“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 6 SCHEDULE
ADAMS CENTRAL (4-1) AT SOUTH ADAMS (2-3)
ALEXANDRIA (3-2) AT OAK HILL (3-2)
ATTICA (0-5) AT NORTH VERMILLION (4-1)
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (0-5) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (0-5)
BENTON CENTRAL (0-5) AT TWIN LAKES (2-3)
BLACKFORD (2-3) AT MISSISSINEWA (5-0)
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (3-2) AT SOUTHPORT (0-5)
BLUFFTON (5-0) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (0-5)
BOONE GROVE (2-3) AT RIVER FOREST (3-2)
BOONVILLE (2-3) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (3-2)
BOWMAN ACADEMY (0-5) AT NORTH WHITE (1-4)
BREMEN (2-3) AT JOHN GLENN (1-3)
CALUMET (3-2) AT WHITING (2-3)
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (1-4) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (4-1)
CARMEL (2-3) AT NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (0-5)
CARROLL (FLORA) (5-0) AT TRI-CENTRAL (1-4)
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (3-2) AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE (2-2)
CASTLE (4-1) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (5-0)
CASTON (1-4) AT CULVER (1-4)
CENTERVILLE (5-0) AT NORTHEASTERN (5-0)
CHARLESTOWN (1-4) AT SCOTTSBURG (3-2)
CHURUBUSCO (2-3) AT FREMONT (2-3)
CLINTON CENTRAL (3-2) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (1-4)
CLINTON PRAIRIE (3-2) AT DELPHI (3-2)
COLUMBUS EAST (3-2) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (3-1)
CONCORD (5-0) AT NORTHWOOD (3-2)
CONNERSVILLE (2-3) AT NORTH DECATUR (4-1)
COVENANT CHRISTIAN (0-5) AT BEECH GROVE (2-3)
COVINGTON (2-3) AT PARKE HERITAGE (1-4)
CRAWFORDSVILLE (2-3) AT NORTH MONTGOMERY (1-4)
CROWN POINT (5-0) AT VALPARAISO (4-1)
DANVILLE (4-1) AT SOUTHMONT (3-2)
DECATUR CENTRAL (2-2) AT PLAINFIELD (5-0)
DELTA (3-2) AT NEW CASTLE (3-2)
EAST CENTRAL (3-2) AT SOUTH DEARBORN (4-1)
EASTERN (PEKIN) (1-4) AT NORTH HARRISON (3-2)
EDINBURGH (0-5) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (3-2)
ELKHART (4-1) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (3-2)
ELWOOD (1-4) AT EASTBROOK (3-2)
EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-5) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (5-0)
EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-5) AT VINCENNES LINCOLN (2-3)
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (4-1) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (2-3)
FAIRFIELD (2-3) AT ANGOLA (1-4)
FAITH CHRISTIAN (2-2) AT TRI-COUNTY (3-2)
FISHERS (3-2) AT AVON (1-4)
FOREST PARK (4-1) AT SOUTH SPENCER (2-3)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (0-4) AT PARK TUDOR (3-2)
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (2-3) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (0-5)
FORT WAYNE NORTH (3-2) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (4-1)
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (1-4) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (1-4)
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (2-3) AT SEEGER (3-2)
FRANKLIN (2-3) AT MOORESVILLE (1-4)
FRANKLIN CENTRAL (2-2) AT NOBLESVILLE (2-3)
FRANKLIN COUNTY (2-3) AT GREENSBURG (0-5)
FRONTIER (4-0) AT NORTH NEWTON (1-4)
GARRETT (5-0) AT WEST NOBLE (5-0)
GARY WEST (4-1) AT WHEELER (3-2)
GIBSON SOUTHERN (4-1) AT HERITAGE HILLS (4-1)
GOSHEN (0-5) AT WAWASEE (0-5)
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (5-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (4-0)
GREENWOOD (2-3) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (2-3)
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (3-2) AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (1-4)
GRIFFITH (5-0) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (1-4)
GUERIN CATHOLIC (3-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (4-1)
HAMILTON HEIGHTS (1-4) AT LOGANSPORT (4-1)
HAMMOND CENTRAL (2-3) AT ANDREW (ILL.)
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (3-2) AT MARION (3-2)
HERITAGE (4-1) AT TIPTON (4-1)
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (4-1) AT MADISON (3-2)
HIGHLAND (1-4) AT ANDREAN (2-3)
HOBART (3-2) AT LOWELL (2-3)
HOMESTEAD (3-2) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (3-2)
HUNTINGTON NORTH (3-2) AT DEKALB (2-3)
INDIAN CREEK (1-4) AT EDGEWOOD (2-3)
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (2-1) AT PHALEN ACADEMY
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (4-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (2-3)
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (2-2) AT BREBEUF JESUIT (4-1)
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (1-3) AT CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-3)
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (3-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS TECH (2-2)
JASPER (2-3) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-4)
LAKE CENTRAL (3-2) AT MICHIGAN CITY (1-4)
LAKE STATION (1-4) AT HAMMOND NOLL (2-3)
LAKELAND (4-1) AT CENTRAL NOBLE (0-5)
LAVILLE (2-3) AT KNOX (3-2)
LAWRENCE CENTRAL (2-3) AT CENTER GROVE (4-1)
LAWRENCE NORTH (5-0) AT BEN DAVIS (1-4)
LAWRENCEBURG (4-1) AT BATESVILLE (4-1)
LEO (4-1) AT BELLMONT (0-5)
LEWIS CASS (2-3) AT WHITKO (0-5)
LINTON (3-2) AT GREENCASTLE (2-3)
MADISON-GRANT (5-0) AT FRANKTON (0-5)
MCCUTCHEON (2-3) AT ANDERSON (0-5)
MERRILLVILLE (4-1) AT LAPORTE (0-5)
MILAN (3-2) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (3-2)
MITCHELL (1-4) AT BROWN COUNTY (3-2)
MONROE CENTRAL (4-1) AT WES-DEL (2-3)
MONROVIA (4-1) AT SPEEDWAY (3-2)
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (1-4) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (2-3)
MUNCIE CENTRAL (1-4) AT KOKOMO (1-3)
MUNSTER (1-4) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (4-1)
NEW ALBANY (3-2) AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH (4-1)
NEW HAVEN (0-5) AT COLUMBIA CITY (5-0)
NORTH JUDSON (5-0) AT TRITON (4-1)
NORTH KNOX (2-3) AT PRINCETON (0-5)
NORTH PUTNAM (5-0) AT CASCADE (5-0)
NORTHFIELD (1-4) AT WABASH (1-4)
NORTHRIDGE (1-4) AT MISHAWAKA (4-1)
NORTHWESTERN (5-0) AT MACONAQUAH (4-0)
NORWELL (2-3) AT EAST NOBLE (4-1)
OWEN VALLEY (0-5) AT SULLIVAN (1-4)
PAOLI (5-0) AT EASTERN GREENE (2-3)
PENN (4-1) AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS (0-5)
PERRY CENTRAL (2-3) AT CLARKSVILLE (0-5)
PERU (2-3) AT ROCHESTER (4-1)
PHALEN ACADEMY AT IRVINGTON PREP (0-3)
PIONEER (4-1) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (1-4)
PLYMOUTH (3-2) AT WARSAW (3-2)
PORTAGE (2-3) AT CHESTERTON (3-2)
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (3-2) AT EASTSIDE (1-4)
PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD (1-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-4)
RENSSELAER CENTRAL (1-4) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (4-0)
RICHMOND (0-5) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (5-0)
RIVERTON PARKE (3-2) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (5-0)
RUSHVILLE (3-2) AT LAPEL (4-1)
SALEM (1-4) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (1-4)
SEYMOUR (2-3) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (5-0)
SHELBYVILLE (1-4) AT YORKTOWN (3-2)
SHENANDOAH (3-2) AT HAGERSTOWN (3-2)
SILVER CREEK (3-2) AT JEFFERSONVILLE (3-2)
SOUTH BEND RILEY (2-2) AT NEW PRAIRIE (3-2)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (0-5) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (2-3)
SOUTH DECATUR (3-2) AT CLOVERDALE (3-2)
SOUTH PUTNAM (3-2) AT WEST VIGO (2-3)
SOUTHRIDGE (3-2) AT TELL CITY (3-2)
SOUTHWOOD (0-5) AT MANCHESTER (2-3)
SPRINGS VALLEY (4-1) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (0-5)
TAYLOR (2-3) AT SHERIDAN (3-2)
TECUMSEH (0-5) AT NORTH POSEY (4-1)
TERRE HAUTE NORTH (1-4) AT COLUMBUS NORTH (4-1)
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (1-3) AT NORTHVIEW (5-0)
TIPPECANOE VALLEY (4-1) AT JIMTOWN (3-2)
TRI (2-3) AT WINCHESTER (1-4)
TRITON CENTRAL (3-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (1-3)
TRI-WEST (2-3) AT LEBANON (3-2)
UNION CITY (0-5) AT UNION COUNTY (0-5)
WARREN CENTRAL (5-0) AT PIKE (3-2)
WASHINGTON (4-1) AT PIKE CENTRAL (2-3)
WEST CENTRAL (3-2) AT SOUTH NEWTON (3-2)
WEST LAFAYETTE (3-2) AT WESTERN (0-5)
WEST WASHINGTON (2-3) AT NORTH DAVIESS (4-1)
WESTERN BOONE (5-0) AT FRANKFORT (0-5)
WESTFIELD (5-0) AT BROWNSBURG (5-0)
WHITELAND (3-1) AT MARTINSVILLE (5-0)
WINAMAC (2-2) AT NORTH MIAMI (3-2)
WOODLAN (2-3) AT JAY COUNTY (2-3)
ZIONSVILLE (3-2) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (3-2)
WEEK 5 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL’S TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
Noah Bryant, Monrovia: 266 yards and 5 rushing TD’S
Taylor Clark, Brebeuf Jesuit: Clark finished with seven receptions for 217 yards and three TD’S
Collin Ash, Roncalli: 18-for-23 for 220 passing yards and a touchdown and ran for 73 yards and four TDs
Dallas Freeman, Greenfield-Central: 17-for-23 passing for 283 yards and four TDs and ran for two more TDs
Keyen Crowder, Lafayette Jeff: The Lafayette Jeff quarterback was 18-for-23 passing for 265 yards and four TDs
Damir Coleman, Crispus Attucks: The junior quarterback passed for 257 yards and three TD’S and also ran for a TD
JonAnthony Hall, Fishers: eight catches for 141 yards and one TD
Deacon King, Westfield: 141 yards and two TDs
Cameron Koers, Cathedral: 13-for-18 for 177 yards and a touchdown
Sam Manna, Zionsville: 140 rushing yards and two TDs
Tim Jones, Marion: accounted for eight touchdowns — 4 rushing and 4 passing
Josh Ranes, New Palestine: 23 carries for 268 yards and three TDs
Andrew Sloan, Heritage Christian: caught five touchdown passes and accounted for 190 receiving yards
A.J. Reynolds, Martinsville: 18-for-21 passing for 239 yards and three TDs, rushed for 55 yards and two more TD
Branden Sharpe, Brownsburg: 10 catches for 128 yards and TD
Tyler Simek, Plainfield: 15 tackles, one caused fumble and one fumble recovery
AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL
1 TEXAS 4-0
2 GEORGIA 3-0
3 OHIO STATE 3-0
4 ALABAMA 3-0
5 TENNESSEE 4-0
6 OLE MISS 4-0
7 MIAMI FL 4-0
8 OREGON 3-0
9 PENN STATE 3-0
10 UTAH 4-0
11 MISSOURI 4-0
12 MICHIGAN 3-1
13 USC 2-1
14 LSU 3-1
15 LOUISVILLE 3-0
16 NOTRE DAME 3-1
17 CLEMSON 2-1
18 IOWA STATE 3-0
19 ILLINOIS 4-0
20 OKLAHOMA STATE 3-1
21 OKLAHOMA 3-1
22 BYU 4-0
23 KANSAS STATE 3-1
24 TEXAS A&M 3-1
25 BOISE STATE 2-1
Others receiving votes:
WASHINGTON ST. 67, INDIANA 63, BOSTON COLLEGE 55, UNLV 53, PITTSBURGH 37, NEBRASKA 25, IOWA 24, JAMES MADISON 11, SOUTH CAROLINA 7, LIBERTY 4, ARKANSAS 3, UCF 3, ARIZONA 2, SMU 2, NAVY 1.
USA TODAY SPORTS/US LBM COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES POLL
THE US LBM COACHES POLL TOP 25 WITH TEAM’S RECORDS THROUGH SATURDAY IN PARENTHESES, TOTAL POINTS BASED ON 25 FOR FIRST PLACE THROUGH ONE POINT FOR 25TH, RANKING IN LAST WEEK’S POLL AND FIRST-PLACE VOTES RECEIVED.
| RANK | SCHOOL (RECORD) | POINTS | LAST WEEK’S RANK | FIRST-PLACE VOTES |
| 1 | GEORGIA (3-0) | 1,350 | 1 | 35 |
| 2 | TEXAS (4-0) | 1,324 | 2 | 18 |
| 3 | OHIO STATE (3-0) | 1,279 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | ALABAMA (3-0) | 1.185 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | MISSISSIPPI (4-0) | 1.145 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | TENNESSEE (4-0) | 1,094 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | OREGON (3-0) | 1.016 | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | PENN STATE (3-0) | 967 | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | MIAMI (FLA.) (4-0) | 912 | 11 | 0 |
| 10 | UTAH (4-0) | 904 | 10 | 0 |
| 11 | MISSOURI (4-0) | 887 | 8 | 0 |
| 12 | MICHIGAN (3-1) | 692 | 17 | 0 |
| 13 | LSU (3-1) | 632 | 16 | 0 |
| 14 | NOTRE DAME (3-1) | 553 | 18 | 0 |
| 15 | CLEMSON (2-1) | 542 | 19 | 0 |
| 16 | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (2-1) | 520 | 12 | 0 |
| 17 | LOUISVILLE (3-0) | 509 | 20 | 0 |
| 18 | OKLAHOMA (3-1) | 404 | 13 | 0 |
| 19 | IOWA STATE (3-0) | 386 | 21 | 0 |
| 20 | OKLAHOMA STATE (3-1) | 326 | 15 | 0 |
| 21 | ILLINOIS (4-0) | 307 | NR | 0 |
| 22 | BRIGHAM YOUNG (4-0) | 167 | NR | 0 |
| 23 | UNLV (3-0) | 124 | 25 | 0 |
| 24 | TEXAS A&M (3-1) | 119 | 24 | 0 |
| 25 | KANSAS STATE (3-1) | 116 | 14 | 0 |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: WASHINGTON STATE (4-0) 94; INDIANA (4-0) 67; PITTSBURGH (4-0) 50; BOISE STATE (2-1) 42; CENTRAL FLORIDA (3-0) 35; IOWA (3-1) 34; ARIZONA (2-1) 16; BOSTON COLLEGE (3-1) 15; DUKE (4-0) 14; JAMES MADISON (3-0) 13; NEBRASKA (3-1) 7; WASHINGTON (3-1) 6; COLORADO (3-1) 5; RUTGERS (3-0) 5; SMU (3-1) 4; ARKANSAS (3-1) 2; LIBERTY (4-0) 2; NAVY (3-0) 2; SOUTH CAROLINA (3-1) 2.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 26
ARMY AT TEMPLE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, SEPT. 27
VIRGINIA TECH AT NO. 7 MIAMI (FLA.) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
WASHINGTON AT RUTGERS | 8 P.M. | FOX
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28
KENTUCKY AT NO. 6 OLE MISS | 12 P.M. | ABC OR ESPN
MINNESOTA AT NO. 12 MICHIGAN | 12 P.M. | FOX
NEBRASKA AT PURDUE | 12 P.M. | PEACOCK
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT NC STATE | 12 P.M. | THE CW
MARYLAND AT INDIANA | 12 P.M. | BTN
BUFFALO AT UCONN | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
WESTERN KENTUCKY AT BOSTON COLLEGE | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
HOLY CROSS AT SYRACUSE | 12 P.M. | ESPN+/ACC EXTRA
NAVY AT UAB | 12 P.M. | ESPN2
SOUTH FLORIDA AT TULANE | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
DAYTON AT MARIST | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
HARVARD AT BROWN | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
BUCKNELL AT LEHIGH | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
COLUMBIA AT GEORGETOWN | 12:30 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT INDIANA STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
VALPARAISO AT MOREHEAD STATE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
SAN DIEGO AT DRAKE | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
COLGATE AT PENN | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
FORDHAM AT MONMOUTH | 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
VIRGINIA LYNCHBURG AT BUTLER | 1 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
BALL STATE AT JAMES MADISON | 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MERCER AT WOFFORD | 1:30 P.M. | ESPN+
RICHMOND AT ELON | 2 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
DELAWARE STATE AT CAMPBELL | 2 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
NORTH ALABAMA AT WEST GEORGIA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN UTAH AT AUSTIN PEAY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
ROBERT MORRIS AT EASTERN KENTUCKY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
EAST TENNESSEE STATE AT THE CITADEL | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT SOUTH DAKOTA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
MURRAY STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
SAMFORD AT FURMAN | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
YALE AT CORNELL | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TEXAS STATE AT SAM HOUSTON | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
LINDENWOOD AT EASTERN ILLINOIS | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL AT NORFOLK STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT ILLINOIS STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT MISSOURI STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
HOWARD AT PRINCETON | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
CAL POLY AT NORTHERN COLORADO | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
WISCONSIN AT NO. 13 USC | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
NO. 15 LOUISVILLE AT NO. 16 NOTRE DAME | 3:30 P.M. | PEACOCK
NO. 21 OKLAHOMA AT AUBURN | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
ARKANSAS AT NO. 24 TEXAS A&M | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
UMASS AT MIAMI (OH) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
LOUISIANA AT WAKE FOREST | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
LIBERTY AT APPALACHIAN STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
FRESNO STATE AT UNLV | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
SAN DIEGO STATE AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPNU
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MARSHALL | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
AKRON AT OHIO | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
EASTERN MICHIGAN AT KENT STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MAINE AT UALBANY | 3:30 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
SACRED HEART AT DELAWARE | 3:30 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
MORGAN STATE AT STONY BROOK | 3:30 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
NORTH CAROLINA AT DUKE | 4 P.M. | ESPN2
UTSA AT EAST CAROLINA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
TENNESSEE TECH AT GARDNER-WEBB | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
SACRAMENTO STATE AT NORTHERN ARIZONA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
NORTHWESTERN STATE AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | 4 P.M. | ESPN+
MISSISSIPPI STATE AT NO. 1 TEXAS | 4:15 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
OLD DOMINION AT BOWLING GREEN | 5 P.M. | ESPN+
LOUISIANA TECH AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
UT MARTIN AT KENNESAW STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
WAGNER AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
HAMPTON AT WILLIAM & MARY | 6 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
LIU AT VILLANOVA | 6 P.M. | FLOSPORTS
PORTLAND STATE AT CHATTANOOGA | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT TENNESSEE STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MONTANA STATE AT IDAHO STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
ALABAMA A&M AT FLORIDA A&M | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
NO. 3 OHIO STATE AT MICHIGAN STATE | 7 P.M. | PEACOCK
STANFORD AT NO. 17 CLEMSON | 7 P.M. | ESPN
UL MONROE AT TROY | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
CHARLOTTE AT RICE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
TULSA AT NORTH TEXAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
LAMAR AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT GRAMBLING | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MCKENDREE AT WESTERN ILLINOIS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
JACKSON STATE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
DAVIDSON AT PRESBYTERIAN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AT TARLETON STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
NO. 2 GEORGIA AT NO. 4 ALABAMA | 7:30 P.M. | ABC/ESPN+
NO. 19 ILLINOIS AT NO. 9 PENN STATE | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT MEMPHIS | 7:30 P.M. | ESPNU
SOUTH ALABAMA AT NO. 14 LSU | 7:45 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
FLORIDA STATE AT SMU | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
NEW MEXICO AT NEW MEXICO STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
AIR FORCE AT WYOMING | 8 P.M. | CBSSN
MONTANA AT EASTERN WASHINGTON | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
MCNEESE AT WEBER STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT UTAH TECH | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
WASHINGTON STATE AT NO. 25 BOISE STATE | 10 P.M. | FS1
IDAHO AT UC DAVIS | 10 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA AT NO. 10 UTAH | 10:15 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 8 OREGON AT UCLA | 11 P.M. | FOX
NO. 20 OKLAHOMA STATE AT NO. 23 KANSAS STATE | TBD
NO. 18 IOWA STATE AT HOUSTON | TBD
NO. 22 BYU AT BAYLOR | TBD
TCU AT KANSAS | TBD
CINCINNATI AT TEXAS TECH | TBD
COLORADO AT UCF | TBD
INDIANA HOOSIERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
INDIANA 31 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 7
INDIANA 77 WESTERN ILLINOIS 3
INDIANA 42 UCLA 13
INDIANA 52 CHARLOTTE 14
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. MARYLAND TBA
OCTOBER 5 AT NORTHWESTERN TBA
OCTOBER 19 VS. NEBRASKA TBA
OCTOBER 26 VS. WASHINGTON TBA
NOVEMBER 2 AT MICHIGAN STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 9 VS. MICHIGAN TBA
NOVEMBER 23 AT OHIO STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 30 VS. PURDUE TBA
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
PURDUE 49 INDIANA STATE 0
NOTRE DAME 66 PURDUE 7
OREGON STATE 38 PURDUE 21
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. NEBRASKA 12:00
OCTOBER 5 AT WISCONSIN TBA
OCTOBER 12 AT ILLINOIS TBA
OCTOBER 18 VS. OREGON 8:00
NOVEMBER 2 VS. NORTHWESTERN TBA
NOVEMBER 9 AT OHIO STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 16 VS. PENN STATE TBA
NOVEMBER 22 AT MICHIGAN STATE 8:00
NOVEMBER 30 AT INDIANA TBA
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
NOTRE DAME 23 TEXAS A&M 13
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 16 NOTRE DAME 14
NOTRE DAME 66 PURDUE 7
NOTRE DAME 28 MIAMI OH 3
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. LOUISVILLE 3:30
OCTOBER 12 VS. STANFORD 3:30
OCTOBER 19 AT GEORGIA TECH TBA
OCTOBER 26 AT NAVY 12:00
NOVEMBER 9 VS. FLORIDA STATE 7:30
NOVEMBER 16 VS. VIRGINIA 3:30
NOVEMBER 23 AT ARMY 7:00 (YANKEE STADIUM)
NOVEMBER 30 AT USC TBA
BUTLER BULLDOGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
BUTLER 40 UPPER IOWA 7
BUTLER 19 MURRAY STATE 17
BUTLER 53 HANOVER 0
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY-LYNCHBURG 1:00
OCTOBER 5 VS. MOREHEAD STATE 1:00
OCTOBER 12 AT DRAKE 1:00 CT
OCTOBER 19 VS. DAYTON 1:00
OCTOBER 26 AT DAVIDSON 1:00
NOVEMBER 2 VS. STETSON 1:00
NOVEMBER 9 AT VALPO 1:00 CT
NOVEMBER 16 VS. ST. THOMAS 1:00
NOVEMBER 23 AT PRESBYTERIAN 1:00
BALL STATE CARDINALS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
BALL STATE 42 MISSOURI STATE 34
MIAMI FL 62 BALL STATE 0
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 37 BALL STATE 34
SEPTEMBER 28 AT JAMES MADISON TBA
OCTOBER 5 VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN TBA
OCTOBER 12 AT KENT STATE TBA
OCTOBER 19 AT VANDERBILT TBA
OCTOBER 26 VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS TBA
NOVEMBER 5 VS. MIAMI OH TBA
NOVEMBER 12 AT BUFFALO 7:00
NOVEMBER 23 VS. BOWLING GREEN TBA
NOVEMBER 29 AT OHIO TBA
INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
PURDUE 49 INDIANA STATE 0
EASTERN ILLINOIS 27 INDIANA STATE 20
INDIANA STATE 24 DAYTON 13
SEPTEMBER 28 VS. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 1:00
OCTOBER 5 AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE 2:00
OCTOBER 12 VS. MURRAY STATE 1:00
OCTOBER 19 AT MISSOURI STATE 3:00
OCTOBER 26 VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 1:00
NOVEMBER 2 VS. NORTH DAKOTA 1:00
NOVEMBER 9 AT SOUTH DAKOTA 2:00
COLTS SCHEDULE
HOUSTON 29 INDIANAPOLIS 27
GREEN BAY 16 INDIANAPOLIS 10
INDIANAPOLIS 21 CHICAGO 16
SEPT. 29: VS. PITTSBURGH, 1 P.M., CBS
OCT. 6: AT JACKSONVILLE, 1 P.M., CBS
OCT. 13: AT TENNESSEE, 1 P.M., CBS
OCT. 20: VS. MIAMI, 1 P.M., FOX
OCT. 27: AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M., CBS
NOV. 3: AT MINNESOTA, 1 P.M., CBS
NOV. 10: VS. BUFFALO, 1 P.M., CBS
NOV. 17: AT N.Y. JETS, 8:20 P.M., NBC PEACOCK
NOV. 24: VS. DETROIT, 1 P.M., FOX
DEC. 1: AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M., CBS
DEC. 15: AT DENVER, 4:25 P.M., CBS
DEC. 22: VS. TENNESSEE, 1 P.M., CBS
DEC. 29: AT N.Y. GIANTS, TBD
JAN. 5: VS. JACKSONVILLE, TBD
NFL WEEK 3 SCOREBOARD
INDIANAPOLIS 21 CHICAGO 16
DENVER 26 TAMPA BAY 7
MINNESOTA 34 HOUSTON 7
PITTSBURGH 20 LA CHARGERS 10
PHILADELPHIA 15 NEW ORLEANS 12
GREEN BAY 30 TENNESSEE 14
NY GIANTS 21 CLEVELAND 15
CAROLINA 36 LAS VEGAS 22
SEATTLE 24 MIAMI 3
LA RAMS 27 SAN FRANCISCO 24
BALTIMORE 28 DALLAS 25
DETROIT 20 ARIZONA 13
KANSAS CITY 22 ATLANTA 17
WEEK 3 SCHEDULE
MONDAY, SEPT. 24
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT BUFFALO BILLS (7:30P ESPN)
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (8:15P ABC)
WEEK 4 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 26
DALLAS COWBOYS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (1:00P CBS)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P CBS)
DENVER BRONCOS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P CBS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P FOX)
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:05P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4:05P FOX)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4:25P CBS)
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 30
TENNESSEE TITANS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (7:30P ESPN)
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT DETROIT LIONS (8:15P ABC)
WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, OCT. 3
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, OCT. 6
NEW YORK JETS VS MINNESOTA VIKINGS (9:30A NFL NETWORK, TOTTENHAM)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (1:00P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P CBS)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1:00P FOX)
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS (4:05P FOX)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4:05P FOX)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (4:25P CBS)
NEW YORK GIANTS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:25P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, OCT. 7
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8:15P ESPN)
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
PITTSBURGH 2 CINCINNATI 0
BOSTON 8 MINNESOTA 1
DETROIT 4 BALTIMORE 3
ATLANTA 5 MIAMI 4
TAMPA BAY 4 TORONTO 3
LA ANGELS 9 HOUSTON 8
MILWAUKEE 10 ARIZONA 9
SAN FRANCISCO 2 KANSAS CITY 0
ST. LOUIS 2 CLEVELAND 1
CHICAGO CUBS 5 WASHINGTON 0
TEXAS 6 SEATTLE 5
NY YANKEES 7 OAKLAND 4
SAN DIEGO 4 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2
LA DODGERS 6 COLORADO 5
BOSTON 9 MINNESOTA 3
NY METS 2 PHILADELPHIA 1
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
INDIANAPOLIS 9 ST. PAUL 4
WNBA SCORES
CONNECTICUT 93 INDIANA 69
NEW YORK 83 ATLANTA 69
MINNESOTA 102 PHOENIX 95
LAS VEGAS 78 SEATTLE 67
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SCORES
PHILADELPHIA 4 DC 0
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
MERCURY MORRIS, RB FROM 1972 UNDEFEATED TEAM, DIES AT 77
Eugene “Mercury” Morris, a two-time Super Bowl-winning running back for the Miami Dolphins, died Saturday. He was 77.
His son announced Morris’ passing over social media on Sunday morning and the Dolphins confirmed the news, per The Miami Herald.
A Pittsburgh native, Morris arguably was the most vocal advocate of the 1972 undefeated Dolphins team, which he led with 12 rushing touchdowns. He joined Larry Csonka in becoming the first teammates to rush for at least 1,000 yards in the same year.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Eugene “Mercury” Morris, legendary Miami Dolphins running back and cherished member of the NFL family, at the age of 77,” his family said in a statement over social media.
“Known for his electrifying speed and dynamic play, Mercury was a cornerstone of the Dolphins’ historic 1972 undefeated season and a two-time Super Bowl champion. His talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport, and his three Pro Bowl selections only solidified his place among football’s greats.
“Beyond the field, Mercury was a dedicated father, a loving brother, a loyal friend, and a pillar in the community. His presence extended far beyond football, as he touched the lives of many throughout his time in Miami.”
The Dolphins also said in a statement that the club was “deeply saddened” and adding Morris “left a lasting impact through his dynamic play, personality and record-breaking performances.”
The statement continued: “He loved the Dolphins, the fans and the community of South Florida and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players to don the aqua and orange. Our hearts are with his family, loved ones and teammates as they honor his life and mourn his passing.”
Morris rushed for 4,133 yards and 31 touchdowns and added 3,118 return yards and three scores with the Dolphins (1969-75) and then-San Diego Chargers (1976) before announcing his retirement.
Morris is survived by five children and three siblings, per the family’s statement.
NFL SUNDAY
NY GIANTS 21 CLEVLAND 15
CLEVELAND (AP) — Daniel Jones threw two touchdown passes to rookie Malik Nabers, New York’s defensive players took turns sacking Deshaun Watson, and the Giants held off the Cleveland Browns 21-15 on Sunday.
Jones completed 24 of 34 passes for 236 yards as the Giants (1-2) shook off a loss at Washington that prompted a week of criticism toward coach Brian Daboll.
It wasn’t easy.
The Browns (1-2) rallied in the fourth after being dominated for three quarters and losing three offensive linemen to injuries.
Watson threw his second TD pass to Amari Cooper, and Cleveland had the ball three times with a chance to take the lead. But running back Jerome Ford fumbled, and the Giants twice stopped the Browns on fourth down in the final four minutes.
New York had more special teams issues as newly signed kicker Greg Joseph missed a 48-yard field goal with three minutes left that would have put the Giants up by nine. A week earlier, the Giants lost when kicker Graham Gano was injured on the opening kickoff and they didn’t convert a single field goal or extra point.
Nabers, one of the Giants’ only bright spots through two games, shined again with eight catches for 78 yards, including an incredible grab in the corner of the end zone for his first TD. At 21 years, 56 days, he also became the youngest wide receiver in NFL history to have two TD receptions.
Watson was sacked eight times and the Browns had their second poor performance at home in three weeks.
Cleveland’s starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) and right guard Wyatt Teller (knee) were hurt along with backup tackle James Hudson III. That forced coach Kevin Stefanski to completely shuffle his line in front of Watson, who went 21 of 37 for 196 yards.
Other than a fumble on the opening kickoff that put them in a 7-0 hole after 11 seconds, the Giants dominated the first half.
Jones was nearly perfect, completing 17 of 19 passes — 12 in a row at one point — and hitting Nabers for two scores.
New York’s defense did its part, sacking Watson four times with Brian Burns stripping Cleveland’s QB to set up Jones’ second TD strike to Nabers with 11 seconds left in the half to put the Giants ahead 21-7.
Just like in Week 1, the Browns were booed as they headed toward their the locker room to regroup.
Jones’ first TD pass to Nabers capped a 14-play, 93-yard drive in which Daboll kept Cleveland’s defense off-balance with a mix of runs and passes.
The Browns led 7-0 after 11 seconds thanks to their special teams.
Cornerback Tony Brown knocked the ball loose from New York returner Eric Gray on the opening kickoff and the Browns recovered on the Giants 24.
On the first play from scrimmage, Watson completed his 24-yard TD pass to Cooper, who had struggled in Cleveland’s first two games.
Injuries
Giants: CB Dru Phillips (calf) went out in the first half and CB Adoree’ Jackson (calf) got hurt in the third quarter. … ILB Michah McFadden (back) went off early in the fourth. … WR Darius Slayton (thumb) also was hurt in the second half.
Browns: DE Myles Garrett (feet) was clearly bothered by his injuries. … Cooper was slow getting up on Cleveland’s second-to-last play.
Up next
Giants: Host Dallas on Thursday night.
Browns: At Las Vegas on Sunday.
GREEN BAY 30 TENNESSEE 14
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Malik Willis ran for a touchdown and threw for a score in his best performance in the NFL, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 30-14 rout of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Willis not only won his second straight start subbing for Jordan Love, he got a sweet measure of revenge against the team that traded him to Green Bay (2-1) in August. Willis accounted for 134 of the Packers’ 137 yards in the first quarter. He finished with 202 yards passing and 73 rushing.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander scored a touchdown on his first career pick-6 late in the first quarter, helping Green Bay jump out to a 17-7 lead after 15 minutes. The Packers led 20-7 at halftime and ultimately scored 20 straight points for a 27-7 advantage midway through the third, prompting a loud chant of “Go, Pack, Go!”
The Packers had eight sacks, their most since getting eight at Chicago on Jan. 2, 2005. They also forced three turnovers.
First-year coach Brian Callahan has the the Titans (0-3) off to their worst start since losing the first six in 2009. Tennessee, which got a seventh-round pick for Willis after trading the 2022 third-rounder out of Liberty, has lost 21 of 27 overall.
Green Bay scratched Love before the game, giving him another week to heal his sprained left knee. Willis, with coach Matt LaFleur’s play-calling, made sure the Packers had no issues. The quarterback showed the Titans what they gave up when they stuck with Will Levis as their starter and Mason Rudolph as his backup.
Levis threw two TD passes, one to Nick Vannett and the other to DeAndre Hopkins.
The 33rd pick overall in 2023 out of Kentucky has eight turnovers in three games, including two interceptions returned for TDs. When Callahan took a timeout and sent the offense back in for the punt team, Levis was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-2 to start the third quarter.
Tennessee’s defense forced its first three-and-out after Hopkins’ TD pulled the Titans within 27-14. Levis drove the Titans to the Green Bay 31 but was sacked two plays later by Kingsley Enagbare. Lukas Van Ness recovered the fumble near midfield.
That sent Titans’ fans streaming for the exits on a steamy afternoon.
Picky Packers
Green Bay came in leading the NFL with five interceptions and six takeaways. Now they have seven picks through three games, matching their total from all of 2023.
Injuries
Packers: TE Tucker Kraft aggravated the shoulder injury that had him limited in practice.
Titans: CB Chidobe Awuzie hurt a groin muscle early and didn’t return. S Amani Hooker came off the field holding something to his right temple at the 2-minute warning and did not return.
Up next
Packers: Host Minnesota next Sunday.
Titans: Visit Miami and another backup quarterback in prime time on Monday, Sept. 30.
PHILADELPHIA 15 NEW ORLEANS 12
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saquon Barkley rushed for fourth-quarter touchdowns of 65 and 4 yards, and the Philadelphia Eagles rebounded from a maddening late-game collapse six days earlier to beat the New Orleans Saints 15-12 on Sunday.
Barkley’s shorter scoring run came with 1:01 left, one play after Dallas Goedert got free across the middle on third-and-16 for a 61-yard catch and run that gave him a career-high 170 yards on 10 receptions.
Eagles safety Reed Blankenship sealed the victory when he intercepted Derek Carr’s pass over the middle with 48 seconds left, capping a banner performance by Philadelphia’s defense against an offense that had scored an NFL-high 91 points during the regular season’s first two weeks under new coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Coming off a 22-21 home loss to Atlanta on Monday night, the Eagles (2-1) did not allow a touchdown until Carr found Chris Olave for a 12-yard, go-ahead score with just more than two minutes left. That gave the Saints a 12-7 lead after a failed 2-point try.
The Eagles looked the better team on both sides of the ball, outgaining New Orleans (2-1) in total net yards, 460 to 219. But a number of curious decisions by heavily scrutinized Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni, along with some clutch plays by the Saints’ defense, kept the Eagles off the board for three quarters.
Hurts turned the ball over twice in the first half, intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu in the end zone and losing a fumble on a sack by Carl Granderson.
The Eagles again threatened to score late in the second quarter, only to come away empty when they eschewed a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 15 with just 14 seconds left.
Defensive end Chase Young and linebacker Pete Werner stuffed Barkley’s run to the left side, preserving the Saints’ 3-0 lead at halftime.
The Eagles twice drove into Saints territory in the third quarter, only to fail on fourth-and-short and then have an illegal substitution penalty contribute to a stall near midfield.
But after J.T. Gray’s block of Braden Mann’s punt gave New Orleans the ball inside the Philadelphia 30, New Orleans stalled out on their own fourth-and-1 failure late in the third quarter. Barkley’s long run came four play’s later to make it 7-3.
Already missing receiver A.J. Brown, the Eagles lost Devonta Smith early in the fourth quarter on a hit by defensive tackle Khristian Boyd that knocked the receiver’s helmet off as he tried to prevent two other Saints defenders from bringing him to the turf.
What appeared to be a concussion-causing, helmet-to-helmet hit came after Smith’s seventh catch, giving him 79 yards receiving for the game.
That drive wound up stalling when the Eagles elected to try a 60-yard Jake Elliott field goal, which missed.
Injuries
Eagles: WR Britain Covey left with a shoulder injury. … RT Lane Johnson left with a concussion in the first half.
Saints: Versatile TE Taysom Hill (chest) was ruled out two hours before kickoff. … C Erik McCoy limped off the field with a left groin injury on the game’s opening possession and could not return. … RG Cesar Ruiz received attention for an apparent lower body injury in the fourth quarter.
Up next
Eagles: Visit Tampa Bay on Sunday in a third straight game against an NFC South opponent, and second straight on the road.
Saints: Visit Atlanta on Sunday.
PITTSBURGH 20 LA CHARGERS 10
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Fields threw for a touchdown and ran for another and the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Los Angeles Chargers 20-10 on Sunday.
Pittsburgh improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2020 behind another efficient performance from Fields, who completed 25 of 32 passes for 245 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III midway through the fourth quarter that broke it open.
Fields also added a 5-yard touchdown run and is quietly making a compelling case that he should be the starter even after Russell Wilson’s injured calf heals. Fields has played largely mistake-free through three games, though he did throw his first interception of the season on a tipped pass in the third quarter.
Najee Harris ran for 70 yards, Chris Boswell kicked a pair of field goals and Pittsburgh’s defense racked up five sacks while handing the Chargers (2-1) their first loss.
Justin Herbert started on an achy right ankle and completed 12 of 18 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown before aggravating the injury midway through the third quarter. He was replaced by Taylor Heinicke, who did little in the face of a relentless pass rush as Pittsburgh pulled away.
Two teams built on defense and running the ball spent the better part of three quarters exchanging punches before the Steelers found some breathing room in the fourth.
Boswell’s second field goal — at the end of a drive that included three Los Angeles defensive penalties — put the Steelers in front 13-10. Heinicke managed to produce one first down on Los Angeles’ next possession before punting.
Fields, looking to revive his career after three turbulent years in Chicago, found the 5-foot-9 Austin over the middle and the former Memphis walk-on did the rest, racing to the end zone to provide Pittsburgh’s defense some wiggle room that was hardly required.
The Steelers sacked Heinicke twice on Los Angeles’ final possession then drained the final 4:59 off the clock behind Harris. Pittsburgh opted to run the clock out rather than score from the Los Angeles 1 in the final seconds as Acrisure Stadium erupted after the kind of victory that followed the blueprint of how longtime Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin expects to win games in 2024.
The Steelers outgained Los Angeles 346-168 and held the ball for more than 33 minutes, with the Chargers appearing to wilt in the final minutes while their franchise quarterback watched from the bench.
Injuries
Chargers: Edge rusher Joey Bosa aggravated the hip issue that’s been nagging him on Pittsburgh’s first drive and did not return.
Steelers: Lost OLB Alex Highsmith to a groin injury late in the first half. … CB Cory Trice left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. … WR Van Jefferson sustained an eye injury in the second quarter.
Up next
Chargers: Welcome Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs to SoFi Stadium next Sunday.
Steelers: Will make their third trip to Indianapolis in as many years when they visit the Colts next Sunday.
MINNESOTA 34 HOUSTON 7
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold matched his career high with four touchdown passes, and the undefeated Minnesota Vikings used another dominant performance on defense to trounce C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans 34-7 on Sunday.
Jonathan Greenard had three of the four sacks of Stroud, his former teammate, as the Vikings (3-0) intercepted the 2023 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year twice while rattling the Texans (2-1) with their aggressive and unpredictable scheme — and the crowd noise that cranked up with each stop.
Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for scores in the first quarter on third down plays inside the 10. In the second half, he delivered a touchdown to Jalen Nailor for the third straight game and got tight end Johnny Mundt one, too.
Jefferson had six catches for 81 yards and Jones rushed 19 times for 102 yards and caught five passes for 46 yards for the Vikings, who were a trendy pick for last place in the NFC North but have beaten back-to-back contenders to start their home slate against San Francisco and Houston.
Darnold went 17 for 28 for 181 yards without a turnover and also tied his career best with a three-game winning streak as a starter, a feat the 2018 third overall draft pick hadn’t accomplished in three years. He left the game to get his left knee checked after a late hit penalty on former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, but he came back to a loud roar after being cleared by the medical staff.
The Vikings improved to 6-0 all time against the Texans, who finally scored with 3:56 left in the third quarter on a pass from Stroud to Cam Akers, who spent part of last season with the Vikings and got his first start with the Texans with Joe Mixon injured.
Stroud went 20 for 31 for 215 yards. This was the first time in 10 starts he’d been picked off.
Stroud’s first pass was swatted at the line by Harrison Phillips, sending the ball straight back to linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill for a gift-wrapped interception he returned to the 21. Darnold scrambled left six plays later and found Jefferson open in the front corner of the end zone for the early lead.
The Vikings nearly took another turnover deep into Houston territory when Grugier-Hill wrestled a short pass away from tight end Dalton Schultz and Stephon Gilmore scooped up the ball for a romp to the 25. The play was ruled incomplete after a long review, but after Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 54-yard field-goal attempt went barely wide right — his first miss of the season — the Vikings again seized their field-position momentum and scored in six plays on a short throw to Jones.
The Vikings had full respect for the talent the Texans presented, starting with the 2023 second overall draft pick in Stroud as the centerpiece of this on-the-rise team, but they were confident their aggressive and unpredictable defense would present problems of its own.
Greenard, one of three ex-Texans in the mix for the Vikings, had the first sack of Stroud in the first quarter by steamrolling rookie tight end Cade Stover.
The Texans were clearly off-kilter with the crowd noise that fed off the pressure generated by defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his protegees, with six of seven first-half penalties coming prior to the snap.
Four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil had three of them, one an illegal formation call that erased a third down throw that would’ve moved the chains to near midfield. Another one was the last of three straight false starts by the Texans after they had third-and-4 at the Minnesota 25. Tunsil got flagged again for illegal formation, which was declined by the Vikings so they could force a punt.
Nico Collins, the NFL’s leading receiver entering the week with 252 yards in the first two games, was mostly a nonfactor as Gilmore and the rest of the secondary kept him bottled up. His 34-yard catch on third down set up Houston’s only touchdown.
Diggs returns
Stefon Diggs led the Texans with 10 catches for 94 yards in his first game in Minnesota since leaving the Vikings four years ago. Diggs had 12 receptions for 128 yards for the Bills on Nov. 13, 2022, in a loss to the Vikings in Buffalo.
Injuries
Texans: In addition to the absence of Mixon (ankle), backup RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) missed his second straight game.
Vikings: WR Jordan Addison (ankle), LB Ivan Pace Jr. (quad, ankle) and OLB Dallas Turner (knee) were all inactive. Grugier-Hill took Pace’s place in the first down defense.
Up next
Texans: Host Jacksonville next Sunday.
Vikings: Visit Green Bay next Sunday.
DENVER 26 TAMPA BAY 7
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Bo Nix ran for an early touchdown and Will Lutz kicked four field goals Sunday to help the Denver Broncos avoid starting 0-3 for the second straight season with a 26-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Nix completed 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards without an interception. The 12th overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, however, still hasn’t thrown for a TD through three games.
Denver’s defense did its part in helping Nix rebound from struggling the previous two weeks, too, sacking Baker Mayfield seven times and intercepting the Bucs quarterback once to set up a second-quarter touchdown. The Broncos (1-2) also turned away two Tampa Bay possessions in Denver territory in the fourth quarter, stopping one drive on downs and forcing a fumble on the other.
The three-time defending NFC South champion Bucs (2-1), looking to start a season with three consecutive victories for the first time since 2005, was limited to 223 yards total offense. Mayfield was 25 of 33 passing for 163 yards, including a 6-yard scoring throw to Chris Godwin in the second quarter.
In 20 drives — excluding the end of a half — under Nix in the first two games, the Broncos had just two touchdowns and two field goals to go with 11 punts, three interceptions and two turnovers on downs. On Sunday, the rookie got off to a much better start — with completions of 22, 6 and 31 yards on the first three plays to move Denver downfield after the opening kickoff.
Nix finished the six-play, 70-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run. Later in the first quarter, the Broncos turned Brandon Jones’ interception and 37-yard return to the Tampa Bay 9 into Jaleel McLaughlin’s 1-yard scoring run for a 14-point lead that Lutz expanded to 17-0 with a 43-yard field goal.
The Bucs dominated No. 2 overall draft pick Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Week 1. The loss to Nix dropped Tampa Bay to 11-6 against opposing rookie quarterbacks since coach Todd Bowles joined the team as defensive coordinator under Bruce Arians in 2019.
Injuries
The Buccaneers played without All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield, Jr (foot) and starting DL Vita Vea (knee) and Calijah Kancey (calf) and RT Luke Goedeke (concussion), who were inactive. … Long snapper Evan Deckers left with a hamstring injury in the secod half.
Up next
Broncos: Remain on the road to face the New York Jets next Sunday.
Buccaneers: Host Philadelphia in a rematch of a NFC wild-card matchup won by Tampa Bay last January.
DETROIT 20 ARIZONA 13
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes, David Montgomery ran for 106 yards and a score and the Detroit Lions held on late to beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-13 on Sunday.
The Lions continued their recent dominance in the series, improving to 5-0-1 against the Cardinals since 2017. Detroit’s defense kept Kyler Murray and Arizona out of the end zone in the second half, giving up just one field goal.
Goff completed his first 14 passes before an incompletion in the third quarter. It was his longest streak without an incompletion to start a game in his nine-year career and he finished 18 of 23 for 196 yards.
Detroit (2-1) took a 20-7 lead just before halftime on a well-executed hook-and-ladder play. Goff threw short to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who immediately lateraled to Jahmyr Gibbs, who dashed 20 yards for the touchdown. The Lions caught a break earlier in the drive when Goff appeared to throw a pick-6, but officials ruled the play had been whistled dead just before the snap for the two-minute warning.
Detroit settled for a 20-10 lead at the break after Arizona’s Matt Prater made a 42-yard field goal as time expired. Goff was 12 of 12 passing for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
Prater kicked a 45-yard field goal to cut Detroit’s lead to 20-13 with 3:52 left, but the Lions were able to run out the clock on the ensuing drive. Goff scrambled for an 8-yard gain for the first down that sealed the win.
Arizona had multiple good chances to cut into Detroit’s lead in the third quarter, but couldn’t convert on critical plays.
The Cardinals (1-2) were driving early in the third when Murray tried to go deep to Marvin Harrison Jr., but the pass was short and intercepted by Kerby Joseph in the end zone. It was Murray’s first interception this season.
A few minutes later, Arizona’s Dennis Gardeck picked off a pass by Goff to give the Cardinals great field position at Detroit’s 33-yard line. But the Lions’ defense responded with a fourth-down stop on the ensuing drive, tackling Murray just short of a first down.
Murray finished 21 of 34 for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Harrison caught five passes for 64 yards.
The Lions jumped to a 7-0 lead on the first offensive drive, methodically moving 70 yards on nine plays. Montgomery ran for the 1-yard touchdown, muscling through the line before falling backward into the end zone.
Arizona responded immediately, with Murray making a couple big gains with a his legs before hitting Harrison for a 10-yard touchdown. It was the rookie’s third touchdown catch over the past two games.
St. Brown caught a 5-yard touchdown from Goff early in the second quarter to put the Lions up 13-7.
Injuries
Lions: S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) and CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (hamstring) were among six inactives. … LB Derrick Barnes (knee) left in the first half and didn’t return. … TE Sam LaPorta was seen limping and came out of the game multiple times. He had ice on his right ankle.
Cardinals: Starting RT Kelvin Beachum (hamstring) was out after not practicing Friday. The Cardinals started Jackson Barton at right tackle, which is the team’s third starter at the position in three games. Barton (toe) left in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Charlie Heck … DL Justin Jones (triceps) left early in the second half and didn’t return.
Up next
Lions: Host Seahawks on Monday, Sept. 30.
Cardinals: Host Commanders next Sunday.
LA RAMS 27 SAN FRANCISCO 24
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Rookie Joshua Karty hit a 37-yard field goal with 2 seconds to play, and the Los Angeles Rams staged a spectacular late rally for a 27-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Kyren Williams rushed 4 yards for his third touchdown of the day with 1:50 left for the Rams (1-2), who came back from a 14-point deficit in the second half for their second straight win over San Francisco (1-2) after losing 10 of the NFC West archrivals’ previous 12 meetings.
Jauan Jennings set career highs with 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns for the 49ers, who blew a lead of at least 14 points for the first time since 2018.
Los Angeles trailed 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter, but Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal attempt for San Francisco with 2:43 to play. Matthew Stafford quickly hit Tutu Atwell for a 50-yard completion to the San Francisco 5, and Williams took it in two plays later.
Ronnie Bell then dropped a long pass with 1:02 to play that would have put San Francisco in field goal range, and Xavier Smith — elevated from the Rams’ practice squad for this game — took his first career punt return 38 yards to midfield moments later.
A 25-yard pass interference penalty against linebacker De’Vondre Campbell put the Rams in field goal range, and their rookie kicker buried the kick.
San Francisco threw several laterals on the final snap after time expired, but the play died on the Rams’ sideline.
Williams caught a TD pass and rushed for two scores for the Rams, who avoided their first 0-3 start under Sean McVay in remarkable fashion. Stafford passed for 221 yards, and Atwell had four catches for 93 yards.
Brock Purdy passed for 292 yards, but the defending NFC champions and Super Bowl favorites took their second straight road loss after falling at Minnesota last week.
Both teams were missing most of their top offensive playmakers due to injury in this biannual showdown.
The 49ers played without running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, while the Rams were without Super Bowl 56 MVP Cooper Kupp, record-setting receiver Puka Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee.
Purdy focused on Jennings, who caught two scoring passes in the first quarter and another in the third to become the first 49ers wide receiver with three TD catches in a game since Terrell Owens in 2001.
The former seventh-round pick had more TD catches Sunday than he managed in the previous two seasons combined as a depth receiver for San Francisco, and his total catches and yards were more than both of his two previous best games combined. Half of Jennings’ 10 career TD receptions in the regular season have happened in two games against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
Jennings’ most impressive grab was a leaping catch over the top of the Rams’ Quentin Lake for 32 yards to deny a potential interception and set up a field goal that put the Niners ahead 24-14.
San Francisco was in control early. Jennings made a 13-yard TD catch on the Niners’ opening drive, and Purdy hit him for another score later in the first quarter.
Stafford didn’t complete a pass until Atwell made an exceptional running grab with about eight minutes left in the first half. Williams then made a short catch and did a full front-flip somersault over a defender into the end zone to cap an 87-yard drive.
Jennings caught a 31-yard TD pass midway through the third quarter, but Williams rushed for a 3-yard score a few minutes later. Williams had a rushing TD in his sixth straight game, matching the franchise-record streak set by Marshall Faulk in 2001.
Injuries
49ers: LB Dee Winters injured his ankle in the first half of his season debut, but he returned.
Rams: Los Angeles didn’t report an injury after losing multiple players to significant injuries in each of its first two games.
Up next
49ers: Host New England on Sept. 29.
Rams: At Chicago on Sept. 29.
BALTIMORE 28 DALLAS 25
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Derrick Henry ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns, Lamar Jackson accounted for two scores and the Baltimore Ravens held on for a 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Ravens (1-2) scored touchdowns on their first two drives, running and throwing with ease while emphatically responding to the first 0-2 start since 2015 for a franchise coming off a trip to the AFC championship game.
The Cowboys (1-2) have allowed 120 points in their past three home games, including a 48-32 wild-card loss to Green Bay in January that ended Dallas’ 16-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium.
Brandon Aubrey kicked a 65-yard field goal for the Cowboys, 1 yard shy of the NFL record from 2021 held by the kicker on the other sideline, Baltimore’s Justin Tucker.
Just as in last week’s 44-19 loss to New Orleans, the Cowboys needed more than field goals because of their porous defense.
The touchdowns eventually came for Dallas. They were just a little late.
The Cowboys trailed 28-6 midway through the fourth quarter when Dak Prescott scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak and C.J. Griffin recovered the onside kick.
Jalen Tolbert’s 15-yard catch made it 28-18 before the Cowboys missed again on the 2-point conversion try.
Baltimore’s Zay Flowers recovered Dallas’ second onside kick after whiffing on the first, but the Ravens went three-and-out.
The Cowboys kicked deep after KaVontae Turpin’s 16-yard scoring catch cut the deficit to three, but Jackson had a clutch throw to Flowers on third down, then a clinching 10-yard run on a keeper that included a nifty fake as the Ravens ran off the final 2:53.
Nelson Agholor had a 56-yard catch-and-run to set up Henry’s first touchdown, a 1-yard plunge for a 14-3 lead.
The Ravens opened with a five-play, 71-yard drive capped by Jackson’s 9-yard run, untouched, to the pylon. His first throw of the game was a 30-yarder to uncovered tight end Charlie Kolar.
Henry, who averaged 6 yards on 25 carries, became the first Baltimore back to score at least one touchdown in each of his first three games for the franchise. He added a 23-yard catch.
A two-time rushing champion in his eight seasons with Tennessee, Henry ran 26 yards for a touchdown and a 28-6 lead on the opening drive of the second half.
Jackson was 12 of 15 for 182 yards with a 13-yard scoring toss to Rashod Bateman standing all alone in the end zone and added 87 yards rushing.
The late Dallas surge put Prescott at 28 of 51 for 379 yards and two touchdowns but once again didn’t have any help from an anemic running game, even before the score got out of hand. Dallas averaged 3.2 yards per carry.
Injuries
Cowboys S Markquese Bell injured an ankle in the first half and didn’t return. … Ravens CB Jalyn Armour-Davis injured a hamstring and didn’t return.
Up next
Ravens: Home against Buffalo next Sunday night.
Cowboys: At the New York Giants in their first NFC East game Thursday night.
CAROLINA 36 LAS VEGAS 22
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Andy Dalton gave the Panthers the quarterback play they’ve been sorely lacking, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns to lead Carolina past the Las Vegas Raiders 36-22 on Sunday.
Promoted to the starting job in place of the ineffective Bryce Young, Dalton guided the Panthers (1-2) to their first win and moved to 4-0 lifetime against the Raiders.
Carolina, now 3-17 going back to last season, was outscored a combined 73-13 by the Saints and Chargers in the first two weeks before Coach Dave Canales benched Young, the No. 1 overall draft pick just a year ago, on Monday.
Dalton resembled the quarterback who earned the nickname “Red Rifle” in his prime more than a 36-year-old who last started in Week 3 of last season. He was sharp throughout, completing 26 of 37 passes and becoming the first NFL quarterback this season to post a 300-yard, three-TD performance. Dalton has thrown for 1,027 yards and 10 TDs in four career starts against the Raiders.
In the first half alone, Dalton threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns. His first three-TD performance in two years lifted a Panthers offense that had scored a single field goal in its previous two road games.
Chuba Hubbard rushed for 114 yards and caught five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Gardner Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards with a touchdown and interception. The Las Vegas running game, which entered the game last in the league with a 49-yard average, totaled just 55 yards.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s conservative play-calling drew repeated boos throughout the game. His close-to-the-vest strategy has developed into a storyline, and it likely doesn’t help that his former quarterback with the Bears, Justin Fields, is 3-0 with the Steelers so far this season.
Perhaps more alarming, the Raiders’ defense had no answers for Dalton or Hubbard. It didn’t help that Maxx Crosby didn’t play every defensive snap for the first time this season after hurting his ankle against the Ravens.
Carolina took advantage right away, scoring touchdowns on two of its first three drives to take a 14-7 lead. The opening drive ended a 20-game streak in which the Panthers failed to reach the end zone on their first series. It also was their first lead since being up 9-7 over the Falcons on Dec. 17.
The Panthers continued to build on that advantage and ended a 20-game streak dating to Week 17 in 2022 against the Buccaneers of not leading in the fourth quarter. They were up 27-7 against the Raiders.
Carolina’s three victories since then came on field goals as time expired.
Breaking barriers
This was the first meeting between teams with female presidents. Kristi Coleman holds that title with the Panthers and Sandra Douglass Morgan with the Raiders.
Injuries
Panthers: WR Adam Thielen (hamstring) was injured catching a touchdown pass shortly before halftime. DT Shy Tuttle (foot) did not play.
Raiders: LB Divine Deablo (oblique/concussion) and CB Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) did not play. RT Thayer Munford (knee/ankle) left the game in the first quarter and S Marcus Epps (knee) went down in the third.
Up next
Panthers: Host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Raiders: Host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
SEATTLE 24 MIAMI 3
SEATTLE (AP) — Geno Smith threw for 289 yards and a 71-yard touchdown to DK Metcalf, Zach Charbonnet rushed for two TDs, and the Seattle Seahawks beat Miami 24-3 on Sunday where the attention turned to another injury suffered by a Dolphins quarterback.
A week after losing Tua Tagovailoa to the third concussion in the past two years, the Dolphins watched Skylar Thompson suffer a chest injury in the second half, leaving Tim Boyle to try and lead the charge back from a 17-3 deficit.
Boyle was unable to direct a comeback and the Dolphins (1-2) were stuck back in a place of uncertainty about their QB situation.
Thompson was hurt in the third quarter, staying down after being shoved by Dre’Mont Jones following a pass to De’Von Achane. But the injury was likely suffered on the previous drive when Thompson was sacked by Tyrel Dodson and was hunched over at the midsection as he ran off the field.
Thompson was 13 of 19 for 107 yards prior to leaving the game. He was also sacked five times.
Tagovailoa made the trip to Seattle just over a week after suffering the concussion against Buffalo on Sept. 12. The Dolphins expressed confidence that Thompson would be able to step in and keep their potent offense moving.
But all Miami could manage was Jason Sanders’ 23-yard field goal in the first quarter. Miami had just 205 total yards.
Miami had a chance to pull within one score early in the fourth quarter following Smith’s second interception of the game — a pass that was deflected by Calais Campbell and grabbed out of the air by Zach Sieler. Miami reached the Seattle 3, but failed on four attempts and turned the ball over on downs.
Smith was 26 of 34 passing, including the long TD toss to Metcalf. Charbonnet finished with 91 yards on 18 carries and his 10-yard TD run with 4:55 left finally put the Dolphins away. Seattle improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2020.
Seattle’s offense was humming early with Smith throwing for 133 yards in the first quarter. The big shot came on the final play of the first quarter when Metcalf used a double move to flash open and Smith found him for his seventh career touchdown catch of 50 yards or more.
But after that opening quarter it was a rather miserable afternoon for the Seahawks on that side of the ball with drives often stymied by penalties. The two teams were each flagged for 11 accepted penalties with several more declined or offsetting.
Injuries
Along with Thompson, the Dolphins lost starting left tackle Terron Armstead (eye) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion) to injuries in the first half.
Seattle lost significant depth on the defensive line as rookie first round pick Byron Murphy II (hamstring) and Leonard Williams (ribs) were both lost to injuries in the first half. Both were ruled out at halftime.
Up next
Dolphins: host Tennessee next week on “Monday Night Football.”
Seahawks: at Detroit next week on “Monday Night Football.”
KANSAS CITY 22 ATLANTA 17
ATLANTA (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw a pair of touchdown passes and Kansas City’s defense made a couple of late stands to keep the Chiefs unbeaten with a 22-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night.
The two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs (3-0) have been far from perfect — Mahomes threw another interception — but they won their first three games by a combined 13 points.
Thank the defense for this one.
Coming off an upset victory at Philadelphia, the Falcons (1-2) had a couple of shots at the go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes.
Kirk Cousins threw a pair of incompletions in the end zone from the Chiefs 6 to end one chance, and the final Atlanta drive ended with Bijan Robinson being thrown for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Kansas City 13 with less than a minute remaining.
Mahomes threw for 217 yards, including scoring throws to Rashee Rice and JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Harrison Butker booted three field goals for the Chiefs.
Cousins was 20 of 29 for 230 yards with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Drake London and a 50-yard completion to Kyle Pitts that set up Robinson’s 1-yard scoring run.
Carrying on the momentum from their last-minute stunner at Philadelphia, Cousins and the Falcons took the opening kickoff and quickly drove 70 yards for a touchdown.
Cousins completed all five of his passes for 66 yards, including a 14-yard scoring toss to Drake London — who also caught the winning score against the Eagles. London wound up all alone in the end zone on a busted coverage by the Chiefs.
Three games into his third season, London became the fastest player in Falcons history to reach 150 career receptions.
Mahomes responded with a long drive of his own, taking the Chiefs 75 in 17 plays but failing to come away with any points. Going for Noah Gray in the end zone, Mahomes was intercepted by Justin Simmons — the fourth pick of the season for the Chiefs star quarterback.
But Mahomes bounced back from that miscue to push Kansas City all the way to the end zone. A 13-play, 79-yard possession ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rice.
The Falcons reclaimed the lead on Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown run, which was set up by Cousins’ 50-yard pass to Kyle Pitts.
But Atlanta’s offensive line took a pair of hits when right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman both went out with injuries. With a pair of backups joining their ranks, the guys up from struggled to keep the pressure off Cousins, who was sacked twice and hit 10 more times as he threw, spending much of the night picking himself off the turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
One of those hits resulted in a wobbly pass that was picked off by Chamarri Conner, setting up Butker’s 44-yard field goal that sliced the Falcons’ edge to 14-13 at halftime.
Butker put the Chiefs ahead to stay on a 21-yard chip shot in the third quarter, and Kansas City stretched the lead on Mahomes’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Smith-Schuster late in the third quarter.
INJURY REPORT
Chiefs: LB Nick Bolton hobbled off the field in the fourth quarter, but came back to make the big stop on Robinson.
Falcons: McGary and Dalman both went out in the second quarter. McGary was helped off the field with a knee injury and replaced by Storm Norton. Dalman was replaced by Ryan Neuzil after being sidelined with an ankle issue.
UP NEXT
Chiefs: Stay on the road for another week when they visit Los Angeles next Sunday to face the Chargers (2-1) in an AFC West matchup.
Falcons: Play the second of three straight home games when their NFC South rival, the New Orleans Saints (2-1), visit Atlanta next Sunday.
NFL WEEK IN REVIEW
VIKINGS CEMENT SUPER BOWL CREDENTIALS, RAVENS PLUNGE COWBOYS INTO CRISIS MODE, PANTHERS GET 1ST WIN: NFL WEEK 3 SUNDAY REVIEW
The theme for Week 3 was teams getting their first win of the season.
Six franchises entered Sunday’s slate of games with two defeats to begin the new season, but that all changed this week as only the Tennessee Titans remain winless after three games played – though the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars could join them after Monday night.
There were also impressive performances and victories from some Super Bowl contenders as they cemented their credentials as title challengers.
Here are the main storylines from Sunday’s action.
THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS ARE ACTUALLY FOR REAL?
Two wins to open the NFL season could be seen as a fluke. But the Minnesota Vikings put to bed any fears they were a flash in a pan with a dominant 34-7 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Any doubts that Minnesota had caught lightning in a bottle in the opening weeks of the season were allayed as Sam Darnold – the backup in preseason before first-round rookie JJ McCarthy was ruled out for the season – superbly ran the offense once again.
Darnold threw 17-of-28 for 181 yards and four touchdowns against a stacked Texans defense, one apiece to Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, Jalen Nailor and Johnny Mundt.
The 27-year-old is enjoying a new lease of life with the Vikings under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Sunday’s multiple-touchdown outing was the first time in Darnold’s career he has done so in three straight games.
In his 66 games with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers, Darnold had one other game with four touchdown throws but now has achieved the feat in just his third outing with Minnesota.
According to the NFL, Darnold became the fourth quarterback in Vikings history to start a season 3-0, joining Hall of Famers Fran Tarkenton and Brett Favre, as well as Daunte Culpepper.
Afterwards, O’Connell called Darnold’s performance against the Texans “really, really good.”
“Smart, really decisive, took care of the football, accurate,” he said.
On the other side, the previously explosive Texans offense was nullified by Minnesota’s defense, led by coordinator Brian Flores.
Flores’ playcalling seemed to confuse second-year passer CJ Stroud, as Houston began the game with an interception. He would throw a further one in a disappointing afternoon for last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard was routinely the game-wrecker against his former team, finishing the game with three sacks.
“It’s in your best interest to not (mess around with me),” Greenard said afterwards. “I’m glad I’m here in Minnesota because they respect me. Anybody else wants to do that, they can try.”
Such was the emphatic nature of the defeat that Stroud was benched midway through the fourth quarter to prevent any costly injuries as the Texans suffered their first defeat of the season.
RAVENS OFF THE MARK, PLUNGE COWBOYS INTO CRISIS MODE
Both the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys entered Sunday’s Week 3 clash in Arlington, Texas, needing a victory after underwhelming in Week 2.
Sunday’s clash was a tight encounter, but the Ravens were able to get off the mark this season and plunge “America’s Team” into crisis mode with their 28-25 victory.
Baltimore raced out to a big lead, largely due to a breakout game for offseason signing Derrick Henry.
The running back had two rushing touchdowns and quarterback Lamar Jackson added a passing and running score as the Ravens held a 28-6 lead in the fourth quarter.
Henry finished with 151 yards off 25 carries on the ground and Jackson racked up 87 rushing yards of his own as the duo dissected Dallas with their legs.
Per the NFL, Sunday’s game was Henry’s 12th career game with 150-plus rushing yards and two or more rushing touchdowns, tied for second-most in NFL history with LaDainian Tomlinson and one behind Jim Brown.
Although the offense struggled late and the defense allowed three straight touchdown drives, Baltimore was able to hold on and finally get its first win of the season.
After starting 0-2 for the campaign, Jackson spoke after the victory about the importance of realizing their preseason goals.
“To be honest, every game is a big game for us because we’re trying to get somewhere,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to win these games to get to the playoffs, man, and win these playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. But it starts with the game that’s in front of us.”
For Dallas, it is a third straight home loss as alarm bells are ringing in Mike McCarthy’s team.
Having been blown out by the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, Dallas expected to bounce back against the Ravens and right the ship.
But the team now falls to 1-2 as pressure continues to mount on McCarthy’s shoulders. With only a four-day break before they play again on Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants, the Cowboys head coach says he prefers to focus on the team’s late comeback against Baltimore.
“It’s something that doesn’t show up in the playbook, in the scheme. The heart and soul of your football team and the ability to grow emotionally and having that experience,” McCarthy told reporters. “It’s a great fourth quarter for our first-year players.
“It’s the connection that we don’t have right now to the level that we’re capable of. So this is the emotional realm that we need to be much better in. They have work ethic, it’s a really good locker room. There’s talent. The mental part of it, we better have taken a step from last week. Last week was totally not good enough. The emotional part is where the real gold is. This end of the game can serve as well.”
PANTHERS GET FIRST WIN AFTER BENCHING BRYCE YOUNG
The Panthers had been the most disappointing team in the NFL through two weeks, after two convincing defeats to the Saints and the Los Angeles Chargers.
First-year head coach Dave Canales made the big decision ahead of Week 3 to bench 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and replace him with veteran Andy Dalton.
And the decision paid immediate dividends as the Panthers looked much improved in their 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dalton threw 26-of-37 for 319 yards and three touchdowns as Carolina looked like a wholly different team with the 36-year-old at the helm. They scored more points (21) in the first half of Sunday’s game than they had in the previous two weeks combined (13).
His connection with wide receiver Diontae Johnson was key, with the former Pittsburgh Steeler having a career day with 122 receiving yards on eight catches and a touchdown. The pair’s success through the air opened up the running game, with Chuba Hubbard adding 117 yards on the ground off 21 carries.
After the victory, Dalton said it had been a “heavy week” within the organization following the benching of Young but spoke about how special the performance against the Raiders was for him.
“I mean, it felt great. Obviously, for me to get an opportunity to be out there and for it to go the way it did, couldn’t have drawn it up any better,” Dalton told reporters. “I thought our guys came out with the right attitude, the right mentality from the start, and we never slowed down.
“That was the fun part of it. We didn’t just put one drive together. We were able to do it the whole game. Played complementary football, and guys were having a ton of fun, and that’s how it should be.”
It was a disappointing outing for the Raiders coming off a surprising win over the Ravens in Week 2.
Las Vegas scored just seven points in the opening three quarters of Sunday’s game and the team was booed off the Allegiant Stadium field after the defeat.
Following the home loss, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce expressed his anger at his team’s performance, saying that some of his players made “business decisions” during Sunday’s game.
“We got our a** whooped,” Pierce told reporters. “We got to put pads on, I don’t know, got to get on the sled. Same group that’s, for the most part, all come back and same technique, same coaches, it’s not a different scheme, so obviously we have to coach better and be some hard a**es on the guys, and guys have to take some rough coaching because just didn’t see that on either side of the ball.
“We had an opportunity to run the ball and we didn’t. Didn’t do that at all. We tried and tried and tried, and I would have booed us, too. Offensively, defensively, we didn’t do a good enough job up front, not good enough.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
AP TOP 25: NO. 5 TENNESSEE CONTINUES TO CLIMB AND BOISE STATE ENTERS POLL FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2020
Tennessee moved up to No. 5 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday as the Volunteers continued to surge up the rankings, and No. 25 Boise State returned to the AP Top 25 for the first time in four years.
Texas was No. 1 for the second straight week, receiving 44 of 62 first-place votes as the top four teams remained the same. The Longhorns won a game as the top-ranked team in the country for the first time since 2008, cruising past Louisiana-Monroe in quarterback Arch Manning’s first career start.
Georgia held at No. 2, receiving 13 first-place votes, and Ohio State is No. 3 with five first-place votes. Alabama is No. 4.
The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide were each off this past weekend as they prepare to meet next Saturday in Tuscaloosa for a top-five matchup.
The Volunteers welcomed Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference with a 25-15 road victory that helped Tennessee rise in the rankings for the fourth straight week. The Vols started the season ranked No. 15, then went to No. 14 after Week 1, No. 7 after Week 2 and No. 6 last week.
Tennessee was last in the top five in 2022, peaking at No. 2 on Oct. 30.
Mississippi slipped a spot to No. 6 and No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Penn State all moved up one place.
No. 10 Utah moved up two spots after beating Oklahoma State on the road in a matchup of ranked Big 12 teams.
Boise State is making its first poll appearance since a two-week stay in early November 2020. The Broncos, two weeks removed from losing at Oregon on a last-second field goal, improved to 2-1 with a blowout of Portland State on Saturday.
Poll points
The SEC’s stranglehold on the top of the rankings loosened a little, with Missouri’s overtime victory against Vanderbilt dropping the Tigers four spots to No. 11. The conference still reached another milestone.
The SEC had gone two straight weeks holding down six of the top seven spots in the rankings, a first for one league in poll history. No conference previously even held five of the top seven spots, which the now 16-team SEC still has this week.
With Missouri slipping, the SEC still holds five of the top six spots, and it’s on a three-week streak of owning four of the top five. That streak is another AP poll first.
The only other time in the 88-year history of the poll that a conference had four of the top five ranked teams was the SEC on Oct. 19, 2014 (No. 1 Mississippi State, No. 3 Mississippi, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Auburn). That lasted a week.
In-and-out
Boise State’s absence from the AP rankings had been notable after the Broncos became a poll fixture for nearly two decades.
Boise State went 19 straight seasons making at least one appearance in the AP Top 25, from its first-ever appearance in 2002 to 2020. The Broncos finished the season ranked 13 times during that span.
No. 22 BYU also made its season debut in the rankings. The Cougars (4-0) are in for the first time since Oct. 2, 2022, after routing Kansas State at home Saturday night. The loss dropped the previously unbeaten Wildcats 10 spots to No. 23.
Exiting the rankings this week after brief stays and their first losses of the season were Nebraska and Northern Illinois.
The Cornhuskers fell in overtime to Illinois, a victory that helped the Illini move up five spots to No. 19.
NIU, which had not played since upsetting Notre Dame two weeks ago, lost in overtime to Buffalo in a Mid-American Conference game.
Conference call
SEC — 9 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 14, 21, 24).
Big Ten — 6 (Nos. 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, 19).
Big 12 — 5 (Nos. 10, 18, 20, 22, 23).
ACC — 3 (Nos. 7, 15, 17).
Mountain West — 1 (No. 25).
Independent — 1 (No. 16).
Ranked vs. Ranked
—No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama. Bulldogs and Tide played eight times between 2012-23 but only twice in regular-season meetings on each other’s home field. The other six were two national title games and four SEC championships.
—No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State. Last time the Big Ten rivals met as ranked teams was 2008.
—No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State. Second straight game against a ranked Big 12 opponent for the Cowboys. Only third time in 68 meetings both are ranked.
—No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame. Second straight season the Cardinals-Fighting Irish is a ranked matchup.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
REDS FIRE MANAGER DAVID BELL
The Cincinnati Reds fired manager David Bell on Sunday night with just five games remaining in the 2024 season.
Cincinnati bench coach Freddie Benavides will serve as interim manager.
“David provided the kind of steadiness that we needed in our clubhouse over the last few seasons,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “We felt a change was needed to move the major league team forward. We have not achieved the success we expected, and we need to begin focusing on 2025.”
Bell, 52, had signed a three-year extension with the club in July 2023, a deal that was supposed to keep him in Cincinnati through the 2026 campaign.
In six seasons managing the Reds (2019-24), Bell led the team to a 409-456 record. Cincinnati made the playoffs once during Bell’s tenure — during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
The Reds are 76-81 and have already been eliminated from postseason contention. They are set to open a two-game series with the host Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
MLB ROUNDUP: BREWERS ERASE 8-RUN DEFICIT, STUN D-BACKS
Jake Bauers delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth as the host Milwaukee Brewers overcame an eight-run deficit to earn a stunning 10-9 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon.
Milwaukee trailed 8-0 after Arizona struck for a seven-run third that featured back-to-back homers by Josh Bell, who hit a two-run blast, and Eugenio Suarez and a two-run single from Jake McCarthy.
But the Brewers slowly came all the way back, completing the shocking rally with a four-run eighth. With two outs, Garrett Mitchell hit an RBI single to left before Rhys Hoskins brought home two more runs with a base hit to tie the score at 9. Willy Adames followed with a double before Bauers provided Milwaukee with its first lead of the contest.
Ketel Marte, Josh Bell and Eugenio Suarez homered for the Diamondbacks, who fell into a tie with the New York Mets for the final two National League wild-card spots with both teams two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves.
Padres 4, White Sox 2
A three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted San Diego over visiting Chicago, moving the winners within a victory of a National League playoff spot and the losers into a tie for history of the worst kind.
The White Sox (36-120) equaled the 1962 New York Mets’ single-season loss total, the worst in modern MLB history. One loss in the final six games will evict the Mets from the record books.
Jeremiah Estrada (6-2) pitched a clean eighth inning for the win as the Padres improved to 90-66, marking its first 90-win season since 2010 and the fifth in franchise history. San Diego moved three games ahead of the Diamondbacks and Mets for the NL’s top wild-card spot and trails the Los Angeles Dodgers by three games for the lead in the NL West.
Mets 2, Phillies 1
Brandon Nimmo homered leading off the sixth inning, and surging New York once again prevented visiting Philadelphia from clinching the National League East title in the finale of a four-game series.
Edwin Diaz earned his first six-out save since Aug. 4, 2022, for the Mets, who are 18-5 in their past 23 games.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler took the hard-luck loss after giving up two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven-plus innings.
Dodgers 6, Rockies 5
Shohei Ohtani tied the score with a home run to lead off the ninth inning and Mookie Betts followed with a game-ending blast as Los Angeles rallied past visiting Colorado.
Ohtani, the favorite to become the first primary designated hitter to win an MVP award, had four hits with two stolen bases. His home run gave him 53 on the season to go along with 55 steals. Teoscar Hernandez and Enrique Hernandez also hit home runs for the Dodgers.
Brendan Rodgers and Nolan Jones each drove in two runs for the Rockies, who need three wins in their last six games to avoid a second consecutive 100-loss season. Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela gave up one run and five hits over five innings in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery.
Rangers 6, Mariners 5
Marcus Semien hit a walk-off RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to complete Texas’ comeback win over Seattle in Arlington, Texas.
Semien’s single to left scored Leody Taveras, who had singled and stolen second in front of him. The Rangers avoided getting swept by the Mariners, and they broke Seattle’s three-game winning streak.
The Mariners’ comfortable 5-0 lead evaporated when the Rangers cut into the deficit with a four-run sixth inning. Taveras then hit the game-tying solo home run in the seventh.
Tigers 4, Orioles 3
Kerry Carpenter hit two solo home runs and Detroit held off host Baltimore.
Spencer Torkelson also homered for the Tigers, who won two of three games in the series despite managing only five hits in the finale. Detroit has won seven of its past nine games and is tied with the Kansas City Royals for the second wild-card spot, four back of the Orioles.
The Orioles had only one hit — a single — through four innings off Tyler Holton and Ty Madden before converting in the fifth on Cedric Mullins’ 18th homer after Ramos Urias’ one-out single. Baltimore finished 44-37 at home.
Red Sox 8, Twins 1 (Game 1)
Triston Casas hit three home runs and drove in seven to propel Boston to a victory over visiting Minnesota in the first game of a split doubleheader.
Casas hit a pair of three-run home runs off Minnesota starter Pablo Lopez and added a solo homer against Brent Headrick. The three home runs, a career high for one game, gave him 12 for the season. The seven RBIs are also a career high.
Twins starter Pablo Lopez (15-9) surrendered seven runs on nine hits in four innings. He fanned three and walked one.
Red Sox 9, Twins 3 (Game 2)
Romy Gonzalez hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs to help Boston sweep a doubleheader against visiting Minnesota.
Gonzalez homered against Minnesota reliever Cole Irvin to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning. It was his sixth home run of the season. He also hit a sacrifice fly in Boston’s sixth-run sixth.
Trevor Larnach and Christian Vazquez had two hits apiece for the Twins, who have lost four of their past five games.
Cardinals 2, Guardians 1
Andre Pallante allowed just one hit over seven innings as St. Louis edged visiting Cleveland.
Masyn Winn walked in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning for the Cardinals, who won for the fifth time in seven games. Pallante (8-8) allowed one run while walking two and striking out four. Andrew Kittredge handled the eighth inning for St. Louis and Ryan Helsley closed out the ninth to earn his 47th save.
Gavin Williams allowed one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Guardians. He walked two and struck out three. Reliever Tim Herrin (5-1) took the loss.
Pirates 2, Reds 0
Paul Skenes struck out nine in five scoreless innings while Oneil Cruz and Nick Yorke homered to lead visiting Pittsburgh past Cincinnati.
In tossing five shutout innings without a walk, Skenes lowered his ERA to 1.99. The Pirates’ rookie ace won all three of his starts against the Reds this season, allowing one run in 17 innings and striking out 25 while walking just two.
After missing six weeks with right elbow soreness, Hunter Greene (9-5) made his first start since Aug. 13 in Sunday’s home finale for the Reds. Greene allowed just one run and two hits over three innings. He struck out four and walked one while throwing 45 pitches.
Braves 5, Marlins 4
Jorge Soler drove in the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning as playoff-hopeful Atlanta earned a crucial win over host Miami.
Both Ozzie Albies and Gio Urshela homered for the Braves, who have won four of five. Albies’ home run was his first since July 6. He returned on Friday after missing two months with a fractured left wrist.
The Marlins got solo homers from Jonah Bride, Jake Burger, Connor Norby and Jesus Sanchez.
Angels 9, Astros 8
Zach Neto hit a three-run double in the ninth inning to cap his six-RBI day as Los Angeles rallied to avoid a four-game sweep against host Houston.
Neto delivered in the ninth against Josh Hader (8-8) to put the Angels ahead 9-6. The shortstop also had a solo home run and a two-run shot for Los Angeles, which trailed 4-0 entering the sixth inning.
Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman homered for the Astros, who lead the American League West by five games with six remaining. Houston designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (35 home runs) exited in the third inning with a knee contusion.
Rays 4, Blue Jays 3
Christopher Morel’s sacrifice fly and Brandon Lowe’s homer helped Tampa Bay close out a strong final homestand by sweeping Toronto in St. Petersburg, Fla.
After the Blue Jays tied it 2-all in the top of the seventh on Ernie Clement’s RBI single, Morel plated Jose Siri with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame.
Lowe added his 20th homer this season in the eighth, which proved pivotal after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stroked a ninth-inning RBI single against Edwin Uceta before the Rays reliever secured his fourth save. Tampa Bay won its fourth straight game.
Giants 2, Royals 0
Grant McCray tripled in a run and scored another in a two-run second inning, Blake Snell combined with three relievers on a shutout and San Francisco completed a surprising three-game road sweep over Kansas City.
Snell (5-3) allowed two hits and one walk in six shutout innings, striking out nine. It was his second consecutive start — and seventh overall this season — in which he did not allow a run.
The Royals were held to three hits and have lost seven in a row.
Yankees 7, Athletics 4
Northern California native Aaron Judge said goodbye to the Oakland Coliseum with his 55th home run, Jasson Dominguez and Gleyber Torres also homered and New York clinched no worse than a tie for the American League East title with a victory over Oakland.
After the A’s scored twice in the first inning, the Yankees rallied into the lead for good when Judge launched his home run to center field, a solo shot, in the third after a two-run blast by Dominguez, his second of the season, had tied the score an inning earlier. Torres’ 15th homer led off a two-run fifth that put New York, playing for the final time at the aging Oakland site, in command at 5-2.
Tyler Soderstrom had two hits for the A’s, including a two-RBI double that gave the hosts their 2-0 lead in the first. Ryan Noda also had a two-run double.
Cubs 5, Nationals 0
Shota Imanaga pitched seven scoreless innings and Chicago hit three home runs in a victory over visiting Washington.
Mike Tauchman, Michael Busch and Miguel Amaya went deep for the Cubs, who took three of four from the Nationals. Imanaga (15-3) allowed six hits without walking a batter and struck out four in his 10th start this season of at least seven innings.
Jose Tena and James Wood had two hits apiece for the Nationals. Washington starter Jake Irvin (10-13) allowed five runs on four hits — three of them home runs — and four walks in four innings. He struck out three.
–Field Level Media
WNBA PLAYOFFS
ACES’ DEFENSE TOO MUCH FOR STORM IN GAME 1
A’ja Wilson scored 21 points, Tiffany Hayes added 20 off the bench and a strong defensive performance in the fourth quarter led the host Las Vegas Aces to a 78-67 win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday night in Game 1 of a best-of-three, first-round playoff series.
Las Vegas held Seattle without a field goal in the fourth quarter, and the Storm didn’t score in the frame until Skylar Diggins-Smith made a pair of free throws with 4:07 to go.
Seattle went 0-for-12 from the floor in the final 10 minutes of action.
The Aces, struggling to generate offense against Seattle’s own stifling defense, were only up by five when Diggins-Smith went to the foul line. They didn’t score in the fourth until Kelsey Plum made a layup with 7:08 left, Plum’s only points of the night.
Following the late free throws from Diggins-Smith, Las Vegas rattled off eight unanswered points to close the game.
Chelsea Gray, who finished with 16 points for the Aces, bookended the game-closing run with a pair of baskets. Gray also dished out a team-high seven assists.
Jackie Young added 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Las Vegas. Wilson, who was named unanimous WNBA MVP earlier Sunday, matched Kiah Stokes with a team-high eight rebounds.
Nneka Ogwumike recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Gabby Williams scored 14 points and grabbed eight boards, and Mercedes Russell finished with eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Diggins-Smith led Seattle with 16 points and a game-high eight assists. Las Vegas held Jewell Loyd to just six points on 2-of-8 shooting from the floor in her return from a knee injury.
The Storm went 25-for-68 from the field (36.8 percent), struggling to find scoring opportunities inside. Wilson was outstanding when it came to protecting the rim, recording five blocked shots.
Ezi Magbegor (concussion) was out for Seattle, which took a 65-64 lead into the fourth before going cold.
NAPHEESA COLLIER, EFFICIENT LYNX FEND OFF MERCURY IN GAME 1
Napheesa Collier scored a season-high 38 points as the Minnesota Lynx held off a comeback bid from the Phoenix Mercury to win Game 1 of their first-round playoff series 102-95 on Sunday in Minneapolis.
Collier shot 11-of-19 from the floor and 13-of-14 from the free-throw line while adding six rebounds and four assists for Minnesota, which took a one-game lead over the Mercury in the best-of-three series. Kayla McBride scored 20 points for the Lynx, Bridget Carleton added 12 and Myisha Hines-Allen scored 10.
Natasha Cloud led Phoenix with 33 points and 10 assists, while Diana Taurasi scored 21 points. Kahleah Copper chipped in 16 points and Brittney Griner had 10 points.
The Lynx jumped out to a 26-10 lead towards the end of the first quarter after breaking off a 19-4 run that was capped off by a 3-pointer from Carleton. Minnesota then pushed that lead to 23 points in the second quarter with a 10-2 run, powered by four points and an assist from Hines-Allen.
But by the end of the third quarter, Phoenix had clawed its way back and trimmed Minnesota’s lead to 77-69 after Taurasi and Cloud swished back-to-back 3-pointers from 24 feet out. Taurasi made three of Phoenix’s seven 3-pointers in that quarter.
A 12-5 run to open the final frame for the Mercury cut the Lynx’s advantage to one point after Cloud sank a 13-foot jumper off an assist from Taurasi.
Phoenix even took two brief, one-point advantages — its first leads since the opening quarter — with the second coming with 2:06 to play after Cloud connected on a layup.
Hines-Allen then responded with a layup of her own, Collier made a pair of free throws, Carleton drained a 3-pointer and McBride made two free throws to push Minnesota’s lead back to eight points with 22 seconds left.
Key for Minnesota was its efficiency from the free-throw line, where it made 24 of 25 shots. The Lynx also shared the ball well, tallying 30 assists on 34 made baskets.
–Field Level Media
LEONIE FIEBECH, BREANNA STEWART LEAD LIBERTY PAST DREAM IN GAME 1
Rookie Leonie Fiebich scored a career-high 21 points to help the New York Liberty beat the visiting Atlanta Dream 83-69 on Sunday in Game 1 of their WNBA playoff series.
Breanna Stewart added 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for the top-seeded Liberty, who never trailed and led by as many as 22. Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round series is Tuesday in New York.
Fiebich, whose previous career-high was 16 points, started on Sunday after making just 15 during the regular season. She shot 7-for-8 from the floor, including all four of her 3-point attempts.
Sabrina Ionescu made three triples and had 17 points, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 10 points for New York. Both players had five assists. Jonquel Jones paired nine points with seven boards.
Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot notched her 365th career playoff assist to surpass Sue Bird (2002-22), who attended Sunday’s game, for the most in WNBA history. Vandersloot finished with three assists and two steals off the bench.
New York outshot Atlanta 43.3 percent to 39.7 percent on field-goal attempts and made 17 of 18 free throws.
Rhyne Howard had 14 points to lead the eighth-seeded Dream, who won at New York in Thursday’s regular-season finale to clinch the final playoff spot. Tina Charles tallied 12 points and seven rebounds, while Allisha Gray and Naz Hillmon each scored nine.
The Liberty made their first five 3-point attempts to open up an 18-point lead in the first quarter. Fiebich and Ionescu each connected twice, with Ionescu’s second trey making it 27-9 at the 1:34 mark. Ionescu had 12 first-quarter points for New York, which shot 8 of 11 to carry a 29-16 lead into the second.
The teams traded points throughout the second quarter until the Liberty scored eight straight to surge ahead 48-29. Fiebich added seven points the quarter and finished the half with 15 on 5-of-5 shooting.
New York held Howard, Atlanta’s top regular-season scorer (17.3 points per game), to two points on 0-for-6 shooting in the half. The Liberty shot 54.8 percent in the first two quarters and led 48-30 at the break.
Howard heated up in the third quarter, hitting 5 of 8 shots for 12 points. Fiebich added two more triples as New York led 69-49 entering the fourth.
GOLF NEWS
PAUL BROADHURST PREVAILS AT PEBBLE BEACH FOR SECOND WIN OF SEASON
Englishman Paul Broadhurst grinded out an even-par 72 at Pebble Beach Golf Links to win the PURE Insurance Championship on Sunday in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Broadhurst opened the day with a five-shot lead on the field after firing a round of 64 on Saturday. He made key par saves down the stretch to finish the week at 14-under 202, three ahead of Germany’s Alex Cejka, whose 64 was the round of the day.
It marked the seventh victory of Broadhurst’s PGA Tour Champions career. After ending a winless drought dating to 2018 at the Invited Celebrity Classic in April, Broadhurst has two wins under his belt this season.
Broadhurst’s only birdies Sunday came at the par-4 fourth hole and the par-5 18th. He converted 14 pars, remaining steady on the back nine despite bogeys at the 13th and 15th holes.
“I’ve never been in that position before, having a five-shot lead,” said Broadhurst, 59. “I just went out and just tried to play solid, and felt like I did for nine holes. I was reasonably comfortable and just hit a couple of poor shots to the right on 12 and 13, and then you start thinking a little bit.”
Broadhurst missed the green at the par-3 17th, but he chipped on and made a tricky par putt to stay two in front of Cejka.
“It was massive,” Broadhurst said of the putt. “… I didn’t want to shoot over par and win. My kids would be giving me stick back home if I shot over par.”
Cejka made five birdies over his first 10 holes before holing out for eagle at the par-4 13th and birdieing the last hole, getting to 11-under 205 to set the clubhouse lead that Broadhurst had to beat.
Rocco Mediate (69), Doug Barron (70) and Fiji’s Vijay Singh (71) tied for third at 10 under.
The unique event had 80 PGA Tour Champions pros play one round at Pebble Beach Golf Links and one round at Spyglass Hill Golf Course before the low 50 and ties advanced to Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach.
The pros also played alongside amateur and junior players who competed on separate leaderboards. Daniel Ferguson won in the First Tee boys’ division, and Nicole Iniakov captured the title in the First Tee girls’ division. The team of John Vegas and Ryan Harrington won the pro-am competition.
CAM SMITH, RIPPER GC WIN LIV GOLF TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Cameron Smith and Ripper GC won a LIV Golf team title for their native Australia, not to mention boatloads of cash for themselves.
The all-Australian team of Smith, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones and Marc Leishman edged 4Aces GC and won the LIV Golf Team Championship on Sunday outside Dallas, bringing a close to the third season of the Saudi-backed breakaway tour.
The final round of the team championship featured 18 holes of stroke play at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, with every player’s score combining to create their respective teams’ scores. The four winners in Saturday’s match-play semifinals qualified for the final.
Herbert and Smith made hugely important birdie putts down the stretch to lift Ripper to 11-under 277 and a three-stroke victory.
Tied for second at 8 under were Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces, which won the team title in the inaugural 2022 season, and the underdog Iron Heads GC. Legion XIII — playing without captain Jon Rahm of Spain, the 2024 individual champion — placed fourth at 6 under.
Ripper is the third different team to win the LIV team championship in three seasons. They captured $14 million of the $50 million prize pool.
There was a three-way tie at 8 under featuring Ripper, 4Aces and Iron Heads with just a few holes for each team to finish. Herbert, atoning for a triple bogey early in his round, was powering Ripper’s late move with three straight birdies at Nos. 15-17, as the team eked ahead at 9 under.
Harold Varner III made a long birdie at his last hole, No. 1, to bring 4Aces into a tie with Ripper at 9 under. But Herbert then rolled a slippery birdie putt into the cup, following it in with an emphatic fist pump, as Ripper moved back in front at 10 under.
Patrick Reed of 4Aces had a 5-foot birdie try at the final hole, but it curled dramatically right to left and stayed out. Smith then rolled in his fifth birdie of the day at No. 17 to give Ripper a two-shot lead.
Johnson, playing in the final group with Smith, Iron Heads captain Kevin Na and Legion XIII’s Tyrrell Hatton, had a chance to bring 4Aces to 10 under as well, but his birdie try at No. 17 rolled past the cup.
Then, after Smith teed off at No. 18, Johnson’s tee shot sailed left and into a water hazard, essentially clinching Ripper’s victory.
Smith led Ripper with a 4-under 68. Herbert shot a 3-under 69, and Jones and Leishman each posted 70. Johnson and Reed scored the best rounds for 4Aces at 69.
Na and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma led Iron Heads with rounds of 69. Hatton, of England, paced Legion with a 68 as LIV alternate John Catlin stood in for Rahm over the weekend while Rahm dealt with “severe flu symptoms.”
The Iron Heads finished last in the regular-season standings but upset Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC and Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC (the defending champions) in match play Friday and Saturday to advance to the final.
LYDIA KO RALLIES TO WIN KROGER WITH STELLAR FINAL ROUND
Lydia Ko has an established history of exemplary golf. That doesn’t make it any less special when she puts it on display once again.
Sunday provided the latest chapter in the future Hall of Famer’s outstanding career, as the New Zealand native dominated the field with a 9-under-par 63 to take home the championship at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Maineville, Ohio.
“It’s been pretty surreal,” Ko said. “I had the most unbelievable three weeks in Europe, and after having another three weeks off, you’re not entirely sure what it’s going to be like.”
Ko suffered no ill effects from the long rest, as she endured just a single bogey over four rounds to finish 23-under 265, a full five strokes ahead of her nearest competitor.
On Sunday, she was even better, notching seven birdies and an eagle against no bogeys to score the lowest round of the tournament when it mattered most.
“To have a round like this to cap off a win is pretty special,” Ko said.
Ko, who won Olympic gold and the AIG Women’s Open over the summer, is now a 22-time LPGA Tour Champion, just a few short weeks after she clinched enough career points to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She currently owns three different major titles (2024 Women’s Open, 2016 Chevron Championship and 2015 Evian Championship).
“I had a fairytale these past couple months,” Ko said. “…It’s always been the goal of mine to do the career grand slam. I thought that would be so out there. I feel like I’ve already been part of this fairytale, so why not?”
Ko came into Sunday two shots behind the leader, Jeeno Thitikul, at TPC River’s Bend, the first-time host of this event while Cincinnati’s Kenwood Country Club undergoes a renovation project.
The two golfers were tied headed in No. 11, where Ko sank an eagle on the par-5 to get to 20 under for the tournament.
Thitikul, a former World No. 1 from Thailand, rallied with a birdie at the par-3 12th to close to within a stroke of Ko, but she could get no closer. Ko finished with birdies on Nos. 13, 15 and 18 to close out the win.
“I mean, it’s just like insane. It’s super insane,” Thitikul said of her playing partner. “Her putter was on fire today. She make it everywhere that she have a chance. Just really nice. I respect her as like my older sister, as a legend and also as my role model as well.”
Thitkul posted a 2-under 70 to finish 18 under for the tourney.
South Korea’s Haeran Ryu (67) finished in third place at 17 under. Japan’s Yuka Saso (65) was fourth at 16 under, while two golfers — Nelly Korda (68) and South Korea’s Hyo Joon Jang (69) — finished tied for fifth (14 under).
TOP INDIANA SPORTS HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS RUSH FOR 3 TDS AS STRUGGLING DEFENSE SLOWS BEARS OFFENSE FOR A 21-16 VICTORY
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jonathan Taylor had two touchdown runs and Trey Sermon added another Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts held on for a 21-16 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Taylor ran 23 times for 110 yards as the Colts (1-2) avoided their first 0-3 start since 2021. Anthony Richardson completed 10 of 20 passes for 167 yards, but had two more interceptions.
Chicago (1-2) lost its second straight despite getting two offensive TDs — one more than its total in the first two weeks. Caleb Williams, this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, went 33 of 52 with 363 yards through the air — all season bests — and threw the first two TD passes of his NFL career. Williams also was intercepted twice.
The performances sure didn’t win many style points.
Chicago and Indy combined for just 71 total yards in the first quarter and had five turnovers overall, and the league’s two youngest starting quarterbacks each had passer ratings below 81.
Williams also was sacked four times and was under pressure much of the game, including on a 2-point conversion pass that fell incomplete midway through the fourth quarter. And the Colts finished with only 15 first downs.
Yet, Indy did just enough to hang on.
After the Bears endured a scoreless first half, they finally broke through with a 53-yard field goal on its first possession of the second half.
The Colts made it 14-3 when Richardson helped push Sermon across the goal line for a 1-yard TD with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.
Williams got the Bears within 14-9 with his first TD pass — a 1-yarder to Rome Odunze with 8:21 left in the game. But when rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu forced a strip sack of Williams. Indy capitalized with Taylor’s 1-yard TD run to seal it.
The Bears did make it a one score game on Williams’ 6-yard TD pass to Cole Kmet with 2:01 to play, but the Colts ran out the clock.
Richardson got the scoring started after an early interception of Williams by hooking up with Kylen Granson on a 40-yard completion. Taylor followed then used a nifty jump cut to free himself for a 29-yard TD run on the next play to make it 7-0.
Kmet tied his career best with 10 receptions for 97 yards. Odunze, taken eight picks after Williams, finished with six catches and a season-high 112 yards.
Close call
Williams nearly got his first TD pass on the final play of the first half when his heave to the end zone was batted by Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones. DJ Moore alertly caught the pass near the goal line.
But Colts safety Julian Blackmon and linebacker E.J. Speed tackled Moore at the 1 to preserve the 7-0 lead.
Up next
Bears: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday, the first of back-to-back home games.
Colts: Stay in Indy to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday.
COLTS COACH SHANE STEICHEN: https://www.colts.com/video/shane-steichen-colts-vs-bears-postgame-x3143
COLTS QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON: https://www.colts.com/video/anthony-richardson-colts-vs-bears-postgame
INDIANA FEVER
CAITLIN CLARK NAMED UNANIMOUS ASSOCIATED PRESS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was unanimously named the 2024 Associated Press WNBA Rookie of the Year, it was announced today. This recognition follows Clark’s achievement as a four-time WNBA Rookie of the Month, three-time WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week and WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month in August. Clark joins Aliyah Boston as the only Fever players to earn AP Rookie of the Year.
Clark was also named to the AP All-WNBA First Team with Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas and A’ja Wilson. AP All-Rookie Team with Kamilla Cardoso, Leonie Fiebich, Rickea Jackson and Angel Reese.
Clark started all 40 regular season games for the Fever and had a groundbreaking debut year, marked by numerous WNBA records. Clark finished the regular season leading rookies in scoring (19.2 ppg), field goals made (242), 3-point field goals made (122) assists (8.4 apg), steals (1.3 spg) and minutes (35.4 mpg). In addition to the rookie class, Clark topped the entire league in assists (337) and 3-point field goals made. Clark compiled the most points (769), assists and 3-point field goals made ever by a rookie in WNBA history. Her 769 points were not only the most recorded in a single-season in franchise history, but the most by a point guard in a single-season in WNBA history. On top of points, Clark’s 337 assists broke the previously held single-season assist record of 316. Clark also tallied the most double-digit scoring games (35) by a rookie ever and the most double-doubles (14) in a season in franchise history and by a rookie guard in WNBA history.
Clark became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double and also the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double. On July 17 during Indiana’s first matchup of the regular season with the Dallas Wings, Clark recorded 19 assists – the most assists in a game in WNBA history. Additionally, Clark compiled the most games (12) with at least 10 assists in franchise history. On July 20, Clark made her WNBA All-Star debut, becoming just the third rookie in franchise history to start an All-Star game. During Clark’s 26 minutes of All-Star playing time, she tied the second most assists recorded in an All-Star game with a game-high 10 assists. Clark also received the most All-Star Game votes in WNBA history with 700,735 votes. In August, Clark became the first player in league history to earn WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month honors in the same month.
The Indiana Fever begin postseason play today against the Connecticut Sun for Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Game 1 tips at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
ALYSSA THOMAS’ TRIPLE-DOUBLE CARRIES SUN PAST FEVER IN PLAYOFF OPENER
Alyssa Thomas recorded her WNBA-leading 15th career triple-double and fourth in the postseason as the Connecticut Sun overwhelmed the visiting Indiana Fever 93-69 in the opener of their best-of-three series on Sunday in Uncasville, Conn.
Thomas finished with 12 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, and Marina Mabrey led all scorers with a game-high 27 points off the Connecticut bench. Mabrey shot 5 of 12 from 3-point range, knocking down almost as many from beyond the arc as Indiana (6 of 28) had as a team.
Indiana star Caitlin Clark, introduced as the unanimous 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, was 4 of 17 from the floor, including 2 of 13 from 3-point range, and went to the foul line just twice (making one) for 11 total points. She also had a team-high eight assists.
Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell had 21 points but was just 2 of 10 from distance, and center Aliyah Boston had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner was 7-of-11 shooting from the floor for 22 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished five assists. DiJonai Carrington added 14 points and five rebounds.
After a closely contested first half, the Sun began to create some distance midway through the third quarter. After Clark knocked down a 3-pointer that pulled the Fever to within six points, Connecticut responded with a 13-4 run over the ensuing three minutes, building a double-digit-point lead that ballooned throughout the fourth quarter.
For the game, Connecticut shot 9 of 18 from 3-point range and 36 of 73 overall (49.3 percent) from the floor. Indiana went 27-of-67 shooting (40.3 percent).
The loss spoiled Indiana’s first playoff game since 2016, when the coach was Stephanie White, now the Sun’s head coach.
The Fever surged in the second half of the regular season, but that includes losing the regular-season series against Connecticut three games to one. The Fever’s 69 points were their lowest total in five meetings with the Sun this season.
The Sun host the Fever on Wednesday, with Game 3, if necessary, on Friday in Indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
TRIO OF LONG BALLS PROPEL INDIANS TO VICTORY IN SEASON FINALE, 9-4
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A six-run fifth inning, highlighted by three home runs, was the deciding factor in the Indianapolis Indians’ 7-3 win over the St. Paul Saints at CHS Field in the 2024 season finale on Sunday afternoon.
The Indians (44-30, 77-70) opened scoring right away against starter Caleb Boushley (L, 9-6) in large part due to a pair of errors within the first several pitches of the game; after leadoff man Tsung-Che Cheng singled, Cheng stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by St. Paul catcher Patrick Winkel. He then came in to score when Saints third baseman Rylan Bannon threw a ball away on a batted ball from two-hitter Andrés Alvarez. However, St. Paul tied the game early on an RBI single from Michael Helman, and took the lead on an inside-the-park home run from Rylan Bannon.
The big blow against the Saints (32-43, 70-79) came in the fifth inning, when the Indians hit around and plated six runs. The inning started with back-to-back home runs from Matt Gorski and Seth Beer, and half of the run production came from Ji Hwan Bae when he swatted a three-run home run just beyond the high wall in straight-away right field. Indianapolis tacked on two more runs in the top of the eighth on an RBI single from Dylan Shockley and an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Ji Hwan Bae, giving him four runs driven in on the afternoon.
Indians starter Mike Burrows (W, 1-1) settled in after a tumultuous first, striking out 10 Saints hitters in 5.0 innings. Burrows’ 21 swings and misses were the second-most in the International League on Sunday, trailing only Gwinnett’s AJ Smith-Shawver and his 24.
The Indians finished their regular season with a record of 77-70 after winning 19 of their last 26 games. The 77 wins marks their highest win total in a season since 2017, when the Indians finished 79-63 under Andy Barkett. Indianapolis will open their 2025 regular season on March 28, when they take on these same St. Paul Saints on the road at CHS Field.
INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER
HOOSIERS SUFFER 2-0 LOSS TO NO. 25 USC
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana (5-3-1, 0-3 B1G) suffered a loss against No. 25 ranked USC (7-1-1, 3-0 B1G) on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Bill Armstrong Stadium. After a scoreless first half, the Trojans found the net in the 63rd and 72nd minutes to hand IU the 2-0 loss.
KEY MOMENTS
• The Hoosiers matched up with the Trojans in the first half as they continued to go back-and-forth in the attack. Freshman forward Layla Sirdah fired the first shot on goal for either team in the 37th minute. She was fed the ball before launching one from the top right of the 18-yard box as her ball curved straight down the middle of the net where the USC keeper made the save.
• Indiana kept the Trojans off their target, but they saw a last second shot off on a throw in outside the box. Senior keeper Jamie Gerstenberg made the grab, and the teams headed into the locker room even, 0-0.
• The Trojans had the upper hand for most of the second half, as they saw a couple of shots on frame before finding the net in the 63rd minute.
• They extended their lead in the 67th minute after a couple of passes in the box found an open man to make it 2-0.
• Sirdah saw another chance to cut the deficit in the 72nd minute. Her attempt in the midfield went straight to the keeper. Teammate and sophomore midfielder Kennedy Neighbors saw a last chance on target in the 88th minute before the buzzer sounded. Her try at the bottom center of the net was scooped up as the Trojans walked away with the win.
NOTABLES
• IU is drops to 1-2 in the all-time series against the Trojans.
• The Hoosiers led 5-3 in corners and had eight shots on the afternoon led by Sirdah with three.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will head to the west coast next week to face Oregon on Thursday (Sept. 26) and Sunday against Washington (Sept. 29).
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER
#16 IRISH EARN 1-0 ROAD WIN AT #14 VIRGINIA
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – For the first time in the series rivalry, the Notre Dame women’s soccer program has earned back-to-back wins against Virginia. With a 1-0 victory on Sunday afternoon, the No. 16 Fighting Irish earned their second ever win in Charlottesville (first came in the 2015 season) and second ranked victory on the season as well.
Notre Dame injected its Canadian reinforcements, Clare Logan and Annabelle Chukwu, into the starting XI, fresh off their return trip from the U20 World Cup in Colombia. Both were difference makers on Sunday, with Chukwu netting the game-winner in the 47th minute.
Today was just Chukwu’s third game in an Irish uniform and yet her second goal in the 2024 season. Fellow freshman Grace Restovich earned the assist on the play, her team-leading seventh of the season. Restovich entered Sunday’s match ranked third in the nation in total assists.
That now means 22 of the team’s 26 goals on the year have been scored by freshmen.
Sonoma Kasica started in net for Notre Dame and was another standout in the match. The freshman earned fours saves in the shutout, which included a lead-preserving dive in the 61st minute.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia pressured Notre Dame early and was on the front foot. At one point, the shot differential was 9-0 in favor of the Cavaliers. Then 15-20 minutes into the half, the Irish began to build momentum and record some great chances of their own.
Izzy Engle led Notre Dame with four shots in the first half. Annabelle Chukwu, who received the starting nod up top, also released a missile of a right-footed shot, forcing a tremendous save from the UVA keeper.
The best look of the half came from midfielder Sophia Fisher who subbed in the match in the 26th minute. Eight minutes later Fisher ripped a shot from way outside the box which soared over the keeper but bounced off the middle of the crossbar.
Virginia went into halftime with an 11-8 shots advantage, but Notre Dame was up 4-2 in the shots-on-goal category.
Then in the 47th minute, lightning struck, courtesy of Chukwu. The play started with a perfect through ball slotted by Grace Restovich into the left side of the box. Next, Chukwu cut it to her right foot which gave her enough space to punch the ball into the side for the clinical finish.
Kasica came up huge in the 61st minute when the Cavaliers snuck behind the Irish backline. UVA’s Meredith McDermott ripped a shot to the upper right frame but Kasica made a diving save to preserve the lead.
The Irish backline of Abby Mills, Abby Gemma, and Logan, plus Laney Matriano at the six, continued to shut down any UVA chances in the second half. When the clock hit zero it marked Notre Dame’s seventh shutout of the season.
UP NEXT
It’s another one-game week for the Irish, and they finally get to return to Alumni Stadium. Notre Dame will host NC State on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be streamed on ACCNX.
IU-INDY WOMEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER FENDS OFF CLEVELAND STATE IN HORIZON LEAGUE OPENER
INDIANAPOLIS – It wasn’t a masterpiece, but it was enough as the IU Indianapolis women’s soccer team edged past Cleveland State by a 2-1 score to open Horizon League play on Sunday (Sept. 22) at the on-campus Michael A. Carroll Stadium. Junior Emma Frey and sophomore Caroline Kelley scored for the victors and senior goalkeeper Ashton Kudlo made six saves as the Jaguars did enough to earn all three points.
Tanji Sarver scored for Cleveland State early in the second half to knot the score after the Jaguars had taken a 1-0 lead into halftime.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
CARDINALS SUFFER SETBACK ON LATE GOAL AT KENT STATE
KENT, Ohio – The Ball State soccer team was the aggressor for much of Sunday’s match at Kent State before the Golden Flashes scored in the 74th minute to prevail 1-0 at Dix Stadium.
The Cardinals (5-4, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) led the shots on goal and corner kicks categories 6-1 each, but the Golden Flashes (5-2-1, 2-0 MAC) cashed in on their only shot on target midway through the second half when Alisa Arthur found the back of the net.
Delaney Ahearn, Kaitlyn Fraser, Emily Roper, Aleyna Quinn and Ainsley Schaufele each had shots on goal for the visitors, while Fraser had a look that bounced off the left post late in the first half.
Overall, the Cardinals got off nine shots to Kent State’s five. Four of Ball State’s shots on goal occurred in the first period.
Heidi Marshall collected five saves for the Golden Flashes to earn the win. Grace Konopatzki went the distance in goal for Ball State but suffered the loss on the late Kent State tally.
Ball State’s next match is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday at Akron.
VALPO VOLLEYBALL
HICKEY, SWISTEK CLAIM ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
A pair of familiar faces represented the Valpo volleyball team on the Terrier Invite All-Tournament Team this weekend, as senior Elise Swistek (LaPorte, Ind./New Prairie) raked in her third All-Tournament honor of the season and junior Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) earned her second All-Tournament accolade of the year.
Swistek opened the weekend by hitting .333 while leading all players with 14 kills and posting 14 digs in the sweep of Presbyterian. The senior played just one set in the sweep of South Carolina State, tallying three kills on just six swings and four digs. Swistek closed the tournament by matching her career high with 17 kills to lead Valpo against Wofford, while also racking up 13 digs.
Hickey led all players with 23 digs in the sweep of Presbyterian and then moved to outside hitter in the sweep of South Carolina State, hitting .313 with a match-high eight kills and eight digs in two sets of action. The junior closed nonconference play with a season-high and match-high 37 digs against Wofford and also dished out 10 assists to record her third career double-double.
For the week, Swistek led Valpo with 34 total kills (3.78/set) while hitting at a .263 clip and also notched 3.44 digs/set. Hickey paced Valpo with 6.80 digs/set and chipped in 15 assists as well.
Swistek earned All-Tournament honors in each of the Beacons’ final three tournaments of nonconference play, joining Mallory Januski last season as the only players under head coach Carin Avery to earn three All-Tournament Team nods at early-season tournaments within the same season. Meanwhile for Hickey, it was her second All-Tournament commendation this year and the fourth of her career.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEBSITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
5 – 30 – 20 – 32 – 33 – 9 – 13
September 23, 1908 – New York Giant Fred Merkle failed to touch 2nd base. The result was that it caused the 3rd out in 9th and disallowed winning run thus the game would have ended in a tie. He eans the nickname Bonehead Merkle as the play allowed the Cubs win and the pennant.
September 23, 1925 – Washington shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh was named AL MVP
September 23, 1939 – Cookie Lavagetto, Number 5 went 6 for 6-Dodgers to help them reach 27 hits in the contest and beat Phillies 22-4
September 23, 1962 – LA Dodgers shortstop Number 30, Maury Wills broke Ty Cobb’s 1915 MLB stolen base record, recording the 97th this day on his way to 104
September 23, 1979 – MLB St Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock, Number 20 stole his 938th and final base of his career
September 23, 1983 – MLB Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton, Number 32 became the 16th MLB pitcher to win 300 games, beating Cardinals 6-2 in St. Louis
September 23, 1988 – Oakland A’s Number 33 Jose Canseco became baseball’s first player to steal 40 bases and hit 40 HRs
September 23, 1992 – 1st female to play in a NHL exhibition game, a young goalie named Manon Rheaume, wearing Number 33 for the Tampa Bay Lightning played between the pipes and gave up 2 goals on 9 attempts in 1 period of action.
September 23, 2018 – 39 year old New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Number 9 threw a 17 yard pass to Number 13, Michael Thomas to become NFL career pass leader, breaking Brett Favre’s record of 6,300 completions; Saints beat Falcons 43-37
FOOTBALL HISTORY
September 23, 1984 – The great Joe Montana missed his first start with the San Francisco 49ers in 49 games. Montana who was unable to play due to an injury was replaced by backup Matt Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh stepped in and threw for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Niners to a 21-9 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
September 23, 1992 – Bill Comrie purchased the BC Lions franchise from the Canadian Football League. As discussed in earlier episodes former BC owner Murray Pezim filed for bankruptcy before the CFL had to step in and assume ownership. The team also suffered a setback when it lost its star quarterback, Doug Flutie to free agency and his subsequent signing with the rival Calgary Stampeders. The Lions finished in last place that season of 1992 but since Comrie purchased the team they have won the coveted Grey Cup four times in the 1994, 2000, 2006 & 2011 CFL championships.
September 23, 2018 – The Amazing quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees surpassed Brett Favre’s career record 6300 pass completions to become the new record holder. A 17-yard touchdown pass to favorite target Michael Thomas helped not only achieve the milestone but also to overcome the Atlanta Falcons by the score of 43-37.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for September 23
September 23, 1918 – George “Sonny” Franck was a former halfback from the University of Minnesota. The 1940 Golden Gopher offensive weapons of Sonny along with College Football Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Smith and All-American fullback Bill Daley were a part of a backfield trio that is considered to be one of the best in college football history. These great players were in a single-wing offense and Franck was the most versatile of the bunch and perfect as the key playmaker in the offensive system and had the speed and football smarts to be extremely valuable. Franck ran and passed the ball in the offense but also kicked returned kicks and played defense. His athletic speed was evident not only on the gridiron but also on the Minnesota track team as he was the Big 10 Champion in the 60 yard dash and was clocked running the 100-yard dash in 9.6 seconds. The 1940 Gopher’s football team took all of the assembled talent and won the National Championship. Sonny Franck was voted as a consensus All-American and placed third in the Heisman voting behind two other College Hall of Famers, Tom Harmon and John Kimbrough. The National Football Foundation selected George Franck to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. George Franck won the MVP honor in the 1941 Chicago College All Star Game (teammate Bruce Smith won it the following year) and then played in the NFL for the New York Giants until Uncle Sam called him to be a fighter pilot in World War II. As a U.S. pilot he earned nine battle stars in the theatre of the South Pacific.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
Sept. 23
1908 — In a crucial game with the Chicago Cubs, Fred Merkle of the New York Giants failed to touch second base as the apparent winning run crossed home plate. This resulted in a great dispute and the game was eventually declared a tie and played over on Oct. 8 when the Cubs and Giants ended the season in a tie.
1939 — Brooklyn’s Cookie Lavagetto went 6-for-6 to lead the Dodgers’ 27-hit attack in a 22-4 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies. Lovagetto had four singles, a double and a triple and scored four runs. He was the only Dodger without an RBI. Dixie Walker, Gene Moore and Johnny Hudson each drive in three runs.
1952 — The Brooklyn Dodgers clinched the NL title, the first time since 1948 that the pennant wasn’t decided in the season’s final game.
1957 — Hank Aaron’s 11th-inning homer gave the Milwaukee Braves a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals and the NL pennant. It was the first time since 1950 that a New York team hadn’t finished first.
1979 — Lou Brock stole base No. 938, breaking Billy Hamilton’s record, as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Mets 7-4 in 10 innings.
1983 — Steve Carlton of Philadelphia recorded his 300th career victory with a 6-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
1984 — The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 4-1, making Sparky Anderson the first manager to win more than 100 games in each league.
1986 — Rookie left-hander Jim Deshaies set a major league record by striking out eight batters to start the game and finished with a two-hitter and 10 strikeouts to lead the Houston Astros past of the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0.
1987 — Albert Hall of the Atlanta Braves hit for the cycle in 5-4 win over the Houston Astros.
1988 — Jose Canseco became the first major leaguer to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in one season as the Oakland Athletics beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-8 in 14 innings.
1992 — Bip Roberts tied the NL record with his 10th consecutive hit, then grounded out against Pedro Astacio to end his streak in the Cincinnati Reds’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1998 — Houston’s Craig Biggio became the second player this century to have 50 steals and 50 doubles in a season, joining Hall of Famer Tris Speaker.
2001 — Sammy Sosa became the first player to hit three home runs in a game three times in a season, but Moises Alou’s two-run shot rallied Houston to a 7-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
2008 — The New York Yankees’ streak of postseason appearances ended. Boston beat Cleveland 5-4, minutes before the Yankees’ win. The Red Sox victory clinched at least the AL wild card and eliminated New York, which had made 13 straight postseason appearances.
2013 — Alex Rios of Texas hit for the cycle in a 12-0 rout of Houston. Rios finished off the cycle with a triple to right-center field in the sixth inning.
2016 — David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the first inning to set the RBIs record for a player in his final season, and the AL East-leading Boston beat Tampa Bay 2-1 for its ninth straight victory. Ortiz’s 37th homer came off Chris Archer and raised his RBIs total to 124, one more than Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1920. The 40-year-old’s 540th homer, his 300th on the road, struck an overhanging catwalk above the right-field seats.
2022 — Albert Pujols, who has announced his retirement at the end of the season no matter what happened, becomes the fourth player to reach the 700-home run mark – after Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds. He does so by going deep twice, first off Andrew Heaney in the 3rd inning and then off Phil Bickford in the 4th for #700. The Cardinals win handily, 11 – 0, over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Sept. 23
1926 — Gene Tunney beats Jack Dempsey with a 10-round decision to retain the world heavyweight title.
1952 — Rocky Marciano knocks out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round to retain the world heavyweight title.
1979 — St. Louis’ Lou Brock steals his 938th base to break Billy Hamilton’s record as the Cardinals beat New York Mets 7-4 in 10 innings.
1979 — The Houston Oilers overcome a 24-0 deficit to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 in overtime.
1983 — Gerry Coetzee knocks out Michael Dokes in the 10th round to win the WBA heavyweight title in Richfield, Ohio.
1988 — Jose Canseco is the first player to steal 40 base and hit 40 home runs in the same season.
1992 — Manon Rheaume becomes the first woman to play in one of the four major pro sports leagues when she takes the ice in the first period for the NHL expansion Tampa Bay Lightning in an exhibition game. The 20-year-old goalie faces nine shots and allows two goals in St. Louis’ 6-4 victory.
2000 — Ben Matthews ties an NCAA record with five interceptions as Bethel beat Gustavus 14-13. Matthews ties the all-division record shared by eight players.
2007 — For the first time in NFL history, two players have 200-plus yards receiving in the same game — whether they were opponents or teammates — in Philadelphia’s 56-21 rout of Detroit. Philadelphia’s Kevin Curtis has 11 receptions for 221 yards and Detroit’s Roy Williams catches 9 passes for 204. Detroit’s Jon Kitna sets a franchise record with 446 yards passing.
2012 — The Tennessee Titans become the first team in NFL history to score five touchdowns of at least 60 yards in a game in their 44-41 overtime win over Detroit. The scorers are Tommie Campbell with a 65-yard punt-return; Jared Cook’s 61-yard reception from Jake Locker; Darius Reynaud’s 105-yard kick-return; Nate Washington’s 71-yard reception from Locker; and Alterraun Verner’s 72-yard fumble-return. The Lions also become the first team in NFL history to score two touchdowns in the final 18 seconds of regulation to either take the lead or force overtime.
2012 — Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles rushes for 233 yards, including a 91-yard TD run in the Chiefs’ 27-24 overtime win over New Orleans. Ryan Succop kicks six field goals, one to force overtime in the final seconds and a 31-yarder in overtime for the Chiefs.
2017 — The St. John’s-St. Thomas rivalry game obliterates the NCAA Division III attendance record with a crowd of 37,355. The Tommies use a stingy defense to hang on for a 20-17 win over the Johnnies at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins. The previous mark was set on Oct. 8, 2016, with 17,535 fans watching Wisconsin-Oshkosh play at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
2017 — Juwan Johnson catches a seven-yard TD pass as time expires and fourth-ranked Penn State rallies to stun Iowa 21-19 in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Saquon Barkley has 211 yards rushing and 94 yards receiving for the Nittany Lions, who outgain Iowa 579-273 but nearly blew the game. With the Hawkeyes leading 19-15, Penn State goes 80 yards on 12 plays to close out the game, and Trace McSorley finds Johnson in a crowded end zone on fourth down.
2017 — U.S. President Donald Trump withdraws invitation to the White House for NBA champions Golden State Warriors after Stephen Curry says he doesn’t want to attend.
2018 — Tiger Woods caps off one of the most remarkable comebacks in golf history. Woods ends his comeback season with a dominant victory at the Tour Championship. He taps in for par and a 1-over 71 for a two-shot victory over Billy Horschel. It’s the 80th victory of his PGA Tour career and his first in more than five years.
2018 — Drew Brees sets the NFL record for career completions while passing for 396 yards and three touchdowns and running for two scores to lift New Orleans past Atlanta 43-37 in overtime. Brees breaks the record of 6,300 career completions set by Brett Favre.
2022 — St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hits 2 home runs with 5 RBI in 11-0 win over Dodgers in LA; becomes fourth player in MLB history to hit 700 career HRs.
2022 — Tennis great Roger Federer plays his final professional match during Laver Cup in London; teams with friend and rival Rafael Nadal but loses 6–4, 6–7 (9–11) to Americans Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
Sept. 24
1930 — The Portsmouth Spartans beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 12-0 in the first NFL game played under floodlights. More than 6,000 fans turn out on an unseasonably warm evening to watch the game at the new University Stadium.
1950 — Philadelphia’s Russ Craft has four interceptions to lead the Eagles in a 45-7 rout of the Chicago Cardinals. Chicago quarterback Jim Hardy sets an NFL record by throwing eight interceptions.
1953 — Rocky Marciano knocks out Rolando La Starza in the 11th round at the Polo Grounds in New York to retain his world heavyweight title.
1967 — Jim Bakken of St. Louis Cardinals kicks an NFL-record seven field goals to give the Cardinals a 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. His longest field goal is 33 yards.
1971 — The World Hockey Association announces its formation with 12 teams to start play in October 1972.
1974 — Detroit’s Al Kaline doubles down the right-field line off Dave McNally of Baltimore in the fourth inning for his 3,000th career hit. The Orioles beat the Tigers 5-4 at Memorial Stadium.
1988 — American heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee sets new world record 7,291 points to win the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; East Germans Sabine John & Anke Behmer take the minor medals.
1988 — American swimmer Matt Biondi sets world record 22.14 to win the 50m freestyle gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; his 4th of 5 gold medals for the Games.
1988 — Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson breaks his own 100m world record with a time of 9.79 at the Seoul Olympics; disqualified 3 days later for use of drug stanozolol; Carl Lewis awarded gold and world record 9.92.
1993 — Juniata’s women’s volleyball team beats Washington of St. Louis to end Washington’s NCAA-record winning streak at 59 matches.
1994 — Washington ends Miami’s NCAA-record home winning streak at 58 with a 38-20 victory against the Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl.
1995 — On the final day of competition, Europe rallies past the U.S. to win the Ryder Cup 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y. Europe takes seven singles matches to win its first Ryder Cup since 1989.
2001 — Green Bay’s 37-0 shutout of Washington ends the Redskins’ NFL record of scoring in 231 consecutive road games.
2006 — The Europeans turn the Ryder Cup into another rout, winning 18 1/2-9 1/2 and becoming the first European team to win three straight times.
2006 — Washington’s Mark Brunell breaks the NFL record for most consecutive passes completed in a game when he connects on his first 22 throws in a 31-15 win over the Houston Texans.
2011 — Dwayne De Rosario scores the quickest hat trick in MLS history, leading D.C. United to a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.
2012 — Russell Wilson throws a disputed 24-yard touchdown to Golden Tate on the final play of the game, and the Seattle Seahawks rally to beat the Green Bay Packers 14-12.
2013 — Skipper Jimmy Spithill and defending champion Oracle Team USA extend their winning streak to seven to force a winner-take-all America’s Cup finale against Emirates Team New Zealand.
2016 — Daniel Carlson kicks six field goals and Auburn beats No. 18 LSU 18-13 after a ruling that Danny Etling’s apparent last-gasp scoring pass comes after time expired.
2017 — Peter Sagan of Slovakia becomes the first man to win three straight road race titles after holding off Norway’s Alexander Kristoff at the World Cycling Championships.
2017 — Diego Valeri scores twice to extend his MLS-record scoring streak to nine straight games and Portland beats Orlando City 3-0. Valeri moves in front of NYCFC’s David Villa for most goals this season with 20.
2017 — Jake Elliott kicks a 61-yard field goal as time expires to give the Philadelphia Eagles a 27-24 victory over the New York Giants. It is the longest by a rookie in NFL history.
2017 — Laver Cup Men’s Tennis, Prague: Roger Federer is unbeaten as Team Europe dominates Team World, 15-9 in the inaugural teams event.
2018 — Real Madrid midfielder & Croatian World Cup captain Luka Modrić is named world’s best male player at the FIFA Awards in London; Brazil & Orlando Pride forward Marta best female player; France’s Didier Deschamps best men’s coach.
_____
Sept. 25
1866 — Jerome Park, named for its founder Leonard Jerome, opens in the Bronx in New York. Jerome, seeking to emulate the British racing system, also establishes the American Jockey Club, precursor to the present Jockey Club, formed in 1894.
1920 — Molly Bjurstedt Mallory wins her fifth title in six years with a two-set victory over Marion Zinderstein in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships.
1926 — Walter Hagen wins his third straight and fourth overall PGA Championship. Hagen beats Leo Diegel 4 and 3 in the championship match at Salisbury Golf Links in Westbury, N.Y.
1949 — Louise Suggs wins the U.S. Women’s Open by 14 strokes over Babe Didrikson Zaharias.
1962 — Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson at 2:06 of the first round at Comiskey Park in Chicago to win the world heavyweight title.
1966 — Gloria Ehret wins the LPGA Championship by three strokes over four-time champion Micke Wright.
1982 — Ricky Edwards rushes for 177 yards and four touchdowns to help Northwestern end its 34-game losing streak in a 31-6 victory over Northern Illinois.
1988 — Americans sweep the medals in the long jump at the Seoul Olympics; Carl Lewis wins his second gold of the Games with leap of 8.72m ahead of teammates Mike Powell & Larry Myricks.
1988 — Super swimmer Matt Biondi wins his 5th gold medal of the Seoul Olympics anchoring the victorious American 4 x 100m medley relay team.
1994 — Oliver McCall scores a major upset by stopping Lennox Lewis 31 seconds into the second round to capture the WBC heavyweight title in London.
1995 — Jerry Rice has 181 yards receiving in San Francisco’s 27-24 loss to Detroit. It’s his 51st 100-yard game, which breaks Don Maynard’s NFL record.
1997 — WNBA announces it will add Detroit & Washington, D.C. franchises.
2000 — American basketball player Vince Carter jumps over 7 foot 2 Frédéric Weis in 2000 Summer Olympics, known in France as “le dunk de la mort” (the dunk of death).
2004 — Bobby Seck of Hofstra throws eight touchdown passes to tie an Atlantic 10 mark and set a school record in the Pride’s 62-43 victory over Rhode Island.
2005 — Fernando Alonso becomes Formula One’s youngest champion by finishing third in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Alonso, 24, a six-time winner in his third full season in Formula One, ends Michael Schumacher’s five-year hold on the title.
2010 — Collingwood and St. Kilda plays to a 68-68 tie, the first in an Australian Rules football grand final since 1977, setting up a rematch to decide the league title.
2011 — The Detroit Lions snap a 13-game losing streak with a 26-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions, who won in the Metrodome for the first time since 1997, are 3-0 for the first time since 1980.
2013 — Skipper Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USA win the America’s Cup with one of the greatest comebacks in sports history to keep the oldest trophy in international sports in the United States. Spithill steers Oracle’s space-age, 72-foot catamaran to its eighth straight victory, speeding past Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand in the winner-take-all Race 19 on San Francisco Bay. All but defeated a week ago, the 34-year-old Australian and his international crew twice rallies from seven-point deficits to win 9-8.
2016 — Rory McIlroy rallies to enter a three-man playoff and win the FedEx Cup. After trailing by three shots with three holes to play in the Tour Championship, McIlroy holes a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to win the playoff and claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus.
2022 — Laver Cup Men’s Tennis, London: Team World sweeps final day for 13-8 victory over Team Europe; tournament marks retirement of Roger Federer.
_____
Sept. 26
1942 — Jockey Club stewards revoke Eddie Arcaro’s license for one year after his display of “rough riding” aboard odds-on favorite Occupation in the Cowdin Stakes on Sept. 19, in which he attempted to injure a fellow rider during the race.
1961 — New York Yankee Roger Maris ties Babe Ruth’s 34-year-old record with his 60th homer, off Jack Fisher of Baltimore.
1981 — Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros becomes the first player to pitch five no-hit, no-run games. This one is a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Astrodome.
1981 — Kelvin Bryant of North Carolina rushes for 173 yards and scores four touchdowns in a 56-14 victory over Boston College, giving him 15 touchdowns over the last three games, an NCAA record.
1983 — Australia II wins America’s Cup yacht race to end the longest winning streak in sporting history. Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, wins the title in the seventh and final race. Australia II crosses the finish line with a winning margin of 41 seconds over Liberty, which is skippered by Dennis Conner. The U.S. had successfully defended the cup over a period of 132 years, since the schooner America won it in a fleet race around England’s Isle of Wight in 1851.
1992 — Rocky Mountain’s Steve Thompson rushes for 405 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-36 overtime victory over Carroll College. The rushing total is the second highest in NAIA history.
1996 — SF Giant Barry Bonds is 2nd player to hit 40 HRs & steal 40 bases.
1998 — Prairie View A&M ends its NCAA-record 80-game losing streak by stopping a 2-point conversion in the final minute for a 14-12 victory over Langston. The victory is the Panthers’ first since Oct. 28, 1989, when they defeated Mississippi Valley 21-12.
2000 — At the Sydney Olympics, the U.S. softball team completes a stunning comeback by edging Japan 2-1 in extra innings to win its second straight gold medal.
2004 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis passes for 393 yards and five first-half touchdowns in a 45-31 win over Green Bay. Manning has the most TD throws in one half since Tommy Kramer in 1986, and the most yards in a quarter, 247, since Boomer Esiason in 1996.
2004 — San Francisco’s 34-0 loss at Seattle ends a 420-game streak of not being blanked for the 49ers, an NFL record.
2010 — Christine Sinclair has two goals and Marta adds a goal and two assists as the FC Gold Pride beat the Philadelphia Independence 4-0 to win the Women’s Professional Soccer championship.
2010 — Seattle’s Leon Washington returns two kickoffs — 101 and 99 yards — for touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 27-20 win over San Diego.
2015 — Aaron Green catches a tipped pass in the back of the end zone with 23 seconds left and No. 3 TCU outlasts Texas Tech 55-52 in the Big 12 opener for both teams. On fourth-and-goal from the 4, Trevor Boykin throws four touchdown passes and finishes with a career-high 509 yards for TCU.
2015 — Sebastian Giovinco breaks the MLS single-season points record, assisting on two goals in Toronto FC’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire to push his total to 35.
2017 — Sylvia Fowles grabs a WNBA Finals-record 17 rebounds and scores 13 points to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 70-68 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 2, evening the series at one game apiece.
2021 — United States regains the Ryder Cup beating Team Europe 19-9 at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin.
TV SPORTS MONDAY
| NFL REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Jacksonville at Buffalo | 7:30pm | ESPN |
| Washington at Cincinnati | 8:15pm | ABC |
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Chi. Cubs at Philadelphia | 6:40pm | MARQ NBCS-PHI |
| Boston at Toronto | 7:07pm | NESN Sportsnet |
| Seattle at Houston | 8:10pm | ROOT SCHN |
| San Francisco at Arizona | 9:40pm | NBCS-BAY YurView |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Serie A: Atalanta vs Como | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| La Liga: Real Betis vs Mallorca | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Sarmiento vs Central Córdoba SdE | 5:45pm | Paramount+ Fanatiz |
| Argentina Primera División: Banfield vs Independiente Rivadavia | 8:00pm | Paramount+ Fanatiz |
| Argentina Primera División: Vélez Sarsfield vs Estudiantes | 8:00pm | Paramount+ Fanatiz |
| NWSL: Angel City vs Portland Thorns | 10:00pm | CBSSN Fubo |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Hangzhou: ATP Semifinals | 5:30pm | TENNIS |