THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

“THE SCOREBOARD”

******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE WEEK 6******

FRIDAY

ATTICA (0-4) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (3-1)

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (2-2) AT SEYMOUR (2-2)

BENTON CENTRAL (1-3) AT TWIN LAKES (3-1)

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (3-1) AT TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (1-3)

BLUFFTON (4-0) AT JAY COUNTY (3-1)

BOONE GROVE (3-1) AT WHEELER (1-3)

BOONVILLE (2-2) AT LINTON-STOCKTON (3-1)

BOWMAN ACADEMY (1-1) AT LAKE STATION (1-3)

BREMEN (3-1) AT JIMTOWN (1-3)

BROWN COUNTY (1-3) AT WEST VIGO (0-4)

CALUMET (1-3) AT HAMMOND MORTON (1-3)

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (1-3) AT HAGERSTOWN (3-1)

CARROLL (FLORA) (4-0) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (3-1)

CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (3-1) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (4-0)

CASCADE (3-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (4-0)

CASTLE (3-1) AT VINCENNES LINCOLN (3-1)

CENTRAL NOBLE (1-3) AT FREMONT (1-3)

CHRISTEL HOUSE MANUAL (1-3) AT PHALEN ACADEMY (1-2)

CHURUBUSCO (0-4) AT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-4)

CLARKSVILLE (0-4) AT EASTERN GREENE (2-2)

CLINTON CENTRAL (0-3) AT TAYLOR (1-3)

CONNERSVILLE (2-2) AT RUSHVILLE (0-4)

CRAWFORDSVILLE (0-4) AT SOUTHMONT (3-1)

CROWN POINT (4-0) AT PORTAGE (0-4)

CULVER ACADEMY (2-2) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (4-0)

DANVILLE (3-1) AT TRI-WEST (3-1)

DECATUR CENTRAL (2-2) AT MOORESVILLE (2-2)

DEKALB (2-2) AT COLUMBIA CITY (4-0)

DELTA (4-0) AT MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (1-3)

EAST CENTRAL (4-0) AT BATESVILLE (4-0)

EASTERN (PEKIN) (1-3) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (0-4)

EDINBURGH (0-4) AT NORTH DAVIESS (3-1)

ELKHART (1-3) AT PENN (3-1)

EVANSVILLE BOSSE (1-3) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (2-2)

EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-4) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (4-0)

EVANSVILLE REITZ (4-0) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (0-4)

FISHERS (3-1) AT BROWNSBURG (4-0)

FLOYD CENTRAL (3-1) AT JEFFERSONVILLE (0-4)

FOREST PARK (3-1) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (3-1)

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (0-4) AT NORTHWESTERN (1-3)

FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-4) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (2-2)

FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (0-4) AT FORT WAYNE NORTH (1-3)

FORT WAYNE WAYNE (2-2) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (0-4)

FRANKLIN (3-1) AT MARTINSVILLE (2-2)

FRANKLIN CENTRAL (2-2) AT AVON (0-4)

FRANKLIN COUNTY (2-2) AT LAWRENCEBURG (3-1)

GARRETT (2-2) AT EASTSIDE (2-2)

GOSHEN (0-4) AT NORTHRIDGE (3-1)

GREENWOOD (3-1) AT PLAINFIELD (4-0)

HAMILTON HEIGHTS (4-0) AT WESTERN (2-2)

HAMMOND CENTRAL (4-0) AT PIONEER (3-1)

HANCOCK COUNTY (KY.) AT TELL CITY (2-2)

HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (3-1) AT ANDERSON (1-3)

HARVEST PREP (OHIO) AT CENTER GROVE (3-1)

HERITAGE (4-0) AT ADAMS CENTRAL (4-0)

HIGHLAND (2-2) AT LOWELL (1-3)

HOBART (3-1) AT ANDREAN (2-2)

HOMESTEAD (2-2) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (1-3)

HUNTINGTON NORTH (0-4) AT BELLMONT (0-4)

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (2-2) AT NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (0-4)

INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (4-0) AT COLUMBUS NORTH (2-2)

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (2-2) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (4-0)

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (4-0) AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (3-1)

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (2-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (2-2)

INDIANAPOLIS TECH (0-4) AT RICHMOND (0-4)

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (2-2) AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN (2-2)

IRVINGTON PREP ACADEMY (0-4) AT FRONTIER (2-2)

JASPER (2-2) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (1-3)

JOHN GLENN (3-1) AT KNOX (4-0)

KANKAKEE VALLEY (1-3) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (4-0)

KNIGHTSTOWN (2-2) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (2-2)

KOKOMO (4-0) AT MARION (2-2)

LAKE CENTRAL (2-2) AT LAPORTE (1-3)

LAKELAND (3-1) AT ANGOLA (0-4)

LAPEL (1-3) AT NORTH DECATUR (3-1)

LAVILLE (4-0) AT CASTON (0-4)

LAWRENCE CENTRAL (1-3) AT PIKE (1-3)

LAWRENCE NORTH (4-0) AT CARMEL (2-2)

LEBANON (1-3) AT FRANKFORT (1-3)

LEO (2-2) AT EAST NOBLE (3-1)

LEWIS CASS (2-2) AT ROCHESTER (3-1)

MADISON (1-3) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (2-2)

MCCUTCHEON (1-3) AT LOGANSPORT (1-3)

MERRILLVILLE (3-1) AT MICHIGAN CITY (2-2)

MILAN (2-2) AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (2-2)

MISHAWAKA (3-1) AT PLYMOUTH (2-2)

MITCHELL (0-4) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (0-4)

MUNCIE CENTRAL (0-4) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (2-2)

MUNSTER (1-3) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (0-3)

NEW ALBANY (1-3) AT COLUMBUS EAST (1-3)

NEW CASTLE (1-3) AT YORKTOWN (2-2)

NEW PRAIRIE (3-1) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (3-1)

NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (1-3) AT NORTH KNOX (2-2)

NORTH HARRISON (4-0) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (4-0)

NORTH MIAMI (0-4) AT WHITKO (1-3)

NORTH POSEY (4-0) AT HERITAGE HILLS (4-0)

NORTH PUTNAM (0-4) AT CLOVERDALE (2-2)

NORTH WHITE (4-0) AT WES-DEL (1-3)

NORTHFIELD (0-4) AT MANCHESTER (2-2)

NORTHWOOD (3-1) AT WARSAW (4-0)

NORWELL (1-3) AT NEW HAVEN (4-0)

OWEN COUNTY (KY.) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (3-1)

OWEN VALLEY (2-2) AT NORTHVIEW (4-0)

PENDLETON HEIGHTS (3-1) AT NEW PALESTINE (2-2)

PERRY CENTRAL (1-3) AT TECUMSEH (0-4)

PERU (4-0) AT MACONAQUAH (3-1)

PROVIDENCE (4-0) AT CHARLESTOWN (2-2)

PURDUE POLYTECHNIC (2-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (3-1)

RENSSELAER CENTRAL (2-2) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (3-1)

RIVER FOREST (3-1) AT GRIFFITH (1-3)

RIVERTON PARKE (1-3) AT NORTH VERMILLION (2-2)

SEEGER (3-1) AT PARKE HERITAGE (2-2)

SHELBYVILLE (3-1) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (4-0)

SHENANDOAH (1-3) AT PARK TUDOR (4-0)

SILVER CREEK (2-2) AT SCOTTSBURG (3-1)

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

SOUTH BEND ADAMS (1-3) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (1-3)

SOUTH BEND CLAY (0-4) AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (1-3)

SOUTH BEND RILEY (4-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (2-2)

SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (1-3) AT HAMMOND NOLL (1-3)

SOUTH DEARBORN (2-2) AT GREENSBURG (0-4)

SOUTH NEWTON (3-1) AT TRI-COUNTY (1-3)

SOUTH PUTNAM (3-1) AT EDGEWOOD (1-3)

SOUTH SPENCER (1-3) AT PIKE CENTRAL (1-3)

SOUTH VERMILLION (3-1) AT COVINGTON (2-2)

SOUTHPORT (0-4) AT BEECH GROVE (1-3)

SOUTHRIDGE (3-1) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (2-2)

SOUTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL AT SOUTH DECATUR (3-1)

SOUTHWOOD (2-2) AT WABASH (0-4)

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

SPRINGS VALLEY (3-1) AT SALEM (0-4)

SULLIVAN (2-2) AT GREENCASTLE (2-2)

TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-4) AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH (4-0)

TIPTON (1-3) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-3)

TRI (3-1) AT CENTERVILLE (4-0)

TRI-CENTRAL (1-3) AT DELPHI (0-4)

TRITON (2-2) AT CULVER (0-4)

TRITON CENTRAL (3-1) AT INDIAN CREEK (2-2)

UNION CITY (0-4) AT NORTHEASTERN (4-0)

VALPARAISO (3-1) AT CHESTERTON (1-3)

WARREN CENTRAL (2-2) AT BEN DAVIS (3-1)

WASHINGTON (1-3) AT PRINCETON (0-4)

WAWASEE (1-3) AT CONCORD (2-2)

WEST CENTRAL (4-0) AT NORTH NEWTON (0-4)

WEST NOBLE (4-0) AT FAIRFIELD (3-1)

WEST WASHINGTON (3-1) AT PAOLI (3-1)

WESTERN BOONE (3-1) AT NORTH MONTGOMERY (2-2)

WESTFIELD (4-0) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (4-0)

WHITELAND (2-2) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (1-3)

WINAMAC (0-4) AT NORTH JUDSON (2-2)

WINCHESTER (2-2) AT UNION COUNTY (0-4)

WOODLAN (1-3) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (1-3)

ZIONSVILLE (3-1) AT NOBLESVILLE (2-2)

SATURDAY

ALEXANDRIA (4-0) VS. EASTBROOK (3-1)

BLACKFORD (0-4) VS. ELWOOD (0-4)

CLINTON PRAIRIE (4-0) AT SHERIDAN (3-1)

FRANKTON (2-2) VS. MISSISSINEWA (4-0)

MADISON-GRANT (3-1) VS. OAK HILL (3-1)

WHITING (2-2) AT GARY WEST (2-2)

GAMES TO WATCH IN BOLD

********INDIANA FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION POLLS******

1 CENTER GROVE (4) 3-1 89

2 BEN DAVIS (3) 3-1 88

3 BROWNSBURG (3) 4-0 85

4 HAMILTON SE 4-0 73

5 WESTFIELD 4-0 41

6 CROWN POINT 4-0 38

FISHERS 3-1 38

8 INDPLS CATHEDRAL 2-2 34

9 CARROLL (FW) 3-1 24

10 LAWRENCE NORTH 4-0 19

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

WARSAW 4-0 , WARREN CENTRAL 2-2 (5), CARMEL 2-2 (4),

PENN 3-1 (1), ZIONSVILLE 3-1 (1)

1 FW SNIDER (10) 4-0 100

2 VALPARAISO 3-1 83

3 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 4-0 71

4 MERRILLVILLE 3-1 64

5 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 3-1 55

6 PLAINFIELD 4-0 54

7 MISHAWAKA 3-1 50

8 CASTLE 3-1 28

9 HARRISON (WL) 3-1 23

10 WHITELAND 2-2 14

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

FRANKLIN 3-1 (4), CONCORD 2-2 (3), DECATUR CENTRAL 2-2 (2),

HAMMOND CENTRAL 4-0 (2)

1 EAST CENTRAL (10) 4-0 100

2 KOKOMO 4-0 86

3 EVANSVILLE REITZ 4-0 79

4 EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 4-0 69

5 NEW PALESTINE 2-2 49

6 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 4-0 46

7 COLUMBIA CITY 4-0 31

8 INDPLS RONCALLI 2-2 25

9 NORTHRIDGE 3-1 15

10 NORTHVIEW 4-0 13

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

NORTHWOOD 3-1 (9), BREBEUF JESUIT 2-2 (7), NEW HAVEN 4-0 (4), NEW PRAIRIE 3-1 (4),

EAST NOBLE 3-1 (2), MISSISSINEWA 4-0 (2), PENDLETON HEIGHTS 3-1 (2), SB RILEY 4-0 (2)

1 INDPLS CHATARD (10) 4-0 100

2 GUERIN CATHOLIC 4-0 80

3 LAWRENCEBURG 3-1 69

4 WEST LAFAYETTE 3-1 68

5 HANOVER CENTRAL 4-0 56

6 HERITAGE HILLS 4-0 42

7 GIBSON SOUTHERN 2-2 40

TRI-WEST 3-1 40

9 WESTERN BOONE 3-1 18

10 DELTA 4-0 12

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

SOUTHRIDGE 3-1 (7), DANVILLE 3-1 (5), VINCENNES LINCOLN 3-1 (4), HAMILTON HEIGHTS 4-0 (3),

HERITAGE 4-0 (1), KNOX 4-0 (1), MISHAWAKA MARIAN 1-3 (1), OAK HILL 3-1 (1),

PERU 4-0 (1), TIPPECANOE VALLEY 4-0 (1)

1 INDPLS SCECINA (9) 4-0 95

2 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (1) 4-0 90

3 LAVILLE 4-0 74

4 TRITON CENTRAL 3-1 67

5 BLUFFTON 4-0 53

6 EASTBROOK 3-1 36

7 LINTON-STOCKTON 3-1 33

8 ANDREAN (1) 2-2 31

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 1-3 31

10 NORTH POSEY 4-0 19

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

FW LUERS 2-2 (15), ALEXANDRIA 4-0 (3), LAFAYETTE CC 1-3 (2), HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 3-1 (1)

1 INDPLS LUTHERAN (10) 4-0 100

2 ADAMS CENTRAL 4-0 90

3 CARROLL (FLORA) 4-0 80

4 PROVIDENCE 4-0 69

5 PARK TUDOR 4-0 57

6 SOUTH PUTNAM 3-1 38

7 SHERIDAN 3-1 32

8 CLINTON PRAIRIE 4-0 31

9 NORTH DECATUR 3-1 23

10 NORTH JUDSON 2-2 13

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

PARKE HERITAGE 2-2 (10), PIONEER 3-1 (6), NORTH WHITE 4-0 (4),

TRI 3-1 (1), WEST WASHINGTON 3-1 (1)

*******INDIANA HIGH SCOOL FOOTBALL SAGARIN RATINGS*******

CENTER GROVE
BEN DAVIS
BROWNSBURG
FISHERS
HAMILTON SE
CATHEDRAL
LAWRENCE NORTH
FW CARROLL
ZIONSVILLE
WESTFIELD

VALPARAISO
FW SNIDER
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
PLAINFIELD
HARRISON
BLOOMINGTON NORTH
FRANKLIN
WHITELAND
MISHAWAKA
CASTLE

EAST CENTRAL
EVANSVILLE REIOTZ
NEW PALESTINE
RONCALLI
KOKOMO
EAST NOBLE
GREENFIELD CENTRAL
MOORESVILLE
PENDLETON HEIGHTS
NORTHWOOD

BISHOP CHATARD
GUERIN CATHOLIC
WEST LAFAYETTE
HERITAGE HILLS
TIPPECANOE VALLEY
OAK HILL
DELTA
YORKTOWN
VINCENNES LINCOLN
HANOVER CENTRAL

TRITON CENTRAL
BLUFFTON
NORTH POSEY
SCECINA
CASCADE
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
LAPEL
LINTON STOCKTON
ROCHESTER

INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN
ADAMS CENTRAL
PROVIDENCE
CARROLL FLORA
SOUTH PUTNAM
NORTH JUDSON
MADISON GRANT
PARK TUDOR
PIONEER
MILAN

*******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS*******

CLASS 4A

1. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN

2. RONCALLI

3. CATHEDRAL

4. YORKTOWN

5. LAPORTE

6. FW CARROLL

7. ZIONSVILLE

8. CENTER GROVE

9. CASTLE

10. HOMESTEAD

CLASS 3A

1. BELLMONT

2. PROVIDENCE

3. BENTON CENTRAL

4. NORTHWOOD

5. SILVER CREEK

6. CONCORDIA LUTHERAN

7. EV. MEMORIAL

8. ANGOLA

9. BISHOP DWENGER

10. TRI-WEST

CLASS 2A

1. MUNCIE BURRIS

2. LINTON-STOCKTON

3. LAF. CENTRAL CATHOLIC

4. NORTHEASTERN

5. SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS)

6. WAPAHANI

7. NORTH POSEY

8. ANDREAN

9. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL

10. WES-DEL

CLASS 1A

1. TECUMSEH

2. BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN

3. SPRINGS VALLEY

4. TRINITY LUTHERAN

5. RIVET

6. SOUTHWOOD

7. MARQUETTE CATHOLIC

8. LOOGOOTEE

9. BORDEN

10. FAITH CHRISTIAN

******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL REPORTED SCORES*******

LOWELL 3 HEBRON 0

RENSSELAER CENTRAL 3 W. CENTRAL 0

NORTH KNOX 3 WOOD MEMORIAL 1

SOUTH-CENTRAL 3 TRI-TOWNSHIP 0

UNION COUNTY 3 LAWRENCEBURG 2

LINTON STOCKTON 3 OWEN VALLEY 0

BETHANY CHRISTIAN 3 PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 2

EDGEWOOD 3 GREENCASTLE 0

CRISPUS ATTUCKS 3 EMINENCE 1

SCOTTSBURG 3 SALEM 1

LAVILLE 3 WINAMAC 0

BLUE RIVER VALLEY 3 WINCHESTER 0

TRINITY LUTHERAN 3 MADISON 0

SOUTH KNOX 3 SHACKAMAK 1

SEYMOUR 3 HAUSER 1

TRI-COUNTY 3 CLINTON PRAIRIE 0

TIPTON 3 SHERIDAN 0

FRONTIER 3 TWIN LAKES 0

MEDORA 3 COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN 0

PAOLI 3 NORTH HARRISON 0

MUNSTER 3 LAKE CENTRAL 2

HIGHLAND 3 HAMMOND CENTRAL 0

SOUTHPORT 3 PERRY MERIDIAN 1

HOBART 3 WHITING 1

HERITAGE 3 FORT WAYNE WAYNE 0

KNOX 3 OREGON DAVIS 1

CARMEL 3 WESTFIELD 2

FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 3 FORT WAYNE SOUTH 0

NORTH POSEY 3 PIKE CENTRAL 0

CARROLL COUNTY 3 SWITZERLAND COUNTY 0

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 3 SOUTH-CENTRAL 0

RIVER FOREST 3 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 2

ELKHART CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 3 GOSHEN 2

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 3 CRAWFORDSVILLE 0

FLOYD CENTRAL 3 MITCHELL 0

PROVIDENCE 3 JASPER 0

RIVERTON PARKE 3 DUGGER UNION 0

HAGERSTOWN 3 TRI 1

DANVILLE 3 N. PUTNAM 0

EAST NOBLE 3 CENTRAL NOBLE 0

KOKOMO 3 PERU 1

ROSSVILLE 3 TAYLOR 0

CENTER GROVE 3 FISHERS 1

SOUTH BEND CLAY 3 SOUTH BEND CAREER ACADEMY 0

ANGOLA 3 LAKELAND 0

BELLMONT 3 ADAMS CENTRAL 0

NORWELL 3 EASTBROOK 1

BROWNSBURG 3 PLAINFIELD 0

SOUTH ADAMS 3 NORTHEASTERN 0

*******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER POLLS*******

3A GIRLS SOCCER

CARMEL
CASTLE
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
PENN
NOBLESVILLE
WESTFIELD
CARROLL
REITZ
CROWN POINT
CATHEDRAL
EAST CENTRAL
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
BROWNSBURG
CHESTERTON
NORTHRIDGE
ZIONSVILLE
AVON
FLOYD CENTRAL
MUNSTER
HOMESTEAD / MT VERNON

2A GIRLS SOCCER

1. LEO

2. BREBEUF JESUIT

3. GUERIN CATHOLIC

4. CHATARD

5. WEST LAFAYETTE

6. EV MEMORIAL

7. BELLMONT

8. MONROVIA

9. BISHOP DWENGER

10. LAWRENCEBURG

11. MISHAWAKA MARIAN

12. HANOVER CENTRAL

13. NORTHWOOD

14. BATESVILLE

15. NORTHWESTERN

16. GIBSON SOUTHERN

17. SILVER CREEK

18. TRI WEST

19. JASPER

20. SPEEDWAY

1A GIRLS SOCCER

1. PROVIDENCE

2. EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN

3. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN

4. PARK TUDOR

5. FW CANTERBURY

6. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI

7. TRINITY

8. FOREST PARK

9. FAITH CHRISTIAN

10. WESTVIEW

11. GREENCASTLE

12. ANDREAN

13. WHEELER

14. ARGOS

15. BETHANY CHRISTIAN (GOSHEN)

16. CASCADE

17. MUNCIE BURRIS

18. EASTBROOK

19. LAVILLE

20. SWITZERLAND COUNTY

*******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER SCORES*******

GUERIN CATHOLIC 3 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 2

BOONE GROVE 2 KOUTS 0

MORGAN TWP. 4 WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 0

NORTH MIAMI 6 PERU 0

LAFAYETTE JEFF 9 WESTERN 0

GLENN 2 PLYMOUTH 0

RUSHVILLE 1 KNIGHTSTOWN 1

VINCENNES RIVET 3 SOUTH KNOX 2

HEBRON 4 MERRILLVILLE 0

NORTHEAST DUBOIS 1 FOREST PARK 0

WOODLAN 1 ANGOLA 1

PRINCETON 2 BOONVILLE 1

RICHMOND 7 NEW CASTLE 0

MARTINSVILLE 1 PERRY MERIDIAN 0

OLDENBURG ACADEMY 6 JENNINGS COUNTY 0

MONROVIA 1 DANVILLE 1

UNIVERSITY 8 GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 1

TRITON CENTRAL 4 RITTER 0

BATESVILLE 8 GREENSBURG 1

HERITAGE 5 S. ADAMS 1

LAPEL 4 SCECINA 1

CENTER GROVE 1 PALESTINE 0

COVINGTON 3 WESTERN BOONE 1

INDIANAPOLIS TECH 3 CHRISTEL HOUSE 1

LAKEWOOD PARK CHRISTIAN 3 FORT WAYNE NORTH 2

TIPTON 2 MISSISSINEWA 0

PROVIDENCE 6 CORYDON CENTRAL 1

SCOTTSBURG 1 TRINITY LUTHERAN 0

LEBANON 5 BENTON CENTRAL 1

SPEEDWAY 7 BEECH GROVE 0

TRI-WEST 3 SOUTHMONT 2

GIBSON SOUTHERN 5 MOUNT VERNON 1

MADISON 2 NEW ALBANY 1

HAMILTON HEIGHTS 2 SHERIDAN 0

COLUMBIA CITY 11 NEW HAVEN 0

HUNTINGTON NORTH 1 DEKALB 0

LAWRENCE NORTH 9 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 0

WEST VIGO 8 S. VERMILLION 0

FORT WAYNE NORTHRUP 2 WARSAW 2

GOSHEN 1 SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 1

BELLMONT 1 LEO 0

CARMEL 8 N. CENTRAL 0

NORWELL 5 E. NOBLE 0

HOBART 5 RIVER FOREST 0

MOORESVILLE 2 PIKE 1

MOUNT VERNON 2 FISHERS 0

GREENFIELD CENTRAL 3 GREENWOOD 0

COLUMBUS NORTH 2 BLOOMINGTON NORTH 1

FRANKLIN COUNTY 3 CENTERVILLE 1

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 8 FRANKLIN 0

CATHEDRAL 1 WESTFIELD 1

BEN DAVIS 4 WARREN CENTRAL 0

********INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER POLLS******

3A ISCA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER POLL – 9/11/23

CARMEL
NOBLESVILLE
CENTER GROVE
PIKE
ZIONSVILLE
LAKE CENTRAL
COLUMBUS NORTH
NORTHRIDGE
FISHERS
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
HAMILTON SE
CASTLE
CATHEDRAL
WL HARRISON
BROWNSBURG
GOSHEN
WARSAW
MUNSTER
FW CARROLL
NORTHROP

2A ISCA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER POLL – 9/11/23

MISHAWAKA MARIAN
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (INDPLS)
SPEEDWAY
BREBEUF JESUIT
PROVIDENCE
EV. MEMORIAL
WEST LAFAYETTE
BISHOP DWENGER
ILLIANA CHRISTIAN
CASCADE
GUERIN CATHOLIC
HAMILTON HEIGHTS
BISHOP NOLL
HERITAGE HILLS
NORTHWOOD
BISHOP LUERS
CULVER ACADEMIES
MATER DEI
SB ST. JOSEPH
GREENCASTLE

1A ISCA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER POLL – 9/11/23

WESTVIEW
FAITH CHRISTIAN
COVENANT CHRISTIAN
BETHANY CHRISTIAN
WHEELER
OLDENBURG ACADEMY
PARK TUDOR
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN
CARROLL (FLORA)
SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBY)
FOREST PARK
BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN
NORTH PUTNAM
COVINGTON
SWITZERLAND COUNTY
UNIVERSITY
MUNCIE BURRIS
INTERNATIONAL
NORTHEAST DUBOIS
ELKHART CHRISTIAN

*******INDIANA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL REPORTED SOCCER SCORES*********

COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHRISTIAN 3 FAIRHAVEN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2

CHRISTEL HOUSE 3 WHITE RIVER VALLEY 0

DEKALB 2 HUNTINGTON NORTH 1

MICHIGAN CITY 7 WESTVILLE 2

LOWELL 3 MORGAN TWP. 0

WEST VIGO 1 S. VERMILLION 1

SHERIDAN 1 TAYLOR 1

SOUTHRIDGE 7 N. POSEY 2

JAC CEN DEL 3 SOUTH RIPLEY 0

MERRILLVILLE 3 KOUTS 2

MANCHESTER 2 OAK HILL 1

MISHAWAKA MARIAN 6 NEW PRAIRIE 0

SHAW MEMORIAL 1 SOUTHWESTERN 1

OLDENBURG ACADEMY 4 RISING SUN 0

MOUNT VERNON 2 PRINCETON 0

TIPPECANOE VALLEY 6 CULVER COMMUNITY 1

CRAWFORDSVILLE 2 BENTON CENTRAL 0

BREMEN 7 WAWASEE 1

LAPORTE 5 GLENN 0

GOSHEN 9 MISHAWAKA 0

JASPER 6 EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 0

COLUMBIA CITY 3 NEW HAVEN 0

DELTA 4 YORKTOWN 3

NORTH WHITE 5 LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 4

PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY 6 SETON 1

SCOTTSBURG 4 N. HARRISON 0

HENRYVILLE 7 LANESVILLE 0

SALEM 3 TRINITY LUTHERAN 1

HERITAGE HILLS 4 TELL CITY 0

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK 2 FORT WAYNE DWENGER 0

SWITZERLAND COUNTY 8 MILAN 0

FORT WAYNE CAROL 3 FORT WAYNE LUERS 2

NORWELL 3 E. NOBLE 0

RUSHVILLE 0 KNIGHTSTOWN 0

LEO 2 BELLMONT 1

HOBART 9 GRIFFITH 0

ANDREAN 1 HAST 0

HAMMOND NOLL 2 WHEELER 0

COLUMBUS NORTH 2 E. CENTRAL 1

BEN DAVIS 5 WARREN CENTRAL 1

BOONE GROVE 1 HANOVER CENTRAL 1

HERRON 3 INDY WARRIORS 1

*******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY POLL******

CARMEL
NOBLESVILLE
ZIONSVILLE
BROWNSBURG
FISHERS
FRANKLIN CENTRAL
LAKE CENTRAL
CENTER GROVE
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
COLUMBUS NORTH
FLOYD CENTRAL
BLOOMINGTON NORTH
PENN
WARSAW
NORTHRIDGE
VALPARAISO
EVANSVILL RIETZ
LAPORTE
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA
NORTH CENTRAL
MT VERNON
BENDAVIS
AVON
FORT WAYNE CARROLL
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH

******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY POLL******

HOMESTEAD
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
FORT WAYNE CARROLL
NOBLESVILLE
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA
NORTH CENTRAL
CARMEL
FRANKLIN CENTRAL
VALPARAISO
MORGAN TOWNSHIP
LAKE CENTRAL
ZIONSVILLE
BROWNSBURG
AVON
PENN
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP
WESTFIELD
WARSAW
MT VERNON
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
GUERIN CATHOLIC
NORTHRIDGE
FLOYD CENTRAL
EAST NOBLE
RONCALLI

*******INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GOLF POLL********

CARMEL
HOMESTEAD
CENTER GROVE
WESTFIELD
NOBLESVILLE
ZIONSVILLE
FLOYED CENTRAL
HAMILTON SE
FRANKLIN
BATESVILLE/FW CARROLL

******INDIANA GIRLS GOLF REPORTED SCORES******

FRANKLIN 161 PLAINFIELD 169

FRANKTON 179 HAMILTON HEIGHTS 189

********INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY NEWS*******

WEB SITE: https://in.milesplit.com/

*********INDIANA BOYS TENNIS REPORTED SCORES******

TRITON CENTRAL 3 WALDRON 2

*******COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE WEEK 3********

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14

BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT MIAMI (FLA.) | 7:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK

NAVY AT MEMPHIS | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15

VIRGINIA AT MARYLAND | 7 P.M. | FS1

ARMY AT UTSA | 7 P.M. | ESPN

UTAH STATE AT AIR FORCE | 8 P.M. | CBSSN

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

LSU AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | 12 P.M. | ESPN

PENN STATE AT ILLINOIS | 12 P.M. | FOX

FLORIDA STATE AT BOSTON COLLEGE | 12 P.M. | ABC

KANSAS STATE AT MISSOURI | 12 P.M. | SEC NETWORK

GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT WISCONSIN | 12 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK

LIBERTY AT BUFFALO | 12 P.M. | CBSSN

LOUISVILLE AT INDIANA | 12 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK

INDIANA COACH TOM ALLEN MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVLHlwTrO70

WAKE FOREST AT OLD DOMINION | 12 P.M.

LONG ISLAND AT BAYLOR | 12 P.M. | ESPN+

IOWA STATE AT OHIO | 12 P.M.

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT AT KENT STATE | 12 P.M.

NORTH DAKOTA AT BOISE STATE | 12 P.M. | FS1

HOLY CROSS AT YALE | 12 P.M. | ESPN+

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

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

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

ST. THOMAS (MINN.) AT HARVARD | 1 P.M. | ESPN+

DAVIDSON AT MARIST | 1 P.M. | ESPN+

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

WEBER STATE AT UTAH | 2 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK

VMI AT NC STATE | 2 P.M. | CW NETWORK

UMASS AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

NORFOLK STATE AT TEMPLE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

INDIANA STATE AT BALL STATE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

LAMAR AT SOUTH DAKOTA | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

ROBERT MORRIS AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE | 2 P.M. | ESPN+

CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT NOTRE DAME | 2:30 P.M. | PEACOCK

NOTRE DAME COACH MARCUS FREEMAN MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIjhOALLl3M

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

FLORIDA MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY AT GRAMBLING | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

STETSON AT MONTANA STATE | 3 P.M. | ESPN+

SOUTH CAROLINA AT GEORGIA | 3:30 P.M. | CBS

ALABAMA AT SOUTH FLORIDA | 3:30 P.M. | ABC

SAN DIEGO STATE AT OREGON STATE | 3:30 P.M. | FS1

OKLAHOMA AT TULSA | 3:30 P.M.

WESTERN MICHIGAN AT IOWA | 3:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK

NORTHWESTERN AT DUKE | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK

VIRGINIA TECH AT RUTGERS | 3:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT UCONN | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN

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

MINNESOTA AT NORTH CAROLINA | 3:30 P.M.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+

DRAKE VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+

WESTERN KENTUCKY AT OHIO STATE | 4 P.M. | FOX

UL MONROE AT TEXAS A&M | 4 P.M. | SEC NETWORK

TULANE AT SOUTHERN MISS | 4 P.M. | ESPNU

IDAHO AT CAL | 4 P.M.

UTAH TECH AT NORTHERN ARIZONA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

SE LOUISIANA AT EASTERN WASHINGTON | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

NORTH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY AT PORTLAND STATE | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

BROWN AT BRYANT | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

WILLIAM & MARY AT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

PRINCETON AT SAN DIEGO | 4 P.M. | ESPN+

WASHINGTON AT MICHIGAN STATE | 5 P.M. | PEACOCK

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL AT UCLA | 5 P.M.

NORTHERN COLORADO AT WASHINGTON STATE | 5 P.M.

FURMAN AT KENNESAW STATE | 5 P.M. | ESPN+

TOWSON AT MORGAN STATE | 5 P.M. | ESPN+

GEORGIA STATE AT CHARLOTTE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

WESTERN CAROLINA AT EASTERN KENTUCKY | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

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

GARDNER-WEBB AT TENNESSEE STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

PRESBYTERIAN AT WOFFORD | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

THE CITADEL AT CHATTANOOGA | 6 P.M. | ESPN+

VILLANOVA AT UCF | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+

TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA | 7 P.M. | ESPN

SAMFORD AT AUBURN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+

NORTH TEXAS AT LOUISIANA TECH | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

MURRAY STATE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT NEBRASKA | 7 P.M. | FS1

VANDERBILT AT UNLV | 7 P.M. | CBSSN

MIAMI (OHIO) AT CINCINNATI | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

SOUTH ALABAMA AT OKLAHOMA STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

TARLETON STATE AT TEXAS TECH | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

LOUISIANA AT UAB | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

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

TEXAS SOUTHERN AT RICE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

DUQUESNE AT COASTAL CAROLINA | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

STONY BROOK AT ARKANSAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

JAMES MADISON AT TROY | 7 P.M. | NFL NETWORK

SAN JOSE STATE AT TOLEDO | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

ALABAMA A&M AT SOUTHERN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

EAST TENNESSEE STATE AT AUSTIN PEAY | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

NORTH ALABAMA AT TENNESSEE TECH | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT UT MARTIN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN AT NORTHWESTERN STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+

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

BOWLING GREEN AT MICHIGAN | 7:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK

GEORGIA TECH AT OLE MISS | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK

BYU AT ARKANSAS | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN2

AKRON AT KENTUCKY | 7:30 P.M. | ESPNU

SYRACUSE AT PURDUE | 7:30 P.M. | NBC

PURDUE COACH RYAN WALTERS MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zCLXDcuX04

PITT AT WEST VIRGINIA | 7:30 P.M. | ABC

FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT CLEMSON | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK

WYOMING AT TEXAS | 8 P.M. | LONGHORN NETWORK

HAWAI’I AT OREGON | 8 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK

TCU AT HOUSTON | 8 P.M. | FOX

NEW MEXICO STATE AT NEW MEXICO | 8 P.M. | MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK

SACRAMENTO STATE AT STANFORD | 8 P.M.

LINCOLN (CA) AT CAL POLY | 8 P.M. | ESPN+

FERRIS STATE AT MONTANA | 8 P.M. | ESPN+

UIW AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN | 8 P.M. | ESPN+

JACKSON STATE AT TEXAS STATE | 8:30 P.M. | ESPN+

COLORADO STATE AT COLORADO | 10 P.M. | ESPN

SOUTHERN UTAH AT UC DAVIS | 10 P.M. | ESPN+

FRESNO STATE AT ARIZONA STATE | 10:30 P.M.

KANSAS AT NEVADA | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN

UTEP AT ARIZONA | 11 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK

********NFL SCHEDULE*******

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

NY JETS 22 BUFFALO 16 (OT)

WEEK 2

THURSDAY

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (THU) 8:15P (ET) 8:15P PRIME VIDEO

SUNDAY

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT BUFFALO BILLS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS

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

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT DETROIT LIONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT HOUSTON TEXANS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P FOX

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS

CHICAGO BEARS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT TENNESSEE TITANS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS

NEW YORK GIANTS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS 1:05P (MST) 4:05P FOX

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS 1:05P (PT) 4:05P FOX

NEW YORK JETS AT DALLAS COWBOYS 3:25P (CT) 4:25P CBS

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS 2:25P (MT) 4:25P CBS

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 8:20P (ET) 8:20P NBC

MONDAY

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (MON) 7:15P (ET) 7:15P ESPN

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (MON) 8:15P (ET) 8:15P ABC

*******MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL*******

BALTIMORE 11 ST. LOUIS 5

SAN FRANCISCO 5 CLEVELAND 4 (10)

NY YANKEES AT BOSTON POSTPONED

TEXAS 10 TORONTO 4

TAMPA BAY 7 MINNESOTA 4

KANSAS CITY AT CHICAGO WHITE SOX POSTPONED

OAKLAND 4 HOUSTON 0

LA ANGELS 8 SEATTLE 5 (11)

ATLANTA 10 PHILADELPHIA 8 (10)

PHILADELPHIA 7 ATLANTA 5

ARIZONA 4 NY METS 3

MILWAUKEE 12 MIAMI 0

CHICAGO CUBS 5 COLORADO 4

SAN DIEGO 11 LA DODGERS 8

WASHINGTON 6 PITTSBURGH 2

******MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL******

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

*******WNBA SCORES******

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

******MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER******

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

*******MONDAY’S TRANSACTIONS******

BASEBALL

Major League Baseball

American League

NEW YORK YANKEES — Selected the contract of OF Estevan Florial from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). Placed OF Jasson Dominguez on the 10-day IL, retroactive to September 10.

SEATTLE MARINERS — Reinstated OF Jarred Kelonic from the 10-day IL. Optioned OF Cade Lowe to Tacoma (PCL).

TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Reinstated RHP Erik Swanson from the 15-day IL. Optioned RHP Jay Jackson to Buffalo (IL).

National League

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Placed C Gabriel Moreno on the paternity list. Recalled C Jose Herrera from Reno.

ATLANTA BRAVES — Transferred RHP Michael Soroka from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. Selected the contract of RHP Jackson Stephens from Gwinnett. Optioned RHP Allan Winans to Gwinnett.

SAN DIEGO PADRES — Activated RHP Robert Suarez.

FOOTBALL

National Football League

CAROLINA PANTHERS — Signed OT David Sharpe. Signed DE Chris Wormley and CB Dicaprio Bootle to the practice squad.

CHICAGO BEARS — Signed LB Dylan Cole.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — Signed LB Rashaan Evans to the practice squad.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS — Promoted WR Jamison Crowder from the practice squad to the active roster.

HOCKEY

Minor League Hockey

ECHL

READING ROYALS — Signed F Tyson Fawcett

******TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES******

*******MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL*******

MLB ROUNDUP: BREWERS’ BRANDON WOODRUFF FIRES FIRST SHUTOUT

Brandon Woodruff tossed a six-hit shutout and Willy Adames drove in four runs as the Milwaukee Brewers pounded out a 12-0 victory over the visiting Miami Marlins on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.

Woodruff (5-1), struck out seven and walked one for his first career shutout. His only other complete game was a seven-inning, 4-2 loss against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020.

Adames’ bases-loaded triple triggered a five-run sixth that put Milwaukee in front 11-0. Adames also doubled twice to pace the Brewers’ 17-hit attack.

Jon Berti and Garrett Hampson singled for the Marlins in the ninth, but Woodruff got Jesus Sanchez on a game-ending popout in foul territory. Miami’s Jesus Luzardo (9-9) was tagged for six runs on 10 hits in five innings.

Braves 10, Phillies 8 (Game 1, 10 innings)

Kevin Pillar and Orlando Arcia each drove in a run in the 10th inning to help visiting Atlanta outlast Philadelphia to begin a day-night doubleheader.

Pillar delivered a pinch-hit single to score pinch runner Forrest Wall, then scored when Arcia doubled to left against Jose Alvarado (0-2). Kirby Yates pitched a scoreless 10th to earn his fourth save.

The Phillies dramatically tied the game with two outs in the ninth. Trea Turner reached on an infield single and Bryce Harper followed with a homer off Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias (4-4), who blew his third save but wound up with the win.

Phillies 7, Braves 5 (Game 2)

Edmundo Sosa doubled, singled and drove in two runs, Brandon Marsh hit a solo home run and Philadelphia earned a doubleheader split with Atlanta.

Phillies starter Michael Lorenzen (9-9) gave up five hits and four runs in five-plus innings. Braves starter Kyle Wright (0-2) lasted only three-plus innings and allowed six hits and six runs.

Atlanta’s Matt Olson homered twice, becoming the first player in the majors to reach 50 home runs this year, and knocked in four runs. He is one shy of tying Andruw Jones’ single-season franchise home run record set in 2005.

Diamondbacks 4, Mets 3

Ketel Marte delivered the tiebreaking RBI double in the ninth inning as Arizona extended its lead in the race for the third and final National League wild-card spot by edging host New York.

With their fifth win in six games, the Diamondbacks moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Miami Marlins.

Pinch hitter Alek Thomas singled with one out in the ninth against Drew Smith (4-6) and Marte then doubled him home on an opposite-field blooper that Jeff McNeil mishandled. Kevin Ginkel (9-0) struck out two in a perfect eighth, and Paul Sewald earned his 33rd save.

Nationals 6, Pirates 2

CJ Abrams homered twice and Dominic Smith also went deep to lead visiting Washington to a win over Pittsburgh in the opener of a four-game series.

Joey Meneses added an RBI single for the Nationals, who came into the game in a 3-10 funk. Washington starter Patrick Corbin (10-13) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Ji Hwan Bae hit an RBI double and Bryan Reynolds had an RBI single for the Pirates, who have lost three of their last four games. Pittsburgh starter Andre Jackson (1-3) gave up four runs and four hits in four innings.

Orioles 11, Cardinals 5

Cedric Mullins hit a grand slam, Gunnar Henderson added a solo shot and Baltimore rallied for a win against visiting St. Louis.

The Orioles trailed 5-3 against Dakota Hudson (6-2) entering the bottom of the fifth, which Adley Rutschman and Henderson opened with singles. With one out, Ryan O’Hearn doubled, scoring Rutschman, and Ryan Mountcastle walked to load the bases.

Andre Pallante replaced Hudson, and Mullins sent a 1-2 slider to center for his third career grand slam, giving the Orioles an 8-5 lead. Willson Contreras had three hits and drove in two runs for the Cardinals.

Cubs 5, Rockies 4

Yan Gomes had three hits, including a two-run single in the ninth inning, as Chicago rallied to beat Colorado in Denver.

Christopher Morel homered, Dansby Swanson had two hits and reliever Drew Smyly (11-9) got the win. Michael Fulmer came off the injured list and got the last two outs to earn his second save.

Tyler Kinley (0-2) gave up Gomes’ game-winning to take the loss and spoil Jordan Wicks’ start (one run allowed on three hits over six innings).

Rangers 10, Blue Jays 4

Jonah Heim had five RBIs with a grand slam and a double and visiting Texas defeated Toronto.

Evan Carter had a solo home run and threw out a runner at home for the Rangers in the opener of a four-game series. Texas right-hander Dane Dunning (10-6) allowed three runs and six hits in six-plus innings.

Cavan Biggio hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays. Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt (14-8) allowed five runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Athletics 4, Astros 0

Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers and Ryan Noda homered and Ken Waldichuk delivered an exceptional relief performance as Oakland silenced host Houston.

Waldichuk (3-7) twirled six no-hit innings as the bulk reliever who piggybacked rookie Mason Miller. Oakland closer Trevor May surrendered consecutive singles to Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena to open the ninth but preserved the shutout, the fifth of the season for the A’s.

Astros left-hander Framber Valdez (11-10) allowed three runs on four hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts in seven innings, marking his third double-digit strikeout effort this season.

Rays 7, Twins 4

Yandy Diaz collected four hits, including a home run, and Taylor Walls added a three-run shot to help power Tampa Bay to a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Josh Lowe chipped in with three hits and an RBI as the Rays took the series opener against the Twins in a battle of teams in playoff pursuit. Backed by early run support, Rays starter Tyler Glasnow (9-5) gave up four runs on six hits in six innings.

Max Kepler and Royce Lewis homered for the Twins. Tampa Bay ran up the pitch count on Twins right-hander Sonny Gray (7-7), who gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits in four innings. He threw 89 pitches.

******NFL HEADLINES*******

JETS LOSE AARON RODGERS TO AN ACHILLES TENDON INJURY, THEN RALLY TO STUN BILLS 22-16 IN OVERTIME

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets pulled off one of their most exciting and unlikely victories in years – and still couldn’t completely enjoy it.

Not with knowing they might have to go the rest of the way without their leader.

Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the Jets’ 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills just four snaps into his debut on Monday night with what coach Robert Saleh said is believed to be an injured left Achilles tendon.

“It caught us off guard,” cornerback Sauce Gardner said. “But we dedicated winning the game to him.”

Rodgers was sacked by Buffalo’s Leonard Floyd and fell awkwardly on the leg. Saleh said the 39-year-old Rodgers would have the MRI on Tuesday after X-rays during the game were negative.

“Concerned with his Achilles,” a somber Saleh said. “MRI is probably going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight. But it’s not good.”

It cast a pall over the game – won when rookie Xavier Gipson returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown – and perhaps the Jets’ season.

“It has been a roller coaster of emotions,” Gardner said.

New York’s aggressive defense forced four turnovers from Buffalo’s Josh Allen, who was picked off three times by Jordan Whitehead in a wild and often ugly season opener.

“We made it pretty hard on ourselves,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “When you turn the ball over four times, it’s hard to win in this league. You’re playing two opponents: the one on the other sideline and yourself. That’s what we did tonight and that’s not the right formula to win games.”

With the game tied, Micheal Clemons forced a fumble by Allen that was recovered by Quinnen Williams, setting up Greg Zuerlein’s third field goal – a 30-yarder – with 1:48 remaining to put the Jets ahead for the first time.

But Allen and the Bills had just enough time to get in scoring position again, and Tyler Bass’ 50-yard kick hit the left upright before going over the crossbar to tie it at 16 with 2 seconds left in regulation.

After Buffalo went three-and-out to start overtime, Sam Martin punted 42 yards and Gipson fielded it, made a few moves early and then scampered down the left sideline, made a couple more cuts and zipped into the end zone to set off a huge celebration by his teammates.

Saleh was there to swarm Gipson, an undrafted rookie from Stephen F. Austin who made the team out of training camp.

“They’ve given me the opportunity and given me the chance,” Gipson said. “I guess it was my time. My time came to light.”

It was the third punt return for a TD in overtime in NFL history, with Gipson joining Arizona’s Patrick Peterson (2011) and Kansas City’s Tamarick Vanover (1995).

Meanwhile, Allen tied a career high with his four turnovers and fell to 0-5 in overtime, including playoff games.

“I cost our team tonight,” said Allen, who was 29 of 41 for 236 yards and a touchdown to Stefon Diggs. “It sucks when you feel like the reason, and I am the reason we lost.”

The Jets had tied it at 13 with 4:55 left on an acrobatic catch by Garrett Wilson, who tipped Zach Wilson’s pass to himself with his right hand – and Tre’Davious White draped all over him – and corralled the ball as he fell on his back in the end zone.

A night that began with optimism for the Jets turned disappointing before the game was even four minutes old.

After a 26-yard run by Breece Hall on the Jets’ opening play, Rodgers threw his first pass away after getting heavy pressure from Gregg Rousseau. Rodgers threw incomplete on the next play, but Terrel Bernard was called for defensive holding.

Then, Rodgers tried to avoid a rushing Floyd, who wrapped up the quarterback and took him down to the MetLife Stadium turf. Rodgers appeared to reach down at his leg before trainers attended to him. He stood up after a few moments, but needed help getting to New York’s sideline.

Rodgers was taken to the blue medical tent to be examined – and then sat on a cart. Halfway to the locker room, he hopped off the cart and limped inside.

Zach Wilson replaced him just 3:45 into the game. Wilson, who finished 14 of 21 for 140 yards and the TD pass, is expected to start next Sunday at Dallas.

“My job as a quarterback is I’ve got to step up,” Wilson said. “I’ve got to be as efficient as I can in that offense. Just a lot of emotions.”

HALL’S BACK

After Bass’ 40-yard field goal on Buffalo’s second offensive series put the Bills up 3-0, Zuerlein tied it with a 26-yarder to cap a drive jump-started by an 83-yard run by Hall. The second-year running back had his rookie season cut short last year in Week 7 when he tore the ACL in his left knee.

He spent the offseason working toward a comeback and made it to the opening game – and showed he’s healthy just 11 months after a major knee injury.

He finished with 127 yards on 10 carries.

OH, BROTHER!

Dalvin Cook made his Jets debut, rushing for 33 yards on 13 carries and catching three passes for 26 yards. He also got bragging rights again on his brother James, a Bills running back.

James Cook, who’s five years younger, had 46 yards on 12 carries and four receptions for 17 yards.

Dalvin’s Vikings beat the Bills 33-30 in overtime last season in the brothers’ first meeting.

UP NEXT

Bills: Host the Las Vegas Raiders in their home opener next Sunday.

Jets: Travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys next Sunday.

CHIEFS SIGN ALL-PRO DEFENSIVE TACKLE CHRIS JONES TO NEW 1-YEAR DEAL TO END HIS HOLDOUT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Chiefs signed Chris Jones to a new one-year contract Monday, which should end the All-Pro defensive tackle’s holdout and could mean he will be back on the field when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars for Week 2.

The Chiefs did not disclose terms, but a source told The Associated Press no years were added to his four-year, $80 million deal, which was due to expire. The person, speaking to AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the deal, said it instead includes incentives to substantially increase what Jones will make this season.

“Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,” Chiefs general manager Manager Brett Veach said in a statement. “He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform.”

Veach praised Jones’ representation, Jason and Michael Katz, for their work on the deal. The agents accompanied Jones to Kansas City last week and sat alongside him in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Chiefs’ season-opening loss to Detroit.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said hours before the deal was announced there had been recent communication between the sides.

“Two things were obvious,” Veach said, “Chris wanted to be a Chiefs and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf.”

Jones gave up a $500,000 workout bonus, was fined $50,000 each day for missing a mandatory minicamp and all of training camp, and forfeited nearly $1.1 million in his first game check for holding out through Week 1. It’s unclear whether the provisions in his new deal will allow Jones to recoup the millions he already lost.

The statement from the Chiefs did not discuss what could happen next season. The club could still work out a long-term deal with Jones, use the franchise tag – and perhaps trade him – or allow him to leave in free agency.

Jones is coming off perhaps the best year of his seven-year career. He had 15 1/2 sacks to match a career best, and easily lead the Kansas City defense, along with picking up the first postseason sacks of his career. He also batted down four passes, forced a pair of fumbles, recovered one and helped the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl title in the past four years.

Along with earning his first spot on the All-Pro first team and getting voted to his fourth straight Pro Bowl, the 29-year-old Jones finished third behind the 49ers’ Nick Bosa and the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons for AP Defensive Player of the Year.

The deal for Jones came about a week after he returned to Kansas City from his home in Miami, where he had been working out all offseason.

While he had not reported to the Chiefs at that point, Jones did spend about 90 minutes with sick children and their families on a visit to Ronald McDonald House Charities.

In his only public statement, Jones said: “Hopefully it gets worked out. It’s always been my goal to be a Kansas City Chief for life. I’ve said that multiple time on social media platforms, from interviews, and they know where my position is at.”

There had been rumors Jones wanted a deal that exceeded several recent contracts given to defensive tackles, but that would be less than that of the Rams’ Aaron Donald, who set the market with a three-year, $96 million contract. That would mean a deal in the ballpark of the four-year, $90 million deals of the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence and the Commanders’ Daron Payne, the four-year, $95 million contract for the Titans’ Jeffrey Simmons and the four-year, $96 million deal for the Jets’ Quinnen Williams.

“I’ve been keeping in contact with my teammates. I’ve been working out every day, doing similar things to what they’re doing in training camp,” Jones said. “I’ll be ready when the time comes.”

BROWNS LOSE STARTING TACKLE JACK CONKLIN FOR THE SEASON AFTER HE INJURES KNEE IN OPENER VS BENGALS

CLEVELAND (AP) Jack Conklin kept Deshaun Watson from harm. He couldn’t protect himself.

Cleveland’s starting right tackle sustained a “major” left knee injury in the first half of Sunday’s win over Cincinnati and will miss the remainder of the season, a major personal blow and significant one for the Browns.

Conklin, who returned last season from a severe injury to his right knee, tore two ligaments when he was inadvertently rolled up on by Bengals end Trey Hendrickson at the end of a pass play in the first half of the Browns’ 24-3 season-opening win.

Conklin was finishing off his block when Hendrickson hit him from the side after being pushed down by Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills. Jr. Conklin was carted off the field and tests Monday confirmed the diagnosis.

“He’s a huge part of this team, and when he gets this surgery and when he’s ready, he’s going to be back in this building helping us because he’s a big part of that offensive line room,” coach Kevin Stefanski said on a Zoom call. “So disappointed for him.”

A two-time All-Pro, Conklin worked hard and returned earlier than expected last season after rupturing his right patellar tendon in 2021. His comeback inspired teammates, who voted him their Ed Block Courage Award winner.

The Browns signed the 29-year-old Conklin to a four-year, $60 million contract extension in December.

Stefanski is confident that Conklin, who played four seasons with Tennessee before coming to Cleveland as a free agent in 2020, will make another return.

“He’s so conscientious, so mature,” Stefanski said. “So he’s disappointed and upset about it, but I have no doubt that he’ll bounce back from this, just knowing the person.”

After Conklin went out, rookie Dawand Jones came on and played well in his NFL debut.

“Some really good moments, some things that he’s got to clean up,” Stefanski said. “Honestly, any young player, when you get thrown into the mix early, there’s going to be some time to catch up. And I thought he had some good moments, some things that we will work real hard to clean up.”

A fourth-round pick from Ohio State, the 6-foot-8, 375-pound Jones has steadily improved since minicamp and held his own against the Bengals.

If he stays in the starting lineup, he’ll have his hands full next week as the Browns play at Pittsburgh and he could be matched up against Steelers All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt.

The Browns have another option in third-year tackle James Hudson III, who has made seven career starts.

Jones, though, keeps getting better and Stefanski was impressed with his debut.

“There are no redshirts in the NFL so you never know when that opportunity is going to come,” he said. “It happened in the first half of the first game and you have to be ready. He will continue to get better and then as it pertains to any matchup moving forward, it’s the NFL, every week is going to be very difficult.

“Obviously, going into Pittsburgh is tough on every team that goes into that place. So we’ll have a plan and we’ll move forward.”

CHIEFS OPTIMISTIC THAT TE TRAVIS KELCE WILL BE BACK FROM KNEE INJURY SUNDAY IN JACKSONVILLE

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Chiefs are trending toward having at least one of their missing All-Pros on Sunday in Jacksonville.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that tight end Travis Kelce, who hyperextended his knee in practice last week, has been progressing in his recovery. He wanted to play in Thursday night’s loss to Detroit, but Reid and Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder decided to make him inactive for the season opener after a workout earlier in the day.

“Travis is getting better,” Reid said. “We’ll see how he does the rest of today or tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

The Chiefs could certainly use their star tight end after their offense fizzled in the 21-20 loss to the Lions.

Without his security blanket, reigning NFL league MVP Patrick Mahomes was just 21 of 39 for 226 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception. The pick bounced off the hands of Kadarius Toney, who had several of the eight drops by Kansas City receivers, and was returned by 50 yards for a touchdown by Lions rookie Brian Branch.

Meanwhile, backup tight ends Noah Gray and Blake Bell combined to catch five passes for 43 yards.

“We’ll get the receiving things taken care of. I feel good about the receivers we have,” Reid said on a zoom Monday with local reporters. “We are not normally guys that drop the ball but we did and we have to fix it. But I think there is talent that will just keep improving as they continue to play. I have seen them do it before. I think we’ll get that worked out.”

The Chiefs have had some extra time after playing Thursday night. The Jaguars won 31-21 on Sunday in Indianapolis.

“We’ve all got to do better. That’s the thing I took out of this,” Reid said, “whether it’s coaching, it’s playing, the O-line, the D-line – we can all take something out of this game and get better at it. There were spurts of good and there were spurts of not-so good, and we were in position to win the game. Normally we do that and we did not.”

Watching it all transpire was All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has taken his contract holdout into the regular season and witnessed the opener alongside his agents, Jason and Michael Katz, from a suite inside Arrowhead Stadium.

Jones is in the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract, but if the sides do not reach an agreement, the Chiefs could franchise him next year as well. In the meantime, he has forfeited a $500,000 workout bonus, been fined $50,000 for each day missed of mandatory minicamp and training camp, and is now losing about $1.1 million in game checks for each one he misses.

“I really don’t have much of an update for you there,” said Reid, who has declined to say whether he has been involved in the negotiations. “There is communication going on. That is a plus. (General manager) Brett (Veach) is taking care of all of that.”

EX-BENGALS PLAYER ADAM ‘PACMAN’ JONES ARRESTED AT CINCINNATI AIRPORT

HEBRON, Ky. (AP) Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones was arrested early Monday after police responded to a report of an “unruly passenger” at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, authorities said.

Jones was booked on misdemeanor counts of alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct and terroristic threatening, Captain Kevin Klute of the Boone County Jail said.

Airport spokesperson Mindy Kerschner said that police were called at 6 a.m. Monday to help crew members with an unruly passenger on a flight scheduled for departure. Kerschner confirmed that Jones was the passenger “arrested prior to takeoff and taken to Boone Country Detention Center.”

Details about Jones’ arrest weren’t immediately released. Jones told WKRC-TV after he was released that he asked to be moved to another seat because the phone charger for the two seats he had purchased wasn’t working and was told that they would have to turn the plane around. He vehemently denied being intoxicated and also rejected the terroristic threat allegation.

“I’m hurt, this is embarrassing,” Jones told WLWT-TV while leaving the jail.

After playing college football at West Virginia, Jones was a first-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2005 to begin a 12-year tenure in the NFL marred almost from the beginning by off-field incidents and suspensions.

He played two seasons for the Titans but was then suspended by the NFL for the 2007 season for conduct that included at least 10 incidents where he was interviewed by police. He returned to the league in 2008 with the Dallas Cowboys.

He signed with Cincinnati for the 2010 season and would spend the bulk of his career with the Bengals, earning selection to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and ’15. He ended his career in Denver, playing seven games with the Broncos in 2018 before he was released.

REPORT: EAGLES LB NAKOBE DEAN (FOOT) OUT MULTIPLE WEEKS

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean will miss “multiple” weeks with a foot injury, NFL Network reported.

The injury sustained during Sunday’s season opener at New England will not require surgery but could lead to a stint on injured reserve, per the report.

Dean, 22, started and recorded seven tackles before exiting in the third quarter of Philadelphia’s 25-20 victory over the Patriots.

A third-round pick out of Georgia in 2022, Dean played in all 17 games as a rookie and registered 13 tackles while mostly playing on special teams.

FALCONS COACH ARTHUR SMITH BRUSHES OFF DISMAL PASSING STATS FOLLOWING OPENING WIN OVER PANTHERS

ATLANTA (AP) — Arthur Smith wanted to relish his first winning record in his three seasons as the Atlanta Falcons’ coach.

In his news conference following Sunday’s 24-10 season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers, Smith wasn’t interested in a question which began by noting that his quarterback, Desmond Ridder, had more catches than his No. 1 wide receiver, Drake London.

On the game’s first snap, Ridder caught the deflection of his pass for a loss of 6 yards. Ridder threw for only 115 yards and London had no catches with only one target.

It was not a great showing for Atlanta’s passing game, but the running game led by rookie Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and the bolstered defense led by Jessie Bates were enough to beat the Panthers.

Smith brushed off the question about Ridder and London.

“Let the fantasy guys worry about that,” Smith said. “We’ve got to clean some things up. We can all be better in our spacing and the targets is the most misunderstood thing in the National Football League. … We don’t care about the stats, we care about winning.”

The Falcons finished 7-10 in each of Smith’s first two seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since 2017.

Based on that context, the impressive debut by the first-year coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s defense and the production of Robinson and Allgeier were ample reasons for encouragement.

Meanwhile, fantasy players are advised to look elsewhere at quarterback and wide receiver until further notice.

WHAT’S WORKING

Even though the Panthers outrushed the Falcons 154-130, Atlanta’s ground game did not disappoint. Allgeier, who ran for 1,035 yards as a rookie in 2022, scored two touchdowns on the ground.

Robinson showed why he was the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. He displayed a rare combination of speed, power and elusiveness as he cut through the Carolina defense on his 11-yard touchdown reception.

Robinson displayed his versatility by lining up wide as well as behind Ridder. Cordarrelle Patterson, who was inactive because of a soft tissue injury, should add more all-purpose skills as a runner and receiver when healthy.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Ridder’s play was a continuation of his four-game audition as a starter to close last season, when he completed 63.5% of his passes for 708 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Against Carolina, Ridder completed 15 of 18 passes without an interception but again showed little interest or ability to stretch the defense with passes downfield.

Robinson’s six targets led the team. Mack Hollins led the wide receivers with four targets and caught three passes for 31 yards.

Clearly, the Falcons’ commitment to a run-first offense hasn’t changed. A win over Carolina isn’t enough proof the philosophy can put the team back in the playoffs without more help from the passing game.

STOCK UP

Allgeier led the team with 15 carries for 75 yards and scored the team’s two rushing scores. While Robinson was on the field for the first snap, Allgeier’s power runs made him more of a co-starter than a backup in this game, and it seems likely the Falcons will find more formations with both backs on the field.

STOCK DOWN

When the Falcons made London the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 draft, there were questions about his ability to create separation from defensive backs.

London (6-4, 213 pounds) averaged 12 yards on his 76 catches for 866 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, finishing strong with five or more catches in each of his last five games.

London’s slow start against Carolina is discouraging, but isn’t necessarily a blueprint for the season.

INJURIES

Smith said Monday that Patterson and cornerback Jeff Okudah (foot) were trending toward a possible return this week after missing the opener.

KEY NUMBER

34. Other than Robinson’s big play, there was one other notable highlight in the passing game. Tight end Kyle Pitts’ 34-yard catch was Atlanta’s biggest gain of the day. Though Pitts had only one other catch, it was an important glimpse of his form as a rookie in 2021 before his 2022 season was cut short by a knee injury.

Ultimately, the Falcons must find a way to create more plays through the air or defenses will stack the box to stop Robinson and Allgeier. Pitts may be the best path to passing production.

NEXT STEPS

The Falcons will remain home when Green Bay, coming off a 38-20 win at Chicago, visits Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.

JAGUARS PASS RUSHER JOSH ALLEN EARNS A RAISE IN OPENER BUT WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO CASH IN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jaguars pass rusher Josh Allen essentially earned a pay raise Sunday. He might have to wait until March to cash in, though.

The seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft had three sacks in Jacksonville’s season opener at Indianapolis — two of them because he chased Colts rookie Anthony Richardson out of bounds — and gave himself early leverage in future contract negotiations.

Allen is in the final year of his rookie deal, playing on a fifth-year option that guarantees him $10.9 million in 2023. He took a huge step toward persuading the Jaguars to keep him, and if not, surely increased his value in free agency.

“It was definitely a great start of what I want to achieve, but there’s also room to grow for next week,” Allen said following the 31-21 victory.

Aside from the addition of receiver Calvin Ridley, pass rush was the hottest topic in Jacksonville throughout the offseason and during training camp.

The Jaguars finished tied for 25th in the NFL with 35 sacks in 2022 and managed just three in two playoff games. A lingering memory from Jacksonville’s 27-20 playoff loss at Kansas City was repeatedly failing to get to Patrick Mahomes despite the star quarterback limping around on a badly sprained right ankle.

But instead of bolstering the team’s pass rush in free agency or the draft, the Jaguars banked on Allen and 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker making strides in their second year in coordinator Mike Caldwell’s defense.

General manager Trent Baalke met with available defensive lineman Calais Campell, Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney at different points between March and August. Baalke ended up trusting his gut and sticking with the guys already in the building.

He looked like a genius in Week 1.

Allen finished with 10 tackles, including the three sacks and several violent tackles against the run. And Walker added six tackles, including a sack. Allen had seven sacks last season; Walker had 3 1/2 as a rookie.

“I thought Josh really came into this game focused, energized, ready to get the season off on the right foot for himself,” coach Doug Pederson said. “Played well, played physical and it was good to see.”

Added Walker: “Man, Josh, he was very explosive. He was relentless. That was the main thing. We came into the game telling each other to be relentless. And with us being relentless, there’s no stopping us.”

The Jaguars host Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday.

WHAT’S WORKING

Trevor Lawrence and Calvin Ridley had an undeniable connection. Of Lawrence’s 24 completions, a third went to Ridley.

Ridley finished with eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in his first real action in 686 days. Ridley, with Atlanta at the time, stepped away from football in October 2021 to address his mental health and then was suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on games. The Falcons traded him to Jacksonville in November, and he was reinstated in March.

“I just want to get the W’s,” he said. “I want to play meaningful games. I want to win. I think we’re going in the right direction, and I think that is the most important part.”

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Jaguars need better ball security. They fumbled three times, with Lawrence, Ridley and rookie running back Tank Bigsby putting balls on the ground. Bigsby also tipped a pass that resulted in an interception.

All three did enough to overcome their mistakes.

STOCK UP

Cornerback Tyson Campbell forced a fumble in the third quarter and intercepted a pass in the fourth. His pick near the sideline with a three-point lead stopped the Colts’ drive and set up Travis Etienne’s 26-yard TD run that sealed the victory.

Campbell’s performance also set the tone for what many expect to be a stellar season for the third-year pro from Georgia.

STOCK DOWN

Rookie right tackle Anton Harrison had his hands full against Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam. Indy’s defensive duo combined for three tackles for loss.

Harrison, the 27th overall pick in April’s draft out of Oklahoma, surely will get better the more he plays. But his debut was less than ideal as Jacksonville’s line struggled to get much going on the ground early and faltered several times in short-yardage situations.

INJURIES

Veteran RG Brandon Scherff injured his right ankle and will undergo more testing. Backup CB Gregory Junior (hamstring) will be limited this week.

KEY NUMBER

4 — number of consecutive victories for Lawrence against the AFC South. It’s the longest divisional win streak of any quarterback in franchise history.

NEXT STEPS

The Jaguars have a chance against the Chiefs to proclaim themselves as someone to be reckoned with in the stacked AFC.

THE STEELERS WANT TO OPEN THINGS UP IN 2023. WEEK 1, HOWEVER, LOOKED AN AWFUL LOT LIKE 2022

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers knew adversity would come, as it always does. They just didn’t expect it to arrive quite so soon.

Getting “kicked in the teeth” will do that.

It took the San Francisco 49ers all of 17 minutes to render all the momentum, all the confidence, all the swagger the Steelers built during an impressive preseason meaningless.

When Brandon Aiyuk hauled in his second touchdown pass — a twisting 19-yard grab with Pittsburgh cornerback Patrick Peterson draped all over him — 90 seconds into the second quarter, the 49ers had 17 points and the Steelers had … 2 yards of total offense.

Things never really got better. There were no splash plays. No ripple plays either. The dynamic offense Pittsburgh wanted to unveil against one of the best teams in the NFL never showed up. San Francisco’s relentless pressure and a shaky day by second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett never allowed it.

Pittsburgh won the opening toss and took the ball, an unusual move by coach Mike Tomlin, who usually prefers to let the defense set the tone. This time, he hoped the offense would do it instead.

Not quite.

The Steelers didn’t get their initial first down until less than two minutes remained in the half, at which point they trailed by 20 points.

“We wanted to get out fast, we didn’t do that,” Pickett said. “Obviously playing behind against a really good team, you’re putting yourself in a hole we can’t do. Moving forward, we can’t allow that to happen.”

Pickett completed 31 of 46 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, almost all of the yards coming after the game was essentially decided.

More troubling was a pair of errant throws that drifted wide of their intended targets and ended up in the hands of a San Francisco defender.

They were the kind of mistakes Pickett largely avoided during a second-half surge to end his rookie season a year ago. Last year, however, the Steelers made it a point to ask Pickett to simply not lose games so the defense could try to win them.

Things are supposed to be different in 2023. Pickett’s job isn’t to be a caretaker but a difference-maker. He wasn’t one on Sunday. Then again, nobody else wearing black and gold was either.

Pickett stressed it was just one game, and on that point he’s right. Cleveland visits Acrisure Stadium next Monday fresh off a dominant victory over two-time defending AFC North champion Cincinnati.

The Browns want to beat teams the same way the 49ers do: by playing a physical brand of football. Cleveland was wildly successful in disrupting Bengals star Joe Burrow. Now Myles Garrett and company get to spend the week watching the 49ers manhandling Pittsburgh’s offensive line and figuring out how they can do the same.

“Things are going to get fixed, need to get fixed quick,” Pickett said.

WHAT’S WORKING

T.J. Watt remains T.J. Watt. The star outside linebacker tied James Harrison’s franchise record of 80 1/2 sacks when he chased down the 49ers’ Brock Purdy three times. Harrison needed 14 seasons in Pittsburgh to reach that total. Watt is just beginning his seventh.

The mark was of little solace, however, after the Steelers gave up 188 yards rushing, including 152 by Christian McCaffery.

“There’s so many more plays to be made out there, myself included,” Watt said.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Steelers beefed up the offensive line in the offseason, signing veteran guard Isaac Seumalo and selecting tackle Broderick Jones in the first round of the draft.

Pittsburgh failed to generate much push at all while giving up five sacks and managed just 41 yards rushing, 24 of them coming on Najee Harris’ burst up the right side late in the first half.

STOCK UP

Maybe Allen Robinson’s tank isn’t empty. The wide receiver caught five passes for 64 yards, his most productive game since November 2021 while playing for the Chicago Bears. With Diontae Johnson’s status uncertain after he tweaked his right hamstring, Robinson seems poised to take on a larger role.

STOCK DOWN

Peterson could be heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And while the eight-time Pro Bowler did swat away two passes on Sunday, he also was in the vicinity of the ball on all three San Francisco touchdowns. Not the best look for a player who predicted on his podcast he’d pick off Purdy at least once.

INJURIES

Longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward went down in the first quarter with a groin injury. Right tackle Chuks Okorafor could spend the week in the concussion protocol, possibly opening the door for Jones to make his first start. Defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal is dealing with an elbow issue.

KEY NUMBERS

1-4: Pittsburgh’s record in Week 2 games since 2018.

NEXT STEPS

Try to find their footing against the Browns. The teams split the season series in 2022, with each club winning at home.

PLENTY OF RUST TO GO WITH THE SHINE IN NFL’S WEEK 1. MANY OF THE $50 MILLION MEN HAD SHAKY DAYS

Several NFL teams looked like they needed more preseason work. Some seemed unstoppable.

It’s only one game so don’t rush to judge.

Most of the NFL’s $50 million men had shaky days, though two ended up on the winning side. The Packers, Dolphins, 49ers and Rams were impressive. The Cowboys dominated despite an average offensive performance.

Eight of 14 games Sunday finished under 40 points combined and 12 teams scored fewer than 20. Nine road teams won, including five underdogs.

Joe Burrow, fresh off becoming the highest-paid player in league history, had one of his worst games as a pro. Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, who briefly took turns owning the biggest contract, were rusty in victories. Justin Herbert, who also joined the $50 million club in the offseason, was sharp but couldn’t outplay Tua Tagovailoa.

Daniel Jones, the New York Giants’ $40 million QB, had a miserable game in a 40-0 loss to Dallas.

Burrow threw for a career-low 82 yards in Cincinnati’s 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Considering he missed most of the preseason with a calf strain and played in steady rain that made it difficult to throw, it’s no surprise Burrow was out of sync. Myles Garrett and the Browns’ ferocious defense never gave him a chance to get comfortable.

“It’s just some Week 1 stuff that happens everywhere,” Burrow said about miscommunication with receivers. “You see it across the league. That’s something that everybody has to get cleaned up. We have to get it cleaned up and we will.”

Hurts and the Eagles played in similar wet conditions in a 25-20 win at New England. Philadelphia’s dynamic offense sputtered, totaling just 251 yards. Hurts, the NFL MVP runner-up in 2022, lost a fumble late in the fourth quarter that almost cost the Eagles a win. The offense’s only TD drive came after Ezekiel Elliott fumbled at the Patriots 26.

The spotty performance left Eagles coach Nick Sirianni reconsidering his stance on sitting his starters in the preseason.

“I’ll definitely reevaluate some of the preseason stuff next year,” Sirianni said. “If I had to do it over again right now, I would say, yeah, I would have played starters one or two drives in the preseason.”

Jackson was rusty in his first game under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken but the Ravens still defeated the Texans 25-9 in C.J. Stroud’s debut. Jackson fumbled twice and threw a pick while also completing 77.3% of his passes.

“I haven’t played since November, didn’t play preseason, but I feel like it’s the first game and things like that may come up — not just with us (but) throughout the league,” Jackson said about the rust. “But, we got the win. Just move forward, focus on practicing a little harder on the things we messed up on.”

Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, Purdy and the 49ers and Jordan Love and the Packers came out firing. So did Matthew Stafford and the Rams in a surprise 30-13 upset at Seattle.

Tagovailoa threw for 466 yards and three TDs, including a pinpoint 4-yard TD toss to Tyreek Hill for the decisive score in a 36-34 victory in Los Angeles. Hill had 11 catches for 215 yards and two scores.

Purdy, playing his first game since suffering an elbow injury that required surgery only six months ago, picked up where he left off in a brilliant rookie season. He passed for 220 yards and two TDs in San Francisco’s 30-7 win at Pittsburgh.

Kenny Pickett and the Steelers proved preseason success doesn’t matter. Pickett played five series in the preseason, leading the offense to five TDs. They managed just 239 yards against the 49ers.

The Packers still own the Bears without Aaron Rodgers. Love had three TD passes in Green Bay’s 38-20 win at Chicago.

Love and the Packers weren’t the only team to have success in the first game without a legendary QB. No Tom Brady was no problem for Tampa Bay. Baker Mayfield played efficiently in a 20-17 win at Minnesota.

The biggest surprise of Week 1 was Stafford and the rebuilding Rams routing the Seahawks, who made the playoffs last season. Stafford threw for 334 yards even without Cooper Kupp on the opposite end of those passes.

Trevor Lawrence and Calvin Ridley had an instant connection in Jacksonville’s 31-21 win at Indianapolis. Derek Carr got off to a winning start in New Orleans. Russell Wilson returned to his old self under Sean Payton but Jimmy Garoppolo rallied the Raiders to a 17-16 win at Denver.

Opening week wraps up with Rodgers and the New York Jets hosting Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Based off Sunday’s games, there’s no telling how this AFC East matchup will play out.

TAKE FIVE: PLAYERS ON WEEK 2 HOT SEAT

Offseason hype and preseason hope hit the brakes for a handful of NFL players in Week 1 of the 2023 season.

Justin Fields for MVP? Daniel Jones taking the next step? Steelers out of their slumber in the AFC North?

Overreaction comes naturally from fan bases. Pride and pressure are factors for players who failed to perform or missed chances to deliver desired results.

Here are five players on the hot seat entering Week 2:

–Giants QB Daniel Jones
Not to say the goose egg in Week 1 falls entirely on Jones’ shoulders. It’s not his fault. He’s entitled to an extra share of the blame by virtue of the four-year, $160 million contract he bagged in March.

We could list offensive linemen by name and underline whether Brian Daboll’s QB whisperer credentials were burnt to a crisp by looking wholly unprepared to deal with a division rival on Sunday night. Instead, we’re keeping the tight focus on the highest-paid player on the roster.

Jones completed 15 of 28 passes and was sacked seven times. It wasn’t a matter of not having time to throw. He averaged 3.04 seconds in the NFL’s “time to throw” metric, which was fifth-best in the NFL through Sunday’s games. Credit coverage while questioning if the Giants have enough skill outside to consistently separate and give Jones windows for downfield completions.

Not to be overlooked on the hot seat, special mention for right tackle Evan Neal. He had a rough night and said after the game he was “embarrassed” by the 40-0 result.

Up Next: At Arizona

Say what?
“I’d say we got a lot of work to do in every area.” –Brian Daboll after Week 1 loss to Dallas

–Bears QB Justin Fields
If this is the season general manager Ryan Poles plans to measure Fields’ ability to be a true pocket passer, Week 1 must be graded as an incomplete.

NFL Next Gen Stats reveal Fields averaged 3.3 “intended air yards” and the same “complete air yards” per attempt. Only the Atlanta Falcons with Desmond Ridder in his fifth career start (3.0 IAY, 2.3 CAY) were less aggressive than the Bears.

Fields never looked comfortable against the Packers and head coach Matt Eberflus said in his assessment of the offense on Monday morning that the Bears “certainly need to threaten the defense down the field.” The ultra-conservative approach also shows up in the Bears’ offense averaging 6.9 yards to the sticks, a strong indictment of the team’s woes on first and second downs.

On the bright side, Fields led the team in rushing with 59 yards and attempts (nine). But he was also sacked four times.

Up Next: At Tampa Bay

Say What?
“Nobody’s in good spirits. This one hurts. I’m not going to lie to you. I want to say sorry to teammates, to fans who were rooting for us. But we’ll bounce back.” — Justin Fields on losing Week 1.

–Colts RB Deon Jackson
In a Week 1 loss to the Jaguars, Colts running backs combined for 25 yards on 16 carries and Jackson averaged 1.1 yards per carry with 13 rushes for 14 yards in his bid to fill the role vacated by Jonathan Taylor. Taylor (ankle) is on the physically unable to perform list and might not return because of his standoff with the team over his contract.

Now the question for the Colts is whether Jackson returns as the starter in Week 2. He lost a fumble on fourth down and each of his five receptions (for 16 yards) was on a safety outlet valve toss from rookie QB Anthony Richardson. Zack Moss was inactive with a forearm injury and could be back as an option this week.

Rookie Evan Hull (knee) left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, which could require the team to add a running back. Worth noting: free agent Kareem Hunt visited the team last month and was reportedly offered a contract.

Up Next: At Houston

Say What? “We like what Deon has done. We think Deon has taken another step.” — Colts GM Chris Ballard on Deon Jackson.

–Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney
He had four extra days to hear about his three critical drops — one that led to a Pick-6 — in Kansas City’s flat opening night showing and 21-20 loss to the Detroit Lions. Toney’s catch percentage of 20 percent highlights his issues in a spot where the Chiefs were counting on him to help ease the absence of tight end Travis Kelce.

Up Next: At Jacksonville

Say What?
“Obviously he would have wanted to catch a few of those in the game but I have trust that he is going to be the guy that I go to in those crucial moments and he’s going to make the catch and win us some games like he did last year … I’m sure that those drops will disappear.” — Patrick Mahomes on Kadarius Toney.

–Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
No longer sweating his salary — Jackson signed a five-year deal after being hit with the franchise tag — and given more input in the system of first-year coordinator Todd Monken, some version of MVP Lamar Jackson was envisioned in Week 1.

Security blanket Mark Andrews was inactive but Jackson was ineffective for long stretches, had two turnovers (fumble, INT) and further modifications to the offense are likely with running back J.K. Dobbins lost for the season to a torn Achilles.

Jackson led the Ravens in rushing (no surprise) and did flash moments of brilliance in the pocket. See the perfectly placed toss to Odell Beckham Jr. to convert a 3rd-and-6 with 7:28 left in the game and a 22-9 lead.

We’re giving Jackson a mulligan considering this was his first game since November 2022. He missed the final six games last season and didn’t play in preseason games.

Up Next: at Cincinnati

–Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Broncos PK Will Lutz, Saints LT Trevor Penning, Seahawks secondary, 49ers RT Colton McKivitz, Steelers QB Kenny Pickett

Burrow completed an NFL-low 45.2 percent of his passes at Cleveland, where defensive end Myles Garrett and a constant Browns’ pass rush helped doom the Bengals.

Acquired via trade by the Broncos, Lutz missed an extra point and 55-yard field goal in a 17-16 loss.

Penning was responsible for multiple sacks of Saints quarterback Derek Carr.

The Rams blew up the Legion of Boom. Only Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (10.9) had a higher “completed air yards” number in Week 1 than Rams QB Matthew Stafford (9.2).

McKivitz was promoted to the starting RT job when Mike McGlinchey joined the Broncos in free agency. On Sunday he was baptized by T.J. Watt of the Steelers. He had three sacks and a forced fumble.

Pickett had a lot of positive press in the preseason but was erratic and helped the Steelers dig a massive hole they couldn’t climb out of against the 49ers.

*******COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS*********

BIG 10 FOOTBALL WEEKLY

• Twelve Big Ten schools will continue their non-conference schedules this weekend, while Illinois hosts Penn State in conference action on Saturday at noon on FOX. The complete Week 3 schedule appears to the right.

• Four Big Ten teams appear in the AP Poll this week. Michigan leads the conference at No. 2, followed by No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State and No. 25 Iowa. Maryland, Minnesota and Wisconsin are each receiving votes.

• Eight Big Ten teams remain undefeated on the season, as Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers are all 2-0.

• Penn State currently ranks among the top 20 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Nittany Lions rank sixth in scoring offense, averaging 50.5 points per contest, while ranking No. 17 nationally in scoring defense (11.0 points per game).

• Six additional Big Ten teams rank in the top 20 in terms of scoring defense: Michigan (2nd, 5.0 points per game), Ohio State (2nd, 5.0 points per game), Rutgers (8th, 7.0 points per game), Minnesota (10th, 8.0 points per game), Michigan State (16th, 10.5 points per game) and Maryland (23rd, 13.0 points per game).

• Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy completed 13 consecutive passing attempts to open Saturday’s game against UNLV, a record for quarterbacks under Harbaugh. Previously, the longest streak occurred when McCarthy went 8-for-8 to open last season’s Indiana game. Through two games, McCarthy has completed 48-of-55 pass attempts (26-of-30 in week one). McCarthy has the fourth-highest completion percentage through two games in NCAA Division I history and currently leads the country in completion percentage (87.3 percent).

• Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz won his 200th career game on Sept. 9 when the Hawkeyes won a 20-13 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup at Iowa State. Ferentz is the 27th head coach to reach the milestone at an FBS institution and just the 99th college coach across all divisions since 1890.

• Michigan State’s Noah Kim went 18-for-22, passing for 292 yards and three touchdowns in the 45-14 win over Richmond, completing 15-straight passes to close out the game. His 292 yards marked a career-high for the second week in a row, topping last week’s 279 yards in his starting debut vs. Central Michigan, while the 18 completions match last week’s 18-for-31 passing. The 15 consecutive completions set a new school record and tied for the sixth-longest single-game streak in Big Ten history.

• Minnesota running back Darius Taylor rushed 33 times for 193 yards and one touchdown in Minnesota’s 25-6 win against Eastern Michigan. His 193 yards were second most in school history for a true freshman, behind only Darrell Thompson who rushed for 205 yards against Bowling Green in 1986. Taylor rushed eight times for 44 yards in the first half before logging 25 carries for 149 yards in the second half. His lone touchdown of the game was a two-yard burst in the second quarter.

• Michigan and Purdue will look to repeat as division champions this season, as the Wolverines finished 9-0 to win the East Division and the Boilermakers finished atop the West Division standings at 6-3 in conference play.

• The 2023 campaign will feature 99 All-Big Ten honorees (first-, second-, third-team or honorable mention) selected by either the coaches or the media last season, with Ohio State leading the way with 16 all-conference returnees. The East Division welcomes back 56 all-conference players, while the West returns 43. Illinois is the only West team with double-digit all-conference returnees with 10, while each team has at least one All-Big Ten performer returning.

• The Big Ten finished last season with three teams ranked in the AP Top 25, tying for the third-most of any conference. All three teams finished in the Top 10, marking the second straight year that the conference had three top 10 teams at the end of the season. The 2023 AP Preseason Poll also featured five Big Ten teams in No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State, No. 19 Wisconsin, and No. 25 Iowa, while Illinois and Minnesota are both receiving votes.

• Last season, the Big Ten posted the fifth-highest single-season attendance total in conference history with 6,333,196 fans attending home games. Excluding 2020, this marked the ninth consecutive season and 10th time in 11 seasons that more than six million fans have attended Big Ten home football games.

• This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2024, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl. Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium. The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game.

Friday, September 15, 2023 Football
Away	Home	Time	Location	Links
Virginia	Maryland	7:00 P.M.	College Park, MD	Stats Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network Audio Video

Saturday, September 16, 2023 Football
Away	Home	Time	Location	Links
Minnesota	North Carolina	3:30 P.M.	Chapel Hill, NC	TV: ESPN Stats Radio: Gopher Radio Network Video
Western Michigan	Iowa	3:30 P.M.	Iowa City, Iowa
Western Kentucky	Ohio State	4:00 P.M.	Columbus, Ohio
Georgia Southern	Wisconsin	12:00 P.M.	Madison, WI	TV: BTN Stats Radio: Badger Sports Network
Louisville	Indiana	12:00 P.M.	Indianapolis, Ind. (Lucas Oil Stadium)	TV: BTN Stats Radio: Indiana Sports Radio Network
Penn State	Illinois	12:00 P.M.	Champaign, Ill. (Conf.)	TV: FOX Stats Radio: Penn State Sports Network
Northwestern	Duke	3:30 P.M.	Durham, NC	TV: ACC Network Radio: WGN Radio 720 Video
Virginia Tech	Rutgers	3:30 P.M.	Piscataway, N.J.	TV: Big Ten Network Stats Radio: WFAN 101.9-FM/660-AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 108 or 202, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app Video
Washington	Michigan State	5:00 P.M.	East Lansing, MI	TV: Peacock Radio: Spartan Media Network
Northern Illinois	Nebraska	7:00 P.M.	Lincoln, Neb.
Syracuse	Purdue	7:30 P.M.	West Lafayette, Ind.	TV: NBC Stats Radio: WAZY (96.5 FM) Video
Bowling Green	Michigan	7:30 P.M.	Ann Arbor, Mich.	TV: Big Ten Network Stats Video

IOWA, MICHIGAN STATE, MINNESOTA AND RUTGERS EARN WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONORS

Following Week 2 contests, the Big Ten Conference Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week, and the Freshman of the Week were announced this morning. Below are this week’s honorees:

Offensive Player of the Week
Noah Kim, Michigan State
QB – Jr. – Centreville, Va. – Westfield

Went 18-for-22, passing for 292 yards and three touchdowns in the 45-14 win over Richmond, completing 15-straight passes to close out the game
The 292 yards marked a career-high for the second week in a row, topping last week’s 279 yards in his starting debut vs. Central Michigan, while the 18 completions matches last week’s 18-for-31 passing
Kim is now 36-for-53 for 571 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions through the first two games of the season
The Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award
Last Michigan State Offensive Player of the Week: Kenneth Walker III (Nov. 1, 2021)

Defensive Player of the Week
Sebastian Castro, Iowa
DB – Sr. – Oak Lawn, Ill. – Richards

Recorded a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter that gave the Hawkeyes a 17-0 lead in an eventual 20-13 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series win at Iowa State
Castro’s interception was the first of his career and it was his second career touchdown
Finished the game with four tackles and a key fourth quarter pass breakup that helped Iowa prevail in Ames for the sixth consecutive time and give head coach Kirk Ferentz his 200th career victory
Earns the first Defensive Player of the Week accolade of his career
Last Iowa Defensive Player of the Week: Jack Campbell (Nov. 20, 2022)

Special Teams Player of the Week
Jai Patel, Rutgers
K – So. – Monmouth Junction, N.J. – South Brunswick

Went 3-for-3 on field goals in the Scarlet Knights’ 36-7 win over Temple
Connected on a career-long 51-yard field goal, tied for the seventh-longest make in program history, and added successful attempts from 43 and 23 yards out
Contributed three extra points in as many attempts
Garners the first Special Teams Player of the Week honor of his career
Last Rutgers Special Teams Player of the Week: Adam Korsak (Nov. 1, 2021)

Freshman of the Week
Darius Taylor, Minnesota
RB – Detroit, Mich. – Walled Lake Western

Rushed 33 times for 193 yards and one touchdown in a 25-6 win against Eastern Michigan
His 193 yards were second most in school history for a true freshman, behind Darrell Thompson who rushed for 205 yards against Bowling Green in 1986
Added 13 receiving yards to finish with 206 all-purpose yards
Earns the first Freshman of the Week honor of his career
Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Athan Kaliakmanis (Nov. 28, 2022)

AP TOP 25 REALITY CHECK: ALABAMA’S LATEST SLIP OUT OF THE TOP FIVE CONTINUES A TREND FOR TIDE

So much about Nick Saban’s 17 seasons at Alabama represents unprecedented success in college football that even the slightest dip in performance is notable.

For any other program, seemingly permanent residence in the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll going on nine consecutive seasons would be celebrated. For the Crimson Tide, it’s a sign of slippage.

No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan held their places atop the AP poll Sunday, with Florida State moving up to No. 3 and Texas vaulting into the top five at No. 4 after beating ‘Bama.The Tide dropped seven spots to No. 10, keeping its streak of consecutive appearances in the top 10 alive at 128.

Look a little closer. From 2009-2020, the season of Alabama’s sixth and most recent national championship under Saban, the Crimson Tide appeared in the AP poll’s top five a jaw-dropping 88% of the time. Not only was that the best mark in college football over that span, but next best wasn’t even close: Ohio State appeared in the top five 50% of the time.

From 2021 through the first couple of weeks of this season, the Tide has been a top-five team 77% of the time. That is still second-best in the country behind Georgia (100%) and ahead of Ohio State (68.6%) and Michigan (60%).

The loss to Texas marked the earliest in a season Alabama has dropped a game during Saban’s tenure and it ended a record 57-game winning streak against nonconference opponents in the regular season. Saban pointed out that this was not Alabama’s final exam and there is plenty of time to improve.

Reality check is in no rush to declare the dynasty dead, but it is fair to say that Alabama is in a rut.

No. 1 Georgia (2-0)

Next: vs. South Carolina, Saturday

Reality check: Mekhi Mews, a 5-8 walk-on receiver, has been the Bulldogs’ breakout star during two blowouts. The third-year speedster leads the team with six catches for 102 yards and he returned a punt for a touchdown against Ball State.

Ranked: Based purely on results, a voter could bump the Bulldogs down. But not doing so is OK.

No. 2 Michigan (2-0)

Next: vs. Bowling Green, Saturday.

Reality check: The Wolverines have not yet gotten RB Donovan Edwards (18 carries, 46 yards) going as the complement to Blake Corum.

Ranked: See Georgia.

No. 3 Florida State (2-0)

Next: at Boston College, Saturday.

Reality check: The Seminoles seemed to already have a No. 1 receiver in Johnny Wilson, but the spring addition of Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman gave them an even better option.

Ranked: Could be No. 1.

No. 4 Texas (2-0)

Next: vs. Wyoming, Saturday.

Reality check: Freshman LB Anthony Hill could be this season’s Harold Perkins. Hill has similar explosive athleticism to the LSU star who became a major impact player in his first year.

Ranked: Could also be No. 1.

No. 5 Southern California (3-0)

Next: at Arizona State, Sept. 23.

Reality check: The much-maligned defense has been better the last two weeks (24 points allowed), but between the huge leads the Trojans have had and the weak opposition, it is hard to gauge progress.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 6 Ohio State (2-0)

Next: vs. Western Kentucky, Saturday.

Reality check: The Buckeyes rank 114th in the country in third-down conversions at 30.4%. Something to keep an eye on.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 7 Penn State (2-0)

Next: at Illinois, Saturday.

Reality check: The Nittany Lions have scored at least 30 points in nine straight games, the longest streak in the nation.

Ranked: Little low.

No. 8 Washington (2-0)

Next: at Michigan State, Saturday.

Reality check: The best trio of receivers in college football — Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk — have combined for 696 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. They each have a rushing touchdown.

Ranked: About right.

No. 9 Notre Dame (3-0)

Next: vs. Central Michigan,

Reality check: There is always another tight end at Notre Dame. Holden Staes is a little different variety, not quite as big but more explosive. He’s got three touchdowns and is averaging 23 yards per catch.

Ranked: Little low.

No. 10 Alabama (1-1)

Next: at South Florida, Saturday.

Reality check: QB Jalen Milroe wasn’t good enough to beat Texas. He might be good enough to beat most of the other teams on the Tide’s schedule. So what’s the play? Hope he develops or go to another player who might have a lower ceiling but might not make as many costly errors?

Ranked: This is fine.

No. 11 Tennessee (2-0)

Next: at Florida, Saturday.

Reality check: QB Joe Milton and the Vols’ passing game didn’t click against Austin Peay (6.9 yards per pass). That a reason to worry?

Ranked: About right.

No. 12 Utah (2-0)

Next: vs. Weber State, Saturday.

Reality check: Utes have absorbed some early losses the last two years before rolling to Pac-12 titles. Now they’ve beaten two Power Five opponents without their starting quarterback. Lots to be optimistic about.

Ranked: A little low.

No. 13 Oregon (2-0)

Next: vs. Hawaii, Saturday.

Reality check: Ducks pass rush was key against Texas Tech, getting four sacks and forcing Tyler Shough into making a heroic performance — which the former Oregon quarterback almost did.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 14 LSU (1-1)

Next: at Mississippi State, Saturday.

Reality check: After using dynamic pass rusher Harold Perkins mostly to do things other than rush the passer against Florida State — without much success — how much will LSU tinker with that plan going forward?

Ranked: Too high.

No. 15 Kansas State (2-0)

Next: at Missouri, Saturday.

Reality check: The Wildcats have had an uneventful and highly effective opening two weeks.

Ranked: Too low.

No. 16 Oregon State (2-0)

Next: vs. San Diego State, Saturday.

Reality check: RB Damien Martinez’s 9.96-yard average per carry is the highest in the Power Five among players with at least 20 carries.

Ranked: Little low.

No. 17 Mississippi (2-0)

Next: vs. Georgia Tech, Saturday.

Reality check: QB Jaxson Dart, who struggled late last season and faced a challenge from transfers to keep his starting job, has responded so far with a 206.57 passer rating.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 18 Colorado (2-0)

Next: vs. Colorado State, Saturday.

Reality check: Colorado and Utah are the only teams in the country with two Power Five victories.

Ranked: Too low.

No. 19 Oklahoma (2-0)

Next: at Tulsa, Saturday.

Reality check: A solid but unspectacular performance against SMU makes this still mostly a mystery team until Big 12 play starts.

Ranked: Too high.

No. 20 North Carolina (2-0)

Next: vs. Minnesota, Saturday.

Reality check: Tar Heels showed they have another star in RB Omarion Cooper (234 yards vs. App State) to go with QB Drake Maye.

Ranked: Too low.

No. 21 Duke (2-0)

Next: vs. Northwestern, Saturday.

Reality check: Blue Devils got a well-deserved break with Lafayette coming to town after the Clemson victory.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 22 Miami (2-0)

Next: vs. Bethune-Cookman, Thursday.

Reality check: New offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has unlocked the 2021 version of QB Tyler Van Dyke and found him some weapons in WRs Colbie Young and Jacolby George.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 23 Washington State (2-0)

Next: vs. Northern Colorado, Saturday.

Reality check: QB Cam Ward seems to have taken a step forward in his second year with the Cougars after transferring up from FCS.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 24 UCLA (2-0)

Next: vs. Northern Colorado, Saturday.

Reality check: Took freshman QB Dante Moore about half a game to become entrenched as the starter. He has thrown five TDs in 39 attempts.

Ranked: Just right.

No. 25 Iowa (2-0)

Next: vs. Western Michigan, Saturday.

Reality check: Four offensive touchdowns in two games and still perfect. Same as it ever was so far for the Hawkeyes.

Ranked: Too high.

SUSPENDED MICHIGAN STATE COACH CALLS HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS FALSE AND OUTSIDE SCOPE OF TITLE IX

(AP) — Suspended Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker said Monday that allegations of sexual harassment against him are “completely false” and the intimate phone call he had with activist and rape survivor Brenda Tracy is outside the scope of both Title IX and school policy.

In a two-page statement released by a Detroit law firm, Tucker sharply criticized Tracy for suggesting their relationship was anything but consensual and ripped the months-long investigation into his behavior as deeply flawed.

“I can only conclude that there is an ulterior motive designed to terminate my contract based on some other factor such as a desire to avoid any Nasser taint, or my race or gender,” said Tucker, who is Black.

The university was fined $4.5 million four years ago by the Education Department for failing to adequately respond to sexual assault complaints against Larry Nassar, a campus sports doctor who molested elite gymnasts and other female athletes. The school has also settled lawsuits filed by Nassar victims for $500 million.

Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller suspended Tucker without pay Sunday, less than 24 hours after Tracy’s allegations became public in a USA Today report.

The university hired a Title IX attorney to investigate Tracy’s complaint and the investigation concluded July 25. A hearing is scheduled for the week of Oct. 5 to determine if Tucker violated the school’s sexual harassment and exploitation policy.

“The proceedings initiated by Ms. Tracy are devoid of any semblance of fairness for any matter of this importance,” Tucker said. “That is why I share some truth with you now.”

Tucker is in the third year of a $95 million, 10-year contract and if he is fired for cause, the school would not have to pay him what’s remaining on his deal.

The school may fire Tucker for cause if he “engages in any conduct which constitutes moral turpitude or which, in the University’s sole judgement, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule upon the university,” according to his contract. The school also was able to suspend Tucker, without pay, if he “materially breaches” his contract.

“Ms. Tracy’s attorney told us from the very beginning that I should not lose my job over her allegations, but that it would take a lot of money to make it go away,” Tucker said. “Her twisting of our personal relationship months after it concluded is designed to revive her career and destroy my life, precipitated by her greed.”

Tracy became friends with Tucker over her advocacy work, but that relationship took a turn in April 2022 when Tucker masturbated during a phone call with her, according to USA Today.

Tucker acknowledged to investigators last spring that he masturbated during the phone call with Tracy, but insisted it was consensual “phone sex.”

“We developed a mutual friendship that grew into an intimate, adult relationship,” said the 51-year-old Tucker, who is married and has two children. “At this point, my wife and I had been estranged for a long time.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has spoken about being raped decades earlier, also weighed on the case.

“As a survivor, I’m shocked. As a Spartan, I’m disappointed. As Governor, I want answers,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I know the pain that so many feel when allegations like this come to light because I live it too. It’s retraumatizing. MSU holds a special place in so many of our hearts – which is what makes this hurt more.

“We deserve to know when the university knew about these allegations and why they made the decisions they did. We need to ensure that one of our state’s flagship universities, one that carries so much weight around the world, is learning from the past and not recreating it.”

Tracy is known for her work with college teams, educating athletes about sexual violence. She has spoken to Michigan State’s football team multiple times. She has not returned multiple messages seeking additional comment, but responded on social media Monday night.

“Coach Tucker has been delaying and trying to stop the investigative process since the beginning. He can’t afford to go to a hearing that determines credibility of the participating parties. I believe this statement is his way of getting out of participating in the hearing,” she wrote.

“While I am saddened by Ms. Tracy’s disclosure of the sensitive nature of this call, let me be perfectly clear – it was an entirely mutual, private event between two adults living at opposite ends of the country,” Tucker said. “She initiated the discussion that night, sent me a provocative picture of the two of us together, suggested what she may look like without clothes, and never once during the 36 minutes did she object in any manner, much less hang up the phone.”

JUDGE RULES FOR OREGON STATE AND WASHINGTON STATE, SAYS DEPARTING PAC-12 SCHOOLS CAN’T HOLD MEETING

(AP) — A judge granted a request by Oregon State and Washington State for a temporary restraining order on Monday to prevent departing Pac-12 members from meeting until it can be determined who has the right to chart the future of the disintegrating conference.

At a hearing in Whitman County Superior Court in Washington, Judge Gary Libey ruled that a board of directors meeting scheduled for later this week with conference Commissioner George Kliavkoff and university leaders from 10 departing members cannot take place.

Washington State President Kirk Schulz, who now serves as the chairman of the Pac-12’s board, and athletic director Pat Chun attended the hearing at a courthouse not far from the school’s Pullman campus. The judge did not immediately set another court date.

Oregon State and Washington State want full control over decision making for the conference as the only schools committed to the league beyond the current school year. The schools filed the breach of bylaws complaint Friday.

“I am pleased with today’s decision. As the two remaining Pac- 12 members, Oregon State and Washington State must be able to chart a path forward for the Pac 12–not the members that have chosen to leave it,” Oregon State President Jayathi Murthy said in a statement.

Leaders of the Pacific Northwest schools have stated they would like to rebuild the Pac-12, taking control of its assets and intellectual property while preserving its brand. They say they fear the outgoing schools will try to dissolve the conference and divvy up its assets on the way out the door if they are permitted to convene a board meeting.

“Members who have announced that they are leaving to join a competitor no longer have any loyalty to the Pac-12, cannot be entrusted to make decisions on behalf of the Pac-12,” said Eric MacMichael, an attorney for Oregon State.

MacMichael said on the agenda for the scheduled meeting was a discussion of amending the conference bylaws. He also accused departing members of plotting to use Pac-12 assets to fund their transitions to other conferences.

The Pac-12’s attorney, Mark Lambert, said the meeting was called by Kliavkoff to address the operation of the conference for the rest of the school year. He also disputed the plaintiff’s assertion that schools were considering using Pac-12 funds to pay for transition costs.

“There are certainly the types of amendments that could be very harmful to their interests, but none of those are on the table and there’s no evidence that a motion for dissolution or a motion to hoard conference funds is even in discussion,” Lambert said.

MacMichael said under the Pac-12 bylaws, Oregon State and Washington State should have the opportunity to keep the conference alive without any interference from outgoing members.

Oregon State and Washington State contend that eight schools — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Stanford and California – forfeited their right to be on the board when they announced their intentions to join other conferences next year.

USC and UCLA were stripped of voting rights by the Pac-12 in 2022 when they decided to join the Big Ten.

The eight schools that have announced their departures over the last month and half dispute what constitutes formal notification of departure from the conference, according to the bylaws.

The official departure date for schools leaving the Pac-12 is July 31, 2024.

Lambert said there is still conference business to attend to by the league office, including the retention of nearly 200 employees.

Libey did allow for the conference to continue to conduct day-to-day business as usual, and granted Lambert’s request to permit the league office to take actions that are agreed upon by unanimous written vote of the 10 members that made up the board before the latest round of departures.

Lambert said Kliavkoff and the conference office are caught in the middle of a conflict between Oregon State and Washington State and the outgoing schools.

There were no attorneys for any of the departing schools present for the hearing.

“Each are highly suspicious of the other,” Lambert said.

OKLAHOMA ASSISTANT LEBBY SORRY FOR DISTRACTION DISGRACED FATHER-IN-LAW ART BRILES CAUSED AT GAME

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby apologized Monday after his father-in-law, disgraced former Baylor coach Art Briles, was seen on the field with Lebby after Oklahoma’s 28-11 win over SMU on Saturday night.

Baylor fired Briles in 2016 after an investigation concluded he and his staff took no action against players named in sexual assault allegations. The images of Briles decked out in Oklahoma gear on Owen Field drew backlash from Sooners fans on social media.

“Just want everybody to understand, my father-in-law – his presence on the field after the game the other night is just something that created a distraction. And I do – I apologize for that,” Lebby said in a prepared statement at the start of his weekly media session. “That was not the intent at all. The intent was just to to celebrate with my family.”

The situation caught Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione and coach Brent Venables off guard. Castiglione said in a statement on Saturday night that it should not have happened based on boundaries that had been set.

“Joe Castiglione, coach Venables both have addressed concerns with me, have talked to me about it, and again, can make sure that everybody understands that this is something that will not come up again,” Lebby said.

No. 19 Oklahoma visits Tulsa on Saturday.

NEBRASKA TO STICK WITH TURNOVER-PRONE QB JEFF SIMS

Jeff Sims is Nebraska’s starting quarterback if his left ankle injury allows him to play in Saturday’s home game against Northern Illinois.

Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule said Sims is the program’s starting quarterback. The Monday declaration came despite Sims throwing four interceptions and losing two fumbles in two losses to open the 2023 season.

“Jeff is our starting quarterback,” Rhule said of Sims, who missed Sunday’s practice. “So if this hadn’t happened, he’d still be out there. That being said, we can’t keep turning the ball over. So there’s that fine line.”

Sims threw three interceptions in a 13-10 road loss at Minnesota on Aug. 31. He threw another pick and lost two fumbles during Saturday’s 36-14 loss at then-No. 22 Colorado.

The Cornhuskers committed eight turnovers in two games and are at minus-6 in the takeaway column.

“When you’re the quarterback, not everything is your fault,” Rhule said. “You snap the ball and hits a guy in motion — sometimes it’s the quarterback’s fault, sometimes it is someone else’s fault.
“This is from the top down, starting with me, we have to be better. We can’t be minus-8. That goes without saying.”

Sims has completed 20 of 34 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown in the two games. He has been solid on the ground, rushing for 158 yards, including a 57-yard score against Colorado.

But the Georgia Tech transfer has always had turnover issues. He committed 31 in three seasons with the Yellow Jackets (23 interceptions, eight fumbles) and his troubles have continued with the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska’s backup options are Heinrich Haarberg and Chubba Purdy. Haarberg went 2-for-6 passing with 13 yards and a touchdown against Colorado while Purdy came in for one play and threw an incompletion after Haarberg’s helmet came off and had to miss a play.

Purdy is the younger brother of Brock Purdy, the former Iowa State star who is making a name for himself as quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers.

Rhule said Purdy has been bothered by a groin injury.

Haarberg would likely start if Sims can’t play against Northern Illinois (1-1).

“I thought the moment wasn’t too big for him,” Rhule said of Haarberg’s cameo against Colorado. “What I loved about Heinrich is that three times they had a guy blitzing, hitting in him in the face and he stood in there and threw it — that’s the courage that we need. I thought he looked excellent running the ball, which we knew.”

******MAC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK*******

MAC Football East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Gage Larvadain, Miami, WR
Junior, Donaldsonville, La. (Riverside Academy)
Gage Larvadain finished Saturday’s contest with eight catches for 273 yards and three touchdowns, helping the RedHawks to a 41-28 win at Massachusetts. The 273 yards, which ranks second all-time in program history, was highlighted by a 99-yard touchdown pass from Brett Gabbert.

MAC Football East Division Defensive Player of the Week
CJ Nunnally, Akron, DL
Junior, Douglasville, Ga. (South Paulding)
CJ Nunnally provided a spark on the defensive line for Akron, helping them to a 24-21 win over Morgan State in their home opener at InfoCision Stadium on Saturday. With less than a minute to play, Nunnally forced a fumble to setup the game-winning touchdown. He forced the fumble at the Morgan State 13-yardline, stripping the Bears QB J.J. Davis of the ball, allowing teammate LB Bryan McCoy to recover the loose ball and score the game-winning touchdown. In addition, Nunnally opened the game with back-to-back sacks, recording two of the Zips four sacks on the game. His sacks totaled 10-yards of loss and posted a third tackle for an eight-yard loss. In all, Nunnally registered four tackles, three solo and one assisted, with three tackles for losses.

MAC Football East Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Graham Nicholson, Miami, Kicker
Junior, Cincinnati, Ohio (Summit Country Day)
Graham Nicholson was perfect in Saturday’s 41-28 win at UMass. The junior drilled a pair of field goals (44 and 33 yards) and was 4-of-4 on extra points. He also had five touchbacks on eight attempts.

MAC Football West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Bert Emanuel, Jr., Central Michigan, Quarterback
Redshirt Freshman, Houston, Texas (Ridge Point H.S.)
Responsible for a career-best four touchdowns (two rushing, two passes) and finished with 294 total yards. On the day, he ran for two touchdowns and 101 yards on 21 carries and threw for a career-high 193 yards while completing seven of 19 passes. It marked his second career 100-yard rushing performance. Emanuel Jr.’s two rushing touchdowns came on a 66-yard touchdown on his second carry of the game and a 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The 66-yard TD run marked his fourth career run of 60 yards or more and his eighth career rushing touchdown. Emanuel, Jr.’s threw touchdown passes of 31 yards to Tyson Davis in the second quarter and 32 yards to Jesse Prewitt III in the fourth quarter. His long pass covered 56 yards to Chris Parker, the longest pass of his career.

MAC Football West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Judge Culpepper, Toledo, Defensive Tackle
Senior, Tampa, Fla. (Plant)
Senior defensive tackle Judge Culpepper had a career-high two sacks among his four tackles in Toledo’s 71-3 win over Texas Southern. Culpepper added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

MAC Football West Division Special Teams Player of the Week
Marion Lukes, Central Michigan, Kickoff Returner/Running Back
Junior, Charlestown, Ind. (Charlestown H.S.)
Registered his second career kickoff return for touchdown on an 86-yarder in the second quarter. He also returned a kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown vs. Eastern Michigan on Nov. 26, 2021. That was the last time CMU scored on a kickoff return. Led Central Michigan in all-purpose yards with 171 (9 rushing, 5 receiving, 157 kickoff returns). Finished with four kickoff returns for 157 yards and also rushed for nine yards on five carries.

*******NBA NEWS*********

HOUSTON ROCKETS GUARD KEVIN PORTER JR. CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING GIRLFRIEND AT MANHATTAN HOTEL

NEW YORK (AP) Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested Monday and charged with assault and strangulation after allegedly attacking his girlfriend at a New York City hotel.

Porter, 23, is accused of hitting the woman several times and putting his hands around her neck, police said. The woman, 26, was taken to a hospital with a cut to the right side of her face.

The incident happened around 6:45 a.m. at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations in Manhattan, police said.

Porter remained in police custody as of Monday afternoon. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. A message seeking comment was left for his agent.

In a statement, the Rockets said: “We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr. We have no further comment at this time.”

Porter, a 2019 first-round draft pick, has played four seasons in the NBA. Last year, as he averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, he signed a lucrative four-year extension with the Rockets.

Porter’s career, though, has been marred by off-court issues.

In November 2020, while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Porter was arrested after police said they found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car after a single-vehicle crash. Porter claimed he didn’t know the gun was there, and his charges were eventually dismissed.

The Cavaliers traded Porter to the Rockets a few months later after he reportedly blew up at the team’s general manager after finding out that his locker had been moved to make room for a newly acquired player.

In April 2021, the NBA fined Porter $50,000 for violating the league’s COVID-19 health and safety rules by visiting a Miami strip club. In January 2022, the Rockets suspended Porter for a game after then-coach Stephen Silas said the player had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.

*******COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL*******

PURDUE AND NORTHWESTERN EARN WEEKLY VOLLEYBALL HONORS

ROSEMONT, Ill. (Sept. 11, 2023) – The Big Ten Conference has announced this week’s Volleyball Weekly Awards for the week of September 4 – 10.

Offensive Player & Freshman of the Week
Chloe Chicoine, Purdue

Fr. – Outside Hitter – Lafayette, Ind. – McCutcheon – Major: Business Management & Kinesiology

Named Most Valuable Player of the Stacey Clark Classic in leading the Boilermakers to wins over SMU and #19 Kentucky
Tallied a career-high 24 kills in the five-set win over the #19 Wildcats
Clocked a career-best .375 hitting percentage against Kentucky, and a .361 mark in the win over SMU, and recorded an ace in both matches
Posted a double-double against SMU, with 10 digs to go along with her 17 kills
Captures her second consecutive Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor
Last Purdue Player of the Week: Eva Hudson (10/3/22)
Last Purdue Freshman of the Week: Chloe Chicoine (9/5/23)

Defensive Player of the Week
Ellee Stinson, Northwestern

Jr. – Libero – Yorktown, Ind. – Yorktown – Major: Learning and Organizational Change

Averaged 4.23 digs/set as the Wildcats won three matches last week
Tallied 16 digs and a pair of aces in a Monday win over Milwaukee
Posted a pair of 10-dig efforts in wins over Northern Colorado and Northeastern, adding service aces in Friday’s victory
Totaled a week-best 19 digs to go along with two aces in a sweep of Fairfield
Last Northwestern Defensive Player of the Week: Megan Miller (10/31/22)

Setter of the Week
Taylor Anderson, Purdue

Fr. – Setter – San Antonio, Texas – Cornerstone Christian – Major: Kinesiology

Made the first two starts of her collegiate career in wins over SMU and #19 Kentucky to help lead Purdue to a championship at the Stacey Clark Classic
Piled up 102 assists over nine sets in the two wins to earn All-Tournament Team honors
Her 56 assists in the victory over SMU was the most by a Boilermaker since 2019, and the program’s most in a four-set match since 2017
Recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 digs and 46 assists in the win over #19 Kentucky
Last Maryland Setter of the Week: Sydney Dowler (10/17/22)

********NASCAR NEWS*********

REDDICK RIDES A FAST CAR AND GOOD FORTUNE INTO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Tyler Reddick knows you need to have speed to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship. Denny Hamlin knows just as well that you need to have breaks go your way.

Reddick had both going for him Sunday at Kansas Speedway, taking advantage of a late caution and four fresh tires to breeze by six other drivers in the final two laps for the win. It ensured that Reddick would be in the round of 12 of the playoffs for the first time, taking almost all the pressure off the No. 45 team heading to next week’s cutoff race at Bristol.

“We have enough speed, we should be able to make it through this first round, and winning certainly helps,” Reddick said. “Going into the round of 12, we can pick up just a little, and then as we go we can keep amping it up.”

Hamlin, on the other hand, had a bit of bad luck Sunday. Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr. had a whole lot of it.

Hamlin looked as if he would cruise to a record fifth Kansas win as he dominated the last 35 laps. But when Chris Buescher blew a right rear tire, a consistent problem for drivers throughout the weekend, the caution flew and the leaders were forced into the pits. Hamlin’s lead suddenly was gone as the field prepared for a two-lap sprint to the finish.

Hamlin had been chased for much of the race by Kyle Larson, who was lurking behind on the restart. When the green flag flew, the driver of the No. 11 was so focused on what Larson was doing that he lost track of what was happening in front.

Reddick had a terrific restart, fooling everyone by shooting past them on the bottom rather than the top, where he is known for running. And by the time Hamlin realized his mistake, Reddick was far enough ahead that he couldn’t catch up.

“It stinks. It certainly flipped the results from first to second,” Hamlin said. “But that’s part of racing, right? Our sport is different than others. It’s a sport of chance at times, and luck does play a factor, and we were unlucky to get that caution.

“We knew that there was going to be a handful of cars that were going to do the opposite of what we did. I think the right call was four tires,” Hamlin added, “but the 45 just did a great job of executing. They executed the restart really, really well.”

It wasn’t entirely bad for Hamlin. He co-owns the No. 45 of 23XI Racing along with Michael Jordan.

“It makes me happy,” Hamlin said, “that if it wasn’t us, it was them. It’s a decent day.”

Would have been even better had 23XI’s other car, with Bubba Wallace, not had the same right rear tire problem. In his case, the defending race winner was running second when his tire went down, sending Wallace on a wall-scraping ride around the track. The tire was shredded and smoke came billowing out as Wallace entered the pit.

It turned out that he broke the toe link, a piece that holds the rear tire straight. The No. 23 team fixed it quickly, but Wallace wound up finishing four laps down, dealing his playoff chances a big blow with just one race left before the round of 12.

“I got loose like, five laps before,” said Wallace, now 19 points below the playoff cut line. “Three or four laps later it blew.”

Just like the rear tire of Truex, the regular-season champion, only his came three laps into the race. It sent him into the wall with heavy enough damage that he was done for the day, and he went from 25 points above the cut line to seven points below it.

“Just unfortunate and very unlucky,” Truex said. “I took off really tight and I knew something was up, and then cut a right rear. Not really sure what happened, obviously, but it blew in the worst place possible. I hate it for my guys. We were going to have a great day. Just not where what we need to do to get some luck here.”

Indeed, Truex was fast. So were Hamlin and Wallace.

None of them got the break they needed to beat Reddick on Sunday.

******TOP INDIANA RELEASES/NEWS*******

******* INDIANA FOOTBALL********

GAME NOTES: VS. LOUISVILLE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The first neutral site regular season game since 2019, the Indiana football program will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for a Saturday (Spet. 16) contest versus Louisville. The game will kick at noon and air on Big Ten Network from the home of the Indianapolis Colts.

INDIANA (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) vs. Louisville (2-0, 1-0 ACC)

Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Saturday, Sept. 16 | Noon ET

TV: Big Ten Network | RADIO: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network

Setting the Scene

• Indiana will take on Louisville for the third time in program history in a neutral site meeting at Lucas Oil Stadium (70,000; Field Turf) in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers and Cardinals will kick off at Noon on the Big Ten Network.

• The Hoosiers are 2-0 all-time against the Cardinals, with the last meeting coming in 1986, a 21-0 victory for Indiana. The two teams also met during the 1985 campaign, with both games played at Memorial Stadium.

• Saturday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium will mark the 26th game played in a professional football stadium in Indiana’s program history. The first came at the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan, New York City against Fordham in 1939.

• In all, Indiana has played in 11 professional football stadiums, with its most played in professional football venue the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

MORE ON PAGE 5 & 14

• Five team captains were announced by head coach Tom Allen prior to the season opener with wide receiver Cam Camper, defensive lineman Andre Carter, linebacker Aaron Casey, offensive lineman Mike Katic and defensive back Noah Pierre each earning the distinction for the first time in their careers.

FULL GAME NOTES: https://static.iuhoosiers.com/custompages/pdf/fb/2023/23-09-16-Notes_Louisville.pdf

TOM ALLEN MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE

COACH ALLEN: Good morning. Appreciate everybody being here. Just follow-up from our game on Friday. Just solid performance by our guys. Thought it was a good next step for us. Build off the positives, correct the mistakes.

Feel like our offense got in a good rhythm. And, so, move the football and score points. Did have a lull by both units in the second quarter that I already addressed. Not happy about that. But I thought the guys responded well in the second half.

I thought that effort was what you want. Just gotta stay locked in and focused throughout the course of the whole game, in regards to that. But I thought our guys did some good things. Obviously cleaned up the penalties. Went through and evaluated each one of them.

When you talk about the aggressive nature of some of them and also just the elimination of the two running into the kickers, unacceptable, can’t happen. They were stupid when I mentioned it the other night and they’re still stupid. And then kicking the ball out of bounds, that just can’t happen. So that will be corrected.

And then just playing aggressive, physical football is the key.

Just also wrapping up the game, think about our scout team guys that give us a great look each week. I like to recognize those guys each week. Finn Walters and Aaron Stewart, our defensive scouts of the week. Josh Witt and Jackson Wasserstrom were the offensive scouts of the week. And Jaz Boykin was our special teams scout player of the week. So those five young men and many others continue to help us get ready each week.

Players of the game. Omar Cooper was our offensive player of the game. Really, encouraged, excited, not surprised, really good football player, and he had an opportunity to break out, make a lot of plays and be rewarded for doing things the right way each and every day.

Defensively Lanell Carr and Nic Toomer were our defensive players of the game. Lanell continues to make explosive plays and be a dynamic run stopper and pass rusher. And Nic obviously with a very important interception there in the red zone on fourth down.

And Nick has really continued to play well for us. And really encouraged by his progress and learning our system.

And special teams players of the game, Jamison Kelly, really excited about what he brings to us, our cover unit. His athleticism and effort and toughness and tackling ability is really important for those. And Sean Wracher, just steady, does his job, leads our special teams units and did a great job with that.

So just excited about the opportunity we have with the Louisville Cardinals coming up here in a neutral-site game, Lucas Oil Stadium. Love that venue, great place to play football.

And obviously familiar with Coach Brohm and his staff, coaches that we coached against these last several years when they were at Purdue. And so a lot of familiarity with them both personally as well as in what they do.

And so really good football team. A lot of talent. A lot of athleticism, physical football team. Played really hard and they’re coming into this game 2-0. And excited about the opportunity we have this week to continue to develop as a program, grow this team and continue to get better.

Obviously we’ve made a decision with our quarterback, you go through, like we said in the beginning, and you go through this process. And it has been a process to go through and did not feel like we had a distinct individual at the end of fall camp. So made the decision to go into the first two games.

And so have had a chance to do that, evaluate all the film, be able to go through this and be able to pick the one that we feel like is going to allow us to be able to be our best on game day.

And the one thing I will say, said it earlier, continue to say it even after the second game, we’ve got two quarterbacks that I believe can both successfully lead our program and do great things on game day.

But Tayven Jackson is going to be our starting quarterback. Excited for the opportunity for him. And excited for Brendan to be able to be in this role and together they’ll do great things for us in 2023. Questions.

Q. You’ve kind of grouped them together kind of throughout the fall and you talked about them. But what specifically, especially in the last — you said there was a distinction after the first game — what separated Tayven? I know you mentioned his moxie, but what else sort of made the difference to you to give him the job?

COACH ALLEN: Well, I felt like we needed to get to just full game evaluation because it was so close and to be able to see, okay, who moves the ball down the field and scores points. That’s really what it comes down to at the end of the day, and there’s a field presence you have during games. Practice is important. We know that, and we evaluate that and how you handle things.

But there’s nothing like the game, the ebbs and flows of the game, motions of the game. I felt like there was just a poise to that part of it and an ability to move our team down the field.

At the end of the day, that’s really what it comes down to, being able to score points. And I think both guys can do it at a high level, I really do. I think you saw that from both of them. Obviously two different opponents we’re playing, but at the same time I think at the end of the day you’ve got to make a decision.

And I’ll say it was close without question, but at the same time this is where we are. I’m excited about the decision moving forward.

Q. I remember you talking about Peyton and Mike Penix both this way at different times, but were there things you saw from Tayven maybe the game brought out of him, I guess, the game atmosphere as opposed to practices and scrimmages, things that maybe you saw him elevate or change a little bit when it was live game action?

COACH ALLEN: Actually, I think he plays better than he practices in regards to even some executional things. Some guys are like that, when the lights are on and the pressure’s on and you’ve got to make those throws and you’ve got to make plays and people are in your face, you’re getting hit.

But I thought it was pretty telling. We had a situation where he got hit. He had to come out. Brendan comes in, throws a strike. Throws a great pass off the bench.

So just that ability to be — then we brought Tayven right back in. So he got the wind knocked out of him. But at the same time, I think just being able to be in there and we saw both guys needed — they both are young and needed to play. They got the opportunities.

But Tayven, just needed to have the game-day poise and execution was critical. And gotta do it on game day. That’s where the final piece of the evaluation for me since they had not had that experience in the past.

So that was a little bit different than in previous competitions we’ve had. You had two different guys, both of those times, that have played more or less than the other guy, where now you have both of them that did not have game experience at all.

So that’s where I feel like Tayven was able to separate himself there.

Q. At any point did that become a clearer decision for you? Did that occur over the weekend sometime after something you saw on film? When did that kind of crystallize in your mind?

COACH ALLEN: I would say on Saturday, after you had a chance to go back. I always want to make sure, you know — I wasn’t going to make a decision when we walked off the field. I wanted to be able to see the film, see everything, take a deep breath, evaluate it, and just make sure we were all on the same page, which we are.

So Saturday was the day you make that decision. And both players, yesterday, told them together, face to face, at the same time. Because we’ve been this way since the beginning with these two.

So we told them — we first made the decision about playing each one of them, did it together, and made this decision with them and talked them through it together.

Excited about the way they’re handling it because I know they both want to be the guy. I get that. You’re competitive. You want to be in this position. But Tayven knows he’s got to perform, and Brendan knows he’s got to be ready. That’s the reality of competition and performing at an elite level. Saturday was the day the decision was made and we communicated it yesterday.

Q. I wanted to ask about Marcus Burris. He’s a guy, he’s a transfer but still a young player. Didn’t play a lot before he got here. Got his first sack on Saturday. Looks more like a 3-type, but I know you’re using him at end. Talk about his developments as he’s got here, how high of a ceiling he has going forward.

COACH ALLEN: I think Marcus Burris is a very special person, and is going to be an elite football player. And you mentioned it already. He can play two different positions. He can be a big end or an athletic 3 technique. And we’re going to play him at both, without question.

And I think his upside is really, really high. I think he’s got a great future and can play this game for a long time if he stays healthy. I love his mindset, love how he works, love how he practices. He’s just a big guy that cares a lot and gives great effort.

So I think his ceiling is really high, and I expect him to keep being developed.

I know Coach Randolph does a phenomenal job with that group, and Coach Wilt does a tremendous job as the co-DC that’s over the front seven. And between those two guys he’s getting excellent coaching and preparation in. And I think Marcus is going to be really special.

Q. Louis Moore isn’t the only guy you have that’s come from JUCO. The last couple of years since you’ve had him where’s he growing in the secondary both on and off the field?

COACH ALLEN: He’s a guy, I was asked after spring about somebody that I expected to take a big jump or really be a player for us that maybe nobody knows much about. He was the first guy that I thought of.

And interesting background. He’s from Mesquite Poteet High School, which is a school I recruited in Texas for many years before I got here. And know the coaching staff there and a lot of respect for the players they produce — tough kids, well-coached, just know how to work year-round.

He was a dual guy. He played both sides of the ball. Really was predominantly a receiver, and then played a little bit of defense. Then went to JUCO, was a guy on the team that was really, really good. Ten or 11 Division I guys on the team. Got a little bit lost, according to his coach, in that recruiting process.

And so went to junior college and actually did the exact same thing where he played receiver predominantly, and on game day would flip over to play defense, which is it’s really hard to do when you don’t get much fundamental work.

I thought I loved his mindset. Got to know him through the recruiting process. Loved his family thought he great fit with us. Loved his athleticism, his ball skills. I thought he had a lot of growth because he had had very little defensive training in his background, but has really good moxie, understands the game.

Just need to get a little bit bigger and stronger. Had him for a year. I think that free safety position is perfect for him because of his range. He can really run. And he’s a good tackler.

That’s something you don’t always have when a guy has been predominantly an offensive player through his career. The tackling part is usually something they have to really grow with, but he was a very natural tackler. We noticed that right away when we got here.

I was high on him after spring and I’m still high on him and he continued to grow through fall camp. He’s playing really well right now. He’s all over the field. He and 6 are everywhere.

Just gotta still get better, still young in what they’re learning and doing. But I think what we do schematically, I think those are two really good safeties that I think are just going to keep getting better and better.

Q. You’ve put a lot of trust into Matt Guerrieri with your defense. We’ve talked about it in the offseason. With a couple weeks under his belt how would you grade how he’s doing as a play caller in handling the defense and as a whole? What are your impressions of him so far?

COACH ALLEN: I do trust him, and I think that’s probably the best way to start. That trust is earned. I trust him as a person first, which is why I hired him. I think he’s a high-character guy that is a hard worker, is going to do things to represent us in a first-class way on and off the field. That means a lot to me. Talking ball with him all these years, I knew he was a good fit with us in that regard.

And, honestly, when I had like two or three things I was looking to add to our defense, when I was going through the interview process, and he was able to bring some of those with him as we talked at that point and now to bring them into what we’re doing schematically.

I wanted to bring someone in to learn our stuff and then add to it. And that would allow us to really take this where I knew I needed to take it to.

I just feel like he’s very, very thorough, extremely bright, humble guy that listens to his assistants. I sit in on most of the meetings, between that and offense, going back and forth.

But I feel like I can walk out of there and he’ll update me on what’s been either added or adjusted or whatever. And feel really good about it and I can bring things to him. He always does a great job of articulating exactly why we’re trying to do some things a certain way.

But it’s been a real good fit so far. I think he’s great on game day. He’s a great communicator. Does a good job — he’s up in the press box with several of our coaches — but making adjustments.

They do a good job of identifying things. Even during that long drive we were able to make some adjustments and things we’ve got to be able to do to get off the field. They were doing some good things schematically on a couple of things against us.

Just gotta keep building it, getting the guys to play hard, getting guys to buy in. I think our back end as a whole group, corners included, as a group give him credit for that. It’s got to continue. And Coach Shelby has done a great job.

He’s a really good teacher and he’s a really good — has the ability to capture the whole room and make guys feel a part of it as a staff, which is critical in that role.

I think that I have high expectations for are our defense, and it all starts up front. But I think he’s doing a good job of taking the skill sets of the guys we’ve added to our team and trying to highlight those, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.

And obviously got a big, big test coming up this week. So feel good about where we are, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and he knows that. We’ve got to keep elevating our defense each week.

Q. Having coached against Jeff Brohm before, how much do you refer back to some of his past Purdue teams versus, I guess, just watching the first two weeks of Louisville? And I guess what similarities, if any, do you see maybe schematically or just what the identity they play with?

COACH ALLEN: First of all, he’s an excellent play caller. Followed his team for many years. He’s one of the best in the whole country.

And the good play callers usually they have a great feel. It’s timing of when to call things. And he has a system, and they’re not gone away from that. But obviously adapts it to the personnel each year. It’s always a little different based off of that.

And they’ve got a really, really talented receiver corps, two really good running backs and a good quarterback that knows the system. Obviously recruited him to Purdue. Plummer is a big athletic, quarterback with a big arm. And they love to stretch the field vertically, and they also stretch it horizontally.

And they’re running the football a lot better in these first two games than maybe they have in the past places he’s been, which puts more pressure on your defense, without question.

So you’re looking at both. You’re trying to go through and figure out, matching personnel. You obviously put a lot of stock in the first couple of games, but at the same time it’s holistic. It’s big picture. And it’s trying to teach concepts because you don’t really know, have a whole lot of data for this year yet. You have one game and maybe half of a second game to really look at to be able to see this is where they want to be able to do things. But going to be a lot of in-game adjustments for us.

But just gotta a ton of respect for Coach Brohm and the job he does offensively. He’s a special play caller.

Q. Lanell and Nic are two pretty new faces for you around here. Obviously year one in the program. Whether it’s them, Andre, Kobee, whoever it may be, you have a lot of new faces playing at a high level now. What do you attribute that to and how fast they’ve acclimated around here?

COACH ALLEN: I would say I put a ton of work, prayer just to get the right guys. I knew when the season ended we had so many guys who had been here for so long, especially on defense. We’re going to get a lot of new faces on the back end and a couple linebacker spots, and how critical it would be to get the right fit for your program.

So a lot of homework on these guys and the whole goal was to find somebody that is with them every day that can really tell me the truth. Some of these guys, we knew Nic Toomer, we knew really well in regards to recruiting him for the first time. But still hadn’t been with him because it’s different when you’re a young man coming out of high school. And the opposite would be if you have come from another university playing college football, you have a better understanding of how they have adapted to college life, the schedule of being academically, physically, the football part and the weight training piece of all of that.

So you find somebody that knows them really well to try to get the best fits because that to me, there’s a talent piece, and there’s a culture-fit piece of guys that are going to buy in to play within your system as hard as they can possibly play and care more about the team than they care about themselves. And that’s a challenge. There’s no doubt about it.

I give our staff credit to find the right guys that we felt like coming here be a good system fits for us schematically and culture fits for us to be able to do the right things on and off the field.

I like our guys. I’ve said it for a while. I love our team. I feel I got some early signs that this group could come together. They are showing signs even though all these new faces you just mentioned, and we’ve got them in all three phases.

But it’s still, I mean it’s an inexact science. You don’t know how many times they’re going to mesh with you until you get them here. I think we’ve hit on some guys that I think can really do some good things.

And you’re seeing it already. Obviously the season’s young. We have a long season ahead of us, but it’s one week at a time. That’s all we focus on. Right now it’s about us getting these guys to come together and play their best football on Saturday.

Q. The receiving tandem of Cooper and McCulley, what are you seeing from them? What do you hope to see from them, including how well do they block?

COACH ALLEN: You take these two guys that, two Lawrence North products, and obviously Don was throwing to Omar in high school. And just I think two really good football players that do block. I mean their effort in blocking is, to me, that’s the character test. That’s the buy-in test. That’s the, “hey, this guy gets it” test.

And we brought in an individual from the NFL to talk about that, to say what are you looking for in a receiver. Big part is are you willing to block, are you willing to play special teams, are you willing to do all the things it takes when you’re not catching the ball.

Everybody loves to catch the ball get yards and score touchdowns. I look for what they do when they’re not. They’re unselfish guys. Yeah, they want the ball. When you think about last week, Omar didn’t have much production, and then, boom, over a hundred yards and a bunch of catches.

I made a big deal about that. He stayed the course. I’m sure he wanted to catch more balls last week but at the same time every week is a little different. Same with Donaven. Donaven is a gifted player, and once again continues to elevate his play at receiver. And that’s got to continue to grow. Expect it even more this week, continue to become a complete player, both of those guys.

They love to compete. They love to play the game, and they’re really talented guys that just I love having with us. Not surprised they’re doing well. Expected them to. And want to continue to see them grow and develop within our system and just keep bringing it every single week.

Q. Another week, another appearance of the turnover belt. Is it something that the guys have been getting a little more juice with? Obviously the defense really heating up, have you noticed kind of a difference with trying to force takeaways and things like that?

COACH ALLEN: It’s a takeaway belt. That’s the proper term. You know, that’s something that — actually Noah came to me over the summer, and he was kind of the spearhead of it.

He got with Declan McMahon and obviously we’ve got the WWE connection with that. It’s pretty cool. When they brought it to me, I was like, holy smokes; it’s legit. It’s heavy. It’s big.

But anything — the guys love it. But more than anything, as you guys know since I’ve been here, it’s a huge emphasis, takeaways on defense. That’s how you win games. We only got two. So not near enough we had our team meeting yesterday gotta get more takeaways.

They didn’t put the ball in harm’s way Friday night but we’ve got to create more takeaways. But that’s just another way to have some fun with it. The guys enjoy it, without question, and it is a pretty cool little thing.

Q. Just following up on what you said. You kind of told the quarterbacks together. Had you ever done that before? What kind of spurred that decision to do that. I know you mentioned the relationship, but unique kind of circumstance?

COACH ALLEN: I’ve not done it that way before. I’ve always done it separate. I just wanted crystal clear understanding that they both are the exact same message.

And that way there’s no, well, coach said this to me or coach said this to me. No this was what you were told together. To me, I just wanted to make sure. I know how important it is that these guys stay together and that they complement each other and they encourage each other and they challenge each other and hold each other accountable and they’re going to be there for each other and we’re going to need them both. That to me is a huge part of this. And just to be able to, whether it’s within the game or season or whatever, no one knows what the future holds.

Just felt like we’ve done it that way the first time you talked with them and just wanted to do it that way again. Glad we did it that way, and it was just a decision that I made and with coach Bell and feel like it was the right way to handle it.

******PURDUE FOOTBALL*******

RYAN WALTERS PRESS CONFERENCE

Q. Now that you’ve had over 24 hours to digest the film since we talked to you, any other observations good or bad from what happened Saturday night?

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, there was a lot of positives, a lot of things that were cleaned up from week 1 to week 2. Just looked a lot cleaner on film. Still obviously some mistakes made. There will be every week.

But the good thing is that the mistakes we made are self-inflicted and easily correctable.

It’ll be another week to improve, and like I’ve been saying, I only see this team improving as the year goes.

Q. What was the biggest thing you learned about your team?

RYAN WALTERS: Resiliency, how we would respond to adversity. That was really the only question I had going into the season was just when adversity struck is how we would respond with the new staff, new faces in the locker room, all of those things surrounding the program.

They responded the right way, and it started the week of preparation and practice and meetings, and trickled over to starting fast during the game and then headed into the locker room and relaxing but staying focused on the task at hand, fighting through them getting back into the game, and doing enough to pull it out on the road with a five-and-a-half-hour delay.

Q. I’m not privy to the game plan or what Virginia Tech was trying to do, but Deion Burks had just one catch and four targets. I was curious why he wasn’t featured more.

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, they did some things to make sure somebody was over the top of him, and just the way the game was called offensively, Hud reads the defense and puts the ball where it’s supposed to go. So that was just a microcosm of those two different aspects: Virginia Tech trying to do things to make sure that we couldn’t blow over the top of the defense with him specifically, and just the nature of the play call and finding the right receiver to get the ball to.

Q. Kind of just break down the plan, what the plan was for Hudson Card as far as running the football. What’s the sweet spot there on called runs, and how much would you like to see him run moving forward?

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, definitely there was an emphasis on having some designed runs for him, also some aspects of the run game where he’s reading the defense and making the decision whether to pull it or hand it.

There were actually a couple times where I thought he could have pulled it, and we’d have got some big chunk yardage plays. But this is also new for him, playing this style of football.

But obviously you don’t want to have him get him too many times, but you also want to trust him to go play football, because he is a good football player.

Q. Do you know Purdue is only one of two Big Ten teams without a turnover?

RYAN WALTERS: I did not know that, but I’ve been pleased with the ball security, and that was one of our goals going into the game was just to win the turnover margin. Anytime you’re on the road in front of a hostile crowd like that, you don’t want to give them momentum swings by not taking care of the football, and they’ve been doing an excellent job of that so far.

Q. Your depth chart shows Gus Hartwig atop the center spot. Can you talk about that and the likelihood he’ll play Saturday?

RYAN WALTERS: I don’t know if he will play or not Saturday. We’ve got to trust the docs and trust where he’s at in the rehab process, but I can guarantee you when he’s ready to play, he’s going to play.

Q. I know that Colgate and Western Michigan aren’t world beaters, but Syracuse clearly took care of business against those teams. How big of a challenge is this? You’re facing a good football team.

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, you guys have seen the schedule. Every week it’s going to be a good opponent. You can’t fault Syracuse for playing Western Michigan and Colgate; they did what they were supposed to do.

You watch film and you see both sides of the ball. Offensively they know what they’re doing. With the new offensive coordinator that was on staff a year ago, they’ve changed a little bit, but how much of that is just the nature of the two opponents they played, and will they get back to doing what they were doing a year ago.

Then defensively, Rocky Long is highly respected in the defensive ranks of coaches in this profession, runs that 3-3 stack — 3-3-5 defense and brings pressure 50 percent of the time and is always moving up front. So from a schematic standpoint, they do a really good job offensively and defensively, and we’ll have to be on our P’s and Q’s going into Saturday.

Q. I know Max had a great game on Saturday, but how big was it for Garrett to go out there, get a catch on the second play and get in the flow a little bit?

RYAN WALTERS: It was huge. Man, I was so happy for him to see. He has been busting his butt trying to get back out there, and he has attacked the rehab process the way you would like somebody to attack it. For him to get out there and get some live reps, that was good to see.

Q. You’ve talked about your defense and the shut-out in the second half, but the importance of getting them into 3rd and longs, obviously that helps with the 3rd down conversion rate. How big was that? You still gave up some big plays but you had them in a lot of 3rd and longs, as well.

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, I was proud of the staff’s ability to adjust at halftime and also the players’ ability to understand situational ball and where their help is schematically and what routes they can’t get beat on and being more sound in our rush lanes. All of those things go together. So they as a result played well, especially in the second half.

Q. You’ve talked about the importance of the pass rush in this defense, but OC being in the middle of that, how valuable is it to have a veteran savvy football player there that can control everything?

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, it’s hugely valuable. He’s an athletic linebacker that can get sideline to sideline, and that definitely helps. We were able to ignite him on a couple pressures to get penetration up the middle, and he made a bunch of plays for us.

Q. In the first game against Fresno State, it seemed like Tyrone Tracy stuck out in terms of the run game and not as much Dev Mockobee until he got that late touchdown. Against Virginia Tech, he got almost 100 rushing yards. What did you see in his difference from week 1 and week 2 and anything you attribute that development to?

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, I think our offensive line played a lot better week 2 than they did week 1, just being on the same page and ID’ing who they were starting to get to the second level. So you give Mockobee and Tyrone space, they’re very athletic and have great vision and are hard to bring down.

I think it was a combination of those guys just getting more opportunities and also our offensive line playing better.

Q. Was Saturday what you envisioned this defense looking like on a weekly basis?

RYAN WALTERS: Almost. You know, we’re still not there yet. We’ve still got some work to do.

But you saw more of it. I thought we were a lot more consistent, made a lot more competitive plays, and played within the framework of the defense.

You saw guys playing selfless and being more team oriented. I thought Coach Kane did a good job of getting them in good situations and good spots with some of his play calls, so I think we’re getting close to it looking like we all envision it defensively. We’ve just got to continue to keep working.

Q. Abdur has kind of flown under the radar for you guys with Deion and Max kind of getting to shine there, but he made a couple big plays, especially in the second half on Saturday. What does he bring to that receiver room?

RYAN WALTERS: Consistency. In practice, in fall camp, I don’t know if I’ve seen him drop a ball. He’s always in the right spot at the right time. He’s been consistent and steady for Hud and a guy that we can really count on to make big catches in big moments.

Q. You showed a lot more offensively in week 2 than week 1. Was that changes during the week? Was that Deion’s gravity? Was that simply having the ball more?

RYAN WALTERS: I definitely think having the ball more allows you to call more plays, so you have opportunities to have a little more variety. I also think Graham had a good plan going into the game and was able to get creative with some of his motions and formations to create favorable boxes both in the pass and the run game.

Q. We saw Garrett Miller for just a little bit. He caught a pass. What did you think of Garrett and what the plan was for him Saturday and what the plan is moving forward?

RYAN WALTERS: Yeah, we’re just trying to ease him back into the lineup, back into the rotation to give him confidence. Anytime you go through a traumatic injury like he did, it’s as much physical as it is — it’s as much mental, just getting over the hump and being confident and playing the way he knows how to play.

So we had a small package for him, and that’s why you saw him when you saw him is just when that package was available to us offensively, and he will continue to get more reps as he feels comfortable, and I’m excited for his season and his career here.

Q. Has your path ever crossed with Dino Babers?

RYAN WALTERS: It has not.

Q. I’m curious, how much did your phone blow up after you got your first win? How many texts and phone calls did you get?

RYAN WALTERS: Almost as much as it blew up when I got the call from Mike that I was going to be the head coach. It was great to see the amount of support.

But even more just it was great to see the guys celebrate in the locker room. I didn’t play a snap, for all those that watched the game. So it’s all about the players. They pulled this one out, and they played well, and they prepared well all week, and I’m excited for this week and to see their improvement.

Q. Did you play “Enter Sandman” on the plane ride back?

RYAN WALTERS: No, we’re done. We’re done hearing that one, probably for a long time.

Q. Your first sellout and also first night game aside from the delay, kind of playing in the evening. What do you look the most forward to to that?

RYAN WALTERS: Just the atmosphere and the environment. I’ve heard from the guys in the locker room just how crazy Ross-Ade gets and how special night games are here in West Lafayette. To have an opponent like Syracuse and to play at night at home coming off of a win, I’m sure the energy is going to be electric, and our guys will be ready to play.

Q. How different is the mood this week so far compared to what it was last week coming off of that win?

RYAN WALTERS: You know, obviously the attitude, like the guys were upset last week, coaches and players alike. So you’re happy, there’s joy, because you just won a hard game that you have to overcome a lot.

From that aspect, it’s different. But the focus and the preparation is the same, and it needs to be the same every week.

Q. What’s the rule on the personal foul they called on Thieneman?

RYAN WALTERS: I was trying to get explanation during the game. I guess he — maybe the target was a little bit too low or he arrived a little bit too late. KJ made a sack later in the game that was very similar, so I’m not sure.

Q. When is the last time you received a game ball after a game?

RYAN WALTERS: Never. It was my first.

Q. High school, nothing?

RYAN WALTERS: No, we didn’t — the places I’ve been, we didn’t really hand out game balls. That was something I wanted to start doing here, and luckily Mike was in the locker room with us postgame.

Q. I know you want to win a lot more, but just to get that first one out of the way, do you feel like the monkey is off your back a little bit now and you can go out and prepare and play football?

RYAN WALTERS: No, the goal was never to get just the first one. It’s to go get them every week.

I didn’t put any added pressure going into week 2 with dropping week 1. It’s just the preparation and the routine week in and week out is going to be the same, no matter who we’re playing or what’s at stake.

I think if you approach it that way, you can be consistent. You can be level-headed for your team. I don’t want to be up and down or put too much into our too little into any opponent or any week.

********PURDUE VOLLEYBALL********

ANDERSON, CHICOINE GARNER BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Freshmen secured three Big Ten volleyball weekly awards after No. 20 Purdue took down No. 19 Kentucky and SMU during the third week of play. Chloe Chicoine earned Big Ten Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors, while Taylor Anderson received Setter of the Week.

The accolades mark the first time Chicoine received Player of the Week honors, while it was her second straight Freshman of the Week nod. Meanwhile, it was the first weekly award of Anderson’s career.

Chicoine picked up Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week following a Big Ten-best and career-high 24 kills versus No. 19 Kentucky (24-4-48). The performance also included a career-high 25 points and a career-high .375 attack %. Against SMU, Chicoine hit at a .361 clip, with 17 kills and just four errors on 36 swings alongside 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the year.

Overall, the outside hitter averaged 4.89 points per set and 4.56 kills per set last week to lead Purdue to the title of Stacey Clark Classic Champions in addition to her award as tournament MVP.

Anderson led the Big Ten with 11.33 assists per set after making her first two career starts. In one of the strongest first career starts by a Boilermaker setter, Anderson dished out 56 assists versus SMU which not only was a season-best for the San Antonio product, but the most by any Boilermaker since 2019 (Hayley Bush in 5 sets vs. Indiana, 10/9/19). Moreover, her 56 assists were the most in a four-setter in six years. In addition, Anderson guided Purdue to its most efficient match of the season with a team hitting % of .346. The 56 assists were complimented by a career-high six total blocks (1 solo, 5 assisted) and an errorless three kills (.600 attack %).

Anderson was named to the Stacey Clark All-Tournament Team after closing out the weekend with a double-double: 46 assists and 12 digs in the win versus No. 19 Kentucky. During the match, Purdue had its most efficient set of the year, boasting a .462 attack % (16-4-26) in the third set versus Kentucky.

It is the first time a Purdue freshman was named Setter of the Week and the first among the league in three seasons (last: Melanie Shaffmaster, 2020). Meanwhile, Chicoine is the second Boilermaker (joins sophomore Eva Hudson) as the program’s only freshman to earn Player of the Week.

*******BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF********

BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF FINISHES REDBIRD FALL INVITATIONAL IN EIGHTH PLACE

NORMAL ILL. – On Monday the Butler women’s golf team finished eighth after completing the final 18 holes of the event. The Bulldogs competed at the Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Ill.

THE COMPETITION: After rounds of 301 and 291 on Sunday, the Bulldogs put up 306 Monday in round three. The Bulldogs finished the 54-hole event at 898 (+34). By the end of round three Bradley finished with their second 287 of the event, placing first.

Butler entered the round in sixth place and only two shots behind St. Thomas.

1. Bradley, 291-287-287–865 (+1)

2. Illinois State, 284-293-289–866 (+2)

3. South Dakota State, 277-305-292–874 (+10)

4. St. Thomas, 296-294-287–877 (+13)

5. Northern Illinois, 300-286-296–882 (+18)

6. South Dakota, 297-297-297–891 (+27)

7. Bowling Green State, 313-296-287–896 (+32)

8. Butler, 301-291-306–898 (+34)

9. Northern Iowa, 296-307-304–907 (+43)

10. IUPUI, 302-308-299–909 (+45)

11. Drake, 306-302-305–913 (+49)

12. Illinois Wesleyan, 314-298-307–919 (+55)

13. Indiana State, 301-311-323–935 (+71)

14. Evansville, 317-310-315–942 (+78)

15. Eastern Illinois, 323-319-318–960 (+96)

16. Valparaiso, 331-315-322–968 (+104)

THE BULLDOGS: Sophomore Kelli Scheck’s 72 Monday moved her from being tied for 51 to finishing 32.

17. Lily Celentano, 73-72-77–222 (+6)

32. Kelli Scheck, 78-75-72–225 (+9)

34. Katie Steinman, 76-71-78–225 (+9)

38. Cybil Stillson, 75-73-79–227 (+11)

41. Ashley Freitas, 73-80-75–228 (+12)

78. Madalin Small, 77-81-81–239 (+23)

THE COURSE: The par-72 Weibring Golf Club – is set up at 6,093 yards.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will head to Clarksville, Tennessee, to compete in the Austin Peay Invitational, Sept. 25-26.

*******BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER*********

JACOMEN REPRESENTS BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER AS BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Butler forward, Norah Jacomen, has been selected BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Freshman of the Week following her performances against Cincinnati and No. 25 TCU.

After being named an Honor Roll recipient during her first week of collegiate play, Jacomen now earns Freshman of the Week after scoring goals in each of Butler’s games this past week. The freshman forward netted an early goal in the Bulldogs’ 2-2 draw with Cincinnati on Thursday and then opened the scoring with a goal in the 21st minute in Butler’s 2-1 upset over No. 25 TCU on Sunday. Jacomen leads the Bulldogs with five goals on the season, the second-most in the conference, in just five games to start the year.

The Bulldogs return to action Thursday, Sept. 14, hosting Ball State, and then, one week later, travel to No. 21 Xavier.

********IUPUI MEN’S SOCCER*********

FINNEGAN COLLECTS #HLMSOC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI men’s soccer senior Logan Finnegan has been named the #HLMSOC Offensive Player of the Week after piloting the Jaguars to an unbeaten 1-0-1 mark last week. Finnegan scored both goals in the Jaguars’ 2-0 win over Wright State on Saturday as the Jaguars captured a full three points in Horizon League play.

He tallied the game-winner in the 43rd minute and added insurance in the 73rd minute. The goals were the 10th and 11th of his collegiate career and it was his second career brace. Earlier in the week, he fired a game-high six shots in the 1-1 draw at Eastern Illinois on Sept. 5.

For the year, he leads the Horizon League in shot attempts (16) and is tied for fourth in goals scored (2).

*******IUPUI WOMEN’S SOCCER********

ANTOINE NAMED #HLWSOC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI women’s soccer senior Emma Antoine has been named this week’s #HLWSOC Offensive Player of the Week after helping the Jaguars to victories over Dayton and Lindenwood. The Jaguars defeated previously unbeaten and regionally ranked Dayton on Thursday before following up with a home win over Lindenwood on Sunday.

She assisted on the game’s only goal in the 1-0 road win at Dayton, setting up the game-winner in the 58th minute of that victory. Three days later, she scored the game-winner in the 81st minute of the 3-1 win over Lindenwood and later tallied an assist on an insurance goal in the 82nd minute.

She currently leads the Horizon League in assists (6) and is tied for fourth in the league in total points (8). IUPUI is now 6-0 this season in games in which Antoine has an assist.

******BALL STATE FOOTBALL*******

BALL STATE HOSTS INDIANA STATE IN 2023 HOME OPENER AT SCHEUMANN STADIUM

After a two-week trek through the Southeastern Conference, Ball State returns to Scheumann Stadium for its 2023 home opener against state rival Indiana State. The Victory Bell is on the line in this rivalry game, with Ball State seeking to take back the traveling trophy after the Sycamores won in 2014.

** The Cardinals have won six of the past seven meetings against Indiana State, but haven’t played the Sycamores since a 27-20 home defeat to ISU in 2014. In a rivalry series conducted 60 times in the 19th century, the Cardinals and Sycamores have played just three times since 2000 — 2002, 2003 and 2014, all at Scheumann Stadium.

** But for turnovers against its early SEC foes, Ball State has had a successful early run with ball control and minimizing mistakes. Ball State’s seven penalties are so far the fewest in the MAC and rank ninth in the country. Similarly, the Cardinals’ 26.6 penalty yards per game lead the MAC and rank seventh nationally. Ball State’s average time of possession is 34:45, second in the MAC to Northern Illinois (36:23) and currently 10th among FBS teams.

** The Cardinals showed well against Kentucky and Georgia, but were undone by second-quarter turnovers in each game. Kentucky and Georgia both scored on special teams touchdowns, too. In all, Ball State allowed 45 points over two games directly tied to second-quarter turnovers and special teams touchdowns. Otherwise, Ball State played within a combined 38-17 score in the first, third and fourth quarters.

** The Cardinals defense was stout while allowing fewer than half of Kentucky and Georgia’s total points and minimizing big plays. Kentucky reached the red zone just twice. Ball State led the possession battle in both games and outdualed Kentucky with 18 first downs to 17.

WHAT A WIN MEANS:

** The Cardinals will move into the win column for the first time this season and win their home opener for the 13th time in 14 seasons. Last year’s home-opening defeat to Western Michigan ended a run of 12 straight home-opening wins.

** The Cardinals will defeat Indiana State for the seventh in eight meetings since 1988.

** Mike Neu will capture his 34th victory as head coach of his alma mater, matching Brady Hoke’s win total from 2003-08 — tied for seventh in career coaching wins at Ball State.

*******NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER******

MATCH 6 PREVIEW: MICHIGAN STATE

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 20 Irish cap off their six-match homestand to open the season with an 8 p.m. ET tilt against Michigan State at Alumni Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The match will air on ACCN.

No. 20 NOTRE DAME vs. MICHIGAN STATE
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Alumni Stadium
TV: ACCN
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Michigan State

MICHIGAN STATE SERIES

• The Irish and Spartans will meet on the pitch for the 33rd time on Tuesday evening.

• Notre Dame leads Michigan State in the all-time series at 18-8-6

• Notre Dame defeated the Spartans in East Lansing in the most recent matchup, coming away with a 3-2 victory on .

• In last season’s meeting between the two sides Paddy Burns and Sebastian Green each scored a goal to go along with an MSU own goal. Bryce Boneau added a career-high two assists.

LAST TIME OUT

• Notre Dame opened ACC play with a thrilling 3-2 win over Clemson at Alumni Stadium to improve to 4-0-1 on the season.

• Eno Nto and Bryce Boneau each scored in the first half before the Tigers drew level at 2-2 right before the half.

• Daniel Russo provided the game winner in the 50th minute off a sublime free kick on the edge of the box.

• Notre Dame’s three goals are the most the Irish have ever scored in a match against Clemson, spanning 14 contests.

STRONG STARTS

• Notre Dame has made it a habit of jumping out to an early lead this season, as the Irish have scored the opening goal in all five matches in 2023.

•All five opening goals have come in the first 25 minutes of play.

•The quickest goal to start a match came from Eno Nto in the 8th minute in the win over IUPUI.

•The Irish have not trailed at any point through five matches this season.

DOMINATING DEFENSE

• The Fighting Irish have allowed just three goals through five matches during the 2023 campaign.

• The 0.6 goals against average ranks tied for first in the ACC and 17th in the country.

• Since allowing a goal to No. 2 Indiana in the 28th minute in the season opener, the Irish went gone 376 minutes without allowing a score before giving up a score to Clemson in the 44th minute.

• Opponents have registered a combined 14 shots on target in 2023.

BALANCED ATTACK

• Six different players have scored in Notre Dame’s five matches to open the 2013 season.

• Matthew Roou paces the Irish with five goals.

• Eno Nto has added two goals while KK Baffour, Paddy Burns, Bryce Boneau and Daniel Russo have each added one.

ROOU’S RUN OF FORM

• Junior Matthew Roou leads the Irish attack through five matches this season, producing 11 points off five goals and an assist.

• All 11 points have come over the last four matches, all victories for the Fighting Irish.

• Roou’s hat trick in the win over IUPUI was the first of his career and the first of the season for the Irish.

• The junior forward finished with seven points off three goals and an assist, becoming the first Notre Dame player to record seven or more points in a match since Dave Donohue also had seven points against Marquette on Sept. 11, 2008.

• Roou currently has 16 career goals to go along with eight career assists, totaling 40 career points for the forward.

EXPERIENCE IN GOAL

• Bryan Dowd is back for his senior season after being the team’s primary goalie for each of the last two seasons.

• The shot stopper has 46 career starts while appearing in 47 matches over his previous three seasons in South Bend.

• Dowd has amassed 111 career saves and has recorded 16 clean sheets over his time in South Bend, including three in the first five matches of the 2023 campaign.

•The senior made a huge save in the 88th minute of the win over Clemson to keep the 3-2 advantage intact.

******PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S GOLF*******

MASTODONS TURN IN 36-HOLE RECORD AT MARSHALL INVITATIONAL

BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s golf team set a new 36-hole record on Monday (Sept. 11) at the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational, shooting 557.

The Mastodons topped the previous record of 559, which was set in 2007. Until Monday, it was the longest-standing program-best in the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s golf record book.

As a team, Purdue Fort Wayne is in fourth at 11-under, behind Belmont (-24), Morehead State (-20) and Marshall (-14). The ‘Dons are ahead of Horizon League foes Northern Kentucky (-3), Cleveland State (+1), Robert Morris (+6) and Youngstown State (+10).

Kasey Lilly shot 71-66-137 and is in the top-10 with 18 to play. In the morning, he got birdies on holes eight and 10 with a bogey-free back nine for an even 71. In the afternoon he went on a tear, turning in an eagle on hole one and birdies on four, five, eight, 10, 11, 14 and 15.

One shot back of the top-10, Burke Pitz shot 68-71-139. In his first round, he had just one bogey on hole five. He had birdies on nine, 10, 15 and 16. In the afternoon, he had birdies on eight and 10, countering his two bogeys on the back nine.

Nick Holder shot 68-72-140 to possess 19th place through 36 holes. In round one, he had birdies on holes one, two, five, eight, 11 and 17 for a 3-under 68. In the afternoon, the redshirt-sophomore had birdies on three, five, 12 and 17.

Hunter Mefford shot an even round of 71 in both the morning and afternoon. In his first round, he had birdies on holes eight and 11, shooting a bogey-free 34 on the back nine. In his second time through, Mefford did the exact same thing on the back nine. On the front in round two however, he birdied hole one instead of eight. His 71-71-142 puts him in a tie for 23rd with 18 to play.

Brock Reschly rounded out the lineup for the team score, shooting 74-77-151. He had birdies on four and 14 in round one and 11 and 14 in round two.

AJ Agnew competed as an individual, shooting 79-71-150. He had birdies on six and eight in the morning, then birdies on one, three, 10, 12 and 14 in the afternoon. He had eight pars on the back nine in round one.

The third and final round of the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational will tee off on Tuesday (Sept. 12) at 8:30 a.m.

*******PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL******

RATKAI EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOD FOR SECOND-CONSECUTIVE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball redshirt-freshman Panna Ratkai was selected as one of the Horizon League Players of the Week on Monday (Sept. 11).

Ratkai led Purdue Fort Wayne to a 2-1 record last week with wins over Niagara and Canisius.

She recorded three double-doubles over the weekend. She had 17 kills and 15 digs against Kent State, 22 kills and 13 digs at Niagara, and 19 kills and 14 digs at Canisius. She hit .386 against Niagara and added three aces.

This is the second week in a row that Ratkai was picked as one of the Players of the Week. She is the only player in the Horizon League to be selected twice this season.

Ratkai and the Mastodons will take the court at home for the first time this season this weekend for the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational Presented by Hyatt Place. The ‘Dons will play against Miami (OH) on Friday at 7 p.m., SIUE on Saturday at 11 a.m. and Valparaiso on Saturday at 7 p.m.

******PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S SOCCER*******

CHICAGO STATE NEXT UP FOR MASTODON MEN’S SOCCER

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodon men’s soccer team (1-2-1) steps out of Horizon League play on Tuesday (Sept. 12) for a visit from Chicago State (2-2-1)

Game Day Information

Who: Chicago State

When: Tuesday, September 12 | 5 PM ET

Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex

Live Stats: Link

Watch: ESPN+

Tickets: FREE!

Know Your Foe: The men’s soccer program at Chicago State plays in the Ohio Valley Conference however they have yet to play a league game this season. The Cougars own wins over Milwaukee and UAB and tied Belmont. Their last game was a 7-0 loss at Summit League member Omaha. Allen Calwayne and Danail Sergiev both have two goals and an assist on the season. Lucas Fontana has 19 saves in 438 minutes this season in goal.

Series History: Tuesday will be the first ever meeting with Chicago State. The first year of the program was in 2020.

League Opener: Saturday’s 3-0 win against Milwaukee marks the first time the ‘Dons have opened Horizon League play with a win.

“I Am Not Throwing Away My Shot”: Purdue Fort Wayne is seventh in Division I in shot accuracy with 56.4 percent of their shots being on goal. Seth Mahlmeister leads the team with 57.1 percent of shots on goal, which is even more impressive considering he leads the Horizon League in averaging 3.50 shots per game. Mahlmeister’s 2.00 shots on goal per game leads the league and is 15th in the nation.

A Helping Foot: Soshi Fujioka and Juan Romero each have two assists on the season. Those two assists are tied for third in the league for most assists.

More Minutes for Morrell: Luke Morrell remains the only Mastodon to play all 360 minutes of action this season. Morrell scored his first goal of the season in the Mastodons’ 2-2 draw with Bellarmine.

On The Horizon: The ‘Dons will return to Horizon League play on Saturday at Green Bay. After two trips to Milwaukee and now a trip to Green Bay in the first part of the season the ‘Dons likely know the scenery on Interstate 94 pretty well now. This is the first time in Mastodon history that the team travels to Wisconsin three times in a season.

*******SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER*******

USI CONTINUES HOMESTAND VS. BELMONT

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer continues its longest homestand of 2023 when the Screaming Eagles host Belmont University Tuesday at Strassweg Field. Match time is set for 7 p.m.

The Eagles (0-5-0) are still searching for their first victory of the season after opening the homestand with a 4-0 loss to the University of Evansville. Belmont has started 2023 with a 2-1-2 record after falling, 2-1, at the University of Memphis last Friday.

After the match with Belmont, USI is off for a week before hosting Northern Kentucky University September 19 and idle for nine days before opening the Ohio Valley Conference slate with a match with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville September 28. The USI-SIUE matchup will be the first meeting between the two programs since the Cougars departed Division II in 2007.

******VALPO WOMEN’S GOLF*******

WOMEN’S GOLF WRAPS UP SEASON-OPENING TOURNAMENT AT ILLINOIS STATE

The Valparaiso University women’s golf team concluded the first event of the season on Monday by closing out the Redbird Fall Invitational, hosted by Illinois State at the par-72, 6093-yard Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Ill. Anna Fay (Ada, Mich. / Forest Hills) turned in the top Valpo score in the tournament.

How It Happened

Fay finished with a 54-hole showing of 237, tops on the team. She carded a 78 in Monday’s final round to round out the tournament.

Fay was followed closely by teammate Madison Keil (LaGrange, Ind. / Lakeland), who finished the final day of competition at 239. She stroked an 80 on Monday.

The next-best third-round score by a Beacon came courtesy of Roslyn Leitner (Dundee, Ill. / Harry Jacobs), who had her best round of the tournament with an 81.

As a team, Valpo carded a 322 in Monday’s round to finish at 968, eight strokes behind Eastern Illinois for 15th. The Beacons outdid conference foe Indiana State by a single stroke in terms of Round-3 scoring.

Up Next

The Beacons will tee off Ball State’s Brittany Kelly Classic on Monday, Sept. 18 at The Players Club in Muncie, Ind.

*******U OF INDY FOOTBALL*******

GREYHOUNDS CLIMB DII COACHES’ RANKINGS

WACO, Texas—For the second straight week, the UIndy football team moved up one spot in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, released Tuesday. The 1-0 Greyhounds, who were idle last week, are now ranked No. 18 in the nation heading into their con-conference home game versus Wayne State this Saturday, Sept. 16.

UIndy is one of 10 Super Region 3 teams in the top 25. Four of the top seven hail from SR3, including top-ranked Ferris State.

AFCA DIVISION II COACHES POLL

RK	SCHOOL (1st-place votes)	REC	PTS	PREV
1.	Ferris St. (Mich.) (27)	2-0	745	1
2.	Colorado School of Mines (2)	2-0	719	2
3.	Pittsburg St. (Kan.)	2-0	689	3
4.	West Florida	2-0	631	6
5.	Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)	2-0	572	8
6.	Minnesota St.	2-0	562	9
7.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	1-1	557	7
8.	Delta St. (Miss.)	2-0	522	10
9.	Angelo St. (Tex.)	1-1	493	4
10.	Bemidji St. (Minn.)	2-0	474	11
11.	Harding (Ark.)	2-0	428	12
12.	Emporia St. (Kan.)	2-0	406	18
13.	Slippery Rock (Pa.)	2-0	360	15
14.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	2-0	358	14
15.	Northwest Missouri St.	1-1	352	5
16.	Benedict (S.C.)	2-0	321	16
17.	Virginia Union (1)	2-0	277	17
18.	Indianapolis (Ind.)	1-0	215	19
19.	Assumption (Mass.)	2-0	185	23
20.	Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)	2-0	176	24
21.	Texas A&M-Kingsville	2-0	99	NR
22.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	1-1	91	25
23.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	2-0	79	NR
24.	Davenport (Mich.)	2-0	63	NR
25.	Western Colorado	2-0	56	NR

Others Receiving Votes: Ashland (Ohio), 49; Indiana (Pa.), 47; Notre Dame (Ohio), 30; West Georgia, 27; Minnesota-Duluth, 26; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 22; Tuskegee (Ala.), 16; Augustana (S.D.), 15; Central Missouri, 13; Tiffin (Ohio), 13; Truman (Mo.), 12; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 9; Mars Hill (N.C.), 8; Millersville (Pa.), 8; Wingate (N.C.), 8; Bowie St. (Md.), 6; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 5; Newberry (S.C.), 4; Lincoln (Pa.), 1; Virginia St., 1.

*******MARIAN FOOTBALL*******

FOOTBALL’S WILLIAM GIBSON EARNS MSFA MIDEAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS – After helping the Knights to a 28-21 victory over No. 13 St. Xavier on Saturday night, the Mid-States Football Association has named Marian’s William Gibson as the Offensive Player of the Week for the Mideast League. MSFA Players of the Week are nominated and voted on by the league’s sports information directors.

Gibson touched the ball 23 times on Saturday night in No. 6 Marian’s home opening win, running for a game-high 94 yards and one touchdown. Gibson’s touchdown proved as the game-winner, as the senior’s fourth quarter touchdown was his third of the young season. Gibson also had one reception in addition to his 22 carries, as he earned MSFA Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career. Gibson leads the Knights through two games of action in rushing with 245 yards on the ground.

Marian, who held their spot in the NAIA Top-25 Ratings on Monday afternoon at No. 6, will host Olivet Nazarene on Saturday afternoon, with kickoff from St. Vincent Field set for 1:05 p.m.

*******SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETICS******

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

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

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

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

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

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

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

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

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

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

******MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STANDINGS*******

American League
East
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	East	Central	West	Last 10	Streak
Baltimore	91	52	.636	–	43 – 26	48 – 26	28 – 16	20 – 8	19 – 10	8 – 2	W 1
Tampa Bay	89	56	.614	3	50 – 25	39 – 31	24 – 16	22 – 8	16 – 13	7 – 3	W 4
Toronto	80	64	.556	11.5	38 – 31	42 – 33	12 – 25	22 – 10	16 – 13	7 – 3	L 1
Boston	73	70	.510	18	37 – 35	36 – 35	21 – 18	18 – 11	14 – 15	4 – 6	W 1
NY Yankees	71	72	.497	20	39 – 36	32 – 36	16 – 26	17 – 12	19 – 13	6 – 4	W 1
Central
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	East	Central	West	Last 10	Streak
Minnesota	75	69	.521	–	42 – 31	33 – 38	12 – 18	26 – 22	16 – 10	6 – 4	L 2
Cleveland	68	77	.469	7.5	36 – 36	32 – 41	14 – 14	22 – 24	14 – 15	3 – 7	L 3
Detroit	66	77	.462	8.5	31 – 41	35 – 36	7 – 25	30 – 16	10 – 15	7 – 3	W 2
Chi White Sox	55	88	.385	19.5	28 – 40	27 – 48	9 – 19	21 – 24	12 – 21	3 – 7	L 2
Kansas City	44	100	.306	31	26 – 46	18 – 54	7 – 23	15 – 28	6 – 19	3 – 7	L 4
West
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	East	Central	West	Last 10	Streak
Houston	82	63	.566	–	37 – 36	45 – 27	15 – 15	13 – 12	29 – 18	5 – 5	L 1
Texas	79	64	.552	2	45 – 30	34 – 34	15 – 11	19 – 10	23 – 19	4 – 6	W 3
Seattle	79	65	.549	2.5	39 – 30	40 – 35	13 – 18	20 – 13	24 – 13	3 – 7	L 4
LA Angels	68	77	.469	14	35 – 37	33 – 40	13 – 16	17 – 9	19 – 25	4 – 6	W 3
Oakland	45	99	.313	36.5	24 – 47	21 – 52	8 – 24	11 – 14	12 – 32	6 – 4	W 1

National League
East
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	East	Central	West	Last 10	Streak
Y-Atlanta	94	50	.653	–	47 – 25	47 – 25	28 – 9	19 – 9	21 – 12	5 – 5	L 1
Philadelphia	79	65	.549	15	43 – 29	36 – 36	18 – 22	15 – 10	18 – 15	5 – 5	W 1
Miami	74	70	.514	20	40 – 32	34 – 38	21 – 22	13 – 11	14 – 17	7 – 3	L 1
NY Mets	65	78	.455	28.5	35 – 34	30 – 44	19 – 20	12 – 17	15 – 14	5 – 5	L 1
Washington	65	79	.451	29	31 – 43	34 – 36	16 – 29	13 – 14	15 – 16	3 – 7	W 1
Central
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	East	Central	West	Last 10	Streak
Milwaukee	80	63	.559	–	41 – 28	39 – 35	13 – 10	26 – 16	13 – 19	6 – 4	W 1
Chi Cubs	78	67	.538	3	41 – 34	37 – 33	11 – 17	28 – 18	14 – 11	6 – 4	W 2
Cincinnati	74	71	.510	7	36 – 39	38 – 32	13 – 16	19 – 27	18 – 14	5 – 5	W 1
Pittsburgh	66	78	.458	14.5	34 – 38	32 – 40	11 – 13	21 – 25	16 – 15	5 – 5	L 2
St. Louis	63	81	.438	17.5	31 – 40	32 – 41	13 – 16	17 – 25	12 – 17	5 – 5	L 2
West
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	East	Central	West	Last 10	Streak
LA Dodgers	87	56	.608	–	47 – 25	40 – 31	17 – 14	19 – 14	26 – 13	4 – 6	L 1
Arizona	76	69	.524	12	38 – 35	38 – 34	14 – 15	17 – 12	27 – 23	6 – 4	W 1
San Francisco	74	70	.514	13.5	42 – 31	32 – 39	13 – 18	20 – 13	22 – 14	4 – 6	W 4
San Diego	68	77	.469	20	39 – 36	29 – 41	16 – 16	9 – 20	21 – 23	6 – 4	W 1
Colorado	51	92	.357	36	29 – 39	22 – 53	14 – 20	11 – 14	9 – 32	2 – 8	L 5

*******WILD CARD STANDINGS*******

AL Wild Card Standings
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	Last 10	Streak
Tampa Bay	89	56	.614	+9.0	50-25	39-31	7-3	W 4
Toronto	80	64	.556	+0.5	38-31	42-33	7-3	L 1
Texas	79	64	.552	–	45-30	34-34	4-6	W 3

Seattle	79	65	.549	0.5	39-30	40-35	3-7	L 4
Boston	73	70	.510	6.0	37-35	36-35	4-6	W 1
NY Yankees	71	72	.497	8.0	39-36	32-36	6-4	W 1
Cleveland	68	77	.469	12.0	36-36	32-41	3-7	L 3
LA Angels	68	77	.469	12.0	35-37	33-40	4-6	W 3
Detroit	66	77	.462	13.0	31-41	35-36	7-3	W 2
Chi White Sox	55	88	.385	24.0	28-40	27-48	3-7	L 2
Oakland	45	99	.313	34.5	24-47	21-52	6-4	W 1
Kansas City	44	100	.306	35.5	26-46	18-54	3-7	L 4

NL Wild Card Standings
Team	W	L	Pct	GB	Home	Road	Last 10	Streak
Philadelphia	79	65	.549	+3.5	43-29	36-36	5-5	W 1
Chi Cubs	78	67	.538	+2.0	41-34	37-33	6-4	W 2
Arizona	76	69	.524	–	38-35	38-34	6-4	W 1

Miami	74	70	.514	1.5	40-32	34-38	7-3	L 1
San Francisco	74	70	.514	1.5	42-31	32-39	4-6	W 4
Cincinnati	74	71	.510	2.0	36-39	38-32	5-5	W 1
San Diego	68	77	.469	8.0	39-36	29-41	6-4	W 1
Pittsburgh	66	78	.458	9.5	34-38	32-40	5-5	L 2
NY Mets	65	78	.455	10.0	35-34	30-44	5-5	L 1
Washington	65	79	.451	10.5	31-43	34-36	3-7	W 1
St. Louis	63	81	.438	12.5	31-40	32-41	5-5	L 2
Colorado	51	92	.357	24.0	29-39	22-53	2-8	L 5

*******NFL STANDINGS********

American Football Conference
East Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
New York Jets	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	22	16	1-0-0	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
Miami Dolphins	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	36	34	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
New England Patriots	0	1	0	.000	1.0	20	25	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 L
Buffalo Bills	0	1	0	.000	1.0	16	22	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

West Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
Las Vegas Raiders	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	17	16	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
Kansas City Chiefs	0	1	0	.000	1.0	20	21	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 L
Los Angeles Chargers	0	1	0	.000	1.0	34	36	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-0-0	1 L
Denver Broncos	0	1	0	.000	1.0	16	17	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

North Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
Cleveland Browns	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	24	3	1-0-0	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
Baltimore Ravens	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	25	9	1-0-0	0-0-0	1-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
Pittsburgh Steelers	0	1	0	.000	1.0	7	30	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 L
Cincinnati Bengals	0	1	0	.000	1.0	3	24	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

South Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	31	21	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
Tennessee Titans	0	1	0	.000	1.0	15	16	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 L
Houston Texans	0	1	0	.000	1.0	9	25	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	0-0-0	1 L
Indianapolis Colts	0	1	0	.000	1.0	21	31	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

National Football Conference
East Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
Dallas Cowboys	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	40	0	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
Washington Commanders	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	20	16	1-0-0	0-0-0	1-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
Philadelphia Eagles	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	25	20	0-0-0	1-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
New York Giants	0	1	0	.000	1.0	0	40	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

West Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
Los Angeles Rams	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	30	13	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
San Francisco 49ers	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	30	7	0-0-0	1-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
Arizona Cardinals	0	1	0	.000	1.0	16	20	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	0-0-0	1 L
Seattle Seahawks	0	1	0	.000	1.0	13	30	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

North Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
Green Bay Packers	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	38	20	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
Detroit Lions	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	21	20	0-0-0	1-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
Minnesota Vikings	0	1	0	.000	1.0	17	20	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-0-0	1 L
Chicago Bears	0	1	0	.000	1.0	20	38	0-1-0	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

South Division
	W	L	T	Pct	GB	PF	PA	Home	Road	vs. Conf	vs. Div	Streak
Atlanta Falcons	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	24	10	1-0-0	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	1 W
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	20	17	0-0-0	1-0-0	1-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
New Orleans Saints	1	0	0	1.000	0.0	16	15	1-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	0-0-0	1 W
Carolina Panthers	0	1	0	.000	1.0	10	24	0-0-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	0-1-0	1 L

*******TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY*******

1883 In an American Association contest, John Reilly hits for the cycle, collecting three singles, a double, triple, and home run in the Red Stockings’ 27-5 rout of the visiting Pittsburgh Alleghenys at the Bank Street Grounds. Next week, the 24-year-old Cincinnati first baseman will accomplish the feat for the second time at the same ballpark when the team beats the first-place Philadelphia Athletics, 12-3.

1930 At Ebbets Field, Dodger catcher Al Lopez hits the last major league bounced home run in National League history. The Senior Circuit joins the American League, which had enacted the rule change in 1929, awarding a ground-rule double to the player who hits the ball over the wall on a bounce.

1932 In the bottom of the ninth, Johnny Frederick hits his major league record-setting sixth pinch-homer of the season, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 victory over the Cubs. The Brooklyn outfielder’s major league mark remains for 68 years until another Dodger, Dave Hansen, strokes seven round-trippers coming off the bench in 2000.

1936 At the age of 61, Kid Elberfeld, the team’s skipper, grounds out to third when he pinch-hits for the Fulton (KY) Eagles in the Class D Kitty League. The Tabasco Kid, known for his combative style as a major leaguer, finishes his minor league managerial career at the end of the season after spending 30 years as a manager, coach, scout, mentor, and instructor for many aspiring ballplayers.

1947 Ralph Kiner hits a record eight home runs in four games, surpassing Tony Lazzeri, who had hit seven round-trippers in four games with the Yankees in 1936. The Pirates outfielder will finish the season with a major-league-leading 51 round-trippers, tied with Giants first baseman Johnny Mize.

1952 At Forbes Field, the Pirates become the first team to use protective headgear covering the players’ temples, a precursor to the batting helmet. Branch Rickey’s innovation, worn both at the plate and in the field in the Bucs’ twin bill split with Boston, is a plastic hat with a foam layer attached to the hatband.

1953 At County Stadium, Carl Erskine goes the distance in The Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Braves, giving the team a 13-game lead with 12 left to play. Brooklyn clinches a pennant at the earliest date ever in baseball history and marks the first time the club wins consecutive titles in franchise history.

1958 At Connie Mack Stadium, Giants’ leadoff hitter Jim Davenport singles and hits a three-run inside-the-park home run during an eight-run first inning. Johnny Antonelli pitches a complete game for his 15th victory when San Francisco routs the Phillies, 19-2.

1959 En route to a 21-15 season with the Giants, 33-year-old Toothpick Sam Jones throws a four-hitter against Philadelphia to become the second black major leaguer to win twenty games. In 1955, the right-hander from Ohio lost twenty games pitching for the Cubs.

1961 Frank Lary wins his 20th game of the season, the second time he has accomplished the feat when he goes the distance in the Tigers’ 3-1 victory over Kansas City. The 31-year-old right-hander will finish the season with a 23-9 record, including a league-leading 22 complete games.

1962 Tom Cheney sets a major league mark for K’s in a single game by striking out 21 batters, throwing all 16 innings in the Senators’ 2-1 victory over the Orioles. The 27-year-old right-handed fireballer tosses 228 pitches in the three-hour and 59-minute Memorial Stadium contest.

1962 With the game behind the front-running Dodgers, the Giants lose their All-Star center fielder when Willie Mays enters a hospital for nervous exhaustion. The City by the Bay team will drop six games in a row but will recover along with ‘Say Hey Kid’ in time to beat Los Angeles in a playoff to win the National League pennant.

1963 “I look up into the stands, and it looks like Ebbets Field. The Mets are wonderful, but you can’t take the Dodger out of Brooklyn” – DUKE SNIDER, addressing the Mets fans on his special night at the Polo Grounds. Former Dodgers teammates Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella join the Mets in honoring Duke Snider on the day that marks the last time the Giants, now located in San Francisco, will play at the Polo Grounds, once their long-time home. The ‘Silver Fox,’ obtained by the last-place expansion team in April, has recently requested to be traded to a contender.

1964 Orioles southpaw Frank Bertaina records his first major league victory when he tosses a one-hitter to beat the A’s at Memorial Stadium, 1-0. The losing pitcher Bob Meyer, who yields the game’s lone run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, also gives up just one hit in his complete-game effort in the seventh double one-hitter in baseball history

1965 Mets rookie Dick Selma, in his second major league start, establishes a franchise mark when he strikes out 13 batters. The 21-year-old right-hander goes the distance in New York’s ten-inning, 1-0 victory over Milwaukee at Shea Stadium.

1969 The Mets sweep a doubleheader against the Pirates when Jerry Koosman and Don Cardwell go the distance in 1-0 victories. Both starters drive in the only run scored in both ends of the twin bill.

1972 In his final appearance, 29-year-old right-hander Denny McLain, who will finish his ten-year career with a 131-92 record, loses when he gives up three runs in the ninth inning without retiring a batter in the Braves’ 7-5 loss to Cincinnati at Atlanta Stadium. The last batter the one-time 30-game winner, rumored to have been involved with gambling and bookmaking, will face is Pete Rose, who will receive a lifetime ban from the game for wagering on the game.

1974 Mike Schmidt hits an eighth-inning three-run bomb, his 36th home run and final one this season, off Jerry Reuss in Philadelphia’s 6-4 comeback victory over the Pirates at Veterans Stadium. The 24-year-old third baseman becomes the first Phillies player to lead the league in home runs since Chuck Klein hit 28 round-trippers in 1933.

1976 At age 53, Minnie Minoso becomes the oldest player to get a hit in a regular-season game as he singles in three at-bats as the designated hitter for the White Sox. Angels’ southpaw Sid Monge gives up the historic safety.

1979 Carl Yastrzemski, in a 9-2 Red Sox victory over the Yankees, collects his 3000th hit, an eighth-inning single off Jim Beattie at Fenway Park. After Captain Carl’s milestone marker, the game pauses for a lengthy on-field celebration of the historic moment.

1984 Mets right-hander Dwight Gooden breaks the season strikeout record for a rookie when he whiffs Marvell Wynne in the sixth inning of his 2-0 complete-game victory over the Pirates at Shea Stadium. By whiffing 16 Bucs, Doc’s total of 251 is six more than Herb Score’s 1955 mark.

1985 Both New York teams host their rivals in close pennant races, thanks to a rare oddity of scheduling that has the clubs playing at home on the same day. On Baseball Thursday in the Big Apple, the Mets go into first place with a 7-6 victory over the Cardinals at Shea Stadium, and the second-place Yankees beat the Blue Jays in the ballpark in the Bronx, 7-5, cutting Toronto’s lead to a game and half.

1987 Eddie Murray, passing Boog Powell, becomes the Orioles’ all-time home run leader when he hits his 304th round-tripper for Baltimore in a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Cal Ripken will move past his buddy for first-place honors, hitting his 334th four-bagger in 1996.

1995 During a WGN pregame radio broadcast at Wrigley Field, Harry Caray remarks to the team’s skipper Jim Riggleman, “Well, my eyes are slanty enough, how ’bout yours?” referring to Hideo Nomo, the Japanese rookie hurler scheduled to start for the Dodgers. The veteran announcer, known for not backing off his on-the-air off-handed comments, does issue an apology, calling the incident “unfortunate.”

1996 Alex Rodriguez, in an 8-5 win over the Royals, sets a major league shortstop record with his 88th extra-base hit. The Mariners infielder’s first-inning double off Chris Haney in the Kauffman Stadium contest establishes the new mark.

1996 Bernie Williams drives in eight runs with two homers and a single, helping the Bronx Bombers defeat Detroit, 12-3. The Yankee center fielder will celebrate his 28th birthday tomorrow, hitting .305 for the eventual World Champs.

1998 Cubs’ slugger Sammy Sosa becomes the fourth major leaguer to hit 60 home runs in a season when he blasts a seventh-inning three-run shot off Milwaukee’s Valerio de Los Santos in a 15-12 victorious slugfest at Wrigley Field. The Chicago right-fielder joins Babe Ruth (1927 Yankees), Roger Maris (1961 Yankees), and Mark McGwire (1998 Cardinals) in reaching one of baseball’s most cherished milestones.

2000 Dave Hansen breaks the 1932 record for pinch-hit home runs in a single season with his seventh round-tripper coming off the bench on the same date Johnny Frederick established the mark sixty-eight years ago. The Dodger pinch-hitter’s historic homer, a seventh-inning three-run blast off Diamondback right-hander Curt Schilling, isn’t enough to prevent the team’s 5-4 loss to Arizona at Bank One Ballpark.

2002 A jury, not a judge or umpires, will decide whether Alex Popov controlled Barry Bonds’ record-setting 73rd home run in his glove. Popov, who lost possession of the ball valued at approximately $1 million after being mobbed by fans, claims the historic horsehide should belong to him, not Patrick Hayashi, the person who ended up with the valuable souvenir.

2005 Making his season debut with just 20 games left in the regular schedule, Barry Bonds returns to the Giants lineup with a bang, lining a double in his first at-bat and barely missing hitting his 704th career homer. The 41-year-old slugger spent time on the disabled list due to an infection following knee surgery.

2006 The Braves are mathematically eliminated from the division race as the Mets beat the Marlins, 6-4. The New York victory ends Atlanta’s streak of fourteen straight division titles, the longest run for any professional sport.

2006 Luis Gonzalez becomes the oldest player at 39 years and nine days old to hit 50 doubles in one season. The Diamondbacks outfielder, who also holds the club’s record for two-baggers, surpasses Hall of Famer Tris Speaker, who was 38 years, 107 days old when he last legged a hit to second.

2008 In the 2-1 victory over the Nationals, Jorge Cantu goes deep in the fourth inning, making the Marlins the first team in big league history to have four infielders hit 25 home runs in the same season. The Florida third baseman joins first baseman Mike Jacobs (32), second baseman Dan Uggla (30), and shortstop Hanley Ramirez (29) in accounting for 116 of the Fish’s 188 big flies this year.

2015 Atlanta loses its 11th consecutive home game, dropping a 6-4 decision to the Mets at Turner Field. The defeat matches a franchise mark established in 1931 when the team played at Braves Field in Boston.

2015 After hitting a homer in the first inning, David Ortiz goes deep again in the fifth frame to become the 27th member of the 500 home run club. The Red Sox 39-year-old designated hitter’s two round-trippers, both off Matt Moore, contribute to the team’s 10-4 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field.

2017 The Twins set a Target Field record for most homers in a game in the eight-year-old ballpark, going deep seven times in the team’s 16-0 pounding of the Padres. The septet of round-trippers blasted by Brian Dozier, Jorge Polanco, Jason Castro (2), Eddie Rosario, Eduardo Escobar, and Kennys Vargas marks the first time in history that a team hits a home run in each of the first seven innings.

2017 Behind Corey Kluber’s complete-game performance, the Indians extended their winning streak to 20, beating the Tigers at Progressive Field, 2-0. The Tribe’s winning ways, which began on August 24th against the Red Sox in Boston, tie the American League record mark the team now shares with 2002 A’s.

2019 Kyle Lewis becomes just the second player in baseball history to homer in his first three games when he goes deep off Lucas Sims in the Mariners’ 11-5 loss to the Reds at T-Mobile Park. The Seattle outfielder joins Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, who accomplished the feat at the start of the 2016 season.

2021 Max Scherzer becomes the 19th player to reach the 3,000-strikeout plateau with a fifth-inning punch out of Eric Hosmer, who will break up the right-hander’s bid for a perfect game with a one-out double in the eighth of LA’s 8-0 victory over the Padres. The three-time Cy Young Award winner whiffs nine batters in the Dodger Stadium gem, including his third career immaculate inning, tying a major league mark shared by Sandy Koufax and Chris Sale.

*******FOOTBALL HISTORY*******

September 12, 1976 – The Seattle Seahawks play their inaugural regular season game in a loss to St. Louis 30-24. Jack Patera was the Head Coach of the ‘Hawks as they played in front of a sold out King Dome. The Seahawks played hard in close games but still started off the franchise by losing their first 5 games of their initial season. A pair of legendary rookies got some major experience in just the second game of the season as Jim Zorn was under center for Seattle and his favorite career target, Hall of Famer Steve Largent was at wide out. Jim Hart quarterbacked the Cardinals that day.

September 12, 1988 – The very first NFL game is played in Phoenix, Arizona as the newly transplanted Cardinals hosted the Dallas Cowboys. This week 2 match-up was the Monday Night Football Game that week. The Cowboys spoiled the party in the dessert in a 17-14 victory over the red birds. When you peak at the box score you have to take a second look as it shows Jay Novacek of Phoenix catching a 23 yard pass for a score from Cardinal’s QB Neil Lomax for the final score of the game. One could easily forget that Novacek played 5 seasons for the Cardinals before making his mark in Big D with the ‘Boys. The Cardinals have a long history and are actually the oldest franchise still playing in the NFL. The real origin of the franchise goes all the way back to 1898 when a man named Chris O’Brien formed the Morgan Athletic Club team who a few years later bought and had the team wear cast off faded uniforms from the University of Chicago Maroons. O’Brien described the uniforms as “cardinal red” and the nickname stuck with the team and helped set the team colors for years to come. That season they played their home games at 61st and Racine Street and were dubbed the Racine Street Cardinals. As far as the NFL goes they were a charter member of the league and started off in Chicago with the Cardinals name in 1920 and played in the Windy City until 1959, except for the 1944 Season when they combined with Pittsburgh, to create a team called the Card-Pitts, due to a player shortage caused by World War II. From the 1961 season through 1987 they played as the St. Louis Cardinals. A more recent move in 1988 to the dessert had them play as the Phoenix Cardinals until 1993 when they changed their location name to Arizona Cardinals for better representation of the area. Sports History Network’s Joe Ziemba, a resident of Chicago and an expert on the Cards and Bears has some excellent books and podcasts on the early Cardinals. Here is a great one, on Ernie Nevers, to dive into on the subject even deeper.

Hall of Fame Birthdays for September 12

September 12, 1891 – John “Babe” Brown played for Navy as a guard. Babe was first team College Football All-American at guard in the 1913 season. The 1913 Army-Navy game ended up in a 6-0 Midshipmen’s win as Brown scored all of the points in the game as he kicked two field goals. Brown later served as the president of the National Football Foundation which oversees the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1955 the voters placed his story of his collegiate football career into the College Football Hall of Fame. John Brown ended up being a Vice-Admiral in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

September 12, 1964 – Lynn Thomsen was a defensive tackle at Augustana College. He is the only player in college football history to start 50 games over a span of four years and to have never lost a game! The Augustana Vikings teams that Thomsen played on from 1983 through the 1986 seasons were an amazing 49-0-1! They also won FOUR NCAA Division III championships during those years. Lynn was an All-American selection for 1986 for Division III and was the Defensive Player of the Year in the College Conference of Illinois. The College Football Hall of Fame selected Thomsen to join their ranks in 1997’s entry class.

******NUMBERS IN SPORTS******

4 – 23 – 15 – 8 – 19 – 10 – 19 – 31 – 16 – 29 – 34 – 5 – 11

September 12, 1911 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitchers dual for final time; Boston Rustlers’ Cy Young vs Christy Mathewson of the Giants; NY wins, 11-2

September 12, 1930 – Brooklyn catcher Al López hits major league’s last recorded bounce home run

September 12, 1947 – Pittsburgh Pirates future Baseball HOF left fielder Ralph Kiner, Number 4 ripped 2 home runs in Pirates’ 4-3 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. This was Kiner’s record 8th HR in 4 games

September 12, 1962 – Washington Senators ace Tom Cheney, Number 23 struck out a record 21 Baltimore Orioles batters in a 16 inning game

September 12, 1979 – The Indiana Pacers cut female player Ann Meyers, Number 15 who was the first woman on an NBA club

September 12, 1979 – Carl Yastrzemski wearing Number 8 reached his 3,000th hit off NY Yankee Jim Beattie

September 12, 1981 – Red Sox rookie Bob Ojeda, Number 19 no-hit the Yankees for 8 innings before Rick Cerone (Number 10) and Dave Winfield (Number 31) lead off the 9th inning with back-to-back doubles

September 12, 1984 – New York Met Dwight Gooden, Number 16 set a rookie strike out record at 251

September 12, 1987 – St Louis Cardinals Speedster Vince Coleman, Number 29 stole his 100th base for 3rd straight year

September 12, 1991 – Nolan Ryan, Number 34 of the Houston Astros notched a 4-3 victory over Twins with superb pitching and earned his 312th career win

September 12, 1993 – Toronto Blue Jays slugger Paul Molitor, Number 19 at age 37 became the oldest MLB player to reach 100 RBIs for the first time in career

September 12, 1997 – New York Met John Olerud (Number 5) hit for the cycle against the Montreal Expos

September 12, 2005 – Mark Messier (Number 11) announced on ESPN radio that he would retire from the NHL after 25 brilliant seasons of skating in the league.

*******TV SPORTS TUESDAY******

COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)

8 p.m.

ACCN — Michigan St. at Notre Dame

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

6 p.m.

ACCN — Florida at Florida St.

9 p.m.

ESPN — Nebraska at Stanford

MLB BASEBALL

7 p.m.

TBS — NY Yankees at Boston

10 p.m.

MLBN — San Diego at LA Dodgers OR Cleveland at San Francisco (9:30 p.m.)

SOCCER (MEN’S)

11:50 a.m.

FS2 — International Friendly: Azerbaijan vs. Jordan, Mardakan, Azerbaijan

2:30 p.m.

FS2 — International Friendly: Scotland vs. England, Glasgow, Scotland

6 p.m.

FS2 — CPL: Cavalry FC at HFX Wanderers FC

8:30 p.m.

TNT — International Friendly: U.S. vs. Oman, St. Paul, Minn.

TENNIS

8 a.m.

TENNIS — Davis Cup Finals Group Stage: France vs. Switzerland, Serbia vs. South Korea, Sweden vs. Chile, Netherlands vs. Finland; San Diego-WTA Early Rounds

8:30 p.m. TENNIS — San Diego-WTA, Osaka-WTA Early Rounds