    7:00 PM            

BLOOMINGTON NORTH       AT          MOORESVILLE            7:00 PM            

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH       AT          COLUMBUS EAST      7:00 PM            

BOONVILLE                   AT          PAOLI                                              7:30 PM            

BOWMAN ACADEMY AT        SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) 8:00 PM            

BREMEN                          AT          EAST NOBLE                               7:30 PM            

BROWN COUNTY      AT          OWEN VALLEY                           7:00 PM            

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL AT           CORYDON CENTRAL 7:00 PM         

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN AT       CENTERVILLE               7:00 PM            

CASCADE                       AT          INDIAN CREEK                          7:00 PM            

CASTLE                            AT          EVANSVILLE NORTH               7:30 PM            

CASTON                          AT          CARROLL (FLORA)                   7:00 PM            

CENTRAL NOBLE       AT          WEST NOBLE                              7:00 PM            

CHRISTEL HOUSE     AT          INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 7:00 PM           

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (TENN.) AT PROVIDENCE               7:00 PM            

CHURUBUSCO                          AT          COLUMBIA CITY         7:00 PM           

CLARKSVILLE                             AT          PIKE CENTRAL             7:30 PM           

CLINTON CENTRAL  AT          FRANKFORT                                7:00 PM            

CLINTON PRAIRIE     AT          FRONTIER                                    7:00 PM            

COLUMBUS NORTH AT          DECATUR CENTRAL                7:00 PM            

COVINGTON                 AT          TRI-COUNTY                              7:00 PM            

CRAWFORDSVILLE  AT          PARKE HERITAGE                     7:00 PM            

DEKALB                           AT          ANGOLA                                        7:00 PM            

DELPHI                            AT          BENTON CENTRAL                   7:00 PM           

DELTA                               AT          MUNCIE CENTRAL                   7:00 PM            

EASTERN (GREENTOWN)AT               OAK HILL                        7:00 PM            

EASTERN (PEKIN)      AT          WEST WASHINGTON              7:00 PM            

EDGEWOOD                 AT          MITCHELL                                    7:00 PM            

ELKHART                         AT          CONCORD                                  7:00 PM            

ELWOOD                        AT          SOUTHERN WELLS                  7:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE HARRISON      AT          EVANSVILLE REITZ   7:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL          7:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL AT               JASPER                           7:30 PM            

FAIRFIELD                      AT          GOSHEN                                       7:00 PM            

FISHERS                         AT          NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) 7:00 PM         

FOREST PARK                             AT          PRINCETON                 7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK AT        BLUFFTON                    7:00 PM            

FORT WAYNE DWENGER AT              BROWNSBURG           7:30 PM           

FORT WAYNE NORTH             AT          NORTHRIDGE              7:00 PM            

FORT WAYNE WAYNE             AT          INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS  7:00 PM              

FRANKLIN                      AT          NEW ALBANY                             7:00 PM            

FRANKTON                    AT          EASTERN HANCOCK              7:00 PM            

GARY WEST                  AT          INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON 8:00 PM   

GIBSON SOUTHERN               AT          DANVILLE                      8:00 PM            

GREENCASTLE                           AT          MONROVIA                   7:00 PM            

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL         AT          BEECH GROVE            7:00 PM            

GREENSBURG                            AT          SHELBYVILLE               7:00 PM            

HAGERSTOWN                          AT          KNIGHTSTOWN          7:00 PM            

HAMILTON HEIGHTS              AT          LAPEL                              7:00 PM            

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN AT      CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)  7:00 PM              

HAMMOND CENTRAL            AT          SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 8:00 PM      

HAMMOND MORTON             AT          PORTAGE                       8:00 PM            

HAMMOND NOLL      AT          SOUTH BEND RILEY               7:30 PM            

HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) AT  WEST LAFAYETTE     7:30 PM            

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN AT    COVENANT CHRISTIAN        7:00 PM            

HERITAGE HILLS        AT          SOUTHRIDGE                             7:30 PM           

HIGHLAND                    AT          GRIFFITH                                       8:00 PM            

HOBART                          AT          CHESTERTON                            8:00 PM            

HOMESTEAD                AT          CARMEL                                        7:00 PM            

HUNTINGTON NORTH AT     EASTBROOK                               7:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL AT      BEN DAVIS                    7:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD AT            BREBEUF JESUIT        7:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI AT           SOUTHPORT               7:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA AT             FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA 7:00 PM           

INDIANAPOLIS TECHAT        INDIANAPOLIS RITTER          7:00 PM           

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY AT               EDINBURGH                 7:00 PM            

IRVINGTON PREP      AT          FAITH CHRISTIAN                    7:00 PM            

JAY COUNTY                 AT          BLACKFORD                               7:00 PM            

JEFFERSONVILLE       AT          WHITELAND                                7:00 PM            

JENNINGS COUNTY AT          SOUTH DEARBORN                 7:00 PM            

JOHN GLENN                AT          BOONE GROVE                         7:30 PM            

KNOX                                AT          NORTH JUDSON                       8:00 PM            

KOKOMO                        AT          NEW PALESTINE                        7:00 PM            

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC AT SEEGER                      7:00 PM            

LAPORTE                        AT          NEW PRAIRIE                             8:00 PM            

LAVILLE                           AT          TRITON                                          7:00 PM            

LAWRENCE NORTH AT          LAWRENCE CENTRAL            7:00 PM           

LAWRENCEBURG      AT          EAST CENTRAL                          7:30 PM            

LEO                                    AT          FORT WAYNE LUERS              7:00 PM           

LOGANSPORT              AT          PERU                                               7:00 PM            

LOUISVILLE ST. XAVIER (KY.) AT FLOYD CENTRAL            7:30 PM            

LOWELL                          AT          CROWN POINT                         8:00 PM            

MARION                          AT          FORT WAYNE SOUTH             7:00 PM            

MARION LOCAL (OHIO)AT   LINTON                                          TBA      

MARTINSVILLE            AT          BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 7:00 PM   

MCCUTCHEON           AT          GUERIN CATHOLIC                7:00 PM            

MICHIGAN CITY         AT          WARSAW                                       7:30 PM            

MILAN                              AT          RUSHVILLE                                 7:00 PM            

MISHAWAKA                AT          MISHAWAKA MARIAN            7:00 PM           

MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) AT  NOBLESVILLE              7:00 PM           

MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) AT           NORTH POSEY            8:00 PM           

MUNSTER                       AT          LAKE CENTRAL                         8:00 PM            

NEW CASTLE                AT          FRANKLIN COUNTY               7:00 PM            

NEW HAVEN                 AT          FORT WAYNE NORTHROP 7:00 PM             

NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) AT NORTH VERMILLION 7:00 PM              

NORTH DAVIESS        AT          WASHINGTON                           7:00 PM            

NORTH DECATUR      AT          SOUTH DECATUR                    7:00 PM            

NORTH HARRISON   AT          SALEM                                            7:00 PM            

NORTH MONTGOMERY AT  NORTH PUTNAM                       7:00 PM            

NORTH NEWTON       AT          WHITING                                      8:00 PM            

NORTH WHITE            AT          TAYLOR                                          7:00 PM            

NORTHFIELD                AT          NORTH MIAMI                            7:00 PM            

NORTHWESTERN      AT          MANCHESTER                           7:00 PM           

NORTHWOOD             AT          JIMTOWN                                     7:00 PM            

NORWELL                      AT          MISSISSINEWA                          7:00 PM           

OSCEOLA GRACE      AT          CALUMET                                     8:00 PM            

PARK TUDOR               AT          GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM            

PENDLETON HEIGHTS          AT          LEBANON                      7:00 PM            

PERRY MERIDIAN      AT          FRANKLIN CENTRAL               7:00 PM            

PIONEER                         AT          LEWIS CASS                               7:00 PM            

PRAIRIE HEIGHTS     AT          WHITKO                                        7:00 PM            

PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD AT    INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 7:00 PM     

RENSSELAER CENTRALAT  KANKAKEE VALLEY                 8:00 PM            

RICHMOND                  AT          CONNERSVILLE                        7:00 PM            

RIVER FOREST            AT          EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL 8:00 PM             

RIVERTON PARKE      AT          CLOVERDALE                             7:00 PM            

SCOTTSBURG              AT          MADISON                                     7:00 PM            

SEYMOUR                      AT          GREENWOOD                            7:00 PM            

SHENANDOAH            AT          FREMONT                                     7:30 PM            

SILVER CREEK             AT          CHARLESTOWN                       7:00 PM            

SOUTH BEND ADAMSAT       CULVER ACADEMY                  7:00 PM            

SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH AT            LAKELAND                    7:00 PM            

SOUTH NEWTON       AT          LAKE STATION                           8:00 PM            

SOUTH SPENCER      AT          TECUMSEH                                 8:00 PM            

SOUTHMONT               AT          FOUNTAIN CENTRAL              7:00 PM           

SOUTHWOOD             AT          MACONAQUAH                        7:00 PM            

SPEEDWAY                    AT          SOUTH PUTNAM                       7:00 PM           

SPRINGS VALLEY       AT          EASTERN GREENE                   7:00 PM            

SULLIVAN                       AT          NORTH KNOX                             7:00 PM            

SWITZERLAND COUNTY AT CRAWFORD COUNTY          7:00 PM           

TELL CITY                       AT          PERRY CENTRAL                      8:00 PM            

TERRE HAUTE NORTH AT     NORTHVIEW                               7:00 PM            

TERRE HAUTE SOUTH AT     PLAINFIELD                                7:00 PM            

TIPTON                            VS.        SOUTH ADAMS                          7:00 PM           

TRI-CENTRAL               AT          MADISON-GRANT                    7:00 PM           

TRI-WEST                       AT          WESTERN                                     7:00 PM            

TWIN LAKES                 AT          PLYMOUTH                                 7:30 PM            

UNION CITY                  AT          TRI                                                    7:00 PM            

UNION COUNTY        AT          NORTHEASTERN                       7:00 PM           

VALPARAISO                 AT          PENN                                              7:30 PM            

VINCENNES LINCOLN AT    EVANSVILLE BOSSE                7:30 PM           

WABASH                         AT          ROCHESTER                               7:00 PM            

WARREN CENTRAL   AT          FORT WAYNE SNIDER            7:30 PM           

WAWASEE                      AT          TIPPECANOE VALLEY             7:00 PM           

WEST CENTRAL          AT          WINAMAC                                    7:00 PM            

WEST VIGO                   AT          SOUTH VERMILLION               7:00 PM            

WESTERN BOONE     AT          SHERIDAN                                   7:00 PM            

WESTFIELD                   AT          CENTER GROVE                        7:00 PM            

WHEELER                       AT          HANOVER CENTRAL               8:00 PM            

WINCHESTER              AT          MONROE CENTRAL                7:30 PM            

WOODLAN                    AT          EASTSIDE                                     7:00 PM            

YORKTOWN                  AT          ANDERSON                                 7:00 PM            

ZIONSVILLE                  AT          PIKE                                                 7:00 PM            

ORDER THE 2024 INDIANA FOOTBALL DIGEST: https://indianafootballdigest.com/

INDIANA GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL GOLF SCORES

NORTHVIEW 210 MONROVIA 221

TRI-WEST 184 COVENANT CHRISTIAN 196

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

DETROIT 2 SEATTLE 1

OAKLAND 7 NY METS 6

MILWAUKEE 6 LA DODGERS 4

SAN FRANCISCO 6 ATLANTA 0

BALTIMORE 5 BOSTON 1

PHILADELPHIA 13 WASHINGTON 3

MINNESOTA 3 TEXAS 2

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES

INDIANAPOLIS 6 ST. PAUL 4

DAYTON 14 FT. WAYNE 3

SOUTH BEND 6 CEDAR RAPIDS 4

EARLY COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, AUG. 24 IN WEEK ZERO:

AER LINGUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL CLASSIC: FLORIDA STATE VS. GEORGIA TECH (IN DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 12 P.M. ET | ESPN

MCNEESE AT TARLETON STATE | 2:30 P.M. ET| ESPN2

MONTANA STATE AT NEW MEXICO | 4 P.M. ET | FS1

FCS KICKOFF: NORTH ALABAMA VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (CRAMTON BOWL IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA) | 7 P.M. ET | ESPN

MEAC/SWAC CHALLENGE: NORFOLK STATE VS. FLORIDA A&M (CENTER PARC STADIUM IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC

SMU AT NEVADA | 8 P.M. ET |CBS SPORTS NETWORK

DELAWARE STATE AT HAWAII

THURSDAY, AUG. 29

NORTH CAROLINA AT MINNESOTA | 8 P.M. ET | FOX

NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT COLORADO | 8 P.M. ET | ESPN

SACRAMENTO STATE AT SAN JOSE STATE | 10 P.M. ET | TRUTV AND MAX

FRIDAY, AUG. 30

TCU AT STANFORD | 10:30 P.M. ET | ESPN

SATURDAY, AUG. 31

AFLAC KICKOFF GAME: CLEMSON VS. GEORGIA (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 12 P.M. ET | ABC

PENN STATE AT WEST VIRGINIA | 12 P.M. | FOX

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT OKLAHOMA STATE | 2 P.M. ET | ESPN+

MIAMI (FL) AT FLORIDA | 3:30 P.M. ET | ABC

NOTRE DAME AT TEXAS A&M | 7:30 P.M. ET | ABC

GEORGIA STATE AT GEORGIA TECH | 8 P.M. ET | ACC NETWORK

TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | 8 P.M. ET | TRUTV AND MAX

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1

ORANGE BLOSSOM CLASSIC: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL VS. ALABAMA STATE (HARD ROCK STADIUM IN MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA) | 3 P.M. ET | ESPN

VEGAS KICKOFF CLASSIC: LSU VS. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ALLEGIANT STADIUM IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA) | 7:30 P.M. ON ABC

MONDAY, SEPT. 2

BOSTON COLLEGE AT FLORIDA STATE | 7:30 P.M. ET | ESPN

NFL PRE-SEASON

WEEK TWO:

THURSDAY

PHILADELPHIA 14 NEW ENGLAND 13

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17:

ATLANTA AT BALTIMORE, 12:00 PM

CINCINNATI AT CHICAGO, 1:00 PM

N.Y. GIANTS AT HOUSTON, 1:00 PM

DETROIT AT KANSAS CITY 4:00 PM

MINNESOTA AT CLEVELAND, 4:25 PM

N.Y. JETS AT CAROLINA, 7:00 PM

ARIZONA AT INDIANAPOLIS, 7:00 PM

WASHINGTON AT MIAMI, 7:00 PM

BUFFALO AT PITTSBURGH, 7:00 PM

SEATTLE AT TENNESSEE, 7:00 PM

L.A. RAMS AT L.A. CHARGERS, 7:05 PM

TAMPA BAY AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:30 PM

DALLAS AT LAS VEGAS, 10:00 PM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18:

GREEN BAY AT DENVER, 8:00 PM

NEW ORLEANS AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:00 PM

WEEK THREE:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22:

INDIANAPOLIS AT CINCINNATI, 8:00 PM

CHICAGO AT KANSAS CITY, 8:20 PM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23:

JACKSONVILLE AT ATLANTA, 7:00 PM

MIAMI AT TAMPA BAY, 7:30 PM

SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 10:00 PM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24:

CAROLINA AT BUFFALO, 1:00 PM

PITTSBURGH AT DETROIT, 1:00 PM

BALTIMORE AT GREEN BAY, 1:00 PM

L.A. RAMS AT HOUSTON, 1:00 PM

MINNESOTA AT PHILADELPHIA, 1:00 PM

L.A. CHARGERS AT DALLAS, 4:00 PM

N.Y. GIANTS AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30 PM

CLEVELAND AT SEATTLE, 10:00 PM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25:

TENNESSEE AT NEW ORLEANS, 2:00 PM

ARIZONA AT DENVER, 4:30 PM

NEW ENGLAND AT WASHINGTON (NBC), 8:00 PM

NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, SEPT. 5

• BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 6

• GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL), 8:15 P.M. ET (PEACOCK)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8

• PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• ARIZONA CARDINALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• TENNESSEE TITANS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
• CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
• LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
• DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
• DALLAS COWBOYS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 4:25 P.M. ET (CBS)
• WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:25 P.M. ET (FOX)
• LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)

MONDAY, SEPT. 9

• NEW YORK JETS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8:15 P.M. ET (ESPN/ABC)

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-BIG 10: RUTGERS

PICK SIX

Rutgers has played in 12 bowl games and Greg Schiano has been at the helm for eight of them. Here in his second stint in New Jersey, Schiano’s 2023 team defeated Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl to clinch a winning record for the first time here since 2014. It’s been a decade, but Rutgers is finally back to playing competitive, tough, hard-nosed football. Before the season started, Schiano mentioned he wanted a 1980s New York Giants-style team, and the team quickly took on those themes: a run-first, ball-control offense to pair with a stout defense. Some long-term issues still lingered at the offensive line and quarterback – starter Gavin Wimsatt finished with the lowest completion percentage in America – but the run game gave Rutgers an identity. They dominated the clock, wore down opponents (Top 5 in 4th quarter rushing), and the defense posted another Top 40 season in my opponent-adjusted metric. Rutgers defeated eventual bowl teams Northwestern and Virginia Tech on its way to a 6-2 start which marked a program-best since 2012, the year after Schiano’s first tenure. That bowl-clinching sixth win had a championship atmosphere in the postgame celebration, and almost to a fault, because from that point it went downhill. In November Rutgers lost all four games by an average of 20 points. Put simply by Schiano, “we ran out of gas.” The bowl win over former Big East rival Miami helped leave the 2023 season with a high note, but the result went much further than the tally in the win column. Those 15 bowl practices were much needed for a developing program. And the momentum the bowl created ended up helping Rutgers retain the bulk of their starting lineup which is a rare feat in the current transfer-heavy climate. One by one, the starters announced returns to Piscataway. They seemed to double down on their 2023 strengths as they retained their 1,000-yard back, star offensive tackle, and nine starters from the defense that anchored the winning season.

OFFENSE: No decision was bigger than the engine of the entire offense: Kyle Monangai. He became the eighth player in Rutgers history, and first since 2012, to notch a 1,000-yard season, and his 1,262 led the whole Big Ten. Monangai went over 100 yards seven times and should contend for first-team All-Big Ten in 2024 as the unquestioned star of the offense. Rutgers entered 2023 on a seven-year streak of bottom five Power 5 offenses per my opponent-adjusted metric. With no help from the pass game, it was solely Monangai and some offensive linemen that helped snap that streak. Rutgers moved up from dead last to 45th of 70 Power 5 offenses. Schiano hired offensive line guru Pat Flaherty last offseason, and in the transition year the results were already noticeable. The line finally had stability, helped Monangai’s historic rushing season, and improved 50 spots in pass protection. Three linemen earned All-Big Ten honors, and all three return: tackle Hollin Pierce, guard Bryan Felter, and center Gus Zilinskas. The pass game needs serious work. In my opponent-adjusted metric for pass offense, Rutgers finished third worst in Power 5, only ahead of Arizona State and the Iowa offense which became a national punchline. Even 18 starts into his career, Wimsatt still is failing to complete half his passes and his 47% was a nation-low. Worse than just incompletions, Wimsatt threw costly Pick Sixes in each of their first three losses. He was challenged and eventually dethroned in spring ball by another starting Power 5 quarterback. Minnesota’s Athan Kaliakmanis transferred in to play for his former offensive coordinator Kurt Ciarrocca after starting five games in 2022 in his offense. He flashed enough high potential to earn the 2023 starting job there, and excited Gopher fans even dubbed him “The Greek Rifle.” Like Wimsatt, 2023 was an underwhelming performance as he threw for 1,838 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine picks on the year. Kaliakmanis was formally named the starter in May, and Wimsatt quickly transferred out to Kentucky. The receiver room was as much to blame for the broken passing attack as they failed to get separation and didn’t provide any downfield threats. Two starters are gone – JaQuae Jackson and Isaiah Washington – but reception leader Christian Dremel is back to lead the room. The staff added two key transfers from the FCS level. Naseim Brantley (Western Illinois) is finally eligible after the NCAA drama blocked him in 2023, and Dymere Miller (Monmouth) led the entire FCS level with 1,293 receiving yards last year. Rutgers has seven rising sophomore receivers and need a few to grow into reliable rotation guys. Rutgers loses do-it-all captain Johnny Langan, who finished his career at tight end. Both top tight ends are gone, and in addition to the blocking role, Rutgers could use a receiving threat to emerge here.

DEFENSE:  In 2022, defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak built Rutgers’ first Top 40 defense in a decade. Last fall he made it two in a row and the sequel was even stronger. Rutgers placed in the top 40 in scoring (21 points/game) and the Top 25 in key per-play stats like yards per play (#21), yards per pass attempt (#10), and the all-encompassing QB Rating (#23). 2024 will be even stronger than the previous two defenses. One by one, the defensive starters announced their decisions to return to Rutgers rather than head to the pros or enter the transfer portal. Seven defenders earned All-Big Ten honorable mention and four of them return for 2024. That number doesn’t include linebacker Tyreem Powell who was the MVP through eight games before a season-ending injury. Eight starters are back – plus Powell to make it nine – and such a high level of returning production correlates well to year-over-year improvement. Both defensive ends Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey return and they hope to build off of their combined seven sacks in 2023. Mayan Ahanotu and Isaiah Iton are gone from the interior, but Kyonte Hamilton is a returning starter at defensive tackle and the staff added nose guard Malcolm Ray who was a former starter at Florida State. Powell and Mohamed Toure are a strong duo at linebacker and are two of the best players on the whole roster. As an edge rusher, Toure was the team’s best pass rusher. The starting safety trio returns intact: Flip Dixon, Desmond Igbinosun, and Shaquan Loyal. Dixon was the top defensive back last year and made plays all over the field. The safeties flew all over the field and the three of them finished third, fourth, and fifth on the team in tackles. Max Melton was selected in the second round in April’s draft but the other spot features third-year starter Robert Longerbeam. This secondary was excellent in all areas of pass defense, especially at limiting long-yardage explosive passes (#11 nationally).

OUTLOOK:  Schiano did it again. For the second time, he inherited a broken program and built them into winners. The 2024 squad features a veteran defense that could push into the Top 25, a tough offensive line, and a workhorse running back. The passing game needs work, but otherwise they have the Big Ten formula. Rutgers won the Big Ten schedule lottery this year, as the only team in the league to avoid all top-five teams. This is their best shot to get to a program-best four Big Ten conference wins.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-BIG 10: MARYLAND

PICK SIX

Maryland raced out to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2001 and even led #4 Ohio State in the second half with a tenure-defining win within grasp for Mike Locksley. But from there, the season fell off the rails. Ohio State exploded for 27 unanswered points in the second half, Maryland lost their next two games despite being 14-point favorites in each, and then they took a 51-15 beatdown at Penn State while getting held to negative 50 rushing yards. They had another shot at a program-definer as they battled to within a score against eventual national champion Michigan, but a late safety ended the threat. Winning seasons should always be celebrated, and to stack three straight 7+ win seasons — for the first time here since the Ralph Friedgen highs 2001-03 – is a notable achievement for Locksley. They are 12-0 against non-conference opponents – joining Georgia for the national lead – over the past three years, but when the schedule heats up Maryland has not been able to land a haymaker. Their continued struggles against the Big Ten East’s “Big Three” have kept them out of the title race. Since joining the league in 2014, they are now 0-34 against ranked Big Ten teams. Yes, the Big Ten East Division era is done, meaning they are no longer dealt three national heavyweights on an annual basis. But with the addition of super-recruiters USC and Oregon, there will still be no shortage of elite-tier opponents. Weighing the good and the bad, especially considering the program context and situation he inherited, I view the Locksley era as a success. His commitment to locking down top prospects in the DMV, his run of Top 25 recruiting classes and dynamic offenses, and consistent winning seasons build an impressive resume. Do Maryland fans agree? The stadium attendance would indicate the opposite. Maryland is one of just three Big Ten schools that had their crowds shrink over the past few years. They averaged 44,000 a decade ago, but are down 25% to the 30,000 range for the league’s second-least (Northwestern). For better or worse, 2024 represents a fresh era within the Locksley era, as their four-year, record breaking quarterback moved on, and the league expanded and went division-less. OFFENSE 78 Taulia Tagovailoa broke the Big Ten career passing record with 11,256 yards, re-wrote the entire Maryland passing record book, and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors for the second year in a row. He led a Terp offense that placed in the Big Ten’s top four of all the yardage, scoring, and passing stats. He set records in spite of a struggling offensive line that left him under constant pressure – 12 sacks allowed against the Big Three of Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. These two position groups are the biggest question marks heading into 2024. A three-man quarterback race is underway and Locksley calls it a “marathon” with the view that it will extend into August. Billy Edwards was Tagovailoa’s backup last year and was used frequently in run packages and quarterback sneak plays. Edwards has a 6’4 frame, proven running ability, but wants to prove himself as a downfield passer. Former four-star Cam Edge has the arm strength but less college experience. Edwards and Edge got the bulk of starter reps in spring, and led the first two series in the spring game, but don’t count out NC State transfer MJ Morris. Morris started games in 2022 as a true freshman, won the 2023 starting job and went 3-1 in September before abruptly deciding to cut the season short. After four games, after talks with the staff and apparently to retain the redshirt, Morris left the program. Morris brings the most athleticism and the most Power 5 starting experience of the trio and picked Maryland over Baylor and LSU. The offensive line sent two standouts to the pros in Delmar Glaze (3rd round) and Gottlieb Ayedze. In fact all five starters are gone and it’s a complete overhaul in the trenches. The staff added two new starters from the portal, with Josh Kaltenberger (Purdue) at center and tackle Alan Herron (DII Shorter) who they flipped from Penn State. Kyle Long, Conor Fagan, and converted defensive lineman Isaac Bunyun round out the first draft of a starting five. The skill positions remain stocked with talent, even with the graduation of sixth-year receiver Jeshaun Jones and a pair of tight end departures. Tight end Corey Dyches led the Big Ten and was fourth nationally with 49 receptions last year, but he elected to transfer out and landed at California. Rico Walker left for Auburn, a year after signing as Maryland’s top-rated 2023 recruit. Tai Felton and Kaden Prather return as one of the best one-two punches in the league. Felton was a weapon downfield in the vertical pass game and posted 723 yards, while Prather added 667 and five touchdowns. Octavian Smith has worked into the third spot and former four-star Shaleak Knotts is in the rotation. Tight end Preston Howard was named Maryland’s Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and Dylan Wade has drawn big reviews from spring. Roman Hemby is back for a third year as the featured back. His breakout freshman campaign in 2022 nearly broke the 1,000-yard mark, and his stats regressed a bit in 2023. He likens his game to Alvin Kamara – especially blocking and catching in the passing game – and his main point of emphasis this year is elusiveness in the open field, aiming to turn singles into home runs.

DEFENSE:  While Tagovailoa and the explosive passing game have gotten most of the national attention recently, don’t overlook how strong Maryland’s defense has been. Coordinator Brian Williams posted another solid statistical season, as they placed in the national Top 40 in all but one of my 15 stat categories. The offensive line is a question mark, but their defensive line counterparts represent the overall strength of the team. Williams has built a big, experienced, and talented defensive line that should be the program’s best in quite some time. Jordan Phillips is a monster defensive tackle and was one of the nation’s best freshmen last year. Taizse Johnson and Tommy Akingbesote are veteran former four-stars, Quashon Fuller is back for a sixth year, and Lavon Johnson and Dillan Fontus got playing time as a true freshman. The one statistical flaw, and biggest missing piece, is an elite pass rusher. Two four-stars Dylan Gooden and signing day flip Neeo Avery have potential on the edge. The team’s best pass rusher last year came from the linebacker ranks but future NFL-er Jaishawn Barham transferred to Michigan. Two more losses of program stars hit the secondary as safety Beau Brade and corner Tarheeb Still both graduated. Ruben Hyppolite was a captain and All-Big Ten performer and opted to return for a fifth season as a starter. Maryland also has Kellan Wyatt and Caleb Wheatland returning with game experience but overall the depth is thin. There was even more attrition in the secondary in addition to Brade and Still with four more guys transferring out. The staff added first-team All-MAC corner Jalen Huskey from Bowling Green and he already looks like a starter. Dante Trader and Glendon Miller form a solid safety duo, but the corner depth is thin and unproven aside from Huskey.

OUTLOOK:  Maryland has been close to landing a punch on the Big Ten’s elite. 2024 looks more like a transition season, at least offensively, as they move on from the Tagovailoa era and rebuild the offensive line from scratch. While I don’t see any program-changing wins happening, their defense is above average, they draw four of the bottom six, and have a path to their fourth straight bowl game.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-BIG 10: UCLA

PICK SIX

Featuring the Pac-12’s best defense, UCLA opened with a 6-2 start and they were projected favorites in three remaining November games. Instead of approaching the 10-win mark and finally experiencing a program breakthrough, UCLA lost all three games. The Arizona State game was especially inexplicable, as the Sun Devils were short five offensive linemen and four quarterbacks, and were forced to use Wildcat packages and even the ancient Swinging Gate. After that loss, it seemed probable that 2023 would be the end of the Chip Kelly era. That held true, but it was an odd roundabout path to get there: athletic director Martin Jarmond decided to retain Kelly, but then in February he left on his own accord to be the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. The six-year Kelly era ended as a failure by UCLA’s historic standards. Of their 15 full-time head coaches in program history, Kelly’s 35-34 (.507) mark placed 12th, and second-worst since the 1960s. Despite an uptick over the final half of his tenure, it still resulted with four-plus losses every year, no Pac-12 titles, and nothing higher than a fourth-place finish. The on-field record is a big enough issue itself, but the recruiting problem has a more lasting impact. Even with prime real estate in the Southern California high school football hotbed, Kelly’s five full-cycle recruiting classes are the five lowest-ranked at UCLA in the modern recruiting era. In the current Fundraising Era where NIL and booster/donor relations hold a ton of importance, the entire new space was ignored and has left UCLA behind its new Big Ten peers. Jarmond stated his next hire needed to be a “great recruiter who fully embraces the NIL landscape” and he picked a familiar Bruin: former running back and current running backs coach DeShaun Foster. His player development at the position has sent a UCLA running back to the NFL Draft in four straight seasons, earned him a Broyles Award nomination in 2022 and a promotion to associate head coach in 2023. The hope is that such a respected alum can help unlock the UCLA recruiting machine that was mostly ignored by the prior regime. For UCLA to reach its program’s max potential, they need to take advantage of their key asset: location. They have local access to blue-chip high school talent that many of their new Big Ten peers lack. OFFENSE 80 Foster impressed right away with his offensive coordinator hire. Eric Bieniemy gets mentioned in every NFL coaching carousel due to his work alongside Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the current Kansas City Chiefs dynasty. What will his first UCLA playbook look like? We’ll have to wait until kickoff to get a full read, because it’s the usual coach-speak: “a West Coast offense that features a diverse set of run and pass plays.” One known feature is the return of the fullback for the first time here since the Jim Mora era, with Anthony Adkins fitting the role well in spring. There is less drama at quarterback compared to last summer. Five-star super-recruit Dante Moore came to UCLA and played well in his first three games, but started to struggle in Pac-12 play and threw a Pick Six in three straight games. Ethan Garbers ended up taking over the starting job and posting a solid stat-line while stabilizing the offense. Garbers placed in the Pac-12’s top six in key categories like QB Rating (6th), completion rate (67%), and yards/attempt (7.8). Moore transferred to Oregon, change-of-pace runner Collin Schlee transferred to Virginia Tech, so the 2024 spot remains firmly in Garbers’ control. Foster split the carries between the physical Carson Steele and the more dynamic TJ Harden and they combined for 1,600+ yards. Steele left early for the NFL Draft, and Harden is poised for the bulk of carries in 2024. While Steele was more consistent between the tackles, Harden adds more of an explosive, home run threat. Last summer this was projected as one the program’s best receiver groups, and whether it be scheme, or impacts from other struggling units, they did not live up to that claim. Kelly’s offense focused the targets heavily on the slot and tight ends, and left some elite talent under-utilized on the outsides. That high potential is still there this time around. Star slot receiver Logan Loya returns after leading the team in all receiving categories, J.Michael Sturdivant still has #1 receiver talent on the outside, and the staff added the #20 ranked transfer receiver Rico Flores (Notre Dame). Two of the three tight ends are back, and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala was hidden last year but still has potential in the slot. Besides Foster & Bieniemy’s scheme itself, the biggest factor determining the offense’s success in 2024 will be the offensive line. They return four starters, however this was the weakest unit on the team last year, especially at the tackle spots which damaged pass protection (118th nationally). Their top two linemen – both guards Josh Carlin and Spencer Holstege – return and they helped stack another Top 20 finish in my OL Run Push. Foster hired a veteran offensive line guru in Juan Castillo, who coached lines for 20 years in the NFL including 13 with Andy Reid’s Eagles. The development of the tackles, and the replacement of departing starting center Duke Clemens will determine the offense’s overall performance. DEFENSE Before 2023, only one of the Kelly era defenses placed in the Top 25. Last season was the defensive breakthrough as they shot all the way up to #8 in my opponent-adjusted defensive ranks — #2 in rushing. Unanimous All-American and national tackle-for-loss leader Laiatu Latu led the charge. His 13 sacks were the best in Power 5 and he took home both the Lombardi Award (best lineman) and Ted Hendricks Award (best defensive end). Grayson Murphy was a star in his own right, adding eight sacks from the other defensive end spot and the one-two punch led UCLA to a Top 5 finish in my Negative Play Rate. Not only is Latu gone, but the entire defensive end two-deep is gone. So is the coordinator. Even before Kelly’s departure and the staff shake-up, coordinator D’Anton Lynn flipped over enemy lines and left for the same role at USC. After Lynn left in December, Kelly promoted linebackers coach Ikaika Malloe to the coordinator role, and Foster kept him in that spot. Malloe wants to keep the scheme the same, but has quite the roster rebuild in his debut season. Latu was picked in the first round and the Murphy brothers are also off to the pros. After a short portal stint, Jay Toia opted to return after starting all season at defensive tackle. Keanu Williams and Gary Smith are proven interior linemen, but the end spots are wide open between incoming transfers Jacob Busic (Navy) and Collins Acheampong (Miami) or incoming three-star Isaiah Patterson. In this 4-2-5 base defense, both linebackers played excellent football last year. One of them is gone – tackle-leader Darius Muasau – but Kain Medrano returns as the star of the group. Former California transfer Oluwafemi Oladejo proved his coverage skills and big-hitting in spots last year and now rolls into Muasau’s starting spot. Keep an eye on former five-star Ale Kaho who is petitioning for a bonus year of eligibility. UCLA’s pass defense numbers were vastly improved from 2022 to 2023 and most stat categories saw a 50+ rank boost. The elite pass rush and front seven get some credit of course, but the secondary developed too. Unfortunately, there is even more turnover here as four of the five starters are gone. Two of them especially sting, as John Humphrey and Kamari Ramsey followed Lynn and transferred to USC. Jaylin Davies is the lone returning starter at corner, Devin Kirkwood should rise back to a starting role, and a pair of incoming Power 5 transfers should start at safety in KJ Wallace (Georgia Tech) and Ramon Henderson (Notre Dame).

OUTLOOK: Kelly’s February departure was shocking and turned UCLA into somewhat of a wild-card team. Their offensive skill players return, and their line has the potential to improve, but those normal predictors are shaken up with the staff change and new scheme. The defense was a national top unit last year but they lost eight starters and the brains of the operation in Lynn. With all that change – in addition to a conference shift – UCLA is not projected in the top half of the league in 2024. Their three-year track record and talent profile are strong enough to keep them above other coaching-change programs like Indiana and Michigan State.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW-BIG 10: MINNESOTA

PICK SIX

Three of the four seasons prior to 2023 saw Minnesota contend for Big Ten West division titles but fall one game short. 2019 was the banner season with an AP Top 10 ranking and their first 11-win season in a hundred years. 2021 featured an elite defense, and 2022 was the Mo Ibrahim Show with the All-American leading the nation in rushing. All three seasons were within striking distance of Indianapolis, but all three were ruined by a close, one-score loss to Iowa. 23-19 … 27-22 … 13 10 … ugly Big Ten West games, just the way the Hawkeyes like it. The 2023 team flipped the script. They finally managed to break through and beat Iowa for the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy – with a 12-10 score and just 167 yards allowed – but the overall season was far off of the mark. PJ Fleck’s seventh Minnesota team was his worst one yet and tied his debut season for the worst regular season record. They entered November with a 5-3 record needing just one more victory to clinch a bowl game. Instead, they lost all four games – including two to losing-record teams Illinois and Purdue – and only backed into a bowl game thanks to scoring the highest academic APR score among the nation’s five-win teams. Even though they notched the program’s seventh straight bowl win, the Motor City Bowl win over a MAC opponent must ring hollow to the fan base. This finished as the worst-rated Minnesota team since 2011 per my Game Grader formula. In my opponent-adjusted, per-play metrics they are among poor company as one of just six programs to place in the bottom 15 of both my offense and defense rankings. Yes, there are intrinsic obstacles to recruiting due to the geography and the state of Minnesota valuing its hockey more than football – it’s not called The Hockey State by accident. Resource-wise, they now must face blueblood giants Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, and Penn State – plus newcomers USC and Oregon – in an all-out free-agency arms race. The league is now division-less, meaning the much more manageable path, the West Division, is gone. OFFENSE With program legend Ibrahim departing, and the apparent roster strengths flipping from RB/OL to QB/WR, the thought was that the 2023 Minnesota offense would finally be pass-first, or at least balanced. 82 Instead, it was more of the same. Minnesota ran the ball on 62% of snaps, which may not seem high, but is the #6 most run-heavy play calling in Power 5. In the first three games of September, they dumped a 30-carry/game workload on freshman Darius Taylor. He became an instant star and won Big Ten Freshman of the Week all three times, but the heavy assignment wore him down and he was only healthy enough to play one game the rest of the regular season. Despite playing in just five games, Taylor led Minnesota in rushing with 799 yards and a high 5.8 per carry average. In those five games, my opponent-adjusted Rushing Offense rank had Minnesota at #9 nationally – but that rank dropped to #50 of 70 Power 5 teams in the Taylor-less games. If he can go the distance for a full healthy season, he should be considered for all-league honors in 2024. Backups Sean Tyler and Zach Evans are gone, but the staff added All-MAC Sieh Bangura (Ohio) and Oklahoma veteran Marcus Major. There was more transfer activity at quarterback as two-year starter Athan Kaliakmanis transferred out to Rutgers after posting a lackluster season ranked ninth in the Big Ten in most passing metrics. Max Brosmer is making the jump up to the Power 5 level from the FCS where he dominated for three seasons at New Hampshire. Last year he was the FCS passing leader with 3,498 yards and was a finalist for their Heisman-equivalent, the Walter Payton Award. Only a handful of quarterbacks have jumped from FCS to Power 5 in the past few years so it is not reliable to draw a pattern. Some have hit like Cam Ward (Washington State) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), but some have not: Tony Muskett (Virginia) and Jason Brown (South Carolina). Daniel Jackson’s endzone toe-tap touchdown to beat Nebraska will be featured in every Minnesota highlight tape and it was a fitting way to launch into the lead receiver role. Jackson finished in the Big Ten’s top five in receptions (59), yards (831), and touchdowns (8) and is the star to build around. But that’s the issue. Three top receiving targets – Corey Crooms, tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford, and longtime star Chris Autman-Bell – are all gone. Elijah Spencer posted big numbers at Charlotte but hasn’t reached their full potential here since transferring. Le’Meke Brockington could get a starting spot after missing half the season. The two best bets are incoming Power 5 transfers Cristian Driver (Penn State) and Tyler Williams (Georgia), a former Top100 prospect and the #22 rated transfer receiver this cycle. The offensive line posted middle-of-the-pack numbers in my Pass Protection and OL Run Push metrics and now get the benefit of returning four starters. Center Nathan Boe is the only loss, but the four returners are all either fifth or sixth-year guys and this unit should be a strength. Aireontae Ersery is the headliner and earned first-team All-Big Ten last year.

DEFENSE:  After two strong defensive seasons in 2021 and 2022, Joe Rossi’s unit fell to the bottom ten of Power 5 per my opponent-adjusted numbers. They dropped in all 14 stat categories, failed to generate disruption behind the line of scrimmage (#114 negative play rate), and couldn’t get off the field on third downs (#123). The bulk of the starting lineup and two-deep are back for 2024 which correlates to year-over-year improvement, however, a coordinator change throws in a curveball. Rossi left for Michigan State after five years here, and Fleck hired Corey Hetherman to take over. Hetherman earned FCS Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021 after his James Madison defense finished #2 nationally in scoring. He has been on Joe Harasymiak’s Rutgers defensive staff for the past two years and will bring an aggressive play-calling mindset and four-man front to Minnesota. He inherits a veteran roster: four of the top five defensive linemen, the top three backers, and three of the five defensive backs. Cody Lindenberg missed most of the 2023 season but returns healthy and poised for All-Big Ten honors this fall. In his absence, Devon Williams and Maverick Baranowski got experience ahead of schedule which will pay dividends in 2024. The lone loss up front is Kyler Baugh but former four-star Deven Eastern returns at defensive tackle and both ends Jah Joyner and Danny Striggow return. Joyner has shown flashes of being an elite pass rusher, but as a team this is a point of emphasis to improve on. Tyer Nubin was selected in the second round in April’s draft and his star power in the secondary will be missed. Fourth year starting corner Justin Walley locks down one side and Ethan Robinson jumps from the Patriot League to a starting role in the Big Ten. Nickel Jack Henderson led the team in tackles and returns there with Craig McDonald.

OUTLOOK:  Minnesota will bounce back from their uncharacteristic 2023 season thanks to a veteran offensive line and a defense that returns nine starters (Top 20 in returning production). This would have been a middle-tier Big Ten West team but in the new division-less format they draw only two of the league’s bottom six teams and they slot in at #13 in the 18-team Big Ten.

HAVING BID FAREWELL TO SABAN, POWERFUL SEC WELCOMES OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS TO THE MIX

Goodbye, Nick Saban. Hello, Oklahoma and Texas.

For the first time in 17 years, Alabama’s iconic coach won’t be prowling the sidelines in the Southeastern Conference. With one longtime juggernaut headed to an ESPN gig and semi-retirement, two others enter the fray.

The Sooners and Longhorns join the powerhouse league three years after annoucing their departure from the Big 12 and they will not have to face Saban, who won six of his major college record seven national championships with the Crimson Tide.

“I think it’s a partnership of elite with elite,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “And, again, two programs that in the history of college football take a back seat to nobody. The SEC doesn’t take a back seat to anybody.”

A league that had captured four straight national titles — including two straight from Georgia — before Michigan won it all last season is now beefed up to 16 teams.

For all that, some things haven’t changed: Kirby Smart and top-ranked Georgia are loaded with talent and regarded as the team to beat. Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns bring another current force into the mix with quarterback Quinn Ewers back after leading them to the College Football Playoff.

Kalen DeBoer takes over in Tuscaloosa after leading Washington to the national championship game. Saban is gone, but the talent at ‘Bama isn’t.

Mississippi and Missouri are also coming off 11-win seasons where both finished in the top 10. They return veteran quarterbacks — Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart and Missouri’s Brady Cook — and enviable playmakers at wide receiver.

Top players to watch

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Widely regarded as the Heisman Trophy front-runner going into the season, Beck led the SEC and ranked third nationally with 3,941 passing yards while completing 72.4% of his passes. Some of his top targets are gone, but the Bulldogs are loaded.

Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri: One of college football’s top receivers. Burden was a second-team Associated Press All-American after ranking in the top 10 nationally with 1,212 receiving yards, along with nine touchdowns and 86 catches.

Will Campbell, OL, LSU: The Tigers’ tackle has started 26 games in his first two seasons and allowed only three sacks in 1,687 snaps — all in his freshman year. The 6-foot-6, 320-pounder anchors a line that was among three finalists for the Joe Moore Award.

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: Ewers gives the league another experienced, talented passer and a potential Heisman candidate. He has 22 starts under his belt with 5,656 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns.

Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: A big-play threat running and passing, Milroe overcame a rocky start to emerge as one of the SEC’s top QBs. He even wound up sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

James Pearce Jr., LB, Tennessee: Emerged as a pass rushing force last season despite starting only three games. The 6-foot-5, 243-pounder tied for the SEC lead with 10 sacks and his 14-1/2 tackles for loss ranked second.

Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU: The 2022 first-team All-SEC pick has 26 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 27 career games.

Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia: A star on the Bulldogs’ loaded defense, Starks was a first-team AP All-American last season. He was also a finalist for two national awards.

Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma: The two-year starter returns for his senior season with 267 career tackles, 28 of them going for a loss.

New faces

There’s no more compelling new face in college football than DeBoer, who has a gaudy 104-12 record in nine seasons as a head coach at various levels.

Mike Elko takes over at Texas A&M after a stint at Duke. Former Oklahoma and Mississippi offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is the new head man at Mississippi State.

New coordinators abound across the league, but none more intriguing than Bobby Petrino. He takes over Sam Pittman’s offense at Arkansas, where he once reigned as head coach before getting fired in 2012 amid an off-field scandal.

On the hot seat

Pittman’s precarious job situation makes Petrino’s presence potentially both more vital. The Razorbacks managed only one league win and went 4-8 last season.

Florida coach Billy Napier also may need to make significant strides after going 11-14 in his first two seasons. He faces a closing stretch against Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State but did sign five-star quarterback DJ Lagway.

Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea is taking over as his own defensive coordinator after going 0-8 in SEC games last season.

Games to watch

Aug. 31, Georgia vs. Clemson (Atlanta); Sep. 7, Texas at Michigan; Sep. 21, Tennessee at Oklahoma; Sep. 28, Georgia at Alabama; Oct. 12, Texas vs. Oklahoma (Dallas); Oct. 19, Georgia at Texas; Oct. 28, Missouri at Alabama; Nov. 9, Georgia at Ole Miss; Nov. 23, Alabama at Oklahoma; Nov. 30, Texas at Texas A&M; Auburn at Alabama, Florida at Florida State.

BOISE STATE, UNLV FAVORED IN MOUNTAIN WEST, WHICH HAS PAC-12’S OREGON ST, WASHINGTON ST ON SCHEDULE

For all that has changed in college athletics, Boise State being favored in the Mountain West remains a remarkable constant.

The Broncos were picked for the 17th consecutive year to win a conference or division title, including all 14 years they have been in the Mountain West.

Boise State’s Spencer Danielson, like most coaches, didn’t want to put much stock into the media prediction, and he has history as his best argument. As then-interim coach, Danielson led the Broncos to the Mountain West championship last season, but that was the program’s first conference title since 2019.

“There’s a lot of great excitement and buzz and our players deserve that, but we’ve got to continue to earn it every single day,” Danielson said.

UNLV is expected to be Boise State’s biggest challenger. The Rebels are coming off their first bowl trip in a decade, which led to Barry Odom being named conference coach of the year in his first season.

He takes a different approach from Danielson when it comes to preseason polls. He said his goal is to be at the top of any such conference list, be it the preseason poll or recruiting rankings.

“It’s great for our program and some validation on the things that we’re doing,” Odom said. “But when you look at preseason polls, last year we were ninth. I’m so glad that we got to play the games because we were able to earn what we got. This year, I’m going to use being preseason No. 2 as great motivation for our team.”

QB positions up for grabs

Boise State and UNLV have one notable thing in common — both have quarterback competitions.

At Boise State, the position is between two sophomores, Maddux Madsen and Southern California transfer Malachi Nelson.

Madsen is trying to make up for lost time after missing spring practices with a knee injury. Nelson was the nation’s top 2023 recruit, according to ESPN, but sat behind future No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Caleb Williams at USC.

“Everything going’s to be graded,” Danielson said. “Everything’s going to be analyzed. It’s going to be very black and white, and whatever quarterback gives us the best opportunity to win games will be the starter.”

Three quarterbacks, including two transfers, are vying for the job at UNLV. Holy Cross transfer Matthew Sluka and Hajj-Malik Williams from Campbell were brought in to compete for the spot. Cameron Friel, the 2021 Mountain West freshman of the year, also is in the mix.

White returns to Rebels

Senior wide receiver Ricky White, who began his college career at Michigan State, had the chance to transfer back to a power conference after a breakout season. He decided to return to UNLV to try to help the Rebels build on last year’s success.

“I’m very excited,” White said. “We have a special team, a special coaching staff behind us. We’re going to do big things this year.”

White had a school-record 1,483 yards in receiving last season and tied the program record with 88 catches.

“I’m sure excited about Ricky White,” Odom said. “At the end of the year with he and his family, he decided to stay. He was so mature on his approach with his family on the things that he wanted to accomplish he knows he can get done here. He’s going to have another monster season.”

Late change at Fresno State

Health concerns forced Jeff Tedford, who went 44-22 and won two Mountain West titles in his five seasons at Fresno State, to again walk away from his alma mater. Tim Skipper, the linebackers and assistant head coach, is the interim coach.

A heart issue caused Tedford to leave the Bulldogs after the 2019 season, but he returned three years later. He also did not coach in last season’s New Mexico Bowl. Tedford’s career record is 127-79, which includes winning a school-record 82 games at California from 2002-12.

“Coach has got to take care of his health,” Skipper said. “He’ll come around when he can. Always a phone call away, but health is always first. He’s got to take care of that. Whatever he can do, he’ll do.”

The Bulldogs were picked third in the Mountain West.

Playing the Pac-2

Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining members of the Pac-12, will each play eight games against Mountain West schools that won’t count in the league standings.

Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said the Mountain West is in discussions about continuing that relationship next year and said she would like to have the matter decided before this season begins.

Time, of course, is getting tight.

“I think they’ve really added up a pump to our football strength of schedule,” Nevarez said.

TRANSFER WILL HOWARD NAMED STARTING QB AT OHIO STATE

Transfer quarterback Will Howard has won the starting job at Ohio State.

“We’re really excited about Will. He has really taken command of the offense,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day told reporters Thursday.

Howard beat out Devin Brown, a four-star quarterback in the 2022 class who last season lost the competition in camp to Kyle McCord. Howard will be entrusted to run the offense of new coordinator Chip Kelly.

McCord transferred to Syracuse after the 2023 regular season, giving Howard an opening as he sought to transfer from Kansas State. Brown starts the 2024 season as the No. 2 quarterback, with second-year QB Lincoln Kienholz and first-year players Julian Sayin and Air Noland — a pair of Top 10 quarterbacks in the 2024 class — also on the roster.

The Buckeyes, ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll, open the season Aug. 31 against Akron, followed by home games against Western Michigan and Marshall before beginning the Big Ten slate on Sept. 21 at Michigan State.

Howard brings a veteran presence to the job after spending four seasons with the Wildcats and setting the school record with 48 career passing touchdowns. In 2023, he tied the school single-season record of 24 TDs set by Ell Roberson in 2003.

With Howard at the helm, Kansas State went 9-4 in 2023. He threw 15 TD passes in his final six games and posted a four-TD performance against Texas.

Howard helped guide Kansas State to a memorable 31-28 overtime upset of TCU in the 2022 Big 12 championship game.

He passed for 5,786 yards and threw 25 interceptions in 34 games (27 starts) for the Wildcats. He also rushed for 19 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM

FIRST TEAM

QB DILLON GABRIEL, OREGON: Gabriel has already posted four 3,000-yard seasons at two schools — UCF and Oklahoma — and he’s using an extra year of pandemic eligibility to transfer to Oregon and try to win a national title. Bo Nix unlocked his potential with the Ducks as a transfer from Auburn, and Gabriel will try to make a leap to Heisman Trophy candidate as well. He’s thrown for 14,865 yards in his career, four times finishing in the top 25 in the FBS in passing efficiency. In Eugene, he has his most talented supporting cast yet.

RB OLLIE GORDON II, OKLAHOMA STATE: Gordon was one of the surprise breakout stars of 2023, jumping from 308 yards as a freshman to a national-high 1,732 yards with 21 rushing touchdowns as a sophomore — and that was despite rushing for a total of just 109 yards in three nonconference games. Oklahoma State leaned hard on Gordon in Big 12 play, and he finished with the highest percentage of any FBS team’s rushes at 65.7 percent, per TruMedia. He’s a workhorse with breakaway speed and agility that allowed him to lead the country with 14 rushes of 30-plus yards, three more than anyone else.

RB ASHTON JEANTY, BOISE STATE: Jeanty led the nation in yards from scrimmage at 159.7 thanks to a versatile skill set that allowed him to shine as a pass catcher (43 catches for 569 yards and five TDs) in addition to starring as a runner (1,347 yards and 14 TDs). He had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in 10 of the 12 games he appeared in, including 200-plus yards four times. He averaged 4.52 yards per rush after contact, per TruMedia, easily the most among RBs with 150-plus carries.

WR LUTHER BURDEN III, MISSOURI: The five-star recruit in the Class of 2022 made an immediate impact at Missouri with 45 catches as a freshman, but he averaged just 8.3 yards per reception. As a sophomore, he broke out into a well-rounded star for a breakthrough Mizzou team that won the Cotton Bowl. Burden jumped to 14.1 yards per catch, hauling in 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, including a streak of five consecutive 100-yard games early on. Our NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler compared his skill set to that of Ja’Marr Chase because of his physicality and athleticism.

WR TETAIROA MCMILLAN, ARIZONA: Despite the loss of coach Jedd Fisch to Washington, McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita returned to Tucson, creating high hopes for Brent Brennan’s first season. McMillan finished a close second to Rome Odunze in the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game at 107.8, catching 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 TDs. The 6-foot-5 junior from Hawaii catches everything thrown his way.

TE COLSTON LOVELAND, MICHIGAN: Loveland emerged as one of the nation’s best tight ends for the national champions last year, and he returns as a foundational piece of an offense that lost most of its other starters. He caught 45 passes for 649 yards and four touchdowns, with 12 of his catches going for at least 20 yards. He enters the season as a clear-cut choice for top NFL Draft prospect at the position with Brock Bowers gone.

OT WILL CAMPBELL, LSU: Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy with the help of one of the nation’s best offensive lines. LSU ranked seventh in pressure rate allowed (23.8 percent), per TruMedia, and first in yards before contact per rush (3.25). Nobody played a bigger role than Campbell, the 6-6, 323-pound junior who was a first-team All-SEC pick in a sophomore season in which he didn’t allow a sack, according to PFF. He forms the nation’s top tackle duo with Emery Jones Jr., an All-America candidate himself, making life easier for Garrett Nussmeier in replacing Daniels at quarterback.

OT KELVIN BANKS JR., TEXAS: Banks started immediately at left tackle and progressed from second-team All-Big 12 as a freshman to first-team All-Big 12 as a sophomore. Now he’s poised for the next leap to All-American. The 6-4, 320-pound junior was a five-star recruit, and he’s given up a total of three sacks and 24 pressures in two seasons, per PFF.

G TYLER BOOKER, ALABAMA: A physical mauler in the run game, Booker was a first-team All-SEC pick by the media and second-team pick by coaches last year. The 6-5, 325-pound junior has a big opportunity to push himself into the first round of the NFL Draft, returning as one of the leaders of an offense that should keep humming behind Jalen Milroe under new coach Kalen DeBoer.

G DONOVAN JACKSON, OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes’ issues on the offensive line last year couldn’t be pinned on Jackson. A two-time first-team All-Big Ten pick, Jackson gave up just one sack and 10 pressures last year, per PFF. He’s started 26 games at guard, and he returned for his senior season to block for a loaded Ohio State backfield that includes TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins, both of whom can be considered snubs from these All-America teams.

C PARKER BRAILSFORD, ALABAMA: Brailsford followed DeBoer to Alabama from Washington, where he was a Freshman All-American and second-team All-Pac-12 pick in 2023 after redshirting in 2022. Listed at 6-2, 290 pounds, Brailsford is best known for his athleticism and mobility.

DE JAMES PEARCE JR., TENNESSEE: The first-team All-SEC pick finished tied for first in the conference with 10 sacks despite actually starting only three games. Even with a relatively low snap count, Pearce generated relentless pressure and also had a pair of forced fumbles and finished the season with a pick six against Iowa in the bowl. He’s one of the most explosive pass rushers in the country and should thrive with Tennessee leaning on him more in 2024.

DE ASHTON GILLOTTE, LOUISVILLE: Gillotte emerged as one of the nation’s most disruptive pass rushers last year, finishing with 11 sacks and three forced fumbles. He brings explosiveness and physicality to the edge for Louisville, resulting in 58 total pressures, per PFF. He was a common answer when we surveyed ACC players about the most impressive defensive players in their league.

DT MASON GRAHAM, MICHIGAN: The Wolverines bring back a pair of All-America-caliber defensive tackles in Graham and Kenneth Grant, who’s No. 3 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List and also deserves All-America consideration. A potential top-five pick in the NFL Draft, Graham is a 6-3, 320-pound junior who earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from conference coaches last year. He had 7.5 tackles for loss and brings a powerful, explosive game suited to consistently disrupting opposing backfields.

DT DEONE WALKER, KENTUCKY: Defensive tackles can sometimes be hard to judge by stats, especially those who are listed at 6-6, 345 pounds and often asked to help occupy blockers in the middle of the line. Walker, however, does it all: As a sophomore, he racked up 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and two pass breakups while also leading all defensive tackles with 51 pressures, per PFF. Brugler summarized Walker as a “twitchy grizzly bear” when singing his praises as one of the top defensive tackle prospects for the 2025 draft.

LB HAROLD PERKINS JR., LSU: Given LSU’s defensive struggles and how well Perkins played as a freshman in 2022, last year felt like a bit of a disappointment. Yet Perkins still filled the stat sheet with 75 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception. The biggest question has been where to play him. He’s an explosive athlete who has shown he can be a disruptive pass rusher, but LSU is again going to try him at inside linebacker, banking on his upside as an every-down player who can make plays from sideline to sideline.

LB DANNY STUTSMAN, OKLAHOMA: One of the nation’s most productive defensive players over the past two years, Stutsman has had back-to-back seasons with more than 100 tackles. Last year, he surged to 16 tackles for loss with a pair of forced fumbles, plus a pick six. Under Brent Venables, Oklahoma is trying to restore its former reputation for defensive prowess, and Stutsman is a foundational piece of that development.

LB JAY HIGGINS, IOWA: Iowa won 10 games last year thanks almost entirely to a stout defense that finished first in yards per play allowed while the offense faltered. Higgins was the centerpiece, racking up a staggering 171 tackles — 12.2 per game, with double-digit tackles 10 times. He’s on track to become a two-time All-American, with an argument for best defensive player in the Big Ten despite all the talent on Ohio State’s roster.

CB BENJAMIN MORRISON, NOTRE DAME: The Irish boasted the top pass efficiency defense in the FBS last season, with Morrison playing a leading role as a lockdown corner. A potential top-10 pick in the draft, Morrison had three interceptions and 10 pass breakups as a sophomore, giving up just 279 yards in coverage all season, per PFF. Notre Dame returns one of the nation’s top secondaries with Morrison and safety Xavier Watts back.

CB WILL JOHNSON, MICHIGAN: A cornerstone of Michigan’s national championship defense, Johnson had a key interception in the title win against Washington to cap an All-America-caliber season. Though he missed three games, he finished with four interceptions, and he gave up only 17 catches for 267 yards on 37 targets, per PFF, with zero touchdowns allowed as part of the nation’s top-ranked scoring defense.

S CALEB DOWNS, OHIO STATE: The five-star recruit made an instant impact for Alabama as a freshman, leading the Crimson Tide with 107 tackles — 40 more than anyone else — and adding 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. He transferred to Ohio State after Nick Saban’s retirement and could be the best player on a stacked Buckeyes defense.

S MALAKI STARKS, GEORGIA: Starks has lived up to his five-star recruit billing over two seasons, starting each year for one of the most talented teams in the country. He had 52 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups in a sophomore season in which he was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist, proving to be adept both in coverage and as a sure tackler in run support.

K JONAH DALMAS, BOISE STATE: Dalmas made 24 of 27 field goals last season and is now 80-for-90 in four seasons. He returned for an extra season (due to the pandemic), needing 18 made field goals to break the FBS career record. In his career, he’s 27-for-31 on field goals of 40-plus yards, including 7-for-9 from 50-plus.

P ALEX MASTROMANNO, FLORIDA STATE: The Australian returned to FSU for a fifth season after finishing as a Ray Guy Award finalist in 2023. He averaged 45.5 yards per punt while pinning 10 punts inside the 10-yard line with just three touchbacks, per TruMedia. The Seminoles ranked third in net punting average and had only 19.4 percent of punts returned.

AP TRAVIS HUNTER, COLORADO: Hunter played more than 1,000 snaps last season despite missing three games because of an injury. He’s a true two-way player who caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns and had 30 tackles and three interceptions on defense, doing so in just nine games. The former five-star recruit, who originally signed to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State, is one of the top wide receiver prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft and has also, despite some up-and-down moments, shown high upside as a cornerback.

NFL NEWS

LATE TD, TWO-POINT CONVERSION LIFT EAGLES OVER PATRIOTS

Kendall Milton ran for a 1-yard touchdown with 4:23 to play and the Philadelphia Eagles added a go-ahead two-point conversion to edge the New England Patriots 14-13 on Thursday in Foxborough, Mass.

Ainias Smith caught the decisive two-point pass from Tanner McKee.

The Patriots (1-1) had two more possessions with a chance to retake the lead, but the first ended in a punt and the second was thwarted by a lost fumble near midfield.

McKee completed 15 of 19 passes for 140 yards, the most effective of three Eagles quarterbacks who played while regular starter Jalen Hurts sat out.

Wide receiver Joseph Ngata caught five passes for 88 yards for Philadelphia (2-0), both game-high totals.

Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett played three series and connected on 3 of 7 passes for 17 yards with an interception. Three other QBs followed him into action, but New England wound up completing just 14 of 29 passes for 113 yards.

Rookie first-round pick Drake Maye ran for the Patriots’ lone touchdown, a 4-yard score late in the first half. Maye threw for 47 yards on 6-of-11 passing.

–Field Level Media

BILLS LB MATT MILANO (TORN BICEPS) OUT INDEFINITELY

Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano will have surgery to repair torn biceps and is out indefinitely, head coach Sean McDermott confirmed Thursday.

The 2022 All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection was hurt during a tackling drill at Tuesday’s practice. Milano missed 12 games last season after fracturing his right leg in Week 5.

The latest injury is not necessarily season-ending, with a return in December a likely best-case scenario for the veteran, who is in his eighth season.

“Matt’s a strong, young man,” McDermott said. “I know he’s gonna handle this. It’s certainly tough, especially coming off the year he came off of already. The good thing is he’s got a good family behind him that’s gonna support him, teammates that are gonna support him, as well as the coaching staff and our entire football organization. …

“He’s resilient, and we’ve got to be resilient. We’ve got to move forward and be focused on solutions.”

Milano, 30, has recorded 488 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 10 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries in 90 games (74 starts) since Buffalo selected him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Milano signed a two-year, $28.3 million extension in March 2023. He carries a cap hit of $12.4 million for 2024.

Second-year linebacker Dorian Williams is Milano’s heir apparent. The 2023 third-round pick had 40 tackles and two quarterback hits in 17 games (two starts) as a rookie.

–Field Level Media

FALCONS AND 2-TIME PRO BOWL SAFETY JUSTIN SIMMONS AGREE ON 1-YEAR DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS

Two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons agreed on an $8 million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the move.

Simmons is the second major addition the Falcons have made to bolster their defense in two days. The team acquired four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher from Matthew Judon from New England for a third-round pick.

The 30-year-old Simmons spent his first eight seasons in Denver. He made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2023 and was a second-team AP All-Pro four times in the past five years.

Simmons has 30 career interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 4 1/2 sacks.

ANDY REID: CHIEFS RT JAWAAN TAYLOR (SHOULDER) WILL BE ‘OK’

Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who left Wednesday’s practice on a cart with a shoulder injury, apparently did not suffer a serious injury.

Taylor did not practice Thursday and won’t play Saturday in a home preseason game against the Detroit Lions. However, coach Andy Reid said the 26-year-old Taylor is on the mend.

“He won’t play this weekend, but I think he’s going to be OK,” Reid said, per the team website.

Cornerback Jaylen Watson, also recovering from a shoulder injury, is not expected to play against the Lions. Neither is wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who could be out as long as six weeks because of a sternoclavicular (collarbone area) injury he sustained last Saturday in a loss at Jacksonville.

Those who will see action include the Chiefs’ starters, with Reid stating he expects that group to play for as long as a half. That includes starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Taylor started every game for the Chiefs in 2023 en route to a Super Bowl victory. The Chiefs signed him to a four-year, $80 million contract in free agency in March 2023.

Taylor has started all 83 games he has played in since being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft by the Jaguars. In fact, Taylor has yet to miss a game in his pro career.

–Field Level Media

REPORT: GIANTS RELEASING VETERAN DB JALEN MILLS

The New York Giants are releasing veteran defensive back Jalen Mills, ESPN reported Thursday.

Mills, 30, had been on the non-football injury list with a calf strain but is healthy now. Other teams are likely to be interested.

He signed a one-year, $1.38 million deal with the Giants in March that included $467,500 guaranteed, per Spotrac.

Mills recorded 45 tackles in 17 games (eight starts) with the New England Patriots last season.

A seventh-round pick by Philadelphia in 2016, Mills has seven interceptions, 53 passes defensed and 406 tackles in 106 games (83 starts) with the Eagles (2016-20) and Patriots.

Mills’ release follows the reported signings of safeties Raheem Layne and Jonathan Sutherland, who worked out with the Giants on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

REPORT: COWBOYS SIGNING FORMER JETS DE CARL LAWSON

The Dallas Cowboys are signing former New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson, ESPN reported Thursday.

The 29-year-old pass rusher worked out for the Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif., after they lost Sam Williams to a torn ACL earlier in training camp.

Lawson signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Jets in free agency in 2021 but missed that entire season with a torn Achilles tendon.

He started all 17 games in 2022 and registered seven sacks and 24 quarterback hits, but was limited to six games (no starts) last season after falling out of the rotation and dealing with a back injury. He finished with no sacks and five tackles.

A fourth-round pick by Cincinnati in 2017, Lawson has 27 sacks, 107 QB hits and 119 tackles in 74 career games (31 starts) with the Bengals (2017-20) and Jets (2022-23).

Lawson’s arrival is the second move by Dallas on the defensive line this week. The Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Jordan Phillips in a trade with the New York Giants on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

SEAHAWKS WRAP JOINT PRACTICES GETTING BEST OF THE TITANS’ INJURY-LIMITED OFFENSE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Seattle defensive backs Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams did a lot of talking Thursday.

Current Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon had the last word with an interception of Will Levis as Tennessee started a two-minute drill, and he punctuated his second pick of the day by running to give the ball to Adams who’s now with the Tennessee Titans.

Witherspoon then kept running toward the end zone without the ball and waving at the Titans. Diggs could only compliment his former teammate after practice, saying Witherspoon could be one of the NFL’s best with his energy and intelligence.

“I mean, he’s competitive as heck,” Diggs said. “He makes a play over there. He’s yelling across to the other side of the field to us, you know, just the back and forth.”

Diggs might’ve enjoyed the competitiveness. Titans coach Brian Callahan made clear he was disappointed with Tennessee’s execution in the final drill, though his offense was missing top receivers DeAndre Hopkins (knee) and Tyler Boyd (bruised foot).

“That wasn’t what I was hoping to get out of that period,” Callahan said. “I thought it just wasn’t good execution all the way around, and we throw an interception that would end the game. And so that’s good coaching to teach off of, but very disappointed in that.”

The Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans wrapped up their two days of joint practices Thursday with much more emotions coming out.

Titans general manager Ran Carthon helped keep the Tennessee offensive line back after Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams stopped himself after pulling back his right arm, apparently ready to punch rookie left tackle JC Latham while already on top of the seventh overall pick out of Alabama.

Witherspoon had been beaten a couple of times Wednesday. As someone who learned from Adams as a rookie a year ago in Seattle, the trash talk went back and forth. The Seahawks cornerback was much happier having a chance to help wrap up Thursday’s session with an interception.

He said Adams was hiding from him as Witherspoon went looking for him after the pick.

“Yeah, I was looking for him, so I could get him the ball and show him that’s how you do it, for real. That’s how you really run this defense,” Witherspoon said.

Titans two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons had his own moment, picking up left guard Laken Tomlinson and tossing him to the ground.

Callahan said Thursday’s practice was shorter than Wednesday, which went nearly 2 1/2 hours in the heat of the day. After two hard days of controlled joint practices, Callahan said there was no need for the starters to play in the preseason game. Malik Willis will start at quarterback after working with the second team some against Seattle.

“He’s earned the right to have an opportunity to play with that group and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does,” Callahan said.

Injury issues

Seattle coach Mike Macdonald says wide receiver Pharoah Brown has a foot issue and running back Zach Charbonnet had his back lock up.

Titans defensive lineman Keondre Coburn went in early along with tight end Josh Whyle, who hit his head on the ground during a 1-on-1 drill, as precautionary measures. Wide receiver Kyle Philips hurt a hamstring, and defensive lineman Marlon Davidson hurt a bicep muscle. Linebacker Kenneth Murray was held out with a tight hamstring.

REPORT: SAMANTHA PONDER, ROBERT GRIFFIN III OUT AT ESPN

ESPN fired NFL studio host Samantha Ponder and football analyst Robert Griffin III, The Athletic reported Thursday.

Per the report, Ponder and Griffin were dismissed for financial reasons and were the only two on-air personalities to lose their jobs as ESPN prepares to close its fiscal year next month. Both Ponder and Griffin earned seven-figure annual salaries, according to The Athletic.

Ponder joined ESPN in 2011 and initially served primarily as a sideline reporter. She became host of “Sunday NFL Countdown” in March 2017, becoming just the third person to hold the job in the show’s first 32 years and working alongside, most recently, a panel of former NFL head coach Rex Ryan and retired players Tedy Bruschi, Randy Moss and Alex Smith.

Potential replacements for Ponder include “NFL Live” host Laura Rutledge and longtime ESPN personality Mike Greenberg.

Griffin, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor and Pro Bowl NFL quarterback, had been a college football and NFL analyst at ESPN since 2021. He worked on the broadcasts of weekly college football games and joined the “Monday Night Countdown” crew in 2022, but ESPN announced in May that recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce would be sliding into Griffin’s spot this fall.

Griffin had been considered a rising star in the industry. The No. 2 pick of the 2012 NFL Draft by Washington, he appeared in 56 NFL games with three teams over seven seasons.

Per The Athletic, Griffin had two years remaining on his contract. Multiple outlets reported in March 2022 that Ponder had signed a three-year deal to remain with the network.

As of early Thursday afternoon, ESPN had not commented on the report.

–Field Level Media

RUSSELL WILSON SLATED TO START PRESEASON GAME VS. BILLS

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will start Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills if he doesn’t have a setback with his calf injury.

Wilson suffered the injury on the eve of the team’s first training camp practice and it has caused him to miss practices and the team’s preseason debut against the Houston Texans last week. The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback is in his first season with the Steelers after he was released in March by the Denver Broncos two years into a five-year, $245 million contract.

Wilson entered training camp as the favorite to win the starting job over Justin Fields, who was traded by the Chicago Bears three years after they selected him with the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The calf injury allowed Fields, 25, to get the start against the Texans, but he was sacked twice and fumbled two exchanges in Pittsburgh’s 20-12 loss.

Wilson and Fields split first-team reps during the joint practice with the Bills, and Wilson is confident the ankle issue will not affect his mental approach.

“I don’t play with fear,” Wilson, 35, said Wednesday. “I never have. You play smart just like a normal game. Got to know when to get down, you got to know when to slide, get out of bounds, all those things. But like I said, I know how to avoid certain things, certain hits and all that. You got to be smart out there. But also, I don’t strap on the pads and just get ready to go and play fearful. Anybody knows me, I don’t think that way. So I’ll be ready to rock and roll if that’s the case.”

Entering his 13th season, Wilson spent his first 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks, leading the club to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances and the Seahawks’ only league title in Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014. He spent the past two seasons with the Broncos, whom he guided to an 11-19 record in 30 starts. He was benched by Sean Payton for the last two games of the 2023 season.

Wilson has passed for 43,653 yards with 334 touchdowns and 106 interceptions in 188 career games.

–Field Level Media

PANTHERS CB DANE JACKSON (HAMSTRING) COULD BE SIDELINED 6 WEEKS

Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson, who was carted off the practice field on Wednesday with a hamstring injury, could miss six weeks, coach Dave Canales said Thursday.

“Dane’s was a significant hamstring,” Canales said in Charlotte, where the team has been having joint practice sessions with the New York Jets.

Jackson, 27, is listed as a starter for the Panthers, who signed him as a free agent in March. Jaycee Horn is the other starter at outside cornerback with Troy Hill at nickel. Reserves include Dicaprio Bootle, Lamar Jackson, D’Shawn Jamison and Chau Smith-Wade, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Washington State.

Jackson spent the past four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2020 out of Pittsburgh. Jackson started 28 of his 52 games with the Bills and contributed three interceptions, 28 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and 152 tackles. He recorded 39 tackles in 15 games (six starts) in 2023.

Canales also said that safety Xavier Woods (groin) will miss at least a couple of weeks.

“A little bit more serious than we thought,” Canales said.

The Panthers open the regular season on Sept. 8 at the New Orleans Saints.

–Field Level Media

NBA NEWS

NBA UNVEILS SCHEDULE FOR 2024-25 SEASON

NEW YORK – The NBA today released its complete game schedule and broadcast schedules for TNT, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV and ESPN Radio for the 2024-25 regular season. The day-by-day and team-by-team schedules are attached and available at NBA.com/schedule. Fans can purchase tickets to games at NBATickets.com.

The 79th NBA regular season will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, and conclude on Sunday, April 13, 2025.  The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament 2025 will take place from Tuesday, April 15 – Friday, April 18, followed by the start of the NBA Playoffs 2025 presented by Google Pixel on Saturday, April 19. Game 1 of the NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV is set for Thursday, June 5.

The regular-season schedule includes defined dates and opponents for 80 of each team’s 82 games, along with two games designated as TBD dates and opponents. Those two games for each team, to be played Dec. 10-16, will be determined based on the results of Group Play games in the Emirates NBA Cup 2024. The Group Play schedule, which comprises 60 games that will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays from Nov. 12 – Dec. 3, was announced on Aug. 13.

Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024

The first five days of the 2024-25 NBA regular season (Oct. 22-26) will feature 11 national television games as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024, with two doubleheaders each on TNT and ESPN and a tripleheader on NBA TV.

The regular season will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 22 with a doubleheader on TNT. In the first game, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics will receive their championship rings and unveil their record 18th championship banner before hosting the New York Knicks in a matchup of last season’s top two playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference (7:30 p.m. ET). In the second game, the Minnesota Timberwolves – coming off the second-best regular season in franchise history and their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 20 years – will visit the Los Angeles Lakers as NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James of the Lakers starts his record-tying 22nd NBA regular season (10 p.m. ET).

ESPN’s doubleheader on Wednesday, Oct. 23 will tip off with nine-time NBA All-Star Paul George making his regular-season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers as they host the Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated Philadelphia 118-117 in the 2023-24 regular-season opener for both teams (7:30 p.m. ET). Then, the LA Clippers will play their first regular-season game at their new home arena, Intuit Dome, when they take on the Phoenix Suns (10 p.m. ET).

In TNT’s doubleheader on Thursday, Oct. 24, the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks will open with a home game against the San Antonio Spurs as five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson plays his first regular-season game with the Mavericks and 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul begins his 20th NBA season and makes his regular-season debut with the Spurs (7:30 p.m. ET). Next, last season’s top two playoff seeds in the Western Conference and top two players in the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting will square off when reigning MVP Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets host 2023-24 MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (10 p.m. ET).

On Friday, Oct. 25, ESPN’s second doubleheader of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024 will have a rematch of last season’s seven-game Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Knicks and Indiana Pacers in New York (7:30 p.m. ET), followed by the Suns visiting the Lakers (10 p.m. ET).

NBA TV will begin its live game coverage of the new season with three games on Saturday, Oct. 26: Clippers at Nuggets (5 p.m. ET), Orlando Magic at Memphis Grizzlies (8 p.m. ET) and Sacramento Kings at Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET).

Christmas Day

The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Wednesday, Dec. 25) for the 17th year in a row, with ESPN platforms televising each matchup. The 77th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day will tip off on ESPN as the Spurs face the Knicks in New York in a first-time matchup on Christmas Day (noon ET).

The second game will also be a first-time matchup on Christmas Day as last season’s Western Conference Finals participants go head-to-head when the Timberwolves visit the Mavericks on both ABC and ESPN (2:30 p.m. ET). On Christmas Day last year, Dallas guard Luka Dončić became the first player in NBA history to have at least 50 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, four steals and three blocks in a game since steals and blocks were first recorded in the 1973-74 season.

ABC and ESPN will also air the next two games as the Celtics host the 76ers (5 p.m. ET) and the Lakers visit the Warriors (8 p.m. ET), marking the first scheduled matchups of the season for both division rivalries. The Christmas Day schedule will conclude on ESPN when the Suns host the Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET). When the teams met on Christmas Day in 2022 in Denver, the Nuggets defeated the Suns 128-125 in overtime behind 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists from Jokić – the fourth 40/15/15 performance in a game in NBA history.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On Monday, Jan. 20, the NBA family will celebrate one of its most important traditions by honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The celebration will include three nationally televised games.

In a TNT doubleheader, Memphis will host Minnesota (2:30 p.m. ET) and Boston will meet Golden State in San Francisco in a rematch of the NBA Finals 2022 (5 p.m. ET). Prior to those matchups, Dallas will visit the Charlotte Hornets on NBA TV (noon ET).

NBA Rivals Week

Classic and budding rivalries between teams and players will take center stage for the third annual NBA Rivals Week in January. Rivalries will be the focus of 10 nationally televised games across four networks (TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV) over five days from Tuesday, Jan. 21 – Saturday, Jan. 25.

NBA Rivals Week will culminate with three games on ABC on Jan. 25, highlighted by Dallas hosting the first matchup between the Mavericks and Celtics since the NBA Finals 2024 (5:30 p.m. ET). The tripleheader will begin with a Western Conference Semifinals 2024 rematch between the Timberwolves and Nuggets in Minnesota (3 p.m. ET) and conclude with the Lakers visiting the Warriors (8:30 p.m. ET).

The complete game and broadcast schedule for NBA Rivals Week is available here.

Election Day

For the third consecutive season, no NBA games have been scheduled for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) as the league will continue to encourage fans and the broader NBA community to make a plan to vote and participate in the civic process.  As part of this initiative, the NBA will share important resources from voting organizations and highlight the civic engagement work of teams in their markets.

All 30 NBA teams will be in action on the day before Election Day (Monday, Nov. 4).  The first game of the night will tip off at 7 p.m. ET, and all subsequent matchups will begin 15 minutes apart.

Final Week of Regular Season

Like last season, all 30 NBA teams will play on the third-to-last day (Friday, April 11) and the final day (Sunday, April 13) of the regular season, and no games have been scheduled for the second-to-last day (Saturday, April 12).

On April 13, in an effort to maximize competitive fairness, the seven games between Eastern Conference teams will begin at 1 p.m. ET, and the seven games between Western Conference teams and the one cross-conference game will start at 3:30 p.m. ET.  ESPN will televise a doubleheader, with the matchups to be determined at a later date.

NBA Global Games

NBA TV will televise both The NBA Mexico City Game 2024 between the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards on Saturday, Nov. 2 (9:30 p.m. ET) and the opener of The NBA Paris Games 2025 between Indiana and San Antonio on Thursday, Jan. 23 (2 p.m. ET).  The Pacers and Spurs will also meet on Saturday, Jan. 25 in their second and final game in Paris, airing on ESPN (noon ET).

More National Television Matchups

• ESPN’s doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 1 will feature two rematches of seven-game playoff series from last season: Orlando at Cleveland Cavaliers (7 p.m. ET) and Denver at Minnesota (9:30 p.m. ET).

• The 76ers’ George, who played the previous five seasons with the Clippers, will visit his former team on Wednesday, Nov. 6 on ESPN (10 p.m. ET).

• As previously announced, the Mavericks’ Thompson, who won four NBA championships and spent 13 seasons with the Warriors, will return to Chase Center to play against Golden State for the first time when the teams meet in an Emirates NBA Cup Group Play game on Tuesday, Nov. 12 on TNT (10 p.m. ET).

• 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs and rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks – both natives of France and the two most recent No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft – will face each other on Thursday, Dec. 19 in San Antonio (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT) and on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in Atlanta (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN).

• The Nuggets and Celtics – the two most recent NBA champions – will square off on Tuesday, Jan. 7 in Denver (10 p.m. ET; TNT) and on Sunday, March 2 in Boston (1 p.m. ET; ABC).

• In addition to meeting on Jan. 25 in Dallas during ABC’s NBA Rivals Week tripleheader, the Celtics and Mavericks will also have an NBA Finals rematch on Thursday, Feb. 6 in Boston on TNT (7:30 p.m. ET).

• Leading into NBA All-Star 2025, TNT will feature a single game on Thursday, Feb. 13, with the Thunder visiting the Timberwolves (8:30 p.m. ET).

• On Thursday, Feb. 20, TNT will present San Antonio’s home game against Phoenix at the Moody Center on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, where 14-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant of the Suns was a college standout with the Longhorns (9:30 p.m. ET).

Additional Schedule Highlights

• All 30 teams are scheduled to make at least one appearance on TNT or ESPN in the 2024-25 regular season.  The NBA on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.

• Primetime weeknight doubleheaders across TNT (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and ESPN (Wednesdays and Fridays) will be played at 7 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET.

• ABC will televise 17 games as part of its two weekend series, NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC (which tips off with the Jan. 25 tripleheader during NBA Rivals Week) and NBA Sunday Showcase (which begins with 76ers at Bucks on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. ET).

• NBA TV will feature Center Court throughout the season, the network’s marquee night of programming, which incorporates enhanced viewing options into an originally produced telecast.  In the season debut of the franchise, Milwaukee will visit Boston on Monday, Oct. 28 (7:30 p.m. ET).

• ESPN Radio will broadcast 26 games in the regular season, including Celtics vs. Knicks on opening night and Knicks vs. Spurs and Mavericks vs. Timberwolves on Christmas Day.

• NBA League Pass will offer live, out-of-market games all season through the NBA App, NBA.com, connected televisions and TV providers.  Fans can unlock direct access to stream matchups featuring their favorite teams and players with NBA League Pass (blackout restrictions apply).  For more information, visit NBA.com/leaguepass.

• The regular season will feature 45 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

• The NBA Finals 2025 presented by YouTube TV and the Western Conference Finals 2025 will be exclusively televised by ABC and ESPN/ABC, respectively.  TNT will exclusively air the Eastern Conference Finals 2025 and the NBA All-Star Game 2025, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

• NBA games and programming are available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages.

BASEBALL NEWS

MLB ROUNDUP: PHILLIES ROOKIE HITS FOR CYCLE

Rookie Weston Wilson hit for the cycle and Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos belted back-to-back homers in the first inning, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies to a 13-3 victory over the visiting Washington Nationals on Thursday.

Wilson tripled and singled in the fourth, crushed a solo homer in the seventh and completed the cycle with a double in the eighth. He is the first Philadelphia rookie ever to accomplish the feat. Johan Rojas drove in three runs and Trea Turner ripped a two-run double among his three hits.

Phillies starter Zack Wheeler (12-5) allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits in six innings.

Keibert Ruiz belted two solo homers for the Nationals, who fell to 1-6 against Philadelphia this season. Mitchell Parker (6-7) was charged with nine runs on 10 hits in three-plus innings.

Tigers 2, Mariners 1

Javier Baez hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning and host Detroit completed a three-game sweep of Seattle.

Baez’s sixth homer of the season was just Detroit’s third hit of the game, his second. A quartet of Tigers pitchers held the Mariners to one hit. Shelby Miller (6-7) earned the win, and Jason Foley handled the ninth inning for his 16th save.

Mariners starter Bryce Miller allowed just two hits and struck out nine in seven scoreless innings. Andres Munoz (2-4) took the loss.

Orioles 5, Red Sox 1

Gunnar Henderson and Cedric Mullins homered and Zach Eflin fired six innings of one-run ball as Baltimore beat visiting Boston to open a four-game series.

Colton Cowser and Henderson each had two hits for the Orioles, who won their second game in a row to pull into a tie for first place in the American League East with the idle New York Yankees.

Wilyer Abreu, who homered, and Ceddanne Rafaela both had two hits for the Red Sox, who have lost two games in a row and six of their past eight.

Brewers 6, Dodgers 4

Tyler Black drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning groundout as host Milwaukee rallied past Los Angeles.

The Brewers trailed 4-3 before loading the bases on a double, a walk and an infield single with no outs against reliever Daniel Hudson (6-2). Willy Adames’ run-scoring single tied the game, and Black plated Garrett Mitchell with his groundout. Rhys Hoskins followed with a groundout to bring in William Contreras, making it 6-4.

Devin Williams struck out two during a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save of the season. Bryan Hudson (5-1), who logged two scoreless innings of relief, earned the win.

Twins 3, Rangers 2

Carlos Santana hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and Minnesota held on for a win against Texas in Arlington, Texas.

Willi Castro homered and Kyle Farmer had two hits for the Twins, who have won three of four. After Bailey Ober allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings, Jorge Alcala (3-3) got the win and Jhoan Duran worked the ninth for his 17th save.

Adolis Garcia had three hits and Marcus Semien recorded two for the Rangers, who have lost four of five. Cody Bradford tossed six innings of two-run ball. Kirby Yates (4-2) took the loss.

Giants 6, Braves 0

Logan Webb won his fourth consecutive start with 7 2/3 shutout innings, Grant McCray recorded his first two big-league hits, including a home run, and San Francisco salvaged one win in its four-game home series against Atlanta.

Casey Schmitt also homered for the Giants. Webb (11-8) didn’t allow a run for the second time in his last four starts, limiting the Braves to four hits and one walk. He struck out seven.

Braves starter Max Fried (7-7) was charged with three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Athletics 7, Mets 6

Seth Brown laced the tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning for visiting Oakland, which overcame a five-run deficit to edge New York in the decisive game of a three-game interleague set.

JJ Bleday began the comeback in the fourth inning by hitting a grand slam for the Athletics, who improved to an American League-best 17-10 since July 12. Tyler Nevin and Brown collected RBIs during the go-ahead rally against Reed Garrett (7-4).

Mark Vientos hit two homers and finished with three RBIs for the Mets. Luis Torrens had a two-run single while Jose Iglesias finished with two hits as New York fell for the fifth time in six games.

–Field Level Media

SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE TO OPEN FEB. 20 WITH CUBS-DODGERS IN GLENDALE, ARIZONA

NEW YORK (AP) — The 2025 spring training schedule opens Feb. 20 when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Chicago Cubs in the Cactus League opener at Glendale, Arizona, and Grapefruit League play starts the following day when the New York Yankees host the Rays at Tampa, Florida.

All 30 teams are scheduled to play on Feb. 22, Major League Baseball said Thursday.

The Spring Breakout featuring prospects, which began this year, returns from March 13-16. Ninety-three players from this year’s breakout games have appeared in the big leagues this season.

Atlanta plays the Chicago Cubs in a crossover game at Mesa, Arizona, on March 24 and 25, and the Colorado Rockies play Minnesota on March 25 at Fort Myers, Florida.

Scheduled exhibitions at regular-season ballparks from March 23-25 include Cleveland at Arizona and Kansas City at Texas, with more to be added. Houston will host Triple-A Sugar Land at Minute Maid Park.

The season starts March 18 when the Dodgers play the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo, and other teams open March 27.

HOCKEY NEWS

WRIGLEY FIELD WILL HOST A PAIR OF COLLEGE HOCKEY DOUBLEHEADERS AFTER NHL’S WINTER CLASSIC

CHICAGO (AP) — Wrigley Field will host two college hockey doubleheaders in January after the NHL’s Winter Classic is played there, the Big Ten and Chicago Cubs announced Thursday.

“The Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series” will feature three men’s games and one women’s game. The Chicago Blackhawks will play the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley on Dec. 31.

The men’s college games are Penn State vs. Notre Dame and Ohio State vs. Michigan on Jan. 3 and Wisconsin vs. Michigan State on Jan. 4. Defending national champion Ohio State will play Wisconsin in a women’s game on Jan. 4.

Each of the men’s teams were ranked in the top 20 last season, and Michigan reached the NCAA Frozen Four. On the women’s side, Ohio State and Wisconsin have combined to win the last five national championships and have met in the last two NCAA title games.

OLYMPIC NEWS

JORDAN CHILES: DECISION TO STRIP BRONZE MEDAL ‘FEELS UNJUST’

Gymnast Jordan Chiles took to social media on Thursday to publicly share her feelings for the first time since losing her bronze medal from the Paris Olympics in controversial fashion.

“I am overwhelmed by the love I have received over the past few days,” Chiles said to begin her lengthy statement on X, formerly Twitter.

“… While celebrating my Olympic accomplishments, I heard the devastating news that my bronze medal had been stripped away. I had confidence in the appeal brought by USAG, who gave conclusive evidence that my score followed all the rules. This appeal was unsuccessful. I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”

Chiles changed gears and turned her attention to the attacks over social media that she said she has received.

“To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this sport and I am so proud to represent my culture and my country,” she said. “I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country. Finding joy again has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are.”

Chiles won the bronze in women’s floor exercise in Paris on Aug. 5 when her coach submitted an inquiry to challenge the judges’ initial score, and her score was corrected from 13.666 to 13.766. Chiles moved into third place, passing Romanians Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea.

Romania took its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), saying that the United States’ inquiry was not made within the one-minute window stated in the rules. Romania argued that the Americans missed that time limit by four seconds.

The CAS on Saturday ruled in favor of Romania and ordered Chiles’ bronze medal to be reallocated to Barbosu, who was tied at 13.7 with her countrywoman but had a higher execution score.

USA Gymnastics later said it had video evidence that coach Cecile Landi made the appeal 47 seconds after Chiles’ initial score was posted, well within the time limit, but the CAS said it would not reopen the case. USAG plans to appeal to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.

–Field Level Media

COLLEGE SOCCER

2024 WOMEN’S HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST ANNOUNCED

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (August 15, 2024) – United Soccer Coaches announced on Thursday the 44 NCAA Division Women’s Division I college soccer players named to the 2024 Hermann Trophy Watch List as the regular season officially got underway

The Hermann Trophy is presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and is the nation’s highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. It is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the legendary St. Louis, Mo., businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first pro soccer league in the United States which became the North American Soccer League. He was inducted in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012.

Highlighting the watch list are six players who were 2023 Hermann Trophy semifinalists including senior defender Lilly Reale (UCLA); junior midfielder Jasmine Aikey (Stanford University); senior midfielder Josefine Hasbo (Harvard University); senior midfielder Lexi Missimo (University of Texas); sophomore forward Jordynn Dudley (Florida State University) and senior forward Emily Gaebe (Saint Louis University).

The watch 2024 list was compiled by members of the Division I Women’s All-America Council from a list of returning 2023 All-Americans and First Team All-Region players. A total of 15 players will be named 2024 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on December 4 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-American voting. From that list, head coaches will cast votes, and three players will be named finalists. The 2024 recipient will be announced January 3, 2025, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis, Mo.

The 2024 Men’s Hermann Trophy Watch List will be announced next Thursday, August 22 on the first day of the opening of the men’s collegiate season.

2024 Women’s Hermann Trophy Watch List

Pos	Name	Class	School	Hometown
K	Ryan Campbell	GR-5	UCLA	Laguna Beach, Calif.
K	Macy Enneking	GR-5	University of Iowa	Hilliard, Ohio
K	Ainsley Leja	Sr.	Liberty University	Rockford, Mich.
K	Bre Norris	Sr.	University of Portland	Boise, Idaho
K	Emily Puricelli	GR-5	Saint Louis University	St. Louis, Mo.
D	Natalie Bain	Jr.	Xavier University	Alexandria, Ky.
D	Macy Blackburn	Sr.	Texas Tech University	Keller, Texas
D	Elise Evans	Jr.	Stanford University	Redwood City, Calif.
D	Gracie Falla	Jr.	University of South Carolina	Hattiesburg, Miss.
D	Lyndsey Heckel	Sr.	Saint Louis University	St. Louis, Mo.
D	Kaycee Manding	GR-5	South Dakota State University	Waipahu, Hawaii
D	Kelsey Oyler	Sr.	University of Arkansas	Meridian, Idaho
D	Lilly Reale	Sr.	UCLA	Hingham, Mass.
D	Jade Rose	Sr.	Harvard University	Markham, Ont.
M	Jasmine Aikey	Jr.	Stanford University	Palo Alto, Calif.
M	Colby Barnett	Sr.	Santa Clara University	Los Alamitos, Calif.
M	Sam Courtwright	So.	Texas Tech University	Dallas, Texas
M	Teresa Deda	Sr.	Bucknell University	New Rochelle, N.Y.
M	Justina Gaynor	GR-5	Michigan State University	Shelby Township, Mich.
M	Josefine Hasbo	Sr.	Harvard University	Runstad Kyst, Denmark
M	Taylor Huff	Sr.	Florida State University	Mansfield, Ohio
M	Sally Menti	Sr.	Santa Clara University	Seattle, Wash.
M	Lexi Missimo	Sr.	University of Texas	Southlake, Texas
M	Avery Murdzek	Sr.	South Dakota State University	Hudson, Wis.
M	Momo Nakao	Sr..	University of Memphis	Imzai City, Japan
M	Regan Zimmers	GR-5	University of Nebraska-Omaha	Omaha, Neb.
M	Erika Zschuppe	Jr.	Florida Gulf Coast University	Kirtland, Ohio
F	Catherine Barry	GR-5	University of South Carolina	Hingham, Mass.
F	Alice Bussey	GR-5	University of North Alabama	Hythe, England
F	Trinity Byars	Sr.	University of Texas	Richardson, Texas
F	Jordynn Dudley	So.	Florida State University	Milton, Ga.
F	Emily Gaebe	Sr.	Saint Louis University	Union, Mo.
F	Ivy Garner	Jr.	Liberty University	Hillsborough, N.C.
F	Shyra James	GR-5	University of Colorado	La Mesa, Calif.
F	Abby Kraemer	Sr.	University of Maine	Waterloo, Ont.
F	Chioma Okafor	Jr.	University of Connecticut	Blantyre, Malawi
F	Gianna Paul	Jr.	University of Alabama	Huntington Station, N.Y.
F	Giana Riley	Jr.	Florida State University	Manteca, Calif.
F	Kayla Rollins	Sr.	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Ann Arnbor, Mich.
F	Nyah Rose	So.	Southern Methodist University	Markham, Ont.
F	Skyleigh Thompson	Sr.	University of Montana	Kalispell, Mont.
F	Pietra Tordin	Jr.	Princeton University	Doral, Fla.
F	Sarah Weber	Sr.	University of Nebraska	Gretna, Neb.
F	Ashleigh Williams	Sr.	Texas Tech University	Allen, Texas

2024 NCAA DIVISION I PLAYERS TO WATCH – FORWARDS

United Soccer Coaches has announced the Forwards on its NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Players to Watch lists for the 2024 intercollegiate season.

The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and first or second-team All-Region players from 2023, who are scheduled to return for the 2024 season.

“Entering the 2024 season, these previous honorees represent some of the best at their positions,” said Ralph Polson, Senior College All-America Administrator. “As pre-season training opens, we are pleased to recognize these outstanding student-athletes from our member schools. I would like to thank Jennifer Rockwood, DI Women’s All-America Chair, Ryan Hopkins, DI Men’s All-America Chair, and their respective committees for their efforts in compiling these lists.”

2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch – Forwards

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Catherine Barry	GR-5	University of South Carolina	Hingham, Mass.
Kate Bossert	Sr.	University of Vermont	Needham, Mass.
Alice Bussey	GR-5	University of North Alabama	Hythe, England
Trinity Byars	Sr.	University of Texas	Richardson, Texas
Seven Castain	Jr.	TCU	Draper, Utah
Kayla Colbert	Sr.	University of Southern California	Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Enasia Colon	Jr.	Arizona State University	Bradenton, Fla.
Jordynn Dudley	So.	Florida State University	Milton, Ga.
Sunshine Fontes	GR-5	UCLA	Wahiawa, Hawaii
Lexi Fraley	Sr.	Purdue University	Lafayette, Ind.
Emily Gaebe	Sr.	Saint Louis University	Union, Mo.
Kendall Gargiula	Jr.	Florida Gulf Coast University	North Fort Myers, Fla.
Ivy Garner	Jr.	Liberty University	Hillsborough, N.C.
Meg Hughes	GR-5	Michigan State University	Rochester, Mass.
Shyra James	GR-5	University of Colorado	La Mesa, Calif.
Abby Kraemer	Sr.	University of Maine	Waterloo, Ont.
Chioma Okafor	Jr.	University of Connecticut	Blantyre, Malawi
Gianna Paul	Jr.	University of Alabama	Huntington Station, N.Y.
Kat Rader	Jr	Duke University	Stuart, Fla.
Giana Riley	Jr.	Florida State University	Manteca, Calif.
Kayla Rollins	Sr.	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Ann Arnbor, Mich.
Nyah Rose	So.	Southern Methodist University	Markham, Ont.
Nedya Sawan	Sr.	University of Alabama	Beaverton, Ore.
Ava Tankersely	GR-5	University of Arkansas	St. Peters, Mo.
Skyleigh Thompson	Sr.	University of Montana	Kalispell, Mont.
Katie Toney	Jr.	Tennessee Tech University	McMinnville, Tenn.
Pietra Tordin	Jr.	Princeton University	Doral, Fla.
Tori Waldeck	GR-5	Pepperdine University	Newhall, Calif.
Farrah Walters	Jr.	Duke University	Scottsdale, Ariz.
Sarah Weber	Sr.	University of Nebraska	Gretna, Neb.
Ashleigh Williams	Sr.	Texas Tech University	Allen, Texas
Izzi Wood	GR-5	Appalachian State University	Hickory, N.C.

2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Players to Watch – Forwards

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Chris Album	Jr.	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	Vancouver, B.C.
Jacob Babalai	Sr.	University of Portland	West Linn, Ore.
Yaniv Bazini	Sr.	University of Vermont	Beit Hanan, Israel
Vincent Bennage	Sr.	Davidson College	Kenosha, Wisc.
Jonas Bickus	Sr.	Stony Brook University	Klaipeda, Lithuania
Marcus Caldeira	Jr.	West Virginia University	Mississauga, Ont.
Lucca Duorado	Sr.	University of Central Florida	Sao Paulo, Brazil
Luis Flores	Sr.	Oral Roberts University	Lufkin, Texas
Alex Harris	So.	Cornell University	Vancouver, Wash.
Emil Jaaskelainen	Sr.	University of Akron	Bolton, England
Stas Korzeniowski	Jr.	University of Pennsylvania	Skillman, N.J.
Denis Krioutchenkov	Jr.	Davidson College	Milwaukee, Wis.
Seth Mahlmeister	Sr.	Purdue University-Fort Wayne	Lima, Ohio
Stephan Moreira	Sr.	SIU-Edwardsville	Colchester, England
Eduardo Mustre	Sr.	Florida International University	Cordoba, Mexico
Oje Ofunrein	Sr.	University of Denver	Round Rock, Texas
Roberto Ordonez	Sr.	California State University-Fullerton	McAllen, Texas
Marc Pitarch Bayot	Sr.	Bryant University	Ares del Maestrat, Spain
Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos	Sr.	Marshall University	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Matthew Roou	Sr.	University of Notre Dame	Germantown, Wis.
Samuel Sarver	Sr.	Indiana University	Chesterland, Ohio

2024 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S AND WOMEN’S PLAYERS TO WATCH – MIDFIELDERS

United Soccer Coaches has announced the Midfielders on its NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Players to Watch lists for the 2024 intercollegiate season.

The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and first or second-team All-Region players from 2023, who are scheduled to return for the 2024 season.

“Entering the 2024 season, these previous honorees represent some of the best at their positions,” said Ralph Polson, Senior College All-America Administrator. “As pre-season training opens, we are pleased to recognize these outstanding student-athletes from our member schools. I would like to thank Jennifer Rockwood, DI Women’s All-America Chair, Ryan Hopkins, DI Men’s All-America Chair, and their respective committees for their efforts in compiling these lists.”

2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch – Midfielders
Name	Class	School	Hometown
Deborah Abiodun	So.	University of Pittsburgh	Oyo, Nigeria
Jasmine Aikey	Jr.	Stanford University	Palo Alto, Calif.
Colby Barnett	Sr.	Santa Clara University	Alamitos, Calif.
Sam Courtwright	So.	Texas Tech University	Dallas, Texas
Teresa Deda	Sr.	Bucknell University	Rochelle, N.Y.
Justina Gaynor	GR-5	Michigan State University	Shelby Township, Mich.
Josefine Hasbo	Sr.	Harvard University	Runstad Kyst, Denmark
Taylor Huff	Sr.	Florida State University	Mansfield, Ohio
Kristina Kelly	GR-5	University of Maine	Lincolnville, Maine
Sally Menti	Sr.	Santa Clara University	Seattle, Wash.
Lexi Missimo	Sr.	University of Texas	Southlake, Texas
Avery Murdzek	Sr.	South Dakota State University	Hudson, Wis.
Momo Nakao	Sr..	University of Memphis	Imzai City, Japan
Sarah Schupansky	Sr..	University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pa.
Regan Zimmers	GR-5	University of Nebraska-Omaha	Omaha, Neb.
Erika Zschuppe	Jr.	Florida Gulf Coast University	Kirtland, Ohio

2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Players to Watch – Midfielders
Name	Class	School	Hometown
Sam Bassett	Jr.	University of Denver	Littleton, Colo.
Diego Batista	So.	Providence College	Barcelos, Portugal
Zach Bohane	So.	Stanford University	Monte Sereno, Calif.
Bryce Boneau	Jr.	University of Notre Dame	Keller, Texas
Ask Ekeland	So.	Duquesne University	Stavanger, Norway
Nick Fernandez	So.	University of Portland	Downers Grove, Ill.
Carson Hodgson	So.	Western Michigan University	Macomb, Mich.
Angel Iniguez	So.	San Jose State University	Daly City, Calif.
Sam Layton	Sr.	Syracuse University	Brisbane, Australia
Patrick McDonald	Jr.	Indiana University	Greensboro, N.C.
Sean McEvoy	So.	Loyola University- Maryland	Cavan, Ireland
Bart Muns	Jr.	University of Illinois-Chicago	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Erick Serrano	Jr.	California State University-Fullerton	Mecca, Calif.
Alejandro Silva	Jr.	Oregon State University	Salt Lake City, Utah
Bailey Sparks	Jr.	Southern Methodist University	Plano, Texas
Jonathan Stout	So.	Michigan State University	Wyoming, Mich.
Riyon Tori	Jr.	University of North Carolina-Charlotte	Osaka, Japan
Scott Vatne	Jr.	Elon University	Klepp, Norway

UNITED SOCCER COACHES ANNOUNCE 2024 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S AND WOMEN’S PLAYERS TO WATCH – DEFENDERS

KANSAS CITY, MO (Aug. 6, 2024) – United Soccer Coaches has announced the Defenders on its NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Players to Watch lists for the 2024 intercollegiate season.

The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and first or second-team All-Region players from 2023, who are scheduled to return for the 2024 season.

“Entering the 2024 season, these previous honorees represent some of the best at their positions,” said Ralph Polson, Senior College All-America Administrator. “As pre-season training opens, we are pleased to recognize these outstanding student-athletes from our member schools. I would like to thank Jennifer Rockwood, DI Women’s All-America Chair, Ryan Hopkins, DI Men’s All-America Chair, and their respective committees for their efforts in compiling these lists.”

2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch – Defenders

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Camile Ashe	GR-5	Florida State University	Arlington, Va.
Natale Bain	Jr.	Xavier University	Alexandria, Ky.
Macy Blackburn	Jr.	Texas Tech University	Keller, Texas
Clarae Broecker	Sr.	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	Afton, Minn.
Emma Brown	Sr.	Cal Poly	Clovis, Calif.
Lauren Bruno	GR-5	Monmouth University	Manalapan, N.J.
Elise Evans	Jr.	Stanford University	Redwood City, Calif.
Gracie Falla	Jr.	University of South Carolina	Hattiesburg, Miss.
Jazmin Ferguson	Jr.	Louisiana State University	Conyers, Ga.
Lyndsey Heckel	Sr.	Saint Louis University	St.Louis, Mo.
Sydney Jones	Jr.	Ohio State University	Cincinnati, Ohio
Alivia Kelly	GR-5	North Carolina State University	Pembroke, Mass.
Kaycee Manding	GR-5	South Dakota State University	Waipahu, Hawaii
Emily Mason	Sr.	Rutgers University	Flemington, N.J.
Quincy McMahon	Sr.	UCLA	Carmel, Ind.
Reese Mendenhall	Sr.	Florida Gulf Coast University	Phoenix, Ariz.
Kelsey Oyler	Sr.	University of Arkansas	Meridian, Idaho
Alyssa Peters	GR-5	University of Idaho	Bremerton, Wash.
Ellie Podojil	Sr.	University of Arkansas	Cincinnati, Ohio
Carly Raunig	GR-5	Missouri State University	Olathe, Kan.
Lilly Reale	Sr	UCLA	Hingham, Mass.
Jade Rose	Sr.	Harvard University	Markham, Ont.
Kelsey Salopek	Jr.	Kent State University	Munhall, Pa.
Myla Schneider	Sr.	University of Maine	Calgary, Alb.
Lydia Self	Sr.	Northern Kentucky University	Noblesville, Ind.
Taylor Summit	Sr.	California Baptist University	San Diego, Calif.
Daviana Vaka	Sr.	University of Florida	Sandy, Utah

2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Players to Watch – Defenders

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Jason Belloli	Sr.	University of Denver	Geneva, Ill.
Olle Brorsson	Sr.	Monmouth University	Orebro, Sweden
Leo Burney	Sr.	University of Pennsylvania	Seattle, Wash.
Gabe Dahlin	Sr.	Monmouth University	Gothenburg, Sweden
Jesus DeVicente	Sr.	University of Illinois-Chicago	Casas Bajas, Spain
Kyle Genenbacher	Sr.	University of Notre Dame	Farmington, Mo.
Frederik Jorgensen	Sr.	West Virginia University	Aarhus, Denmark
Wyatt Meyer	Sr.	University of California	Berkeley, Calif.
Max Miller	Jr.	University of Kentucky	Lexington, Ky.
Michael Peck	Sr.	Missouri State University	Cornwall, England
Ian Pilcher	Sr.	University of North Carolina-Charlotte	Charlotte, N.C.
TJ Presthus	Sr.	Yale University	Albany, Ohio
Nigel Prince	Jr.	Northwestern University	Atlanta, Ga.
Andre Puente	Sr.	San Diego State University	Chihuahua, Mexico
Anderson Rosa	Sr.	University of Central Florida	Salvador, Brazil
Kerman Sukia	Sr.	Bryant University	San Sebastian, Spain

UNITED SOCCER COACHES ANNOUNCE 2024 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S AND WOMEN’S PLAYERS TO WATCH – GOALKEEPERS

KANSAS CITY, MO (Aug. 2, 2024) – United Soccer Coaches has announced the Goalkeepers on its NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Players to Watch lists for the 2024 intercollegiate season.

The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. The lists include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and first or second-team All-Region players from 2023, who are scheduled to return for the 2024 season.

“Entering the 2024 season, these previous honorees represent some of the best at their positions,” said Ralph Polson, Senior College All-America Administrator. “As pre-season training opens, we are pleased to recognize these outstanding student-athletes from our member schools. I would like to thank Jennifer Rockwood, DI Women’s All-America Chair, Ryan Hopkins, DI Men’s All-America Chair, and their respective committees for their efforts in compiling these lists.”

2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch – Goalkeepers

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Emily Bredek	Sr.	Old Dominion University	Huntington Beach, Calif.
Ryan Campbell	Sr.	UCLA	Laguna Beach, Calif.
Macy Enneking	GR-5	University of Iowa	Hilliard, Ohio
Mia Justus	Sr.	University of Texas	Lakewood, Ohio
Ainsley Leja	Sr.	Liberty University	Rockford, Mich.
Bre Norris	Sr.	University of Portland	Boise, Idaho
Emily Puricelli	GR-5	Saint Louis University	St. Louis, Mo.

2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Players to Watch – Goalkeepers

Name	Class	School	Hometown
Trace Alphin	Jr.	Wake Forest University	Raleigh, N.C.
Zac Kelly	So.	Michigan State University	Holt, Mich.
Luke Pruter	Jr.	University of California-Irvine	Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Wessel Speel	Sr.	Duke University	Utrecht, The Netherlands
Eric Waltz	Jr.	University of San Francisco	San Jose, Calif.

TOP INDIANA SPORTS/NEWS RELEASES

INDIANA PACERS

INDIANA PACERS ANNOUNCE 2024-25 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers will tip-off the 2024-25 regular season with a two-game road trip that begins on Wednesday, October 23 against the Detroit Pistons at 7:00pm ET, before returning home for their first game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, October 27 at 3:30pm ET.

Pacers tickets for games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be on sale on Wednesday, October 2 at 2:00pm ET. Fans can register for pre-sale access to single game tickets by signing up for Pacers Insider emails. Additional information on season tickets, group sales, suite rentals, and more can be found at Pacers.com/Tickets.

EMIRATES NBA CUP: As previously announced, the Pacers’ four Emirates NBA Cup games will take place on Friday, November 15 vs. the Miami Heat (7:00pm ET), Friday, November 22 at Milwaukee (7:30pm ET), Friday, November 29 vs. Detroit (8:00pm ET), and Tuesday, December 3 at Toronto (7:30pm ET).

Teams that advance through the group stage will play Knockout Round games on December 10 and December 11 (the winners will then play Semifinal and Final round games on December 14 and December 17, respectively, in Las Vegas, NV), while teams that do not advance will complete their 82-game regular-season schedule as part of two games that will be announced at a later date.

GAINBRIDGE FIELDHOUSE HOMESTANDS: The Pacers will have three homestands at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season at consist of at least four games. The first such homestand tips off on Sunday, November 24 vs. the Washington Wizards (5:00pm ET), and continues Monday, November 25 vs. New Orleans (7:00pm ET), Wednesday, November 27 vs. Portland (7:00pm ET), and concludes with the team’s traditional post-Thanksgiving date vs. Detroit on Friday, November 29.

NBA PARIS GAMES 2025: The Pacers will make their first trip to France as part of the NBA Paris Games 2025, presented by Tissot, with two games against the San Antonio Spurs in the French capital on Thursday, January 23 and Saturday, January 25. In addition to the games, the Pacers will be a part of interactive fan activities, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, and Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Paris.

NATIONAL TELEVISION: The Pacers are currently scheduled to appear in 14 nationally televised games this season, which includes five ESPN games, four TNT games, and five games on NBATV. The first nationally televised game will be on ESPN and is a re-match of Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, when the Pacers return to Madison Square Garden on Friday, October 25 to take on the New York Knicks (7:30pm ET). The Pacers full television and radio schedule will be announced at a later date.

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: The Pacers will host the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics on Wednesday, October 30 (7:00pm ET), while the New York Knicks visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday, November 10 (5:00pm ET) and then again on Tuesday, February 11 (7:30pm ET). The Pacers will welcome the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, January 4 (7:00pm ET), the Golden State Warriors on Friday, January 10 (7:00pm ET), and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, March 26 (7:30pm ET).

In what is now an annual league tradition, there will be no NBA games played on Tuesday, November 5 in recognition of Election Day.

PRESEASON SCHEDULE: The Pacers also confirmed their 2024 preseason schedule, which starts with two road games, the first on Tuesday, October 8 at Atlanta (7:00pm ET) and then on Thursday, October 10 at Cleveland (7:00pm ET). The Pacers will conclude their pre-season schedule with two games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the first on Monday, October 14 vs. Memphis (7:00pm ET) and then on Thursday, October 17 against Charlotte (7:00pm ET).

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

INDIANS FAN SEASON-HIGH 16 IN THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians bullpen dazzled with 14 strikeouts – 10 coming consecutively – as they outlasted the St. Paul Saints, 6-4, on Thursday night at Victory Field.

After Mike Burrows exited after 1.2 innings and a 2-1 deficit, the Indians (21-19, 54-59) turned to Michael Plassmeyer (W, 3-8), Brady Feigl and Connor Sadzeck (S, 4) to close out the contest. The trio combined for 7.1 innings with 14 strikeouts and only one earned run allowed. Ten of those strikeouts came consecutively, with Feigl fanning all six of his batters faced. In total, Indianapolis tied its season-high with 16 strikeouts for the first time since April 12 at Toledo.

As the bullpen went to work, so did the offense. Indianapolis capitalized on a pair of RBI singles courtesy of Liover Peguero and Billy McKinney to take a two-run lead in the third, with Peguero providing the go-ahead knock. The Indians bats tagged Saints starter Aaron Rozek (L, 0-2) for five runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings.

Indy and St. Paul (18-24, 56-60) traded runs in the fifth after a Yunior Severino RBI double and a Malcom Nuñez sacrifice fly. Nick Yorke continued his hot streak at the plate in the eighth as he padded the Indians lead with an RBI double. The Saints scored one run off a Severino sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to cap the scoring.

Yorke opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning before St. Paul responded with a home run by former Indian Diego A. Castillo and sacrifice fly by Wynton Bernard.

Indianapolis hitters attacked St. Paul pitching for fourteen hits. After Rozek’s departure, the Saints turned to Zack Weiss and Giovanny Gallegos for 3.1 innings and the duo allowed one earned run with one punchout.

Yorke and Henry Davis led the Indians offense with three hits apiece. Since making his Pirates organization debut on July 31, Yorke is hitting .392 (20-for-51) with a .949 OPS.

The Indians and Saints continue their six-game set tomorrow at 7:05 PM at Victory Field. Toeing the rubber for the Indians in his Victory Field debut is Bubba Chandler (1-0, 0.00). Chandler is currently listed as the No. 1 prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization according to MLB Pipeline. Countering for St. Paul is right hander Caleb Boushley (9-5, 4.92).

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES 2024-25 NON-CON SLATE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball has announced the non-conference portion of its 2024-25 schedule which includes seven home dates and a trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis in November.

Indiana’s non-con scheduled will feature four teams that made the postseason last year including a matchup with the Stanford Cardinal in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The team is schedule for its public exhibition game on Oct. 30 against Maryville before hosting a pair of Ivy League schools to begin the season on Nov. 4 against Brown and Nov. 7 against Harvard. A trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse is set for Nov. 13 against Butler as the Hoosiers return home on Nov. 17 to face Stanford.

The Hoosiers head to Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas for the first time in program history on Nov. 23-25. They will play three games at the Atlantis Paradise Resort Island. The field includes Ball State, Baylor, Columbia, North Carolina, Southern Miss, Texas A&M and Villanova. Matchups will be announced later.

December will have a loaded home slate, playing four non-con games in the final month of the 2024 calendar year. It kicks off with Maine visiting Bloomington on Dec. 1 followed by Southern Indiana (Dec. 4), Bellarmine (Dec. 15) and Oakland (Dec. 22.) Additional game times, TV designations and a full Big Ten schedule will come in the following weeks.

IU Women’s Basketball is coming off a record-setting season for attendance in 2023-24. Coach Teri Moren’s team averaged 10,336 fans during its 17 home games, and in doing so became just the fifth Big Ten Women’s Basketball team to average 10,000-plus during a single season. IU went a perfect 17-0 at home last season while eclipsing the 20-win barrier for the ninth straight year and earning a trip to its third Sweet 16 in the last four years.

Both Reserved and GA season tickets for the 2024-25 IU Women’s Basketball season remain on sale. A limited number of reserved season tickets are still available while GA season tickets will remain on sale until the start of the season.   Adult reserved season tickets are $112, while reserved senior season tickets (65+) and youth season tickets (18-and-under) are $48. IU faculty and staff can purchase reserved season tickets for $80.  Adult general admission season tickets are $96, while general admission youth and senior tickets are $48.

PURDUE FOOTBALL

MANNING AWARD WATCH LIST FEATURES PURDUE QB HUDSON CARD

NEW ORLEANS – One day after being named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List, Purdue quarterback Hudson Card landed on the watch list for the Manning Award. Card was only one of two Big Ten quarterbacks to make the watch list heading into the 2024 season.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ postseason performances in its balloting. Finalists will be selected prior to the postseason and the winner will be announced following the College Football Playoff National Championship.

In his first season donning the Old Gold and Black, Card finished third in the Big Ten in passing yards per game and completions per game. The Austin, Texas, native threw for 2,387 yards with 15 touchdowns over 11 starts, while also recording 203 yards and five touchdowns on the ground to showcase his mobility. He was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the media following the season.

Guiding Purdue to a win over Indiana in the Old Oaken Bucket Game, Card recorded 360 yards of total offense (275 passing, 85 rushing) and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) to become the first quarterback since Drew Brees (2000) to pass for at least 275 yards and rush for at least 85 yards in the same game. For his performance, he became the Manning Award Star of the Week. Against Syracuse, Card went 32-for-46 for 323 yards and a touchdown to set career highs in completions, attempts and yards.

Card and the Boilermakers begin the 2024 season at home, hosting Indiana State at Ross-Ade Stadium (Aug. 31). Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on BTN.

NOTRE DAME SWIMMING

NOTRE DAME SUSPENDS MEN’S SWIMMING PROGRAM OVER BETTING SCANDAL

Notre Dame suspended its men’s swimming program for at least one academic year Thursday after an external review discovered a widespread culture of swimmers betting on their own performances.

Notre Dame hired the law firm Ropes & Gray LLP to conduct a review of the men’s swimming program following reports of misconduct.

“The external review confirmed and expanded on our initial concerns about a deeply embedded team culture dismissive of Notre Dame’s standards for student-athletes, including our expectation that they treat one another with dignity and respect,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement.

“This independent, external review also documented numerous violations of NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic competitions despite clear and recurrent training provided to all our student-athletes by our Athletics Compliance staff about those rules. These findings are contrary to the University’s values and all that we stand for in Notre Dame Athletics.”

Gambling companies do not produce betting lines on college swimming, but according to a report from Sports Illustrated, the men’s team “effectively created its own sports book for the purpose of wagering on their swimming performances.”

Notre Dame said that “individual conduct varied,” and there could still be further consequences for individual swimmers who participated in the makeshift gambling ring.

Incoming freshmen and other athletes who wish to transfer as a result of the team’s suspension will be able to do so, Sports Illustrated reported, though the fall semester at Notre Dame begins in less than two weeks.

The women’s swimming team and Notre Dame’s diving teams were not impacted by the decision. Notre Dame swimming and diving coach Chris Lindauer and his staff won’t be disciplined after participating with the external investigation.

“The review found that the staff was not aware of gambling or the scope and extent of other troubling behaviors because team members effectively concealed such behaviors from the coaches and staff through concerted efforts,” Bevacqua said. “According to the review, when the staff became aware of certain isolated incidents of unacceptable conduct, they treated them seriously and professionally.”

–Field Level Media

NOTRE DAME HOCKEY

HOCKEY TO TAKE PART IN THE FROZEN CONFINES AT WRIGLEY FIELD

CHICAGO – The Big Ten Conference and Chicago Cubs announced the schedule for the 2025 Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series in a joint statement Thursday, August 15. The University of Notre Dame hockey team will compete against Penn State on Friday, January 3, 2025, as part of a four-game event between Big Ten programs.

The trip to Wrigley Field in 2025 marks the fourth outdoor game appearance for the program in the modern era having previously played at Soldier Field, Fenway Park and Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish most recently played an outdoor game during the 2018-19 season when they hosted Michigan inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Ticket Information

All tickets for this event will be sold through Wrigley Field. A variety of presales will be available to priority access groups at 10 a.m. CST on the following dates:

August 27 – 2024 Hockey Season Ticket Members

August 28 – All other 2024-25 Notre Dame Athletics Season Ticket Members, including premium groups

August 29 – Notre Dame Football ticket lottery participants, and priority access subscribers

Instructions on how to access the presale will be distributed to eligible fans via email.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 30, at 10 a.m.

CT and are available at Cubs.com/BigTenHockey.

The full Big Ten slate will be announced at a later date.

BUTLER FOOTBALL

BUTLER FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW: QUARTERBACKS

INDIANAPOLIS – A new quarterback will be under center for the Bulldogs in 2024 after the departure of former PFL Offensive Player of the Year Bret Bushka.

The QB meeting room includes Dartmouth transfer Nick Howard, Reagan Andrew, Sage Shindler, Landon Hochstein, Jarrin Alley and Gabe Passini.

“I’ve lived the experience of being a student-athlete here at Butler so I understand everything that they’re going through,” first-year quarterback coach Eddie Schott explained. “Being in the offense as a quarterback for the last two years has helped me be able to teach it from their perspective because I understand the decisions they have to make on the field.”

Howard, Andrew and Shindler are the vets in the room while Alley and Passini are gearing up for their first year with the program. While at Dartmouth, Howard helped the Big Green win an Ivy League Title in 2023. He also finished his career as the all-time rushing touchdown leader in Dartmouth history.

A dual threat, Howard led the team with 613 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns to earn honorable mention all-conference accolades. He also passed for 302 yards and a score. During his five years (four seasons) in Hanover, Howard was a two-time team captain that rushed for 1,925 yards and passed for 1,158. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry and passed for 730 yards in 2022.

Before Butler, Shindler started 10 games for the Illinois Wesleyan Titans in 2021. He threw for 2,190 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also recorded two 300-yard games and had five games with multiple touchdown passes.

“The older guys in the room have taken the younger guys under their wing and shown them what it means to play quarterback at Butler,” Schott added. “From off the field stuff, to our warm-ups, meal checks, and program standards, they have set the expectation and been great examples.”

Andrew and Hochstein have not seen any game action at BU, but were each highly decorated prospects coming out of high school.

Andrew was the 2021 Missouri Offensive Player of the Year coming out of Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School. An All-State selection in 2021, Andrew passed for 2,556 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior.

Hochstein threw for 2,143 yards as a senior while adding 646 rushing yards to score 32 total touchdowns. He left Norwalk ranked second all-time in career passing yards (4,071) and second all-time in touchdown passes.

The depth of the position group is in great shape with the additions of Jarrin Alley and Gabe Passini during the off-season.

Alley was an All-State selection at Bloomington South after throwing for 2,738 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior. He ended his career ranked second all-time in passing yards and passing touchdowns finishing behind former NFL QB Rex Grossman.

Passini is another All-State talent from Middleton, Wis. He threw for 1,650 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior season.

Schott has been pleased with the amount of quality reps over the first few weeks of training camp. However, there is still work to be done before the start of the regular season.

“Reinforcing ball security during warm-ups, before practice, and at meetings is something we focus on,” Schott added. “We also emphasize not forcing bad throws in our offense and playing the next play.”

The Bulldogs open the season at home against Upper Iowa on Saturday, August 31, at 1 p.m.

BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER

BALL STATE DEFEATS PURDUE FORT WAYNE IN 2024 SEASON OPENER

The Ball State soccer team hosted Purdue Fort Wayne at Briner Sports Complex this past Thursday afternoon to open its 2024 season in a dominating fashion, winning the contest 4-0 in a game full of firsts.

Kaelyn Valleau set the tone in the first half for the Cardinals, making a statement earning the first goal of the season, as well as her first career goal in the 26th minute of play off an assist from freshman forward Aleyna Quinn.

Two-time All-MAC second team selection and 2022 MAC Freshman of the Year Delaney Caldwell came out blazing from the kickoff, relentlessly attempting shot after shot in the first half, and scoring two thunderous back-to-back goals in the 51st and 52nd minutes to bring the score to 3-0. Addie Chester and Maya Millis assisted on those goals, along with Kira Verburg who earned a secondary assist on the second Caldwell goal.

Freshman midfielder LG Moncreif also scored the first goal of her collegiate career off a penalty kick in the 88th minute, putting the exclamation point toward the end of the match.

The Cardinal defenders kept the Mastodons from getting any sort of momentum going all throughout the game, restricting them to just three shots on goal compared to the Cardinals’ 12.

In the few attempts PFW managed to take throughout the game, both Abby Jenkins and Grace Konopatzki got the job done with two saves each.

Ball State looks to capitalize on this momentum as they defend their home field again against Indiana on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. 

BALL STATE CROSS COUNTRY

CROSS COUNTRY ANNOUNCES 2024 SCHEDULE

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State cross country announces its schedule for the 2024 season. 

The team is scheduled to compete in five meets in the regular season, kicking things off in Valparaiso, Indiana for the Winrow Valparaiso Open on August 30. The post season holds the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, hosted by the Mid-American Conference in Norton, Ohio and the NCAA Championships, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. 

Ball State will host two meets in the upcoming season, including the We Fly Championship Preview scheduled for September 14 and the Mid-American Conference Championships scheduled for November 2. This will be the Cardinals’ first time hosting the MAC Championships since 2011. 

Last season, the team finished tenth in the MAC and 23rd of 32 teams at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. 

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S SOCCER

MASTODONS HOST NORTHWESTERN IN EXHIBITION CONTEST ON FRIDAY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne welcomes Northwestern to the Hefner Soccer Complex on Friday (August 16) for an exhibition match. The game is presented by Hyatt Place.

Game Day Information

Who: Northwestern

When: Friday, August 16 | 3 PM

Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex

Live Stats: None

Watch: None

Ticket Details

Admission to Friday’s exhibition is free. Admission will be charged for regular season home games starting with the Sept. 11 contest against IU East. Ticket information can be found at GoMastodons.com/tickets.

Know Your Foe

The Wildcast were 10-4-3 (4-3-1 Big Ten) last season. They fell 1-0 in the Big Ten Tournament.

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back

A few returners to note this year for the ‘Dons:

– Seth Mahlmeister led the Horizon League in goals with 10 while also adding three assist. He was a 2023 All-Horizon League First Team pick. He was named a Forward to Watch by United Soccer Coaches on their national watch list.

– Juan Romero earned Second Team honors last year after recording two assists and serving as a key cog in the Mastodon defense. He started 14 matches, playing all 90 minutes in five contests. He was also named to the 2023 Horizon League All-Tournament Team and selected to the 2023 CSC Academic All-District squad.

– Aidan Antcliff is back after making an appearance on the 2023 Horizon League All-Freshman Team. He played in 16 matches with 10 starts last year, recording a game-winning goal vs. Wright State.

Welcome To Fort Wayne

A few newcomers to note:

– Andrew Hollenbach played two seasons at NCAA Division II Dallas Baptist. He was a 2023 all-league third team pick, playing in all 19 games and helping the Patriots to a runner-up finish in the league.

– Marcos Soria played two seasons for Western Texas College. He started 12 games in 2023 with three assists. He was a First Team NJCAA All Region V pick. In 2022 he started 11 games with one assist. 

– Felipe Medina was an All-Summit League Second Team selection at Oral Roberts in 2022. He played three total seasons for the Golden Eagles

Big Time

The ‘Dons will open the 2024 regular season at No. 3 West Virginia.

PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer team dropped its regular season opener at Ball State on Thursday (Aug. 15) 4-0.

The home team took 13 shots before scoring in the 26th minute. In the first half, Purdue Fort Wayne took three shots, with two on target. 

Zoe Greenhalge took the Mastodons’ first shot on goal of the season, coming early in the first half. Audriana Rhyner added a second on-frame shot later in the half.

Within the first seven minutes of the second half, Ball State added on to their lead twice. The Cardinals scored in the 50th minute and 52nd minute.

About 15 minutes into the second half, Scarlett Webster had the best chance of the match for the ‘Dons with a shot taken inside the six-yard box that BSU’s Grace Konopatzki grabbed.

The Mastodons finished with eight shots, half of which came from the bench.

Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 0-1 and Ball State improves to 1-0. The Mastodons will host Illinois State on Sunday at the Hefner Soccer Complex at 1 p.m. 

PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S SOCCER

SETH MAHLMEISTER NAMED A PLAYER TO WATCH BY UNITED SOCCER COACHES

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Purdue Fort Wayne senior Seth Mahlmeister has been named to the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Forwards to Watch National List. The lists are compiled and released by the United Soccer Coaches Division I All-America Committees.

Mahlmeister led the Horizon League in goals last season with 10 while adding three assists. He was an All-Horizon League First Team in 2023.

He continued his impressive play this summer, recording a team-best 10 goals and eight assists in 13 games with Sarasota Paradise of USL League Two.

The Mastodon men’s soccer team hosts Northwestern on Friday (Aug. 16) in an exhibition at 3 p.m. The ‘Dons open the 2024 regular season at No. 3 West Virginia on Aug. 22.

SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER

FRYE NAMED OVC PLAYER TO WATCH

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana junior midfielder Jaron Frye (Tulsa, Oklahoma) was named an Ohio Valley Conference Player to Watch for the 2024 season. The OVC Players to Watch are nominated by institution head coaches.

Frye, who was redshirted last season, came to USI from Northern Oklahoma College where he was the leading scorer by scoring 11 goals in 27 matches over two seasons (2021, 2022).

The Screaming Eagles also were selected to place eighth in the OVC this season. USI was 1-6-3 in the inaugural OVC season, missing the post-season tournament, and finished the year 2-12-3 overall. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was predicted to win the OVC in 2024, collecting 11 of the 16 first place votes.

USI concludes the 2024 preseason schedule Saturday with an exhibition game versus Bradley University at Strassweg Field. The Eagles open the regular season August 22 with a visit to Butler University and starts the fall home schedule September 14 when Bellarmine University comes to Strassweg Field.

At the end of the season, the top six teams in the standings will qualify for the 2024 OVC Men’s Soccer Championship Tournament, which will take place November 10, 13 & 16 on the campus of SIUE in Edwardsville, Illinois.

2024 OVC Players to Watch:

Sam Eccles, Eastern Illinois

D’Alessandro Herrera, Houston Christian

Miles Merritt, Incarnate Word                               

Luke Eberle, Liberty

John Gates, Lindenwood

Nacho Abeal, SIUE

Jaron Frye, USI

Jimmy Baars, WIU

2024 OVC Preseason Poll

1. SIUE (11 first-place votes)         95 points

2. Liberty (3)                                  79

3. Incarnate Word                          67

4. Lindenwood                               66

5. Houston Christian (2)                59

6. Eastern Illinois                           36

7. Western Illinois                          25

8. Southern Indiana                       21

VALPO WOMEN’S SOCCER

SOCCER SET TO OPEN SEASON SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Valparaiso (0-0-0, 0-0-0 MVC)

Sunday, Aug. 18 – at Chicago State (250 E 111th St.) – 1 p.m.

Next Up in Valpo Soccer: Winners of the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and the 2023 MVC Tournament championship, the Valpo women’s soccer program starts its quest for a third straight championship season on Sunday, as the 32nd season in program history gets underway with a matchup at Chicago State, played at Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep.

Previously: Valpo competed once against outside competition during the preseason, making the trip to take on Oakland.

Looking Ahead: Nonconference play continues next week with a pair of matches. The Beacons travel to Eastern Illinois on Thursday, Aug. 22 before making their 2024 Brown Field debut on Sunday, Aug. 25.

Following the Beacons: A link for live stats for Sunday’s season opener will be available at ValpoAthletics.com. All home matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as part of The Valley on ESPN, while some road fixtures will have live video available as well.

Head Coach John Marovich: Entering his 17th season at the helm of the Valpo program, John Marovich holds a 132-118-48 (.523) record both overall and at Valpo as a head coach. The 2014 Horizon League Coach of the Year and the head of the 2022 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, Marovich holds Valpo’s all-time records for both victories and winning percentage.

Series Notes: Valpo and Chicago State will match up for the sixth time in program history on Sunday, with Valpo looking to extend its 4-1-0 series advantage. This marks just the second time Valpo has played at Chicago State and the first time it will do so in the Chicago city limits, as the Sept. 2021 matchup was played in Bridgeview. Last season, the Beacons took down the Cougars 5-1 on Brown Field, highlighted by a hat trick from Addy Joiner – the eighth in program history. Lindsey DuSatko and Anna Cup also found the back of the net in the victory.

Scouting the Opposition: The Cougars posted a 4-12-0 record last season while playing as an independent. Jackie Tamayo, who tied for team-high honors with five goals last season, is CSU’s leading returning scorer, while Jay Arballo, who played every minute in goal, returns in net.

Valpo Picked Fifth in Preseason Poll: The Beacons were chosen to finish in fifth place in preseason polling of the MVC head coaches. Valpo tallied 83 points in the poll, coming in just behind UIC (87) and UNI (85). Missouri State was picked to win the conference and garnered seven first-place votes, while Drake was chosen second and picked up three first-place nods. Notably, the program has matched or surpassed its preseason projection in six of its first seven seasons in the Valley, and the only season it didn’t was 2023, when Valpo eventually claimed the MVC Tournament title.

Preseason Honoree: Senior forward Addy Joiner was recognized by the Valley as a preseason First Team All-MVC honoree when the preseason poll was released. Joiner has twice earned postseason recognition, as she was a First Team All-MVC selection in 2022 and picked up Third Team All-MVC accolades in 2023. Joiner netted eight goals last season, tying her for third in the MVC and moving into a tie for ninth on the program’s single-season goals chart. She enters her final campaign tied for sixth in program history with 18 career goals, tied for seventh with 40 points and tied for eighth with six match-winning goals.

Looking Back at Last Season: Valpo claimed its first MVC Tournament championship since joining the Valley in dramatic fashion in 2023, winning four consecutive tournament matches by 1-0 finals to earn the crown and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, where it battled #9 Notre Dame to a scoreless first half before eventually falling 2-0. The Beacons finished the season 11-6-6 overall and went 3-3-4 in MVC regular season play, finishing sixth in the regular season standings. Nicole Norfolk was a First Team All-MVC selection, highlighting six Beacons who earned postseason recognition from the Valley, and also picked up Second Team All-Region honors.

Who’s Back: In a rarity in the transfer portal era we live in, all 20 players from the 2023 team who did not graduate are back and on the 2024 roster. That includes five regular starters and 13 of the team’s 27 goals from last season.

Who’s Gone: But the Beacons did graduate a decorated class of nine players who closed their time at Valpo with championships in back-to-back seasons, a group which accounted for 54.2% of the team minutes played in 2023. The four-year seniors who graduated put together maybe the best four-year stretch in program history, posting a 19-7-10 record in MVC play and advancing to four consecutive MVC Tournament semifinals. That group of seniors combined for nine All-MVC selections, 12 MVC weekly awards, 28 goals, 27 assists and 28 shutouts over their four years.

Who’s New: Chomping at the bit to be the next group of Beacons to help keep Valpo among the MVC’s best are 10 newcomers to the roster in 2024. That group includes nine true freshmen and grad transfer Ella Schad, who is utilizing her COVID year of eligibility after playing four seasons at Coastal Carolina.

That Tourney Run: It was a magical 11 days in late October and early November last fall, as Valpo embarked on its dramatic run to claiming the MVC Tournament championship. The Beacons won all four of their tournament fixtures by 1-0 finals – the first time in program history Valpo has won four matches in a single postseason, and the first time in program history the team has strung together 1-0 wins in four straight matches. The final three of those four victories came over the top three teams in the regular season standings, including the title match win over host and regular season champion Drake. In three of those four matches, it took the Beacons until after halftime to find their lone goal, including one match that went to extra time scoreless. As the sixth seed in the MVC Tournament, Valpo became the lowest seed ever to win the Valley title and was the first team outside the top-two to claim the championship since 2007.

Conference Success: Valpo has enjoyed consistent success within conference play over the last few seasons. Since the start of the spring 2021 campaign, the Beacons are 19-7-10 within regular season MVC matches – a mark which improves to 19-5-10 with the removal of two matches versus departed conference foe Loyola.

Opening Things Up: While the D-I regular season begins on Thursday, Valpo won’t take the field until Sunday – the first time since 2010 the program hasn’t opened play on the first allowable day of regular season competition. That season, Valpo played just one match on opening weekend as well, taking on UMKC on Saturday. The Beacons are in search of a season-opening win for the second straight year, as they took down Eastern Illinois on Brown Field in last season’s debut. Valpo’s last win in a road match to start the regular season came in 2018, a 2-1 triumph at Green Bay.

Joiner Leads the Line: Senior forward Addy Joiner enters her final year looking for one more standout campaign to cap her prolific career in the Brown and Gold. Joiner earned First Team All-MVC recognition as a sophomore as she led the team and ranked second in the Valley with seven goals scored. Last year, she was a Third Team All-MVC selection, pacing the Beacons and ranking third in the MVC with eight goals while also chipping in a pair of assists. Tied for sixth in program history with 18 career goals, Joiner enters the 2024 campaign just three back of fourth position, seven back of third and 11 out of second.

From Newbie to Veteran: It’s not often you’d call a sophomore a veteran presence, but that is exactly what sophomore center back Anna Cup brings to the Beacons’ back line. As a rookie last season, Cup slotted in immediately to the team’s defense, starting in each of her 22 appearances and missing only one match due to injury. Of her 22 starts, she went the distance in 21 of them, while Valpo surrendered one goal or fewer in 18 of her 22 starts. For her defensive efforts, Cup earned a spot on the MVC All-Freshman Team.

Scooter Shines: Senior left back Abby White has been a steady sight running up and down the left side since she stepped on campus in 2021. White, who has accumulated over 4,500 minutes of playing time through her first three seasons, was an MVC All-Freshman Team choice in 2021 and earned Third Team All-MVC honors in 2022. Last season, White came up big in one of the biggest moments, as she scored the match-winning goal in extra time of the Beacons’ MVC Tournament semifinal victory over Missouri State, bending in a corner kick for an Olimpico in the 97th minute. White played all 380 minutes of the tournament run, part of a back line which posted four consecutive clean sheets, and was named to the MVC All-Tournament Team.

Big Shoes to Fill: While the Valpo program graduated a decorated class of seniors following last season, perhaps none was more decorated than Nikki Coryell, the three-time MVC Goalkeeper of the Year and four-time All-MVC honoree. With Coryell’s departure, the Beacons enter this season with a grand total of 0 collegiate regular season minutes at goalkeeper on their roster. A trio of netminders will look to step in and try to take their place in the legacy of strong Valpo goalkeepers: redshirt sophomore Kate Sheridan, redshirt freshman Helen Stegner and true freshman Hailey Wade.

The English Influence: Last season marked the first time in program history Valpo’s roster featured a player from England, as Daisy Boardman arrived on campus from Warrington, Cheshire. This season, the number of players from across the pond doubles, as Kate Jeffery joins the Beacons from Southampton, Hampshire. In addition, Louis Owens – a native of Basingstoke, Hampshire – will work with the goalkeepers as the coaching staff’s graduate assistant this year.

VALPO SWIMMING

VALPO SWIMMING UNVEILS 2024-25 SCHEDULE

Five home meets at the Valparaiso Aquatic Center highlight the schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign for Valpo men’s and women’s swimming.

The Beacons kick off the regular season Sept. 28 at Cleveland State before hosting their annual Alumni Meet at the ARC Pool Oct. 5 as part of Homecoming Weekend. Competition continues the next weekend with trips to Southern Indiana (Oct. 10) and to Purdue for the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate (Oct. 12).

Home competition at the Valparaiso Aquatic Center kicks off the following weekend as Valpo hosts double dual meets on back-to-back days, bringing in Quincy and Illinois Tech Oct. 18 before taking on Bellarmine and Eastern Illinois Oct. 19. A trip to Green Bay Oct. 26 is followed by a return to the home pool for a double dual versus Butler and Lewis Nov. 1.

The fall semester action concludes at the Magnus Cup in Cleveland, Ohio Nov. 21-23. As part of the Beacons’ training trip over the holiday break, they will compete at the CSCAA Open Water Championship in North Miami, Fla. Dec. 15.

Valpo returns to the pool as the spring semester gets underway, hosting its Senior Meet on Jan. 10 as it takes on Rose-Hulman and Wabash. The Beacons travel to Bethel Jan. 24 and to Fishers, Ind. for the Butler Invitational Jan. 26 before closing out the regular season with a home dual meet versus UIC Jan. 31.

Championship season begins Feb. 19-22 as the Valpo men head to Oxford, Ohio for the Missouri Valley Conference Championships — the first time the Valley has sponsored a men’s swimming championship since 2003. The Beacon women will head to their MVC Championships Feb. 26-March 1 in Waukee, Iowa.

The Valpo men posted their highest single-season dual meet win total last year in at least 25 years, while the women earned their highest number of dual meet wins since 2019-20 and recorded their highest point total at the MVC Championships since joining the Valley. The teams combined to break six program records and posted 55 marks on the program’s top-10 charts last season.

MARIAN FOOTBALL

MARIAN PICKED AS FAVORITE IN MSFA MIDWEST LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL

INDIANAPOLIS – In their first season in the Midwest League, the Marian Knights are narrowly picked to finish on top, as the 2024 MSFA Preseason Coaches’ Polls were released on Thursday.

After claiming eight Mideast League titles since 2011, the Knights edged out three-time defending Midwest champions Saint Xavier in the poll, earning three of a potential five first-place votes. Marian closed their time in the Mideast as co-champs in 2023, before falling in the NAIA Football Championship Series to the Cougars. Marian will matchup with Saint Xavier later this fall on Saturday, November 2, with the Knights making their first trips to the Chicago suburbs since 2017 for a matchup with the Cougars.

Saint Xavier will go for their 11th Midwest League crown this fall, and fourth in a row following back-to-back perfect League seasons in 2022 and 2023. The Cougars picked up one first place vote in the poll, and came up one point shy of Marian in the total vote tally.

St. Francis (Ill.) earned a pair of first-place votes and was one point behind SXU to place third in the poll. The Saints were the last team to claim a Midwest League title other than Saint Xavier, when they shared the championship in 2021.

Another Midwest League newcomer in Saint Francis (Ind.) placed fourth in the poll, followed by Olivet Nazarene at No. 5 and Judson at No. 6.

To determine the preseason rankings, head coaches across the league rank their fellow Midwest League members from top to bottom, with 1st place earning 5 points, 2nd place earning 4 points, etc. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.

Olivet Nazarene kicks off the 2024 season for the Midwest League, as they travel for an MSFA crossover matchup at Concordia on Saturday, August 31. Marian will play five crossover contests this season with the MSFA Midwest League, opening their 2024 regular season on Saturday, September 7 at Siena Heights.

WABASH MEN’S SOCCER

LITTLE GIANTS TIED FOR FOURTH IN NCAC PRESEASON MEN’S SOCCER POLL

Wabash received 45 points to tie for fourth place in the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference men’s soccer coaches preseason poll released Thursday.

The Little Giants joined DePauw University in fourth place with 45 points after the coaches’ votes were tallied. Kenyon received seven first-place votes and 79 total points to earn the top spot as the favorite to win the conference. Denison garnered one first-place vote and finished second in the voting with 68 points, followed by Ohio Wesleyan in third place with 65 points. Wooster received 35 points for sixth place in the preseason rankings, followed by Wittenberg (33 points), Oberlin (25 points, one first-place vote), and Hiram (10 points).

Wabash finished 6-7-4 last season with a 2-5-1 mark in NCAC matches. Junior Jose Escalante returns after leading the Little Giants in scoring with nine goals and three assists in 16 appearances. Escalante ranked fourth among NCAC players in goals scored to earn Second Team All-NCAC honors. Senior midfielder Bruno Zamora joined Escalante on the all-conference Second Team after scoring two goals and four assists in 16 games. Zamora ranked eighth in the conference in assists for the season.

Sophomore Bryce Kinnaman scored five goals and gave out three assists in his first season at Wabash, ranking second on the team in scoring. Junior Jesse Martinez matched Kinnaman’s totals with five goals and three assists in 13 starts for the Little Giants. Senior Fernando Ramos recorded 46 saves with a 1.37 goals-against average as the Wabash starting goalkeeper in 2023.

The Little Giants travel to Principia College on Monday, September 2, to open the 2024 season. Wabash faces in-state rival Rose-Hulman on Wednesday, September 4, in the home opener beginning at 5 p.m. The NCAC portion of the schedule begins Wednesday, October 9, with a 7 p.m. match at DePauw University.

INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEBSITES

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

NUMBERS IN SPORTS

4 – 21 – 7

August 16, 1927 – Yankees slugger Babe Ruth blasts a Tommy Thomas pitch in the 5th inning to hit first homerun hit out of Comiskey Park, Chicago. The New York club used it to defeat the White Sox, 8-1 spoiling their debut in the new confines.

August 16, 1947 – I hope they brought enough balls to the ballpark! Future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ralph Kiner, Number 4 hit 3 successive home runs for host Pittsburgh Pirates in a 12-7 win over St. Louis Cardinals. Combined both clubs crushed a then MLB record 10 homers in the contest.

August 16, 1964 – A “Flood” of hits. St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood, Number 21 had 8 straight hits in a doubleheader split against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium

August 16, 1965 – American Football League’s 9th franchise is officially awarded to Joe Robbie and television star Danny Thomas. They were called the Miami Dolphins  and the franchise started play as a member of the AFL’s Eastern Division in 1966.

August 16, 2003 – Number 7, Cristiano Ronaldo (18 years of age) made his debut for Manchester United and the Premier League in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers

FOOTBALL HISTORY

August 16, 1965 – The Miami Dolphins franchise forms and becomes the AFL’s first expansion franchise. About 8 seasons later the team would become the first and at the time of this writing only undefeated NFL Champion in the Super Bowl Era. Wow a lot can happen in 8 years! George Wilson was the Dolphins fist head coach, and he was there for four seasons until the legendary Don Shula took over and stayed as the side line boss for the next 26 seasons.

August 16, 1976 – Tokyo, Japan – In the first NFL game outside of North America, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Diego Chargers 20-10 in a preseason game per the NFL.com. Nearly 38,000 fans were in attendance at the stadium.

August 16, 2010 – The New Meadowlands Stadium, which is now MetLife Stadium, hosted in inaugural football game as the Giants defeated the Jets, 31-16, in a 2010 preseason game per NFL.com.

August 16 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays

August 16, 1862, in West Orange New Jersey, was College Football Hall of Fame Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. Stagg was a great innovator of many items we know in football such as the huddle, man in motion, and more. Most of his career was as the head man for the University of Chicago Maroons.

August 16, 1913 – Bobby Wilson was a former halfback at SMU. He is found in the College Football Hall of Fame from the entry class of 1973. The Mustang rusher earned All-American honors for his play after the 1935 season when he was a senior. He was drafted 40th overall in the 1936 NFL Draft by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

August 16, 1921 – Dick Wildung was a tackle from Minnesota that is also found in the College Football Hall of Fame inducted in 1957. The Golden Gopher lineman earned consensus All-American honors for his play in the 1941 and 1942 seasons. After college he went on to play for the Green Bay Packers after serving for his country a few years during World War II in the United States Navy. He played 6 seasons all together for the Packers earning Pro Bowl honors after the 1951 season.

August 16, 1926 – Art Weiner was a University of North Carolina end who was selected into the College Hall of Fame in 1992. He also played professional ball for the NFL’s New York Yanks. In 1949 the Tar Heel receiver tied the then NCAA record when he caught 49 passes in the season, quite a lot for the running style of play of the era.

August 16, 1930 – Frank Gifford was a halfback from the University of Southern California. He has been immortalized in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Gifford had a great 11 year NFL career as a back and a flanker for the NY Giants. He won the 1956 NFL Most Valuable player Award and helped his team win the NFL Championship that same year. After hanging up his cleats he spent 27 years broadcasting ABC’s Monday Night Football many of them alongside Howard Cosell and Dandy Don Meridith.

August 16, 1935 – Bill Glass the former guard from Baylor University and is an enshrined player in the College Football Hall of Fame. Glass’ career actually started north of the border with a season in Saskatchewan with the Rough Riders. He also played 11 seasons in the NFL both for the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns. As a member of the Browns he helped the team to win the NFL Championship in 1964 and the Eastern Title in 1965.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

Aug. 16

1920 — Shortstop Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was hit in the head with a pitch in the fifth inning by New York’s Carl Mays. Chapman suffered a fractured skull and died the next day. It is the only field fatality in major league history.

1927 — Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees became the first player to clear the roof at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Ruth’s home run came off White Sox pitcher Tommy Thomas in the 8-1 win.

1947 — Ralph Kiner hit three successive home runs to become the first Pirates player to ever accomplish the feat as Pittsburgh beat the St. Louis Cardinals 12-7 at Forbes Field.

1950 — Hank Thompson hit two inside-the-park home runs in the Giants’ 16-7 rout of the Brooklyn Dodgers at the Polo Grounds.

1967 — Jim Maloney of Cincinnati retired 19 consecutive Pirates but had to leave the game after he injured his ankle by stepping in a hole at Forbes Field. Billy McCool allowed two hits over the final 2 2-3 innings to give the Reds a 4-0 victory over Pittsburgh.

1987 — Tim Raines of the Montreal Expos went 5-for-5 with four extra-base hits and the cycle in a 10-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1987 — New York’s Darryl Strawberry drove in five runs with four extra-base hits to lead the Mets to a 23-10 rout of the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

1989 — Tom Drees pitched his third no-hitter of the season for AAA Vancouver, beating Las Vegas, 5-0, in the 7-inning opener of a doubleheader. He had consecutive 1-0 no-hitters, beating Calgary in nine innings (May 23) and Edmonton in seven (May 28).

1996 — With 23,699 fans at the 25,644-seat Estadio Monterrey, the San Diego Padres defeated the New York Mets 15-10 in the first major league regular-season game played outside the United States or Canada.

2009 — Derek Jeter hits an RBI double off Seattle’s Doug Fister in the 3rd for his 2,674th hit as a shortstop, surpassing Luis Aparicio’s all-time leading total for the position.

2011 — Albert Pujols of St. Louis reached 30 home runs for the 11th consecutive season in a 5-4, 11-inning loss to Pittsburgh.

2012 — Major League Baseball approves the sale of the San Diego Padres from John Moores to a group headed by local businessman Ron Fowler, which also includes former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley and pro golfer Phil Mickelson. The sale is for $800 million.

2013 — Grant Holman of Chula Vista, Calif. struck out 13 and became the first player to toss a no-hitter in the Little League World Series since the 85-pitch rule was put in place in 2007.

2018 — Jose Bautista hit a grand slam and had a career-high seven RBIs and the New York Mets set a franchise record for runs, forcing the Phillies to use two position players for the final three innings of a 24-4 victory in the first game of a doubleheader.

_____

Aug. 17

1904 — Jesse Tannehill of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no-hitter, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-0.

1920 — Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died from a beaning by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees on Aug. 16. This was the only on-field fatality in major league history.

1933 — Earl Averill of the Cleveland Indians hit for the cycle in a 15-4 rout of the Philadelphia Athletics.

1933 — New York’s Lou Gehrig played in his 1,308th straight game to break Everett Scott’s record of 1,307. Gehrig’s single and triple didn’t prevent the last-place St. Louis Browns from beating the Yankees 7-6 in 10 innings at Sportsman’s Park.

1944 — Johnny Lindell of the New York Yankees hit four consecutive doubles in a 10-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

1963 — Jim Hickman became the first New York Met to hit for cycle in a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Hickman got the cycle in his first four times up — in single, double, triple, homer order.

1980 — George Brett went 4-for-4, raising his batting average to .401, in an 8-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Brett drove in five runs and extended his hitting streak to 29 consecutive games.

1980 — Al Oliver of Texas hit four home runs — one in the opener and three in the nightcap — as the Rangers swept a doubleheader from the Detroit Tigers, 9-3 and 12-6. Oliver also had a double and triple in the opener, giving him 21 total bases which tied the American League record for a doubleheader.

1992 — Kevin Gross pitched a no-hitter as Los Angeles beat San Francisco 2-0 at Dodgers Stadium.

1999 — Jesse Orosco set a major league record by pitching in his 1,072nd game, breaking a tie with Dennis Eckersley atop the career list. The 42-year-old Orosco took the mound with two outs in the seventh inning of Baltimore’s victory over Minnesota.

2001 — Jeff Frye became the second Toronto player to hit for the cycle as the Blue Jays beat Texas 11-3.

2002 — Alex Rodriguez became the sixth player in major league history to have five straight 40-homer seasons.

2004 — Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton, 19, became the first teenager in more than six years to homer in a major league game, helping Tampa Bay snap a six-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over Anaheim.

2004 — Mark Teixeira of the Texas Rangers hit for the cycle and drove in a career high seven runs in a 16-4 rout the Cleveland Indians.

2008 — Melvin Mora had two homers and two doubles among his five hits and drove in a career-high six runs to pace Baltimore’s 22-hit attack in a 16-8 win over Detroit.

2008 — Alex Rios went 5-for-6 and matched a club record with four doubles and Toronto knocked Boston ace Josh Beckett out after 2 1-3 innings in a 15-4 victory over the Red Sox.

2010 — Jim Thome ties the major league record for career walk-off home runs with his 12th, as the Twins beat the White Sox, 7 – 6.

2014 — Michael Cuddyer hit for the cycle, including a two-run double in Colorado’s five-run eighth inning, and the Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 to complete a doubleheader sweep.

2018 — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by turning seven double plays, including a game-ending effort by rookie third baseman David Bote on a grounder by David Freese to finish off a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

2020 — For the first time of their career, brothers Kyle and Corey Seager meet in a regular season game and, fittingly, both hit homers as Corey’s Dodgers defeat Kyle’s Mariners, 11 – 9.

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Aug. 18

1915 — Boston opened Braves Field with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

1931 — New York’s Lou Gehrig played in his 1,000th consecutive game. Gehrig went hitless in the 5-4 loss to Detroit.

1948 — Brooklyn’s Rex Barney pitched a one-hitter for a 1-0 win over Robin Roberts and the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park.

1956 — The Cincinnati Reds hit eight home runs and the Milwaukee Braves added two to set a National League record for home runs by two clubs in a nine-inning night game. Bob Thurman’s three homers and double led the Reds in the 13-4 rout.

1960 — Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves pitched a no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0. Burdette faced the minimum 27 batters.

1965 — Hank Aaron of Milwaukee hit Curt Simmons’ pitch on top of the pavilion roof at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis for an apparent home run. However, umpire Chris Pelekoudas called him out for being out of the batter’s box when he connected. Nevertheless, the Braves won the game 5-3.

1967 — California’s Jack Hamilton hit Tony Conigliaro on his left cheekbone with a fastball in the fourth inning of a 3-2 loss to Boston. Conigliaro was carried unconscious from the field and missed the remainder of the 1967 season and the entire 1968 season. The 22-year-old already had more than 100 home runs to his credit.

1977 — Don Sutton of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched his fifth one-hitter to tie the National League record. Sutton gave up a two-out single in the eighth inning to San Francisco’s Marc Hill. The Dodgers won 7-0.

1995 — Tom Henke became the seventh pitcher to reach 300 career saves, surviving a rally by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 4-3 victory.

2000 — Darin Erstad of Anaheim made a spectacular, game-saving catch in the 10th inning and followed it with a homer in the 11th as the Angels defeated the New York Yankees 9-8.

2006 — Alfonso Soriano became the third player in major league history to have at least four seasons of 30 homers and 30 stolen bases, and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4.

2007 — Micah Owings went 4-for-5, including a pair of mammoth homers, drove in six runs and scored four times while pitching three-hit ball through seven innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 12-6.

2011 — Mike Jacobs became the first player suspended by Major League Baseball for a positive HGH test under the sport’s minor league drug testing procedures. The 30-year-old minor league first baseman, who was in the big leagues from 2005-10, received a 50-game suspension for taking the banned performance-enhancing substance and was subsequently released by the Colorado Rockies.

2017 — Manny Machado capped a three-homer night with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied past the Los Angeles Angels 9-7 in a game that featured 10 home runs.

2018 — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom pitched his first complete game of the season and lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.71 with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

2019 — Zack Grenke records the 200th win of his career as the Astros defeat the Athletics 4-1.

2021 — hohei Ohtani continues to do it all by himself on the field. Today, he becomes the first hitter in the majors to reach 40 homers this season, and also improves his record on the mound to 8-1 as he pitches 8 full innings for the first time of his career. The Angels defeat the Tigers, 3-1.

2021 — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as they beat the Miami Marlins 11-9.

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Aug. 19

1909 — The Philadelphia Phillies were rained out for the 10th consecutive day, a major league record.

1913 — The Chicago Cubs tagged Grover Alexander for nine straight hits and six runs for a 10-4 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies.

1921 — Detroit’s Ty Cobb got his 3,000th career hit at age 34, the youngest player to reach that plateau. The milestone hit was a single off Elmer Myers of the Boston Red Sox.

1934 — Moose Solters of the Boston Red Sox hit for the cycle in an 8-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park.

1951 — Eddie Gaedel, a 65-pound midget who was 3-foot-7, made his first and only plate appearance as a pinch-hitter for Frank Saucier of the St. Louis Browns. Gaedel wearing No. 1/8 was walked on four pitches by Detroit Tigers pitcher Bob Cain and then was taken out for pinch-runner Jim Delsing. The gimmick by Browns owner Bill Veeck was completely legal, but later outlawed.

1957 — New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham announced that the team’s board of directors had voted 8-1 in favor of moving to San Francisco. The Giants would start the 1958 season in Seals Stadium.

1965 — Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati Reds no-hit the Cubs 1-0, in 10 innings in the first game of a doubleheader at Chicago. Leo Cardenas homered in the 10th for the Reds.

1969 — Ken Holtzman of the Cubs blanked the Atlanta Braves with a 3-0 no-hitter at Wrigley Field. Ron Santo’s three-run homer in the first inning provided the Cubs’ offense.

1990 — Bobby Thigpen recorded his 40th save as the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 4-2. Thigpen became the eighth — and fastest — to accomplish this feat.

1992 — Bret Boone made history when he became part of the first three-generation family to play in major league baseball. Boone is the grandson of Ray Boone, who played from 1948-60, and son of Bob Boone, from 1972-90. Bret, 23, completed the triangle when he started at second base for the Seattle Mariners against Baltimore.

2007 — Johan Santana finished with a franchise-record 17 strikeouts in eight innings to help Minnesota edge Texas 1-0.

2009 — Florida reached 10 hits for the 15th straight game in a 6-3 loss at Houston, matching the longest streak since the St. Louis Browns had one that long in 1937. The Marlins were held to four hits the next game.

2011 — LaGrange, Ky., starter Griffin McLarty struck out 12 and hit a homer in a 1-0 victory over the hometown favorites from Clinton County in the Little League World Series at South Williamsport, Pa. The game drew 41,848 fans, breaking the record of 40,000 set in the 1989 and 1990 championship games.

2016 — Jose Altuve homered and had five RBIs, and the Houston Astros beat the Baltimore Orioles 15-8 despite allowing four home runs in the first inning. The Orioles became the first team in the modern era (since 1900) to open a game with four home runs before making an out. Adam Jones hit Collin McHugh’s first pitch into the seats in left field and Hyun Soo Kim singled before Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo homered in succession.

Aug. 20

1912 — Walter Johnson won his American League-record 15th straight game, downing Cleveland 4-2 in the opener of a doubleheader. Washington’s Carl Cashion pitched a six-inning no-hitter to give the Senators a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the second game, which was called to allow Cleveland to catch a train to Boston.

1938 — New York’s Lou Gehrig hit his 23rd and the final grand slam of his career and drove in six runs to lead the Yankees to an 11-3 win over the Philadelphia Athletics.

1945 — Tommy Brown, 17 years, 8 months, 14 days, of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the youngest major league player to hit a home run when he connected in Ebbets Field against Preacher Roe of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1957 — Bob Keegan of the Chicago White Sox pitched a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Washington Senators in the second game of a doubleheader.

1958 — Detroit’s Jim Bunning pitched a no-hitter to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in the opening game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park.

1961 — The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Braves 7-4 in the second game of a doubleheader to snap a 23-game losing streak, a modern record.

1965 — Milwaukee’s Eddie Mathews hit his 28th home run, and the Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3. With the homer, the duo of Mathews and Hank Aaron passed the Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig total of 772 home runs to become the top home-run tandem in major league history.

1974 — Nolan Ryan of the California Angels struck out 19 Tigers in a 1-0, 11-inning loss to Detroit. It was the third time this season that Ryan struck out 19 batters in a game.

1980 — Pittsburgh’s Omar Moreno stole his 70th base of the season in a 5-1 loss to Houston, to become the first player this century with three consecutive 70-steal seasons. The fleet outfielder swiped 71 in 1978, 77 in 1979.

1989 — New York’s Howard Johnson hit his 30th home run of the season in the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and joined Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays as the only players to achieve 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in two different seasons.

1995 — Jose Mesa of the Cleveland Indians picked up his 37th save in 37 opportunities to set a major league record, and the Indians beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5.

2005 — The Kansas City Royals ended baseball’s longest losing streak in 17 years, defeating the Oakland Athletics 2-1 to end a club-record 19-game skid.

2014 — The San Francisco Giants became the first team since 1986 to win a protest. Rain caused a delay during an Aug. 19 game after the grounds crew couldn’t put the tarp down quickly, and the umpires deemed the field unplayable. The Cubs were declared the winners by a 2-0 score after 4 1/2 innings. MLB ruled to resume the rain-shortened game with the Cubs batting in the bottom of the fifth.

2019 — By defeating the Blue Jays, 16 – 3, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers notches win #166 to pass Sandy Koufax for most by a lefthander in franchise history.

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Aug. 21

1926 — Ted Lyons of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 6-0 victory was achieved in 1 hour, 7 minutes.

1930 — Chick Hafey of the St. Louis Cardinals hit for the cycle and drove in five runs in a 16-6 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.

1931 — Babe Ruth hit his 600th home run as the Yankees beat the St. Louis Browns 11-7.

1947 — The first Little League World Series was at Williamsport, Pa. The Maynard Midgets of Williamsport won the series.

1972 — Steve Carlton of Philadelphia had his 15-game winning streak snapped when Phil Niekro and the Atlanta Braves beat the Phillies 2-1 in 11 innings.

1975 — Pitching brothers Rick and Paul Reuschel of the Chicago Cubs combined to throw a 7-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rick went 6 1-3 innings and Paul finished the shutout for the first ever by two brothers.

1982 — Milwaukee pitcher Rollie Fingers became the first player to achieve 300 career saves as the Brewers beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2.

1986 — Spike Owens had four hits and became the first major league player in 40 years to score six runs in a game as the Boston Red Sox routed the Cleveland Indians 24-5 with a 24-hit attack.

2007 — Garret Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels drove in a team-record 10 runs in an 18-9 rout of the New York Yankees. Anderson hit a grand slam, a three-run homer, a two-run double and an RBI double to become the 12th player in major league history to have 10 RBIs in a game.

2007 — Arizona’s Mark Reynolds tied the major league record for consecutive strikeouts by a non-pitcher when he fanned in his ninth straight plate appearance in a 7-4 loss to Milwaukee. Reynolds struck out in his first two at-bats against Dave Bush to match the record. Bush hit Reynolds with a pitch in the sixth, ending the streak.

2011 — Johnny Damon lost a grand slam to a video review in the seventh inning, then hit a game-ending home run in the ninth that lifted the Tampa Bay Rays over the Seattle Mariners 8-7. Damon connected for a leadoff shot in the ninth on the first pitch from Dan Cortes. The Rays trailed 5-4 in the seventh when Damon launched a drive to right-center field. First ruled a home run, the umpires changed the call to a three-run double after a video review.

2015 — Mike Fiers pitched the second no-hitter in the major leagues in nine days, leading the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Having never thrown a complete game in his five-year career, Fiers was dominant. He struck out 10 and walked three, retiring the final 21 batters. Fiers struck out Justin Turner on his 134th pitch to end it.

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Aug. 22

1917 — Pittsburgh’s Carson Bigbee set a major league record — since tied — with 11 at-bats in a 22-inning game against Brooklyn. Pirate Elmer Jacobs pitched 16 2-3 innings in relief. The game was also the fourth consecutive extra-inning game by the Pirates for a total of 59 innings, a National League record.

1934 — Pitcher Wes Ferrell hit two home runs to give the Boston Red Sox a 3-2 triumph over the Chicago White Sox in 12 innings. Trailing 2-1, Ferrell hit a home run in the eighth inning to tie the score and with two out in the 12th, Ferrell connected again for the game-winner.

1961 — Roger Maris, en route to his 61-home run season, became the first player to hit his 50th homer in August. He connected off California pitcher Ken McBride in a 4-3 loss to the Angels.

1965 — In the third inning of a game against Los Angeles, pitcher Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants hit catcher John Roseboro of the Dodgers in the head with his bat. A 14-minute brawl ensued and Roseboro suffered cuts on the head. Marichal thought Roseboro threw too close to his head when returning the ball to Sandy Koufax.

1971 — The Oakland Athletics opened and closed the game with solo homers to beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1. Boston pitcher Sonny Siebert gave up both, Bert Campaneris lead off the game and Reggie Jackson ended it with two out in the ninth inning.

1984 — New York Mets right-hander Dwight Gooden, at 19, fanned nine San Diego Padres to become the 11th rookie to strike out 200 batters in one season.

1989 — Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers became the first pitcher to strike out 5,000 batters. Ryan struck out 13, walked two and allowed only five hits in a 2-0 loss to Oakland. Ryan began the night needing six strikeouts and fanned Rickey Henderson swinging, leading off the fifth inning, for the record.

1999 — Mark McGwire became the first player to hit 50 homers in each of four consecutive seasons, hitting Nos. 49 and 50 in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets.

2007 — The Texas Rangers became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader. It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since the Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897.

2012 — Oakland A’s P Bartolo Colon is suspended for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone, eight days after Giants OF Melky Cabrera was also suspended for using the same performance-enhancing substance.

2016 — Adrian Gonzalez hit three of the Dodgers’ seven homers — driving in a career-high eight runs — to lead Los Angeles to an 18-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

2021 — Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers becomes the 28th player to hit 500 home runs with a solo home run off of Steven Matz of the Blue Jays.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Aug. 16

1920 — Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman is hit in the head with a pitch by New York’s Carl Mays. Chapman suffers a fractured skull and dies the next day. It’s the only field fatality in major league history.

1924 — Helen Wills Moody beats Molla Bjurstedt Mallory again, 6-1, 6-3, to win her second straight singles title at the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships.

1954 — The first Sports Illustrated magazine is issued with a 25-cent price tag. The scene on the cover was a game at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Eddie Mathews of Braves was swinging with Wes Westrum catching and Augie Donatelli umpiring.

1970 — Dave Stockton wins the PGA Championship by two strokes over Arnold Palmer and Bob Murphy at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

1976 — Dave Stockton edges Raymond Floyd and Don January by one stroke to win his second PGA Championship. Stockton hits a par-saving 15-foot putt on the 72nd hole to finish with a 1-over 281 at Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) in Bethesda, Md.

1989 — Tom Drees pitches his third no-hitter of the season for Class AAA Vancouver, leading the Canadians over Las Vegas 5-0 in a seven-inning, first game of a doubleheader in the Pacific Coast League. Drees became the first pitcher in the PCL or the major leagues with three no-hitters in a year.

1992 — Nick Price holds off a comeback bid by Nick Faldo with a 1-under 70 in the final round and captures his first major title with a three-stroke victory in the PGA national championship.

1995 — Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie shatters Kenya’s Moses Kiptanui’s record in the 5,000 by nearly 11 seconds with a time of 12 minutes, 44.39 seconds at the Weltklasse meet in Zurich, Switzerland.

1998 — Jeff Gordon drives into the record book, becoming the seventh driver in modern NASCAR history to win four straight races as he comes from far back to take the Pepsi 400.

2003 — Cristiano Ronaldo (18) makes his debut for Manchester United and the Premier League in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers.

2008 — In Beijing, Michael Phelps touches the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Serbia’s Milorad Cavic to win the 100-meter butterfly. The win gives Phelps his seventh gold medal of the Beijing Games, tying Mark Spitz’s performance in the 1972 Munich Games. Usain Bolt of Jamaica runs the 100-meter dash in a stunning world-record time of 9.69 seconds for a blowout win that he starts celebrating a good 10 strides before the finish line.

2009 — Usain Bolt shatters the 100-meter world record at the World Championships in Berlin. Bolt finishes with a stunning time of 9.58 seconds, bettering his own record of 9.69 seconds set in last year’s Beijing Olympics.

2009 — Y.E. Yang of South Korea becomes the first Asian player to win one of golf’s majors with a three-stroke win over Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship.

2015 — Jason Day leads wire-to-wire in the final round at Whistling Straits to close out a record-setting PGA Championship and capture his first major title. The 27-year-old Australian finishes at 20-under 268 to beat Jordan Spieth by three shots. Day becomes the first player to finish at 20 under in a major.

2015 — Brooke Henderson wins the Cambia Portland Classic by eight strokes to become the third-youngest champion in LPGA Tour history at 17 years, 11 months, 6 days.

2018 — The Davis Cup gets a radical makeover beginning in 2019. The top team event in men’s tennis will be decided with a season-ending, 18-team tournament at a neutral site.

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Aug. 17

1933 — Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees plays his 1,308th straight game to break Everett Scott’s record of 1,307.

1938 — Henry Armstrong wins the lightweight title with a 15-round decision over Lou Ambers and becomes the only boxer to hold world championship titles in three weight divisions simultaneously. Armstrong won the featherweight (126-pound) title by knocking out Petey Sarron in six rounds on Oct. 29, 1937. On May 31, 1938, he won the welterweight (147-pound) championship from Barney Ross by a decision.

1960 — Flash Elorde knocks out Harold Gomes at 1:20 in the first round to win the world junior lightweight title.

1969 — Ray Floyd beats Gary Player by one stroke to win the PGA championship.

1995 — John Roethlisberger wins the U.S. National Gymnastics Championships’ all-around title in New Orleans, becoming the first gymnast in 28 years to win four titles.

1997 — Davis Love III shoots a 66 at Winged Foot to win the PGA Championship in Mamaroneck, N.Y., his first major title, by five strokes over Justin Leonard with a 72-hole total of 11-under 269.

2001 — Shingo Katayama shoots a 6-under 64, and David Toms shoots a 65 to share the second-round lead in the PGA Championship. Katayama and Toms at 9-under 131, tie the PGA record for 36 holes last set by Ernie Els at Riviera in 1995.

2005 — The NCAA purchases the rights to the preseason and postseason National Invitation Tournaments as part of a settlement ending a four-year legal fight between the two parties. The 40-team postseason NIT, which is a year older and was once the bigger event, will be run by the NCAA.

2008 — At the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Michael Phelps and three teammates win the 400-meter medley relay for Phelps’ eighth gold medal, eclipsing Mark Spitz’s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games. Of his five individual races and three relays, Phelps sets world records in seven and an Olympic record in the eighth.

2008 — Jesus Sauceda of Matamoros, Mexico, pitches the fifth perfect game in Little League World Series history and the first in 29 years for a 12-0 win over Emilia, Italy. Sauceda also stars at the plate, going 3-for-3 with six RBIs, including a grand slam in the third.

2013 — Nick Davilla throws six touchdown passes and the Arizona Rattlers defeat the Philadelphia Soul 48-39 in the Arena Bowl. The Rattlers win the championship for the second straight year, beating the Soul in both championship games.

2014 — Inbee Park successfully defends her title in the LPGA Championship, beating Brittany Lincicome with a par on the first hole of a playoff to end the United States’ major streak at three.

2014 — The Phoenix Mercury sets a WNBA record with their 29th win, beating the Seattle Storm 78-65 in the season finale. Phoenix (29-5) tops the previous mark set by Los Angeles (28-4 in both 2000 and 2001) and Seattle (28-6 in 2010).

2015 — The National Labor Relations Board dismisses a historic ruling that Northwestern University football players are school employees who are entitled to form what would be the nation’s first union of college athletes.

2016 — Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson completes the first 100-200 women’s Olympic double since 1988. Thompson wins the 200 in 21.78 seconds to become the first woman since Marion Jones in 2000 to win both Olympic sprints. Jones’ records have since been stripped, so Thompson goes in the record book along with Florence Griffith-Joyner, who starred in the 1988 Seoul Games.

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Aug. 18

1923 — Helen Mills, 17, ends Molla Bjurstedt Mallory’s domination of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships and starts her own with a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

1958 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Roy Harris in the 13th round at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles to retain his world heavyweight title.

1964 — The International Olympic Committee bans South Africa from competing in the Summer Olympics because of its apartheid policies.

1982 — Pete Rose sets record with his 13,941st plate appearance.

1994 — South Africa is introduced for the first time in 36 years during the opening ceremonies of the 15th Commonwealth Games held in Victoria, British Columbia. South Africa had been banned from the Games since 1958 because of its apartheid policies.

1995 — Thirteen-year-old Dominique Moceanu becomes the youngest to win the National Gymnastics Championships senior women’s all-around title in New Orleans.

2004 — Paul Hamm wins the men’s gymnastics all-around Olympic gold medal by the closest margin ever in the event. Controversy follows after it was discovered a scoring error that may have cost Yang Tae-young of South Korea the men’s all-around title. Yang, who finished with a bronze, is wrongly docked a tenth of a point on his second-to-last routine, the parallel bars. He finishes third, 0.049 points behind Hamm, who becomes the first American man to win gymnastics’ biggest prize.

2008 — A day after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Rafael Nadal officially unseats Roger Federer to become the world’s No. 1 tennis player when the ATP rankings are released. Federer had been atop the rankings for 235 weeks.

2013 — For the first time in Solheim Cup history, the Europeans leaves America with the trophy. Caroline Hedwall becomes the first player in the 23-year history of the event to win all five matches. She finishes with a 1-up victory over Michelle Wie and gives Europe the 14 points it needed to retain the cup.

2013 — Usain Bolt is perfect again with three gold medals. The Jamaican great becomes the most successful athlete in the 30-year history of the world championships. The 4×100-meter relay gold erases the memories of the 100 title he missed out on in South Korea two years ago because of a false start. Bolt, who already won the 100 and 200 meters, gets his second such sprint triple at the world championships, matching the two he achieved at the Olympics.

2016 — Jamaica’s Usain Bolt completes an unprecedented third consecutive sweep of the 100 and 200-meter sprints, elevating his status as the most decorated male sprinter in Olympic history. He wins the 200-meter race with a time of 19.78 seconds to defeat Andre de Grasse of Canada. American Ashton Eaton defends his Olympic decathlon title, equaling the games record with a surge on the last lap of the 1,500 meters — the last event in the two-day competition. Helen Maroulis defeats Japan’s Saori Yoshida 4-1 in the 53-kilogram freestyle final to win the first-ever gold medal for a United States women’s wrestler.

2018 — Accelerate cruises to a record 12 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, becoming just the third horse to sweep all three of Southern California’s major races for older horses in the same year.

2021 — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as they beat the Miami Marlins 11-9.

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Aug. 19

1909 — The first race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Twelve-thousand spectators watch Austrian engineer Louis Schwitzer win a five-mile race with an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour. The track’s surface of crushed rock and tar breaks up in a number of places and causes the deaths of two drivers, two mechanics and two spectators.

1921 — Detroit’s Ty Cobb gets his 3,000th career hit at age 34, the youngest player to reach that plateau.

1934 — Helen Hull Jacobs wins the women’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships.

1981 — Renaldo Nehemiah sets the world record in the 110 hurdles with a time of 12.93 seconds in a meet at Zurich, Switzerland.

1984 — Lee Trevino beats Gary Player and Lanny Wadkins by four strokes to take the PGA championship at Shoal Creek, Alabama.

1993 — Sergei Bubka wins his fourth consecutive pole vault title at the World Track and Field championships at Stuttgart, Germany.

1995 — Mike Tyson starts his comeback, knocking out Peter McNeeley in 89 seconds at Las Vegas. McNeeley’s manager Vinnie Vecchione jumps into the ring to stop the fight after his boxer is knocked down twice in the first round.

2001 — Michael Schumacher gets his fourth Formula One championship and matches Alain Prost’s series record of 51 victories by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix.

2004 — American swimmer Michael Phelps wraps up the 200/400m individual medley double at the Athens Olympics when he wins the 200m (1:57.14 OR) ahead of teammate Ryan Lochte.

2016 — Usain Bolt scores another sweep, winning three gold medals in his third consecutive Olympics. At the Rio de Janeiro Games, Bolt turns a close 4×100 relay race against Japan and the United States into a typical, Bolt-like runaway, helping Jamaica cross the line in 37.27 seconds. Allyson Felix wins an unprecedented fifth gold medal in women’s track and field, running the second leg of the 4×100-meter relay team.

2018 — Novak Đoković beats Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Cincinnati Masters to become the first player to win all 9 Masters 1,000 tennis tournaments since the series started in 1990.

2018 — Jockey Drayden Van Dyke wins a record-tying seven races at Del Mar, including the $200,000 Del Mar Mile. He ties Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza for most wins in a single day in the seaside track’s history. Van Dyke’s only loss in eight mounts comes when he finishes second in the sixth race.

Aug. 20

1921 — Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Mary Browne, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the U.S. women’s national tennis title at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia.

1931 — Helen Wills Moody beats Eileen Bennett Whitingstall 6-4, 6-1 to capture the women’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship.

1944 — Robert Hamilton upsets Byron Nelson in the final round 1 up to win the PGA Championship.

1960 — Holland’s Hairos II, driven by Willem Geersen, wins the second International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway before a record crowd of 54,861.

1990 — George Steinbrenner steps down as NY Yankee owner.

1995 — Monica Seles completes a remarkable first week back in tournament tennis, routing Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-1 to capture the Canadian Open. Her 74 games sets a tournament record for the fewest played by a champion.

1999 — 7th Athletics World Championships open at Seville, Spain.

2000 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship in a playoff over Bob May, becoming the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year. He’s the first player to repeat as PGA champion since Denny Shute in 1937.

2003 — The U.S. wins the women’s overall team gold medal at the gymnastics world championships. It is the first gold for the Americans — men or women — at the biggest international event outside the Olympics.

2004 — Michael Phelps matches Mark Spitz’s record of four individual gold medals in Olympic swimming by winning the 100-meter butterfly. He edges teammate Ian Crocker to win his fifth gold medal. Shortly after winning his seventh medal of these Olympics, Phelps gives up his spot in the medley relay to Crocker.

2006 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship for a five-shot victory over Shaun Micheel and his 12th career major. He becomes the first player to win the PGA twice on the same course, having done so at Medinah in 1999.

2008 — Usain Bolt of Jamaica breaks the 200-meter world record, winning in 19.30 seconds at the Beijing Games. He is the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 at an Olympics.

2012 — Augusta National invites former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore to become the first female members since the club was founded in 1932.

2016 — Allyson Felix and LaShawn Merritt anchor the 4×400 relay teams, and the U.S. exits the final night of action at Olympic Stadium with 31 medals — its most in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1956. The U.S. women’s basketball team beats Spain 101-72 for a sixth straight title.

2018 — Alabama becomes the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years.

2023 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Stadium Australia, Sydney: Spanish captain Olga Carmona scores the only goal of the game as La Furia Roja score a 1-0 win over England.

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Aug. 21

1901 — William Larned wins the first of seven men’s singles titles in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship.

1914 — Walter Hagen captures the U.S. Open golf title by edging Chick Evans.

1920 — Jock Hutchinson wins the PGA golf tournament with a 1-up victory over J. Douglass Edgar.

1931 — Babe Ruth of New York hits his 600th home run as the Yankees beat the St. Louis Browns 11-7.

1932 — Helen Hull Jacobs beats Carolyn Babcock to win the women’s singles title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association.

1982 — Mystic Park becomes the first 3-year-old trotter to win the American Trotting Championship.

1985 — Mary Decker sets the world record in the mile run with a time of 4:16.71 in Zurich.

1990 — Kelly Craig becomes the first female starting pitcher in Little League World Series history, opening for Trail, British Columbia. She fails to retire any of the three batters she faces but the Canadian champions rally for an 8-3 victory over Matamoros, Mexico.

2003 — Paul Hamm puts together a near-perfect routine on the high bar to become the first American man to win the all-around gold medal at World Gymnastics Championships. Needing a 9.712 or better to beat China’s Yang Wei, Hamm strings together four straight release moves during his 60-second routine — one of the toughest feats in gymnastics — for a 9.975 and the gold.

2004 — American super-swimmer Michael Phelps wins his 6th gold medal of the Athens Olympics even though he doesn’t swim the final of men’s 4 x 100m medley relay; US wins in world record 3:30.68.

2008 — At the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Yukiko Ueno pitches 28 innings in two days, including seven to shut down the U.S. softball team, 3-1, and give Japan the gold medal. It was the first loss for the Americans since Sept. 21, 2000 — 22 straight games. LaShawn Merritt upsets defending champion Jeremy Wariner to lead a U.S. sweep of the 400 meters track event. David Neville gets the bronze. The U.S. men and women both drop the baton in the Olympic 400-meter relays and fail to advance out of the first round. Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown easily wins the 200 meters to cap the first sweep of all four men’s and women’s Olympic sprints in 20 years.

2010 — Kyle Busch makes NASCAR history with an unprecedented sweep of three national races in one week, completing the trifecta with a victory in the Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch, winner of the Nationwide race a day earlier and the Trucks race on Aug. 18, becomes the first driver to complete the sweep since NASCAR expanded to three national series in 1995.

2011 — The Los Angeles Sparks run off 16 straight points to overcome a 15-point, second-half deficit and hand the Tulsa Shock their WNBA-record 18th consecutive loss with a 73-67 victory. The Atlanta Dream lost 17 in a row in their inaugural season of 2008.

2016 — Kevin Durant scores 30 points and helps the Americans rout Serbia 96-66 for their third straight gold medal. That caps an Olympics in which the U.S. dominated the medal tables, both the gold (46) and overall totals (121). The 51-total-medal margin over second-place China the largest in a non-boycotted Olympics in nearly a century.

2018 — Liu Xiang of China sets a world record time of 26.98 seconds to win the women’s 50-meter backstroke gold medal at the Asian Games. Liu becomes the first woman to swim under 27 seconds in the event, breaking the mark of 27.06 set by fellow Chinese swimmer Zhao Jing at the 2009 world championships in Rome.

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Aug. 22

1851 — The United States wins the first international yacht race. The schooner named “America” beats 14 British yachts.

1885 — Richard Sears beats Godfrey M. Brinley, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 to win the U.S. men’s national tennis championship held at the Newport (R.I.) Casino.

1898 — Malcolm Whitman beats Dwight F. Davis, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to win the U.S. men’s national tennis championship held at the Newport (R.I.) Casino.

1948 — The Chicago Cardinals beat the College All-Stars 28-0 in front 101,220 fans at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

1949 — The Philadelphia Eagles beat the College All-Stars 38-0 at Chicago’s Soldier Field. It’s the largest shutout in the series, later matched by Green Bay in 1966.

1950 — Althea Gibson becomes the first black tennis player to be accepted in competition for the national championship.

1957 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Pete Rademacher in the sixth round to retain his world heavyweight title at Sicks Stadium in Seattle.

1965 — In the third inning of a game against Los Angeles, pitcher Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants hits catcher John Roseboro of the Dodgers in the head with his bat. A 14-minute brawl ensues and Roseboro suffers cuts on the head. Marichal thought Roseboro threw too close to his head when returning the ball to Sandy Koufax.

1984 — Evelyn Ashford sets the world record in the 100-meter dash with a clocking of 10.76 seconds in a meet at Zurich, Switzerland.

1987 — Brazil snaps the 34-game winning streak of the U.S. men’s basketball team with a 120-115 victory in the Pan Am Games. Oscar Schmidt scores 46 points to lead Brazil. Cuba wins a record 10 of 12 gold medals in boxing and beats the U.S. 13-9 in the baseball final.

1989 — Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers becomes the first pitcher to strike out 5,000 batters in a 2-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Ryan fans Rickey Henderson swinging on a 3-2, 96 mph fastball for No. 5,000.

1994 — DNA testing links O.J. Simpson to murder of Nicole Simpson & Ron Goldman.

1999 — Jenny Thompson breaks Mary T. Meagher’s 18-year-old 100-meter butterfly record at the Pan Pacific swim championships. Thompson with a time of 57.88 seconds lowers the mark of 57.93 set by Meagher.

2004 — American sprinter Justin Gatlin wins the coveted Olympic 100m gold medal in Athens in 9.85 ahead of Francis Obikwelu of Portugal & American Maurice Greene.

2007 — The Texas Rangers becomes the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader.

2008 — Usain Bolt helps Jamaica win the 400-meter relay final in 37.10 seconds for his third gold medal and third world record of the Beijing Games. Bolt becomes only the fourth man, and the first since Carl Lewis in 1984, to win all three Olympic sprint events. Bryan Clay wins the decathlon, the first American to win the 10-discipline event at the Olympics since Dan O’Brien at Atlanta in 1996.

2018 — Ohio State suspends football coach Urban Meyer three games for mishandling repeated professional and behavioral problems of an assistant coach, with investigators finding Meyer protected his protege for years through domestic violence allegations, a drug problem and poor job performance.2018 — The NCAA ditches the RPI for its own evaluation tool to select teams for the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Evaluation Tool will rely on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency and quality of wins and losses. NET will be used for the 2018-19 season by the committee that selects schools and seeds the tournament.