“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE-WEEK 4
ADAMS CENTRAL (3-0) AT JAY COUNTY (1-2)
ALEXANDRIA (3-0) AT EASTBROOK (3-0)
ANDERSON (1-2) AT MCCUTCHEON (1-2)
ANDREAN (2-1) AT MUNSTER (0-3)
ANGOLA (2-1) AT WEST NOBLE (2-1)
ATTICA (1-2) AT PARKE HERITAGE (2-1)
BEECH GROVE (3-0) AT INDIAN CREEK (3-0)
BELLMONT (0-3) AT NORWELL (0-3)
BEN DAVIS (1-2) AT CENTER GROVE (3-0)
BENTON CENTRAL (0-3) AT LOGANSPORT (3-0)
BLACKFORD (0-3) AT ELWOOD (1-2)
BLOOMINGTON NORTH (1-2) AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (3-0)
BLUFFTON (3-0) AT WOODLAN (1-2)
BOWMAN ACADEMY (2-1) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (0-3)
BREMEN (1-2) AT LAVILLE (2-1)
BROWNSBURG (3-0) AT AVON (2-1)
CALUMET (3-0) AT HIGHLAND (1-2)
CALUMET CHRISTIAN AT WHITING (1-2)
CARMEL (3-0) AT LOUISVILLE TRINITY (KY.)
CASTON (1-2) AT PIONEER (2-1)
CENTERVILLE (3-0) AT WINCHESTER (2-1)
CHARLESTOWN (2-1) AT NORTH HARRISON (1-2)
CLINTON CENTRAL (2-1) AT SHERIDAN (1-1)
COLUMBIA CITY (3-0) AT HUNTINGTON NORTH (0-3)
COLUMBUS EAST (1-2) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (1-2)
COLUMBUS NORTH (3-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (1-2)
CONNERSVILLE (2-1) AT MADISON (0-3)
CROWN POINT (3-0) AT LAKE CENTRAL (2-1)
DANVILLE (1-2) AT HAMILTON HEIGHTS (1-2)
DELPHI (1-2) AT CARROLL (FLORA) (2-1)
EAST CENTRAL (2-1) AT FRANKLIN COUNTY (3-0)
EAST NOBLE (3-0) AT DEKALB (2-1)
EASTERN (PEKIN) (0-3) AT SILVER CREEK (0-3)
EASTERN GREENE (0-3) AT MITCHELL (0-3)
EASTSIDE (2-1) AT CHURUBUSCO (1-2)
EDGEWOOD (3-0) AT OWEN VALLEY (1-2)
EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-3) AT JASPER (2-1)
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-2) AT VINCENNES LINCOLN (1-2)
EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-3) AT CASTLE (2-1)
EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (2-1) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (3-0)
EVANSVILLE NORTH (2-1) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (2-1)
FAIRFIELD (2-1) AT CULVER ACADEMY (0-3)
FAITH CHRISTIAN (1-2) AT FRONTIER (3-0)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (1-2) AT SHENANDOAH (1-2)
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-3) AT FORT WAYNE NORTH (2-1)
FORT WAYNE DWENGER (2-1) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (1-2)
FORT WAYNE LUERS (0-3) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (0-3)
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (3-0) AT HOMESTEAD (2-1)
FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-3) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (1-2)
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (0-3) AT COVINGTON (3-0)
FRANKFORT (0-3) AT SOUTHMONT (3-0)
FRANKTON (0-3) AT MISSISSINEWA (3-0)
GARRETT (1-2) AT LAKELAND (2-1)
GARY WEST (2-0) AT RIVER FOREST (1-2)
GOSHEN (1-2) AT PLYMOUTH (1-2)
GREENCASTLE (1-2) AT WESTERN BOONE (1-2)
GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (2-1) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (3-0)
GRIFFITH (2-1) AT BOONE GROVE (1-2)
GUERIN CATHOLIC (2-1) AT BREBEUF JESUIT (0-3)
HAGERSTOWN (1-2) AT UNION COUNTY (1-2)
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (3-0) AT FISHERS (2-1)
HAMMOND MORTON (2-1) AT BYRON CENTRAL (MICH.)
HENDERSON COUNTY (KY.) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (2-1)
HERITAGE (3-0) AT SOUTH ADAMS (1-2)
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (1-2) AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN (1-2)…INDIANA SRN BROADCAST 7:00
HOBART (3-0) AT KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-3)
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (2-1) AT CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-3)
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (3-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (1-2)….INDIANA SRN BROADCAST 7:00
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (1-2) AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (1-2)
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (2-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (2-1)
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (0-3) AT HAMMOND CENTRAL (0-3)
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-2) AT ARSENAL TECH (0-3)
INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (1-1) AT PARK TUDOR (3-0)
JEFFERSONVILLE (1-2) AT KOKOMO (0-3)
JOHN GLENN (1-2) AT JIMTOWN (1-2)
KNOX (3-0) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (2-1)
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-2) AT TWIN LAKES (3-0)
LAFAYETTE JEFF (2-1) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (2-1)
LAPEL (3-0) AT MUNCIE CENTRAL (1-2)
LAPORTE (1-2) AT CHESTERTON (1-2)
LAWRENCE NORTH (2-1) AT NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (1-2)
LAWRENCEBURG (2-1) AT GREENSBURG (0-3)
LEBANON (2-1) AT MARION (1-2)
LINTON (1-2) AT SULLIVAN (2-1)
LOWELL (2-1) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (1-2)
MADISON-GRANT (3-0) AT OAK HILL (1-2)
MANCHESTER (2-1) AT LEWIS CASS (2-1)
MARTINSVILLE (1-2) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (1-2)
MICHIGAN CITY (2-1) AT VALPARAISO (1-2)
MISHAWAKA (2-1) AT NORTHWOOD (2-1)
MISHAWAKA MARIAN (2-1) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (3-0)
MONROE CENTRAL (1-2) AT TRI (2-1)
MONROVIA (1-2) AT TRITON CENTRAL (3-0)
MOORESVILLE (2-1) AT GREENWOOD (1-2)
MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (0-3) AT NEW PALESTINE (3-0)
NEW ALBANY (0-3) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (2-1)
NEW HAVEN (0-3) AT LEO (3-0)
NOBLESVILLE (1-2) AT WESTFIELD (2-1)
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (2-1) AT CLOVERDALE (1-2)
NORTH DECATUR (3-0) AT BROWN COUNTY (1-2)
NORTH JUDSON (2-1) AT NORTH MIAMI (3-0)
NORTH KNOX (2-1) AT BOONVILLE (2-1)
NORTH MONTGOMERY (0-3) AT CASCADE (3-0)
NORTH NEWTON (2-1) AT SOUTH NEWTON (1-2)
NORTH PUTNAM (1-2) AT CRAWFORDSVILLE (2-1)
NORTH VERMILLION (0-3) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (1-2)
NORTHEASTERN (3-0) AT CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-3)
NORTHFIELD (0-3) AT SOUTHWOOD (0-3)
NORTHRIDGE (0-3) AT CONCORD (2-1)
NORTHWESTERN (1-2) AT PERU (1-2)
OSCEOLA GRACE AT FREMONT (2-1)
PAOLI (1-2) AT PERRY CENTRAL (0-3)
PENN (3-0) AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (1-2)
PERRY MERIDIAN (2-1) AT PLAINFIELD (3-0)
PIKE (0-3) AT SOUTHPORT (0-3)
PIKE CENTRAL (0-3) AT NORTH DAVIESS (3-0)
PORTAGE (0-3) AT MERRILLVILLE (1-2)
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-3) AT CENTRAL NOBLE (0-3)
PRINCETON (2-1) AT WASHINGTON (1-2)
PROVIDENCE (2-1) AT CLARKSVILLE (2-1)
PURDUE ENGLEWOOD (3-0) AT NOBLESVILLE HOMESCHOOL
RENSSELAER CENTRAL (3-0) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (0-3)
RICHMOND (1-2) AT SOUTH DEARBORN (2-1)
RUSHVILLE (0-3) AT BATESVILLE (2-1)
SALEM (1-2) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (3-0)
SCOTTSBURG (3-0) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (1-2)
SEEGER (3-0) AT RIVERTON PARKE (3-0)
SEYMOUR (0-3) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (2-1)
SHELBYVILLE (2-1) AT NEW CASTLE (1-2)
SOUTH BEND ADAMS (1-2) AT NEW PRAIRIE (0-3)
SOUTH BEND RILEY (2-1) AT ELKHART (2-1)
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-3) AT TRITON (2-1)
SOUTH DECATUR (1-2) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (2-1)
SOUTH PUTNAM (2-1) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (1-2)
SOUTH SPENCER (0-3) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (2-1)
SOUTHRIDGE (1-2) AT HERITAGE HILLS (3-0)
SOUTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL AT EDINBURGH (0-3)
SPRINGS VALLEY (3-0) AT WEST WASHINGTON (2-1)
SWITZERLAND COUNTY (3-0) AT MILAN (1-2)
TAYLOR (2-1) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (3-0)
TECUMSEH (1-2) AT FOREST PARK (1-2)
TELL CITY (3-0) AT NORTH POSEY (2-1)
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (2-1) AT TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-3)
TIPTON (2-1) AT WESTERN (2-1)
TRI-COUNTY (0-3) AT NORTH WHITE (0-3)
TRI-WEST (2-1) AT SPEEDWAY (0-3)
UNION CITY (0-3) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (2-1)
WABASH (0-3) AT ROCHESTER (2-1)
WARREN CENTRAL (2-1) AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL (2-1)
WAWASEE (1-2) AT WARSAW (2-1)
WES-DEL (1-1) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (1-2)
WEST CENTRAL (3-0) AT LAKE STATION (3-0)
WEST VIGO (0-3) AT NORTHVIEW (3-0)
WHEELER (3-0) AT HAMMOND NOLL (1-2)
WHITELAND (1-2) AT FRANKLIN (2-1)
WHITKO (1-2) AT MACONAQUAH (3-0)
WINAMAC (0-3) AT CULVER (1-2)
YORKTOWN (2-1) AT DELTA (1-2)
ZIONSVILLE (1-2) AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL (2-1)
SAGARIN RATINGS: https://scoreboard.homestead.com/football/classrate.htm#load
_____
+++BATTLE OF THE UNBEATENS THIS WEEK: JOHN HARRELL POINT SPREAD+++
ALEXANDRIA AT EASTBROOK (EASTBROOK BY 3)
BEECH GROVE AT INDIAN CREEK (BEECH GROVE BY 1)
SEEGER AT RIVERTON PARKE (RIVERTON PARKE BY 7)
WEST CENTRAL AT LAKE STATION (WEST CENTRAL BY 21)
+++BATTLE OF THE WINLESS: JOHN HARRELL POINT SPREAD+++
BELLMONT AT NORWELL (NORWELL BY 21)
EASTERN PEKIN AT SILVER CREEK (SILVER CREEK BY 25)
EASTERN GREENE AT MITCHELL (EASTERN GREENE BY 4)
FT. WAYNE LUERS AT FT. WAYNE SOUTH (LUERS BY 10)
SHORTRIDGE AT HAMMOND CENTRAL (HAMMOND BY 3)
NORTHFIELD AT CONCORD (CONCORD BY 18)
PIKE AT SOUTHPORT (PIKE BY 31)
TRI-COUNTY AT NORTH WHITE (TRI-COUNTY BY 1)
_____
+++UNBEATEN VS. WINLESS (JOHN HARRELL POINT SPREAD)+++
BENTON CENTRAL 0-3 AT LOGANSPORT 3-0 (LOGANSPORT BY 42)
COLUMBIA CITY 3-0 AT HUNTINGTON NORTH 0-3 (COLUMBIA CITY BY 14)
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL 0-3 AT COVINGTON 3-0 (COVINGTON BY 7)
FRANKFORT 0-3 AT SOUTHMONT 3-0 (SOUTHMONT BY 35)
FRANKTON 0-3 AT MISSISSINEWA 3-0 (MISSISSINEWA BY 42)
HOBART 3-0 AT KANKAKEE VALLEY 0-3 (HOBART BY 21)
MT. VERNON AT NEW PALESTINE (NEW PAL BY 31)
NEW HAVEN 0-3 AT LEO 3-0 (LEO BY 31)
NORTH MONTGOMERY 0-3 AT CASCADE 3-0 (CASCADE BY 45)
NORTHEASTERN 3-0 AT CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 0-3 (NORTHEASTERN BY 56)
PIKE CENTRAL 0-3 AT NORTH DAVIESS 3-0 (NORTH DAVIEES 35)
RENSSELAER CENTRAL 3-0 AT WEST LAFAYETTE 0-3 (WEST LAFAYETTE BY 10)
WEST VIGO 0-3 AT NORTHVIEW 3-0 (NORTHVIEW BY 45)
_____
+++CLOSET PREDICTIONS BY JOHN HARRELL (1-3 POINT SPREAD)+++
ALEXANDRIA OVER EASTBROOK BY 3
BEECH GROVE BY 1 OVER INDIAN CREEK
BLACKFORD BY 3 OVER ELWOOD
GUERIN CATHOLIC BY 3 OVER BREBEUF
HAMILTON SE OVER FISHERS BY 1
HERITAGE OVER SOUTH ADAMS BY 3
CATHEDRAL OVER BISHOP CHATARD BY 3
HAMMOND CENTRAL BY 3 OVER SHORTRIDGE
LEWIS CASS OVER MANCHESTER BY 3
MISHAWAKA OVER NORTHWOOD BY 3
CLOVERDALE BY 3 OVER NORTH CENTRAL FARMERSBURG
NORTHFIELD OVER SOUTHWOOD BY 1
NORTHWESTERN BY 1 OVER PERU
WESTERN OVER TIPTON BY 1
_____
BIGGEST BLOWOUTS EXPECTED-JOHN HARRELL POINT SPREAD
LOGANSPORT OVER BENTON CENTRAL 42-0
FRONTIER OVER FAITH CHRISTIAN 63-10
MISSISSINEWA OVER FRANKTON 45-3
NORTH DECATUR OVER BROWN COUNTY 59-10
NORTHEASTERN OVER CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 66-10
PROVIDENCE OVER CLARKSVILLE 56-10
NORTHVIEW OVER WEST VIGO 52-7
WHEELER OVER HAMMOND NOLL 45-3
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SCORES:+++
Z RATINGS: https://www.zvolleyball.com/ipv/indiana-hs-z-ratings/z-girls-2025
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER SCORES:+++
_____
+++INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER SCORES:+++
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GOLF SCORES:+++
ANDERSON 182, MARION 253
CENTER GROVE 150, FRANKLIN 152, COLUMBUS NORTH 238
WESTERN BOONE 175, COVENANT CHRISTIAN 192
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS:+++
SCOTTSBURG INVITE: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/700408-scottsburg-invitational-2025/results
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS SCORES:+++
TRITON CENTRAL 5 HAUSER 0
AVON 6 BROWNSBURG 1
EASTERN HANCOCK 4 NEW PALESTINE 1
ALEXANDRIA 5 TIPTON 0
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 5 MT. VERNON 1
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL UNITED FLAG FOOTBALL SCORES:+++
MOORESVILLE 20 GREENWOOD 6
_____
+++MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL+++
BALTIMORE 3 PITTSBURGH 2 (11)
CLEVELAND 2 KANSAS CITY 0
WASHINGTON 7 MIAMI 5
PHILADELPHIA 9 NY METS 3
DETROIT 12 NY YANKEES 2
TORONTO 4 HOUSTON 3 (10)
CHICAGO CUBS 6 ATLANTA 1
TAMPA BAY 5 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4
TEXAS 5 MILWAUKEE 4
LA ANGELS 12 MINNESOTA 2
CINCINNATI 4 SAN DIEGO 2
SEATTLE 5 ST. LOUIS 3
SAN FRANCISCO 5 ARIZONA 3
BOSTON 6 LAS VEGAS 0
LA DODGERS 7 COLORADO 2
_____
+++MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL+++
IOWA 7 INDIANAPOLIS 0
_____
+++COLLEGE FOOTBALL-WEEK 3 TV SCHEDULE+++
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11
7:30 P.M. | NC STATE AT WAKE FOREST | ESPN
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12
6:30 P.M. | INDIANA STATE AT NO. 22 INDIANA | BIG TEN NETWORK
7 P.M. | COLGATE AT SYRACUSE | ACC NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | COLORADO AT HOUSTON | ESPN
9 P.M. | KANSAS STATE AT ARIZONA | FOX
10 P.M. | NEW MEXICO AT UCLA | BIG TEN NETWORK
SATURDAY, SEPT. 13
12 P.M. | NO. 4 OREGON AT NORTHWESTERN | FOX
12 P.M. | NO. 12 CLEMSON AT GEORGIA TECH
12 P.M. | CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT NO. 23 MICHIGAN | BIG TEN NETWORK
12 P.M. | NO. 13 OKLAHOMA AT TEMPLE | ESPN2
12 P.M. | WISCONSIN AT NO. 19 ALABAMA
12 P.M. | LEHIGH AT DUQUESNE | ESPN+
12 P.M. | HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT NEBRASKA | FS1
12 P.M. | TOWSON AT MARYLAND | PEACOCK
12 P.M. | WILLIAM & MARY AT VIRGINIA | ACC NETWORK
12 P.M. | SAMFORD AT BAYLOR | ESPN+
12 P.M. | MEMPHIS AT TROY | ESPNU
12 P.M. | BUFFALO AT KENT STATE | CBSSN
12:45 P.M. | SOUTH ALABAMA AT NO. 24 AUBURN | SEC NETWORK
1 P.M. | DAVIDSON AT TENNESSEE TECH | ESPN+
1 P.M. | LAFAYETTE AT GEORGETOWN | ESPN+
2 P.M. | NEW HAMPSHIRE AT BALL STATE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | NORTHERN COLORADO AT SOUTH DAKOTA | ESPN+
2 P.M. | RHODE ISLAND AT HOLY CROSS | ESPN+
2:30 P.M. | ELON AT WESTERN CAROLINA | ESPN+
3 P.M. | UCONN AT DELAWARE | ESPN+
3 P.M. | NORTH DAKOTA AT MONTANA | ESPN+
3 P.M. | SAN DIEGO AT MONTANA STATE | ESPN+
3 P.M. | ILLINOIS STATE AT EASTERN ILLINOIS | ESPN+
3 P.M. | BOWIE STATE AT DELAWARE STATE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | VILLANOVA AT NO. 2 PENN STATE | FS1
3:30 P.M. | NO. 6 GEORGIA AT NO. 15 TENNESSEE | ABC
3:30 P.M. | SMU AT MISSOURI STATE | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | OREGON STATE AT NO. 21 TEXAS TECH | FOX
3:30 P.M. | USC AT PURDUE | CBS/PARAMOUNT+
3:30 P.M. | NORFOLK STATE AT RUTGERS | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT MICHIGAN STATE | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON STATE AT NORTH TEXAS | ESPNU
3:30 P.M. | PITT AT WEST VIRGINIA | ESPN
3:30 P.M. | RICHMOND AT NORTH CAROLINA | ACC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | NORTHWESTERN STATE AT CINCINNATI | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | UIW AT UTSA | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | MORGAN STATE AT TOLEDO | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | VMI AT BUCKNELL | ESPN+
4 P.M. | NO. 14 IOWA STATE AT ARKANSAS STATE | ESPN2
4 P.M. | LOUISIANA AT NO. 25 MISSOURI | ESPN+/SECN+
4 P.M. | UTAH TECH AT IDAHO | ESPN+
4 P.M. | LINDENWOOD AT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN | ESPN+
4:15 P.M. | UTEP AT NO. 7 TEXAS | SEC NETWORK
4:30 P.M. | NO. 18 SOUTH FLORIDA AT NO. 5 MIAMI (FLA.) | THE CW NETWORK
4:30 P.M. | ALABAMA A&M AT TENNESSEE STATE | ESPN+
5 P.M. | LIBERTY AT BOWLING GREEN | ESPN+
5 P.M. | MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT NEVADA | MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK
5 P.M. | EASTERN WASHINGTON AT UNI | ESPN+
6 P.M. | ALCORN STATE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | ESPN+/SECN+
6 P.M. | FAU AT FIU | ESPN+
6 P.M. | MERRIMACK AT KENNESAW STATE | ESPN+
6 P.M. | EASTERN KENTUCKY AT MARSHALL | ESPN+
6 P.M. | MONMOUTH AT CHARLOTTE | ESPN+
6 P.M. | EAST TENNESSEE STATE AT WEST GEORGIA | ESPN+
6 P.M. | BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | ESPN+
6 P.M. | FAYETTEVILLE STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL | ESPN+
6 P.M. | STETSON AT CHATTANOOGA | ESPN+
6 P.M. | WOFFORD AT MERCER | ESPN+
6 P.M. | WEST LIBERTY AT ROBERT MORRIS | ESPN+
6 P.M. | ARKANSAS AT NO. 17 OLE MISS | ESPN
7 P.M. | OHIO AT NO. 1 OHIO STATE | PEACOCK
7 P.M. | WESTERN MICHIGAN AT NO. 9 ILLINOIS | FS1
7 P.M. | OLD DOMINION AT VIRGINIA TECH | ACC NETWORK
7 P.M. | JACKSONVILLE STATE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | ESPN+
7 P.M. | MURRAY STATE AT GEORGIA STATE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | APPALACHIAN STATE AT SOUTHERN MISS | ESPN+
7 P.M. | PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT RICE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | WEBER STATE AT MCNEESE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | THE CITADEL AT GARDNER-WEBB | ESPN+
7 P.M. | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT UT MARTIN | ESPN+
7 P.M. | VALPARAISO AT WESTERN ILLINOIS | ESPN+
7 P.M. | MOREHEAD STATE AT AUSTIN PEAY | ESPN+
7 P.M. | NORTHEASTERN STATE AT NORTH ALABAMA | ESPN+
7 P.M. | MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE AT SE LOUISIANA | ESPN+
7 P.M. | DRAKE AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | ERSKINE AT PRESBYTERIAN | ESPN+
7 P.M. | SOUTHERN AT FRESNO STATE | MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | FLORIDA AT NO. 3 LSU | ABC
7:30 P.M. | NO. 16 TEXAS A&M AT NO. 8 NOTRE DAME | NBC/PEACOCK
7:30 P.M. | EASTERN MICHIGAN AT KENTUCKY | ESPNU
7:30 P.M. | UMASS AT IOWA | BIG TEN NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | NEW MEXICO STATE AT LOUISIANA TECH | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | EAST CAROLINA AT COASTAL CAROLINA | ESPN+
7:45 P.M. | VANDERBILT AT NO. 11 SOUTH CAROLINA | SEC NETWORK
8 P.M. | NO. 20 UTAH AT WYOMING | CBSSN
8 P.M. | DUKE AT TULANE | ESPN2
8 P.M. | ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT TCU | ESPN+
8 P.M. | NAVY AT TULSA | ESPN+
8 P.M. | WESTERN OREGON AT CAL POLY | ESPN+
8 P.M. | SUL ROSS STATE AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | ESPN+
8 P.M. | LANGSTON AT UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY | ESPN+
8:30 P.M. | AKRON AT UAB | ESPN+
8:30 P.M. | NORTHERN ARIZONA AT SOUTHERN UTAH | ESPN+
9:45 P.M. | AIR FORCE AT UTAH STATE | FS1
10:30 P.M. | TEXAS STATE AT ARIZONA STATE | TNT/TRUTV/HBO MAX
10:30 P.M. | MINNESOTA AT CAL | ESPN
10:30 P.M. | BOSTON COLLEGE AT STANFORD | ACC NETWORK
11:59 P.M. | PORTLAND STATE AT HAWAI’I | SPECTRUM SPORT
_____
+++NFL WEEK 2 SCHEDULE+++
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11
WASHINGTON AT GREEN BAY, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 14
JACKSONVILLE AT CINCINNATI, 1 P.M. (CBS)
BUFFALO AT NY JETS, 1 P.M. (CBS)
NEW ENGLAND AT MIAMI, 1 P.M. (CBS)
LA RAMS AT TENNESSEE CLEVELAND AT BALTIMORE, 1 P.M. (CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO AT NEW ORLEANS, 1 P.M. (FOX)
NY GIANTS AT DALLAS, 1 P.M. (FOX)
SEATTLE AT PITTSBURGH, 1 P.M. (FOX)
CHICAGO AT DETROIT, 1 P.M. (FOX)
DENVER AT INDIANAPOLIS, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)
CAROLINA AT ARIZONA, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)
PHILADELPHIA AT KANSAS CITY, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
ATLANTA AT MINNESOTA, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 15
TAMPA BAY AT HOUSTON, 7 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)
LA CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS, 10 P.M. (ESPN)
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WNBA SCORES
NEW YORK 75 WASHINGTON 66
INDIANA 83 MINNESOTA 72
LOS ANGELES 88 PHOENIX 83
LAS VEGAS 92 CHICAGO 61
SEATTLE 74 GOLDEN STATE 73
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
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+++TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++
NFL NEWS
WEEK 2 PREVIEW
INTERESTING STORY LINES:
Close games, dramatic comebacks and memorable performances highlighted an exciting Kickoff Weekend. Four teams – Buffalo, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Tampa Bay – recorded game-winning scores in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, with the Bills becoming the first team in NFL history to overcome a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes to win in regulation.
- All-Time Aaron: Making his Pittsburgh debut in Week 1, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers recorded his 28th career game with at least four touchdown passes and no interceptions, tied with Tom Brady for the most in NFL history. Rodgers has 507 career regular-season touchdown passes and against Seattle (1 p.m. ET, FOX), can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (508 touchdown passes) for the fourth-most regular-season touchdown passes all-time. Additionally, Rodgers has 63,196 career regular-season passing yards and can surpass Philip Rivers (63,440 passing yards) for the sixth-most regular-season passing yards in NFL history.
- Super Bowl LIX Rematch: The Kansas City Chiefs host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX) in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX. To end the 2024 season, the Eagles defeated the Chiefs, 40-22, as quarterback Jalen Hurts totaled 293 yards (221 passing, 72 rushing) and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.
- Hurts rushed for two touchdowns in the Eagles’ Week 1 victory over Dallas, his 16th career regular-season game with multiple rushing touchdowns, the most among quarterbacks in NFL history.
- Kansas City was one of two teams, along with Buffalo, to go undefeated at home last season. Since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018, Kansas City has the most home wins (45) and the highest home winning percentage (.776) in the NFL.
- Mahomes enters Week 2 with 292 career touchdown passes, including the playoffs, and can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (293 touchdown passes) for the most touchdown passes by a player in his first nine seasons, including the postseason, in NFL history.
- Chiefs-Eagles will mark the 11th rematch of a Super Bowl in the following season all-time and the fourth to occur within the first two weeks of that season. The Super Bowl winning team has won seven of the 10 previous rematches.
| Super Bowl | SB Result | Rematch Date (Week) | Rematch Result |
| SB LIX | PHI 40, KC 22 | Sept. 14, 2025 (Week 2) | KC at PHI |
| SB LVIII | KC 25, SF 22 (OT) | Oct. 20, 2024 (Week 7) | KC 28 at SF 18 |
| SB LVII | KC 38, PHI 35 | Nov. 20, 2023 (Week 11) | PHI 21 at KC 17 |
| SB LI | NE 34, ATL 28 (OT) | Oct. 22, 2017 (Week 7) | ATL 7 at NE 23 |
| SB 50 | DEN 24, CAR 10 | Sept. 8, 2016 (Week 1) | CAR 20 at DEN 21 |
| SB XLVIII | SEA 43, DEN 8 | Sept. 21, 2014 (Week 3) | DEN 20 at SEA 26 (OT) |
| SB XXXI | GB 35, NE 21 | Oct. 27, 1997 (Week 9) | GB 28 at NE 10 |
| SB XXVII | DAL 52, BUF 17 | Sept. 12, 1993 (Week 2) | BUF 13 at DAL 10 |
| SB XIII | PIT 35, DAL 31 | Oct. 28, 1979 (Week 9) | DAL 3 at PIT 14 |
| SB XI | OAK 32, MIN 14 | Dec. 11, 1977 (Week 13) | MIN 13 at OAK 35 |
| SB IV | KC 23, MIN 7 | Sept. 20, 1970 (Week 1) | KC 10 at MIN 27 |
- Close games: The average margin of victory in Week 1 was 7.56 points, the third-lowest margin of victory in Week 1 since 1970, trailing only 1979 (6.79 points) and 1983 (7.00 points). On Kickoff Weekend, 12 games were decided by one score (eight points), tied with 2013 for the most such games in Week 1 all-time.
- Importance of Week 1 Results: Since 1990, history has shown that teams that are victorious in their season openers are more than twice as likely to advance to the playoffs as teams that lose their opener. During that span, 54.2 percent of teams (294 of 542) to win their opener have advanced to the playoffs, including both of last year’s Super Bowl participants – the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. However, an 0-1 start is not impossible to overcome, as 25 percent of teams (136 of 541) since 1990 that lost a season opener advance to the playoffs, including five teams in 2024 – the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders
- Special Teams: In Week 1, 75.6 percent of kickoffs were returned (118 of 156), up from 33.1 percent in Week 1 in 2024 (57 of 172). Last week, there were 3,074 kickoff return yards, the most in a Week 1 all-time and the most in any week in 15 years (3,233 kickoff return yards in Week 15, 2010).
- 1-0 matchups: Four matchups this week showcase two teams that each earned wins to open the season.
- Washington (1-0) at Green Bay (1-0) on Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): Set to meet for the first time since the 2022 season, both Washington and Green Bay earned home victories in Week 1 after qualifying for the postseason last year. The Commanders can begin 2-0 for the third time in the past 15 seasons (2011 and 2023) while the Packers look to begin 2-0 for the first time since 2020.
- Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels, in 11 career road starts (including the postseason), has 20 touchdowns (15 passing, five rushing) and a 104.6 passer rating, including at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in six of those road starts.
- Green Bay defensive lineman Micah Parsons registered a sack in his Packers debut in Week 1. In eight career games against Washington, he has 10.5 sacks – including at least a half sack in seven of eight contests. Last season with Dallas, Parsons had two sacks in Week 12 and 2.5 sacks in Week 18 against the Commanders.
- Jacksonville (1-0) at Cincinnati (1-0) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Both Jacksonville and Cincinnati look to begin 2-0 for the first time since 2018.
- Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne ranked second in the NFL with 156 scrimmage yards (143 rushing, 13 receiving) in Week 1, his third-career game with at least 150 scrimmage yards.
- Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow passed for 2,338 yards (292.3 per game) and 23 touchdowns with a 116.9 rating in 8 home starts last season, including at least three touchdown passes and a passer rating of 110-or-higher in each of his final four home starts. In NFL history, only two players have had at least three touchdown passes and a passer rating of 110-or-higher in five consecutive home starts: Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (six consecutive games in 2014) and Aaron Rodgers (five in 2011).
- Denver (1-0) at Indianapolis (1-0) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Denver looks to begin 2-0 for the first time since 2021 while Indianapolis can start 2-0 for the first time since 2009. Last season in Week 15, the Broncos defeated the Colts, 31-13, in Denver.
- After leading the NFL with 63 sacks last season, the Broncos defense recorded a league-high six sacks and allowed a league-low 133 total yards of offense in Week 1. It has been 26 seasons since a team recorded at least six sacks in each of its first two games of a season (Carolina and Seattle in 1998).
- The Colts defeated Miami, 33-8, in Week 1, marking their first season-opening win since 2013. They scored on all seven of their offensive possessions, becoming the first team in at least 47 years (1978 season) to score on every offensive possession of a game.
- Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) at Las Vegas (1-0) on Monday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Los Angeles Chargers look to begin 2-0 in consecutive seasons for the third time since 1970 (2001-02, 1979-81) while Las Vegas can start 2-0 for the first time since 2021. The Chargers won both matchups against the Raiders last season (Weeks 1 and 18).
- Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns with a 131.7 rating in the team’s Week 1 win over Kansas City in Brazil, the only quarterback with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes on Kickoff Weekend
- Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers recorded five receptions for 103 yards in the Raiders’ 20-13 victory over New England last week, his third career 100-yard game. Bowers has 1,297 receiving yards in 18 career games, the second-most by a tight end in his first 20 career games in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,411 receiving yards).
- Washington (1-0) at Green Bay (1-0) on Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): Set to meet for the first time since the 2022 season, both Washington and Green Bay earned home victories in Week 1 after qualifying for the postseason last year. The Commanders can begin 2-0 for the third time in the past 15 seasons (2011 and 2023) while the Packers look to begin 2-0 for the first time since 2020.
49ERS CUT JAKE MOODY, PLACE GEORGE KITTLE ON INJURED RESERVE, AP SOURCE SAYS
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers waived kicker Jake Moody on Tuesday after the 2023 third-round pick missed two field goals in the season opener, a person familiar with the move said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the move. The person also said the 49ers placed star tight end George Kittle on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, forcing him to miss at least the next four games.
Moody missed a 27-yard field goal on Sunday at Seattle and had a 30-yarder blocked, marking the first time San Francisco missed two field goals inside of 40 yards in the same game in 19 years. Coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game there was “no question” Moody would remain the kicker. But he softened the stance Monday and the team made a change on Tuesday.
The 49ers drafted Moody 99th overall in 2023 in hopes he would be a long-term solution at kicker but his inconsistency forced a change just one game into his third season.
Moody had an up-and-down rookie season, making 21 of 25 field goals in the regular season and missing only one extra point. But he missed a potential game-winning kick in a loss at Cleveland and missed field goals in playoff wins against Green Bay and Detroit.
Moody then made three field goals in the Super Bowl with two coming from more than 50 yards, but also had an extra point blocked in that game.
Moody made 13 of his first 14 field goals last season before injuring his ankle while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff return in Week 5. He missed three games and then went 5 for 14 on attempts from at least 40 yards in the final nine games.
San Francisco brought in Greg Joseph as competition in the offseason, but cut him early in camp and went with Moody to start the season in hopes that his change from a three-step approach to a two-step approach would lead to success.
Moody was one of two kickers picked in the top 100 in the past 20 drafts with both turning out to be bad picks. Tampa Bay picked Roberto Aguayo 59th overall in 2016 and cut him after one season when he made just 71% of his kicks.
Kittle got hurt in the second quarter on Sunday. He had four catches for 25 yards and a TD before the injury. Jake Tonges replaced him and had his first three career catches, including the game-winning TD.
Kittle has dealt with several minor injuries in his career but has played at least 14 games in seven of his eight seasons. He has had four seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving and led San Francisco with 78 catches for 1,106 yards and eight TDs last season.
The 49ers will likely bring up Brayden Willis from the practice squad this week as the third tight end along with Tonges and blocking tight end Luke Farrell.
STEELERS SIGN JABRILL PEPPERS TO BOLSTER SECONDARY AFTER DESHON ELLIOTT’S INJURY
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers emerged from their season opener against the New York Jets unbeaten but not unscathed.
Enter Jabrill Peppers.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday the Steelers are signing the veteran safety while starter DeShon Elliott recovers from a knee injury suffered in the first half against the Jets.
Peppers, 29, became a free agent when he was cut by New England last month. Pittsburgh will be Peppers’ fourth NFL stop following stints with Cleveland (2017-18), the New York Giants (2019-21) and the Patriots (2022-24).
Tomlin pointed to Peppers’ versatility in the secondary and his ability to be a difference-maker on special teams as major factors in the signing.
“He’s a football player first, a positional player second,” Tomlin said.
Peppers could get an opportunity to play right away when the Steelers (1-0) host Seattle (0-1) in their home opener on Sunday.
Pittsburgh turned to veteran Chuck Clark — who was cut at the end of training camp before being signed to the practice squad — after Elliott left against the Jets, though Tomlin didn’t rule out Peppers being available quickly.
“We’ll see how we divide the labor up as we get into the week,” Tomlin said. “Their ability to communicate and execute obviously will be a major component of how we divide that labor up and go from there.”
Tomlin declined to say whether Elliott is a candidate for injured reserve, saying only that Elliott will definitely miss at least one week.
Elliott, who signed a contract extension through 2027 in June, was serving as the hub of communication for an overhauled secondary that now includes newcomers Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay.
Where those duties will fall going forward is uncertain, though Pittsburgh’s defense did just enough down the stretch to avoid the upset against New York. While the Steelers gave up 394 yards (including 182 on the ground) to an offense led by former Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields, they also made a pair of critical late stops.
The Steelers forced a three-and-out on the Jets’ penultimate possession and Ramsey ended any last-gasp effort by drilling New York wide receiver Garrett Wilson on fourth down near midfield, sealing the victory.
It also, however, came only after the Jets had their way on both sides of the line of scrimmage for long stretches. Fields and running back Breece Hall found plenty of room to run and Pittsburgh’s young offensive line struggled to protect Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers gave up four sacks total, with former first-round pick Broderick Jones struggling at left tackle. Jones, taken 14th overall in 2023, repeatedly had trouble with New York defensive end Will McDonald, who dropped Rodgers twice.
Tomlin declined to single out Jones specifically, saying “all of our performances could be better,” and defended the 24-year-old’s mental toughness.
“It’s football, you know?” Tomlin said. “You don’t get to the National Football League by being fragile, emotionally. There’s a lot of confident guys that I work with. You win some battles, you lose some battles. You come back fighting. That’s just the nature of the men that play this game at this level.”
Peppers would know. The 25th overall pick in the 2017 draft (taken five spots ahead of Steelers star outside linebacker TJ Watt) was traded to the New York Giants after two years in Cleveland, then moved on to the Patriots in 2022.
He turned a one-year contract with New England into a multiyear deal but spent the better part of two months of the 2024 season on the commissioner’s exempt list following his arrest on multiple charges stemming from a domestic incident. A jury acquitted Peppers in January, but his time with the Patriots ended in August when first-year head coach Mike Vrabel made Peppers among the team’s final cuts.
Tomlin said he did plenty of studying up on Peppers in the lead-up to the 2017 draft, and took note of how Michigan deployed him, including having him get time on offense during his final season with the Wolverines.
While that is not in play in Pittsburgh, Peppers’ ability to adapt has stuck with Tomlin through the years.
“He was just used in a real unique way in Michigan that really highlighted his talents, man,” Tomlin said. “I think he was even a two-way player at one point. … He returned kicks. He was just a well-rounded football player in all areas of the game.”
NOTES: Rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee) is expected to miss his second straight game on Sunday. … Inside linebacker Malik Harrison (knee) is also out. … Outside linebacker Nick Herbig (hamstring) could return after sitting out the opener.
BEARS LOOK FOR CONSISTENCY FROM QB CALEB WILLIAMS AND OFFENSE AFTER LOSS TO VIKINGS
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The process of getting to know his quarterback has Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson looking for answers after only one game, along with overall offensive consistency.
Losing a 17-6 lead early in the fourth quarter of a 27-24 opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings showed Johnson both the strengths of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and also problems he’s had since his rookie season.
“It was up and down,” Johnson said Tuesday. “We had mixed results. There were some things that he did that were top notch and I would put him up there with some of the best in the NFL.
“He had a couple throws with guys in his face that he delivered on target that were very tough. I thought he did a good job evading when he felt pressure and yet there were still some that we would like to have back. There were probably three or four of them that we counted on tape that, at a minimum, that we would want back.”
Going 21 for 35 for 210 yards with a touchdown wasn’t the issue as much as how it happened. Williams connected on his first 10 passes, led a drive to his first career touchdown run, and then the Bears couldn’t find the end zone again on offense until very late as his accuracy struggled.
Williams could’ve been helped by a better running game to balance out the attack. He wound up supplying the most rushing yards for the Bears with 58 on six scrambles.
“Any time you don’t rush for as many yards as you were hoping for, you look at the stat sheet and it said over 100 yards,” Johnson said. “But really, a lot of those were from Caleb. We need more from our runners, whoever that is, or our receivers in the running back room. It doesn’t matter.
“In the run game we were subpar overall.”
What’s working
The pass rush had been a bit of a question mark coming into the season and they thought they had it solved by adding edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency. He had a sack in his first game. They sacked J.J. McCarthy three times.
However, the pass rush suffered from inconsistency. The Bears held the Vikings to 134 passing yards and 254 total yards and still were down 10 in the fourth quarter without committing a turnover.
What’s not
Offensive line blocking in the running game didn’t accomplish much. D’Andre Swift gained only 3.1 yards per carry with 53 yards on 17 carries and no other running back had a rushing attempt. Wide receiver DJ Moore had three carries out of the backfield and had just 8 yards.
This came after Chicago spent free agency signing center Drew Dalman and trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to bulk up its offensive line.
Stock up
Cornerback Nahshon Wright, playing for injured Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson, helped hold All-Pro Justin Jefferson to four catches and had his first career touchdown return, for 74 yards, after an interception in the third quarter for the 17-6 lead.
However, it wasn’t an entirely positive night for the former Cowboys and Vikings player. He had a pass interference penalty and allowed a long catch to set up two field goals.
Stock down
Johnson’s reputation took a hit as a decision-maker with a failed fourth down gamble, a wasted timeout they eventually needed on an unsuccessful challenge and not having kicker Cairo Santos kick off out of bounds to save time at the end for a drive to a tying field goal.
Instead, they had to start their final possession at their 20 with 9 seconds remaining.
He blamed the challenge and kicking decision, as well as a timeout burned in the first half before the failed fourth down gamble, all on himself.
“The timeout itself, I was late getting the call in and that’s my own issue,” he said. “But we knew we wanted to go for it. We felt good about that call.”
Key number
12 — Penalties in the first game. It was the most by the Bears since Nov. 8, 2021, against Pittsburgh. One of Johnson’s goals was to improve efficiency with his attention to detail at training camp.
Next steps
Work with Williams and the passing game to be ready for Johnson’s homecoming game at Ford Field against his former team on Sunday.
SHORT WEEK COULD LEAVE PACKERS AT LESS THAN FULL STRENGTH ON THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE THURSDAY
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers could be missing a couple of their starting offensive linemen when they host the Washington Commanders on Thursday night.
Right tackle Zach Tom and left guard Aaron Banks got hurt during the Packers’ 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Although the Packers only staged a walkthrough Tuesday, their injury report said neither player would have participated if there had been an actual practice.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said neither player’s injury should be a long-term issue, but he was unsure of their availability for Thursday. Tom has an oblique injury, while Banks’ issues are with his ankle and groin.
“We’ll see,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “We’ll give them all the way up to game time to see where they’re at.”
Banks joined the Packers this offseason on a four-year, $77 million deal after spending four years with the San Francisco 49ers. Tom signed a four-year, $88 million contract extension this summer.
Tom’s injury forced Darian Kinnard into action less than two weeks after the Packers acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers sent a seventh-round pick to Philadelphia to acquire Kinnard.
Kinnard likely would step in again if Tom is unable to play Thursday. The Packers rotated Sean Rhyan and 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan at right guard on Sunday, so they could handle both guard spots if Banks is held out.
“I just approach it like every week, just approach it like I’m ready to play in the game — any point, any moment,” said Kinnard, who played 15 snaps on Sunday. “Whatever happens, happens.”
Green Bay’s offensive line didn’t allow any sacks in its season opener.
WHY SOME FOOTBALL COACHES ARE DITCHING COLLEGE JOBS FOR THE NFL
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints first-year defensive backs coach Terry Joseph used to love working in college football, having spent the last 19 years at some of the biggest brands in the game.
His stops included LSU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Tennessee and most recently, Texas.
Earlier this year, Joseph joined the ranks of new NFL coaches who’ve seized opportunities to leave the college game behind, disillusioned by the effects of recent rule changes liberalizing player movement and payments.
Recruiting, an area where Joseph once thrived, isn’t what it used to be. It’s become an almost 24-7 grind that is more centered around player finances and retention than mentorship and development, he said.
“The part of recruiting that I really enjoyed was connecting with players and their families, really kind of talking about how they were going to develop from being this young man in high school to a grown adult,” Joseph said, adding that he’d pledge to recruits to “be a coach for the rest of your life.”
But in recent years, Joseph noted, “I kind of felt personally that the relationship building on recruiting was fading away because you had all of these external factors — the transfer portal; name, image and likeness — that were becoming so much bigger.
“I wanted to be a recruiter and a coach, not necessarily a financial planner, a tax-information person, or answering questions about when is the check coming,” he said.
So, when Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore offered a spot on his staff to Joseph, who also is a New Orleans native, leaving the Longhorns for the NFL was a “no-brainer,” he said.
Other coaches switch
Joseph isn’t the only Saints position coach who crossed over to the NFL from college this year. Bo Davis, who coached defensive line at LSU in 2024, also is now with New Orleans.
Davis has coached in the NFL before, but spent most of the past three decades working for college programs, including Alabama, Texas and earlier stints at LSU, where he also played.
The work-life balance in the NFL is better, Davis said, because he doesn’t have to constantly keep tabs on the players in his position group, never mind their families and representatives. And he doesn’t have to worry unceasingly about the various forces pulling at his players and their associates, promising more money and better opportunities elsewhere.
While NFL agents must register with the NFL Players Association and receive standard commissions of around 3% of playing contracts, representatives for college players essentially make their own rules and commissions range widely.
The larger the commission, the more incentive agents have to seek out increasingly higher bidders for their players, regardless of whether a more lucrative opportunity is in fact a better fit.
Some college player agents “don’t (care) about the kid,” Davis said. “They’re looking at the next dollar. … They’re not actually saying, ‘Is this guy in a good spot that he’s going to be successful?’”
Changing relationships
For Davis, seeing college players develop over three to five years “was always my reward,” he said. “That was always my goal as a position coach, to try to help that young man better his life.”
Now, “You don’t really have a real good bond with them because, it’s like, one-year-rental guys,” Davis said.
By the time Davis decided to leave college football, he felt like he was literally losing his religion. He couldn’t find time to attend church on Sundays because there always seemed to be a recruiting breakfast to attend.
He also felt he was missing out on important moments with his youngest child, who at age 15 is still at home, and his wife.
NFL coaches work long hours during the season and for significant stretches in the offseason. But when the calendar says they’re off, they’re off.
“Now I can spend time with my family. I can go to church” on those Sundays when there isn’t a Saints game, Davis said. “I can take my wife out to eat.”
College game today
LSU coach Brian Kelly said that while he understands why Davis went to the NFL, there’s still a lot of mentorship going on in college football.
“They’re still 18- to 21-year-olds,” Kelly said. “They still need coaches that are going to develop them in all areas.”
Those areas range from how they play to off-the-field associations, whom they trust for financial management and how their public persona affects their individual brands and endorsement opportunities.
“Many of them come from single-parent homes that never had this kind of wealth,” Kelly said. “That is a new part of college football that you have to decipher and manage, and if it’s not for you, I can see why you would go to the NFL.
“But, for me, the relationships are still what gets me up in the morning and developing these young men,” Kelly added. “There’ll be a couple (players) that you lose along the way because maybe he got offered more money, but you move on to the next kid.”
Meanwhile, the NFL is benefitting from a broader pool of coaching candidates, Moore said.
Long-time college coaches are “bringing an energy and different perspective which is really, really good,” said Moore, whose brother, Kirby, is a college offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Missouri.
“The college game is awesome,” Moore said. “But there’s a lot of uncertainty around it and the calendar is such that their season is really never over. There’s always something going on. So, I think the NFL calendar has a little bit more consistency.”
From big programs to major league
New NFL assistant coaches who’ve made similar moves include Joseph’s former fellow assistant at Texas, Tashard Choice, now the Detroit Lions’ running backs coach. Dallas Cowboys receivers coach Junior Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley are in their first NFL seasons after two decades in the college ranks.
Buffalo Bills cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae moved to the NFL in 2024 after 17 seasons as a college coach with West Virginia, Michigan, Cincinnati, Arizona, Minnesota, Georgia and Miami.
“I think I’m the start of a new wave,” Addae said. “Until recent years, I never really had the itch to coach pro ball.”
But college football “has changed so drastically from what it was when I got into it that it was almost” the same as the NFL, he said. If anything, he said, the NFL is more regulated than college now.
It was one thing to recruit high school players, Addae said. But “still having to re-recruit them consistently,” and “looking for the poachers” was an unsavory recipe for burnout.
“There probably wasn’t a whole bunch of thought put into what the universities, the coaches and so forth would have to deal with behind all of the new rule changes,” Addae said. “It’s forcing some guys to say, `You know what? If I’m going to deal with this here. Why not go to the highest level.”
That’s what second-year Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley decided to do after spending five seasons at the college level, including four as head coach at Boston College. Hafley left an NFL job to become Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator in 2019, just a couple years before the NIL era began. By 2024, he was ready to come back to purely professional football.
“Certainly college football has changed and I do think that — I’m not gonna get on a soap box here today — but what I will say is I that do think there needs some things to change,” he said. “But it’s still a great game.”
BRONCOS ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR RETRACTABLE-ROOF HOME, EYE 2031 SEASON
The Denver Broncos have identified Burnham Yard as a preferred site for a privately funded, retractable-roof stadium, the team announced on Tuesday.
The stadium, which would be located less than a mile southeast of Empower Field at Mile High — the Broncos’ current venue — is tentatively planned to be completed in 2031, the Broncos said in a public letter.
The tentative opening day of the new stadium aligns with the expiration of the Broncos’ current lease at Empower Field at Mile High with the Metropolitan Football Stadium District.
“Today is a remarkable win-win-win for Denver,” mayor Mike Johnston said in a statement. “The Broncos are staying in Denver, we will finally open up the historic Burnham Yard neighborhood for development, and we get to reimagine the Mile High Stadium site as a thriving community in West Denver. The Walton-Penner Ownership Group’s private investment into building a world-class stadium in the heart of Denver will open up new possibilities — not just for Burnham Yard — but across the city.”
Although Broncos owner & CEO Greg Penner notes there is a “long way to go” before the team suits up for a game at the stadium, he’s welcoming the future.
“It’s our goal to have world-class facilities for this team and for our fans, obviously, with the rich tradition and history at Mile High, and find something that the fans would love as a site that had proximity to that and Denver,” Penner said. “We couldn’t be more excited about Burnham Yard as the preferred site to build a new stadium and an incredible year-round destination.”
Empower Field at Mile High opened on Aug. 11, 2001. Before that, the Broncos played at Mile High Stadium, which opened in 1948.
RULE CHANGE PROMPTS HIGHEST KICKOFF-RETURN RATE SINCE 2010
NFL teams returned 75.6 percent of the kickoffs in Week 1, the highest rate in the league in 15 years, after moving the touchback to the 35-yard line.
The rate last season with touchbacks spotted at the 30-yard line was just 32.8 percent.
The rate of 75.6 percent (118 of 156) was the highest since Week 17 of the 2010 season and the highest in a season-opening weekend since 2010 (78.1 percent), according to ESPN.
The league has altered the kickoff rules over the years to try to minimize the number of injuries resulting from high-speed collisions. Kickoffs now begin with most players standing downfield, unable to move until the ball touches the ground or a member of the return team.
NICK SIRIANNI: EAGLES DT JALEN CARTER FINED, NOT SUSPENDED FOR WEEK 2 AFTER SPIT-GATE
Philadelphia Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter will be eligible for their Week 2 Super Bowl rematch at the Kansas City Chiefs after spitting on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott last week.
Carter was ejected from the Cowboys game Thursday when he spat on Prescott before the first play from scrimmage of the season opener. The NFL announced Tuesday that it will fine Carter his Week 1 game check and consider that his one-game suspension without pay. ESPN reported that Carter makes $57,222 per week.
“Because Carter was disqualified before participating in a single play, the suspension is considered to have been served in Week 1 and he will forfeit his game check,” the league said in a release.
Carter will not appeal the discipline and move on to face the Chiefs on Sunday.
Prescott gave his side of the story after the Eagles beat the Cowboys 24-20, saying that he spat on the ground while talking to a teammate and Carter believed the quarterback spat at him. The two exchanged words while there was a stoppage in play following the opening kickoff, before Carter spat on Prescott with an official nearby.
Carter, 24, apologized after the game and promised it wouldn’t happen again.
Carter was a Pro Bowler last season after racking up 4.5 sacks among his 12 tackles for loss, plus six pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He was the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, sliding after legal troubles cropped up around the time of the scouting combine.
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WEEK 2 POWER RANKINGS: DYNASTIES DON’T LAST FOREVER
The first off day of the NFL regular season arrived Tuesday and a collective deep breath could be in order.
A loss by the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens’ lateral of a sure victory into the hands of the Buffalo Bills are no cause for immediate panic.
All three teams remain in the upper echelon of the AFC, but is the balance of power shifting conferences?
Philadelphia had its hands full with Dallas and wasn’t the most impressive team out of the gate. That gold star goes to the Green Bay Packers for a complete team effort in steamrolling the Detroit Lions out of Lambeau Field.
We take stock the bottom-to-top NFL pecking order after a first look at every team in Week 1.
32. New Orleans Saints (0-1)
Last Week: L, 23-20 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Up Next: vs. San Francisco 49ers, 1 p.m. ET
Surprisingly competitive in Kellen Moore’s debut, the Saints are still a QB away from being a contender in the NFC South.
31. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Last Week: L, 26-10 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Up Next: at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET
Subtracting security blanket Adam Thielen (now on Vikings) was a hit to Bryce Young, who also took the field without starting LT Ikem Ekwonu at Jacksonville.
30. New York Giants (0-1)
Last Week: L, 21-6 at Washington Commanders
Up Next: at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET
No one returned to New York on Sunday night enthralled with the offense, but the Giants opt to stick with Russell Wilson on the road again this week.
29. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Last Week: L, 17-16 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Up Next: at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET
Cleveland’s defense was more than good enough to win. The Browns held the Bengals to 141 yards — seven in the second half — and 2.0 yards per carry.
28. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Last Week: L, 20-12 at Denver Broncos
Up Next: vs. Los Angeles Rams, 1 p.m. ET
Protecting Cam Ward was a problem at Denver, and life won’t get any easier this week. NFL-high four takeaways something to build on for Titans.
27. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
Last Week: L, 33-8 at Indianapolis Colts
Up Next: vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Mike Vrabel has some fixing to do or the Patriots’ pass defense will be the victim in a get-right week for Tua Tagovailoa.
26. New England Patriots (0-1)
Last Week: L, 20-13 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Up Next: at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
One of these teams exhales on Sunday night. The other starts hearing NFL draft talk. Drake Maye should be smiling after the Dolphins made Daniel Jones look the part of Unitas last week.
25. New York Jets (0-1)
Last Week: L, 34-32 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Up Next: vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET
Kudos to Justin Fields for the fight. Lost in the QB chatter was the sterling performance of the Jets’ maligned offensive line.
24. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
Last Week: W, 20-13 at New England Patriots
Up Next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 10 p.m. ET (Monday)
RB Ashton Jeanty ran for nine yards on his first carry, then 28 yards on his next 18. Teams are already scheming to take Jeanty away, inviting the Raiders to have QB Geno Smith counterpunch.
23. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Last Week: L, 24-20 at Philadelphia Eagles
Up Next: vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Going scoreless in the second half spoiled a strong upset bid from the Cowboys. Trick will be getting same focus, effort from both lines consistently.
22. Indianapolis Colts (1-0)
Last Week: W, 33-8
Up Next: vs. Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET
Daniel Jones aced remedial test against turnover-happy Dolphins for Colts first Week 1 win since 2013. Denver’s toothy pass rush and secondary crank things up a notch.
21. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
Last Week: L, 17-13 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Up Next: at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. ET
No risk, no reward. Seahawks lost two fumbles, averaged 3.2 yards per carry and tried to survive with paper-airplane range pass completions.
20. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
Last Week: W, 20-13 at New Orleans Saints
Up Next: vs. Carolina Panthers, 4:05 p.m. ET
Schedule-maker teed up the Cardinals with a shot at 2-0 before a trip to San Francisco.
19. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
Last Week: L, 23-20 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Up Next: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday)
Don’t look now, but the Falcons have lost seven of their past nine games. Those two wins came against Desmond Ridder (Raiders) and Drew Lock (Giants) last season.
18. Chicago Bears (0-1)
Last Week: L, 27-24 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Up Next: at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET
Ben Johnson dropped his Bears debut, blowing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. Out of the frying pan and into the fryer? Lions will be riled up after a blowout loss at Packers.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
Last Week: W, 26-10 vs. Carolina Panthers
Up Next: at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET
There’s a whole lot of overreaction love for a Jacksonville win over the Panthers. We’re playing harder to get until seeing another inspired team effort.
16. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 17-13 at Seattle Seahawks
Up Next: at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET
Has the physical bill come due on the 49ers’ run of success under Kyle Shanahan? Without George Kittle for at least a few weeks, the 49ers are not deep enough to dip down the depth chart at multiple positions.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 34-32 at New York Jets
Up Next: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Stat sheet says vintage Aaron Rodgers. He was pressured and accuracy was far from pinpoint. If Pittsburgh can’t dig out some running room, Week 1 was a major mirage. Steelers also allowed 182 rushing yards to Jets.
14. Houston Texans (0-1)
Last Week: L, 14-9 at Los Angeles Rams
Up Next: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7 p.m. ET (Monday)
Offense sputtered and Texans managed only three field goals in Week 1. Home opener in primetime brings urgency.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
Last Week: W, 17-16 at Cleveland Browns
Up Next: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
Explosive offense went flat with 2.0 yard-per-carry average and one 20-yard pass play.
12. Denver Broncos (1-0)
Last Week: W, 20-12 vs. Tennessee Titans
Up Next: at Indianapolis Colts, 4:05 p.m. ET
No sleeping on the Broncos’ pass rush. Denver has five-plus sacks in three consecutive regular-season games.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 27-21 vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Brazil)
Up Next: at Las Vegas Raiders, 10 p.m. ET (Monday)
A couple of extra days to prepare for the new-look Raiders sets up the Chargers to get to 2-0 before a surprising showdown with the Broncos on Sept. 21.
10. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Last Week: W, 27-24 at Chicago Bears
Up Next: at Atlanta Falcons, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday)
Scintillating comeback by J.J. McCarthy allows for a mulligan on the forgettable first half by the Vikings in Chicago.
9. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
Last Week: W, 14-9 vs. Houston Texans
Up Next: at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Losing their first three games on the road last season might imply Week 2 a risky trap at Nashville for the Rams. But this defense will travel, and rookies rarely thrive under the type of duress the Rams’ front can pile on a QB.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 23-20 at Atlanta Falcons
Up Next: at Houston Texans, 7 p.m. ET (Monday)
Rookie Emeka Egbuka caught two TDs last week. His matchup with the stellar secondary of the Texans should be worth the price of admission.
7. Washington Commanders (1-0)
Last Week: W, 21-6 vs. New York Giants
Up Next: at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Picked up where they left off last season with 432 yards and a strong defensive effort.
6. Detroit Lions (0-1)
Last Week: L, 27-13 at Green Bay Packers
Up Next: vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET
Are the Lions lost without Ben Johnson calling plays for Jared Goff? We’ll wait for this week, against Johnson and the Bears, to decide.
5. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
Last Week: L, 41-40 at Buffalo Bills
Up Next: vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Fourth-quarter breakdowns led to 22 points for the Bills and a horrific loss in the opener. How do the Ravens respond?
4. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Last Week: L, 27-21 vs. Los Angeles Chargers (Brazil)
Up Next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET
In last place in the AFC West for the first time in four years, maybe the last defense Patrick Mahomes wanted to see coming is at Arrowhead on Sunday.
3. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Last Week: W, 41-40 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Up Next: at New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
Busted up by big plays, the Bills have serious concerns on defense. They also have Josh Allen. Allen had four TD passes and two rushing touchdowns in a pair of wins over the AFC East rival Jets last season.
2. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
Last Week: W, 27-13 vs. Detroit Lions
Up Next: vs. Washington Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Micah Parsons is the ship raising all boats on a dynamic Green Bay defense. Jordan Love being overlooked among top quarterbacks in the league.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Last Week: W, 24-20 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Up Next: at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET
To paraphrase Jalen Hurts, the Eagles don’t care about style points, only wins. The secondary and pass rush left plenty to be desired in the opener and Hurts didn’t connect with his top receivers. But the Super Bowl champions still beat the Dallas Cowboys.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OHIO NOT SHYING AWAY FROM CHALLENGE AT NO. 1 OHIO STATE
Ohio doesn’t have the resources to compete for a national title like its in-state brethren, defending champion Ohio State, but the Bobcats have the mindset that they can compete with the top-ranked Buckeyes when they play Saturday in Columbus.
The Bobcats (1-1) of the Mid-American Conference lost their opener 34-31 to a Big Ten school, Rutgers, then last week defeated West Virginia of the Big 12, 17-10.
“Our kids are extremely competitive,” Ohio coach Brian Smith said. “They’re very confident. They obviously know that this is a big challenge and we’re playing a really strong program that has obviously earned that right to be one of the top programs in the country and they’re excited for the challenge.”
For the Buckeyes (2-0), it’s another tune-up before opening Big Ten play at Washington on Sept. 27. They didn’t get any challenge in a 70-0 win over Grambling State and will look to improve on their pass rush and inconsistent running attack.
“Every play is an opportunity to get better,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “I think what we’re really trying to hammer home right now is that you can’t circle opponents on your schedule. You have to continually grow with the process and if you understand that it’s about us, it’s about our training, it’s not about the results.”
However, it will be almost impossible to improve the passing game with Julian Sayin coming off an 18-for-19 performance for 306 yards and four touchdowns against Grambling State. He completed a school-record 16 consecutive passes to open the game to earn the conference’s Freshman of the Week honors.
Sayin’s favorite target is Jeremiah Smith, whose 87-yard TD against Grambling State was the second-longest pass play in Ohio State history.
The Bobcats have an honoree as well in linebacker Michael Molnar, who earned the MAC Defensive Player of the Week award with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks against West Virginia.
“That’s a kid that’s long and that’s a really good athlete and cares a lot,” Smith said. “The more opportunities that he gets to get reps and play at full speed at a high level, the better he’s going to continue to get.”
The Buckeyes, under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, have allowed seven points in two games but will be tested by dual-threat quarterback Parker Navarro.
He has rushed 27 times for 180 yards (6.7 per carry) and one TD and completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns this season, although he had three interceptions against West Virginia.
“You watch what he’s done against two Power (Four) opponents, one Big Ten opponent — he’s done some really good things,” Day said. “He’s spread the ball around. He can make plays off-schedule. He’s got good quickness. Competitive player. Ultimately, he’s a winner. He did that last week. It’s a good challenge for us.”
Day likes the in-state matchup.
“It’s good for the state. I think it’s great for their school. I think it’s great for our school,” he said. “When you’re from the state of Ohio, having a memory of playing in (Ohio Stadium) during your college career is significant. We know these guys are going to be playing with their hair on fire.”
ILLINOIS’ FOOTBALL HOME IS NOW KNOWN AS GIES MEMORIAL STADIUM AFTER ALUMNUS MAKES $100M DONATION
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois’ football stadium will be known as Gies Memorial Stadium after alumnus and philanthropist Larry Gies made a $100 million donation to the school’s athletic department.
The school announced Tuesday the gift is the largest in the athletic program’s history. Gies’ name also is on the university’s College of Business.
Gies is the founder and CEO of the Chicago-based global investment company Madison Industries. He is making the gift in memory of his late father, Larry Gies Sr., a United States Army veteran.
Memorial Stadium, which turned 100 years old in 2024, originally was named in honor of the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed services.
“This gift is about honoring my father, a true patriot, and every brave soul who has worn or will wear the uniform to defend our country,” said Gies. “With this investment, we can ensure that this stadium continues to be a place where their sacrifices will never be forgotten — and a shining light for every American who protects our freedom in the future.”
The Illini football program has been on the rise under fifth-year coach Bret Bielema. The team is No. 9 in this week’s AP Top 25, its highest ranking since 2001. The 2024 team won 10 games, including the Citrus Bowl.
The men’s basketball team reached the 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and recorded its sixth straight 20-win regular season in 2025. The women’s basketball team has made the NCAA Tournament two of the last three years.
“Larry Gies is a visionary leader who invests in people and organizations that impact the world around them,” athletic director Josh Whitman said. “I want to thank him for his belief in Illinois Athletics and the ability of our program to change the lives of our student-athletes, to advance the mission of our broader university, and to uplift the many people and communities connected to our program, both directly and indirectly.”
REPORTS: COLORADO TO START QB RYAN STAUB VS. HOUSTON
Ryan Staub will be Colorado’s starting quarterback Friday night at Houston, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
Staub was third on the depth chart before coming off the bench to lead Saturday’s victory against Delaware.
The redshirt sophomore completed 7 of 10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Buffaloes’ 31-7 win. He had a 21-yard TD pass to Dekalon Taylor to close out the first half and a 71-yarder to Sincere Brown to open the second half.
Staub backed up Shedeur Sanders the past two seasons in Boulder and began the campaign behind transfer Kaidon Salter and four-star freshman Julian Lewis.
“To be honest, this whole week, I wasn’t really expecting to play,” Staub said after the Delaware game. “Friday, I kinda got the call and, OK, I might be playing. I was just waiting on an opportunity. Didn’t know it would be a two-minute drill, and kind of the rest is history.”
Salter has completed 30 of 44 passes for 261 yards with one TD and four sacks in two games. Lewis has two completions for 8 yards.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders stayed mum on his QB situation after the game.
“I know exactly how I’m going to handle (it),” he said. “I’m not going to say it, but yeah, I’m not lost for direction.”
Friday’s game at Houston (2-0) will be the first road game and first Big 12 game of the season for Colorado (1-1).
NO. 2 PENN STATE HOPES EARLY REPS FOR NEW RECEIVERS PAY DIVIDENDS LATER
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Devonte Ross knew he’d have just one man to beat. He knew where the football would be and exactly when it would get there.
For the new Penn State wide receiver, those are the perks of paying attention in practice. The ensuing twisting, one-armed, 42-yard touchdown catch through tight defense in the No. 2 Nittany Lions’ win over FIU on Saturday was the payoff.
“That was a special moment for me,” Ross said. “I’ve dreamed of playing on a stage like this at a school like this, so it was a dream come true.”
The Nittany Lions (2-0) believe more of those moments are coming.
Ross and fellow transfer receivers Trebor Peña and Kyron Hudson were brought in to bolster a position group that’s seen almost constant turnover since 2022. The trio is getting as many opportunities as possible to build chemistry with quarterback Drew Allar through the first three weeks of the season.
It’s a stretch where past transfers failed to take flight.
Before Ross, Peña and Hudson arrived, the Nittany Lions had signed four receivers from the transfer portal since 2022. Those players — Mitchell Tinsley, Malik McClain, Dante Cephas and Julian Fleming — combined for just 19 catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns over their first two games with Penn State.
Only Tinsley finished with more than 50 catches. McClain and Cephas managed six and 22 catches, respectively, and transferred again the following year. Fleming wrapped up his Penn State career with 14 catches for 176 yards and a touchdown.
In the last three years, nine receivers have transferred out of the program.
By design, Ross, Peña and Hudson have been much more involved in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense early. They’ve got a combined 29 touches for 343 yards and two touchdowns. All three have played multiple receiver positions through the first two games. All three have drawn praise for their downfield blocking. Peña and Ross also have returned punts.
“I think we have a really good group of guys assembled,” wide receivers coach Marques Hagans said. “If you didn’t have labels on them for which school they came from, you wouldn’t know the difference. They’re all very smart, they’ve all picked it up.”
Ross needed a bit more time to recover from an unspecified training camp injury, so Hudson and Peña shared the load in the team’s 46-11 win over Nevada in Week 1.
Peña caught seven passes for 74 yards, working the sideline, plus short and intermediate routes. Kotelnicki used him on an end-around run, too. Hudson snagged six passes for 89 yards, including a touchdown on a deep throw from Allar.
Once Ross was ready, Kotelnicki turned him loose down the field against FIU’s single coverage. It was a play Ross said they “practiced all week.”
“We’ve gone into these first couple of weeks with a philosophy of things we’re trying to get done in terms of building chemistry and confidence in certain aspects of the game,” head coach James Franklin said. “I think that those things could factor in to a degree, and that really kind of revolves around those three receivers, but we need to be more balanced.”
As the program has waited for a star to emerge on the outside, opponents have regularly stacked the line of scrimmage, geared to stop running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. In the last two seasons, Penn State’s passing offense has ranked no better than 66th nationally.
Jahan Dotson was the last Penn State receiver to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in a season. He did it with 91 catches in 2021. Nationally, there have been 92 1,000-yard receiving seasons by FBS players since then.
Since Franklin took over in 2014, only two other Nittany Lions players have finished with 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Tight end Tyler Warren had 1,233 yards on 104 catches while playing all over the field, and Chris Godwin finished with 1,101 yards on 69 catches in 2015. All three now play in the NFL.
Franklin knows more downfield passing success would not only create the big plays he and his staff covet, they also would open things up for Allen and Singleton.
With Villanova visiting on Saturday as a final tuneup before No. 4 Oregon comes to Happy Valley on Sept. 27, Franklin has a better idea for what the possibilities are now that he’s seen Ross, Peña and Hudson in action.
“We have a lot of great weapons on our offense,” Ross said. “Every position has great players, so I think we can be really great.”
BIG TEN’S WEAK SLATE THIS WEEK RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULING STRATEGIES
The Big Ten’s lackluster schedule this week exemplifies a problem facing the conference: Not enough teams are testing themselves outside of league play.
The Big Ten prides itself on having a nine-game conference schedule, which traditionally had set it apart from the Southeastern Conference. Yet the SEC will move to a nine-game league schedule starting in 2026 while continuing to require its league members to play at least one nonconference game against a Power Four school or Notre Dame, something the Big Ten doesn’t mandate.
That could put more pressure on the Big Ten to step up its nonconference scheduling. This week’s slate includes six games in which a Big Ten team faces a Championship Subdivision program.
Six of the league’s 18 members ( No. 2 Penn State, No. 22 Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers and Washington) aren’t playing any nonconference games against Power Four schools or Notre Dame. Only four Big Ten programs (Michigan, Southern California, UCLA and Wisconsin) don’t have a FCS program on their schedules.
No. 7 Texas, which lost at No. 1 Ohio State in arguably the nation’s best matchup so far this season, is the only SEC school that isn’t playing an FCS team this year. But the SEC at least can point to all its nonconference games against Power Four programs.
Penn State coach James Franklin says he wants more consistency in how each conference arranges its schedule.
“The reality is we don’t have a commissioner of college football, so that’s where the commissioners of the Power Four conferences, specifically the Big Ten and the SEC, need to get together and come up with what’s in the best interest of college football and the best interest of student-athletes and the fans,” Franklin said. “And then you won’t have to worry about all these different things when it comes to scheduling, because everybody is going to kind of have the same parameters.”
What are the options?
The problem is determining the specifics.
“Our schools are constantly evaluating the impact of nonconference scheduling across many variables — postseason access, home attendance, geographic rivalries, etc.,” a Big Ten spokesman said. “The conference will continue to engage with all 18 to determine the best strategies to balance these factors, using the most current information available about an evolving landscape.”
The Big Ten could strengthen nonconference schedules by prohibiting FCS opponents, something the league did from 2015-16. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule noted that such a decision would hurt FCS programs that benefit financially from those games.
Grambling State lost 70-0 at Ohio State last week but received $1 million for making the trip. This week, Indiana State is earning $475,000 for playing at Indiana and Houston Christian is getting $500,00 for visiting Nebraska. Montana State returned from its season-opening trip to Oregon with a 59-13 loss and a $680,000 paycheck.
“I was in the FCS, and if you don’t have an FBS team, it’s hard to fund your football team, it’s hard to fund the rest of it,” said Rhule, a former Western Carolina assistant. “The SEC has been really smart. The years they play their FCS team it’s late in the year, so as they’re getting ready to go on their playoff run, they play them before the last game, which I think is a really smart way to schedule.”
Another possibility would be to copy the SEC strategy of requiring each school to include at least one Power Four opponent in its nonconference schedule.
Does it matter for the postseason?
Those non-conference games are taking on increasing importance: The College Football Playoff last month said its selection committee will place more emphasis on strength of schedule this year when determining which teams make the 12-team field.
Last year, Indiana reached the playoff with a nonconference schedule that included lopsided wins over Florida International, Western Illinois and Charlotte. If No. 2 Penn State makes it this year it will be with a non-conference schedule of Nevada, FIU and Villanova, but this season ended a string of eight straight years in which Penn State played at least one nonconference game against a power-conference school (except for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season). Penn State’s 34-0 win over FIU was a game arranged after a matchup with Virginia Tech was canceled.
Northwestern isn’t playing any Power Four nonconference games, but it did play at Tulane, an American Conference school that went a combined 32-10 from 2022-24. Northwestern lost that game 23-3.
“I think that as we’ve learned in college football, everybody by nature does what’s best for them and their program, and that’s the way you’ve got to look at it,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “Whether you want to complain about the way somebody else schedules or the way you schedule, let’s be honest, we’ve all got to do what’s best for us.”
Michigan State athletic director J Batt offered a similar assessment.
“At Michigan State we’re building a football program to challenge for championships,” Batt said. “Toward that end goal, we’re going to look to play compelling, meaningful games which create opportunities for our team to prove themselves, while also providing great content for fans and television partners. Given the overall strength of the Big Ten Conference in addition to any marquee non-conference matchups, it’s also important to create balance in the schedule, in whatever form that may take.”
There’s a general agreement on the need for consistency among the conferences to make things easier for the selection committee. The trick is reaching a consensus on the best approach.
“If you’re in Power Four football, everybody should be playing a similar schedule so that the committee can get together at the end of the season and compare apples to apples as much as we possibly can,” Franklin said.
GEORGIA TECH QB HAYNES KING ‘LOOKS GOOD’ IN RECOVERY FROM INJURY AHEAD OF VISIT FROM NO. 12 CLEMSON
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King showed in a season-opening win over Colorado why expectations are high for him in 2025.
His backup, freshman Aaron Philo, showed in Week 2 why coach Brent Key believed in the preseason he had the “best quarterback room in the nation.”
Key said Tuesday that King is trending in the right direction as he recovers from a lower-body injury that kept him sidelined in the Yellow Jackets’ 59-12 win over FCS opponent Gardner-Webb. Philo started the game, overcoming two early turnovers (a fumble and an interception) to throw for a freshman school-record 373 yards. The performance earned Philo Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the week honors.
King is still the unquestioned leader of the quarterback room — and the team — after his strong 2024 campaign and Week 1 heroics against Colorado. The sixth-year senior accounted for 299 total yards and three rushing TDs against the Buffaloes, including a game-winning 45-yard touchdown run with just over a minute remaining to go up 27-20.
As Georgia Tech (2-0) prepares for a visit from No. 12 Clemson (1-1) on Saturday, King’s status remains unclear.
“Looks good, feels good,” Key said at his press conference. “We’ll make a determination this weekend.”
King warmed up before the Gardner-Webb game and was in full uniform throughout its entirety, but medical staff ultimately decided to hold him out.
“It was a decision that was really right up until gametime,” Key said.
If King plays, he will be looking to avenge a poor performance in his only other outing against Clemson. Back in 2023, he threw four interceptions in a 42-21 loss, the most recent of Clemson’s nine consecutive victories in the series.
The Yellow Jackets and other ACC teams are required to release an availability report on Thursday, a new wrinkle this season after the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference already required coaches to publish official designations for injured players.
Teams will have to submit a report on Thursday and an update Friday before a Saturday game, with a final update coming two hours before kickoff. Players will be designated as available, probable, questionable, or out on Thursday and Friday, with the options reduced to available, gametime decision or out on Saturday.
“We’ll follow the procedures and get it in,” Key said. “We’ll do what we’re required to do.”
NO. 6 GEORGIA QB STOCKTON LOOKING FOR MORE EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE IN HIS FIRST ROAD START AT TENNESSEE
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s lackluster offense in a win over Austin Peay failed to generate momentum for quarterback Gunner Stockton as he now prepares for his first true road game in the No. 6 Bulldogs’ visit to No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday.
Stockton appeared tentative on some throws as Georgia led by only 11 points at halftime in its 28-6 win over the FCS team. The Bulldogs (2-0) fell two spots in the AP Top 25 following the sluggish effort in their final warmup for their Southeastern Conference opener against the Volunteers.
“We’ve got to find ways to be explosive,” Smart said. “You’ve got to be able to throw the ball down the field and take shots and that’s probably the toughest thing I’m most disappointed in.”
Smart said Stockton has displayed the necessary ability to make explosive throws in practice but has been limited to shorter throws by the defensive schemes of Marshall and Austin Peay.
“It’s more about how people are playing us right now,” Smart said. “It’s been two weeks in a row that there’s just a ton of cushion. … If they want to play like that, you’ve got to take what they give you.”
Stockton recognized the offensive performance against Austin Peay “wasn’t our standard of how we’re supposed to play. We need to get back to work.”
Added Stockton: “You definitely want to be explosive.”
Asked what is the identity of the Georgia offense, Stockton said, “I think our identity is we can run the ball and taking our shots and being able to throw the ball.”
The Bulldogs’ chances for improved production would increase if right tackle Earnest Greene III (back) and right guard Juan Gaston (knee, ankle) return from injuries. Smart said Monday he was “hopeful to get them back.”
Smart called Stockton “a warrior” after the junior passed for two touchdowns and ran for two scores in the Bulldogs’ 45-7 win over Marshall to open the season. Even so, Smart said the next step for Stockton is to play with more confidence, and that will be needed against the Vols, who rolled to a 72-17 rout of East Tennessee State last week.
“That’s what we came here for and that’s why we enjoy playing in the SEC,” Stockton said of the test against Tennessee. “We’re excited to get started and grateful for the opportunity.”
Stockton has completed 40 of 58 passes for 458 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had only one career start entering the season after taking over in the College Football Playoff following Carson Beck’s season-ending elbow surgery. Stockton won the full-time job following Beck’s transfer to Miami.
“He’s played really well,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said of Stockton. “You look at him this year, he’s taken great care of the football, he’s been accurate with it, he’s got the ability to be extremely mobile and extend and create plays on his own.”
Heupel said Stockton and a balanced running game led by Nate Frazier makes for a “huge test for us defensively.”
“You have to do a great job of applying pressure but still bottling them up inside of the pocket, not letting them get outside of it,” Heupel said. “If they choose, he certainly can be a part of the quarterback run game as well. … We’ve got to be at our best.”
BIG 12 OFFICIATING CREW REMOVED FROM NEXT ASSIGNMENT FOR NOT ENFORCING KICKOFF RULE IN MISSOURI WIN
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 officiating crew that worked the Kansas-Missouri game last week has been removed from its next assignment because it failed to enforce a rule in the kicking game, the conference announced Tuesday.
NCAA rules require the kick following a touchdown to be kicked off a tee or be a dropkick, a type that’s nearly obsolete. Missouri had Connor Weselman punt following its first touchdown, and the Tigers should have been penalized 5 yards and re-kicked properly. The crew headed by referee Mike McCabe allowed the teams to play on after the punt.
“We believe we have one of the best officiating programs in college football,” Big 12 chief football and competition officer Scott Draper said in a statement. “When the Conference’s high standard for officiating is not met, the Big 12 will take action.”
McCabe’s crew had been scheduled to work one of the two Big 12 games Friday night. The conference did not specify whether it was Colorado at Houston or Kansas State at Arizona, and a spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Missouri, which beat Kansas 42-31, went into the game with a precarious kicking situation. The Tigers’ starting kicker, Blake Craig, tore his ACL in the opener against Central Arkansas and Oliver Robbins handled the opening kickoff.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on Missouri after its first touchdown, and the 15-yard penalty was enforced on the kickoff from the Tigers’ 20. Weselman punted, against the rules, and Robbins was back to handle kickoffs the rest of the game. The only time a punt is allowed following a score is after a safety.
BEHREN MORTON, NO. 21 TEXAS TECH LOOK TO KEEP ROLLING VS. OREGON ST.
High-flying No. 21 Texas Tech will welcome another test on the eve of Big 12 play when Oregon State comes to Lubbock, Texas on Saturday.
The Red Raiders (2-0) moved up three spots in the AP Poll this past week after a 62-14 thrashing of Kent State. Texas Tech played well on both sides of the ball, putting up 601 yards and holding the Golden Flashes to just 229.
There was an incident after the game, however, as starting cornerback Amier Boyd was arrested Sunday night and charged with reckless driving. Boyd, who had an interception in the Red Raiders’ first game of the year, was released Monday morning and could face potential punishments of a fine of up to $200, up to 30 days in jail or both.
After starting the last game, Boyd has since been moved to a backup on the official depth chart. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said that Boyd’s situation will be handled internally.
Boyd’s status for Saturday may be up in the air, but the Red Raiders are still a force to be reckoned with, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Having put up at least 60 points in each of its first two games, Texas Tech is currently third in the nation in total offense (604.5 yards per game). The Red Raiders are led at quarterback by experienced starter Behren Morton, who has thrown for 459 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
There were some questions heading into the year if the Red Raiders could replicate the production of longtime running back Tahj Brooks, who broke the Texas Tech’s all-time rushing record, which had stood for 28 years, last season.
So far, the Red Raiders’ three-headed monster at running back has been productive. Adam Hill, J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey all have put up at least 100 yards across the first two contests, totaling 415 yards and four touchdowns among them.
“Guys that I think have really stepped up, I’ve been proud of all the running backs,” McGuire said Monday. “Anytime you’re replacing the all-time leading rusher, and you’ve had a group in there that has played (as well as) the way they’ve played, I’ve been proud of them.”
While Texas Tech has looked unstoppable through the first two weeks, Oregon State (0-2) has lived at the opposite end of that spectrum.
The Beavers are coming off a disappointing 36-27 loss to Fresno State. Oregon State played well enough to win, outplaying the Bulldogs in the box score.
Oregon State finished with 210 more yards, nine more third-down conversions and nearly 15 more minutes of possession. Costly turnovers and special teams mistakes proved to be the team’s undoing.
Starting quarterback Maalik Murphy has aired it out to start the year with 615 passing yards, good for 14th in the country, but has a 4-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
This will be the Beavers’ first road game of the season. They will look to change their recent road fortunes, entering this week having lost seven of their last 10 games away from home.
“They’re an extremely talented team, and they’ve got talent and speed all over, so it’s going to be just a challenge from that standpoint,” Beavers coach Trent Bray said on Monday.
This will be just the second time these two teams have played and the first since 1959, a 15-14 Texas Tech win.
NO. 5 MIAMI OUT TO DENY NO. 18 USF THIRD STRAIGHT UPSET
No. 18 South Florida is one of the biggest surprises in college football, but faces its toughest challenge yet on Saturday at No. 5 Miami in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The game wasn’t a Top 25 matchup until the Bulls (2-0) scored their second consecutive victory over a ranked opponent when they shocked then-No. 13 Florida 18-16 in Gainesville last Saturday.
USF opened the season with a convincing 34-7 home victory over Boise State, which was ranked No. 25 at the time.
It was the first time the Bulls beat ranked opponents in back-to-back weeks and the first time they beat two ranked opponents in the same season since 2009.
USF coach Alex Golesh is trying to keep his team from being distracted by the added hype after its strong start.
“I think there’s still so much to play for, there’s so much still ahead of us,” Golesh said this week. “I told the guys last week (after Boise State) and I truly believe this: There’s going to be so many people who are going to tell them how good they are now, how good we are, how good I am. When you’re process-driven, you just go right back to work and you worry about Sunday, you worry about Monday.”
Even before USF’s recent rise, the Hurricanes (2-0) anticipated a tough challenge after the Bulls kept last year’s game close for a half before Miami pulled away 50-15 in Tampa. Miami leads the all-time series 6-1 with the Bulls scoring their lone victory in 2010 at Miami.
Miami’s respect for USF stems in large part from Byrum Brown’s skills as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks. Brown has completed 39 of 60 passes for 473 yards and a touchdown and has 109 rushing yards and two scores on 31 carries.
Brown did not throw or run for a touchdown in last year’s game against Miami, but completed 19 of 30 passes for 274 yards and did not throw an interception. He also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass.
Brown and Carson Beck, who will make his third start for the Hurricanes, trained together in the offseason.
“He’s a good kid. He’s obviously had a lot of success this year. Hopefully he does well the rest of the year,” Beck said on Tuesday. “I’m rooting for him, but this game hopefully our defense comes in and attacks him.”
Beck is coming off a record-breaking performance in a 45-3 win over Bethune-Cookman, completing his first 15 passes to top the school record set by Vinny Testaverde in 1986. Beck has thrived in Miami’s offense, completing 42 of 54 attempts for 472 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Freshman Malachi Toney has emerged as one of Beck’s top targets with 12 catches for 162 yards while CJ Daniels has 119 yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches.
Keshaun Singleton has caught seven passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulls’ offense.
The Bulls and the Hurricanes each have produced four turnovers without committing one. They are tied for the fifth-best turnover margin in the country among teams yet to turn the ball over.
NO. 8 IRISH PREACHING LONG VIEW, WHILE NO. 16 TEXAS A&M SEEKS REVENGE
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman introduced his team to the concept of delayed gratification this week.
Sometimes, Freeman told them, you don’t get the thing you want right away. But with the right amount of patience and persistence, the prize is still attainable.
No. 8 Notre Dame (0-1) will see if the lesson pays off when it squares off against No. 16 Texas A&M (2-0) on Saturday evening in South Bend, Ind.
The Fighting Irish are looking to bounce back from a 27-24 loss against No. 10 Miami in their season opener. Notre Dame erased a 14-point deficit but fell short after the Hurricanes kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:04 remaining.
Freeman’s focus is on preventing the loss from snowballing into something more.
“Outside of our building, you’re evaluated off one thing, and that’s wins and losses,” Freeman said. “But inside the building, we must continue to be mature enough to understand that the momentary success or failure is not what the goal is. Our goal and our focus has to be to reach our full potential.
“That takes understanding of delayed gratification.”
The idea carries weight for Texas A&M, too. The Aggies have waited for a full calendar year to try to avenge a home loss against Notre Dame.
This time, Mike Elko’s team is headed north to one of the storied venues in college football. Elko said the Aggies were ready for the challenge.
“Obviously, the schemes are similar (as last year),” Elko said. “They’re pretty well-entrenched in who they are and what they do.
“Last year, there was a lot more unknown. It was Coach (Mike) Denbrock’s first game as the (offensive coordinator). It was our first game as a staff.”
The Aggies lost 23-13 against Notre Dame last season before winning the next seven games in a row. They have started this season with back-to-back victories over UTSA and Utah State, surpassing 40 points in both contests.
Notre Dame must find a way to slow down Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, who has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 509 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions through two games. He also has rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Reed left last week’s game because of an injury but is good to return, Elko said.
Mario Craver and KC Concepcion are the Aggies’ top targets in the passing game. They have three receiving touchdowns apiece.
The Fighting Irish will turn to quarterback CJ Carr for a second straight start. He completed 19 of 30 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in his starting debut against Miami.
“I think we were very intentional about trying to protect the first-time starter early in the game, right?” Freeman said. “I was vocal about giving him easy reads, easy throws. Let’s not just tell him to bomb the ball down the field every play, because he’ll do that if we allow him to. …
“But he showed he’s ready, he’s capable. As you saw as the game went on, we were able to take some more shots. … We feel like CJ can execute the entire game plan, the entire playbook. He’s a special player.”
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love also figures to get a bigger workload against the Aggies. He had 10 carries for 33 yards in his season opener.
STREAKY TY SIMPSON, NO. 19 ALABAMA HOST 2-0 WISCONSIN
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson found his footing with a perfect throwing performance in Week 2.
Now Simpson and the No. 19 Crimson Tide aim to build off the biggest shutout win in school history when Alabama faces Wisconsin in nonconference play on Saturday afternoon at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Simpson completed all 17 of his passes and set a school record for consecutive completions to start a game as the Crimson Tide routed UL Monroe 73-0 last weekend. His performance leaves him two shy of the longest streak in program history: Mac Jones’ 19 straight completions in 2020 that began with eight to close out against Georgia and finished by hitting his first 11 passes versus Tennessee.
Simpson passed for 226 yards and three touchdowns against UL Monroe as Alabama (1-1) bettered a 66-0 victory over Cal in 1973 for largest shutout margin.
New Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was beaming over Simpson’s performance.
“I thought he was extremely decisive,” Grubb told reporters. “He was very dialed on his reads. He didn’t pass up open players. I thought he played great. I thought he was really, really into the game plan all week and I was really hopeful that he was gonna play very, very well.”
The Crimson Tide outgained the Warhawks 583-148 in the follow-up to a disappointing 31-17 loss to Florida State in Week 1.
Alabama star receiver Ryan Williams is still working his way through concussion protocol and his availability remains uncertain. He was injured in the fourth quarter of the Florida State game and sat out against UL Monroe.
Top running back Jam Miller (collarbone) missed both games, but he’s making a push to return against the Badgers.
“You can see that with Jam. He’s champing at the bit,” said Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer. “We’ve just got to make sure we’re making a smart decision. That will be left up to our training staff and our doctors and also how Jam feels. He’s making a lot of progress.”
Alabama clobbered Wisconsin 42-10 last season in Madison in the first of the two-game series.
The Badgers (2-0) have played two light foes this season, beating Miami (Ohio) 17-0 and routing Middle Tennessee 42-10 last week.
San Diego State transfer Danny O’Neill completed 23 of 27 passes for 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against Middle Tennessee while starting in place of injured quarterback Billy Edwards Jr.
Edwards sustained a sprained left knee in the victory over Miami (Ohio).
“I don’t know a whole lot,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said of Edwards’ status. “We’ll see as we continue to push forward in the week, but we’ll get obviously prepared either way.”
The Badgers will need a better defensive showing this time around as they struggled against former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe last season.
While the competition hasn’t been heavy, the defensive numbers are stellar through two games. Wisconsin ranks third nationally in total defense (169.0 yards per game) and tied for sixth in scoring defense (5.0 points per game). Standout safety Preston Zachman has a team-leading two interceptions.
Fickell maintains the Badgers are vastly improved from the squad that went 5-7 last season and ended the school’s bowl appearances streak at 22.
“I think we’re in a better place at every position,” Fickell said. “The depth of the offensive line is the one spot that continues to be an issue or stands out a little bit to you, but as a whole and as a team, I think where we are and the things that we’re doing, I think that’s where everything’s got to start.”
Wisconsin will be attempting to halt Alabama’s 13-game home winning streak.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: BLUE JAYS RALLY IN 9TH, TOP ASTROS IN 10TH
Tyler Heineman’s fielder’s choice grounder in the bottom of the 10th scored the winning run and the Toronto Blue Jays came back to defeat the visiting Houston Astros 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Automatic runner Myles Straw took third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s infield hit against Craig Kimbrel (0-1) and beat the throw home on Heineman’s grounder to first. George Springer homered for the Blue Jays. Guerrero had three hits.
Toronto (83-61) tied the game in the ninth on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s two-run single. Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman (9-6) pitched a clean 10th.
Carlos Correa hit a two-run home run for the Astros (78-67). Houston’s Yordan Alvarez and Yainer Diaz each added three hits in the opener of a three-game series.
Red Sox 6, Athletics 0
Connelly Early struck out 11 to match the franchise record for a pitcher in his major league debut, tossing five shutout innings as Boston notched a victory over the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
The 23-year-old left-hander, promoted from Triple-A Worcester earlier in the day, allowed five hits. Early (1-0) matched the team strikeout record set by Don Aase in his first start for Boston on July 26, 1977. Rob Refsnyder had a three-run homer among two hits and Romy Gonzalez added a homer, a double and two RBIs. Boston is in a virtual tie for second place with the New York Yankees in the American League, three games behind Toronto.
Jacob Wilson had three hits and Zach Gelof and Shea Langeliers had two apiece for the Athletics, who have been blanked in each of the first two games of this series. A’s starter Jeffrey Springs (10-11) served up two first-inning homers and wound up yielding five runs and eight hits over five-plus innings.
Orioles 3, Pirates 2 (11 innings)
Samuel Basallo’s bases-loaded single drove in the winning run and Baltimore topped visiting Pittsburgh in the opener of a three-game series.
It was Basallo’s second walk-off hit in less than a week, as he also delivered a walk-off homer to beat the Dodgers on Aug. 5. Jeremiah Jackson also homered for the Orioles, who got seven strong innings from Kyle Bradish in his third start back from Tommy John surgery.
Pittsburgh’s Tommy Pham hit a tying home run in the ninth, but the Pirates failed to score in each of their two extra-inning attempts. They have seven total runs in their last four games, all losses.
Guardians 2, Royals 0
Joey Cantillo and Cade Smith combined on a five-hit shutout and Jose Ramirez homered among his three hits as Cleveland beat visiting Kansas City.
Cantillo (5-3) was replaced by Smith after allowing a leadoff single to Kyle Isbel to begin the ninth inning. Ramirez came within a triple of hitting for the cycle for Cleveland, which won its fifth straight game and maintained its position in second place in the AL Central over the Royals. Cantillo allowed four hits over a career-high eight-plus innings.
Kansas City starter Noah Cameron (7-7) gave up two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks over seven innings.
Dodgers 7, Rockies 2
Emmet Sheehan took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and Teoscar Hernandez hit a pair of home runs as Los Angeles earned a victory over visiting Colorado.
Sheehan (6-3) matched a career high by lasting seven innings. He allowed three hits and fanned nine. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts also homered for the Dodgers.
Hunter Goodman hit his 30th home run of the season for the Rockies. German Marquez (3-13) gave up five runs on six hits over five innings.
Cubs 6, Braves 1
Cade Horton baffled the Atlanta bats for the second straight outing with 6 1/3 strong innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in a pair of runs to help visiting Chicago beat the Braves to even their three-game series.
The Cubs ended a three-game losing streak and now hold a 3-2 lead over the Braves in the season series. Horton (10-4) allowed one run on four hits. He threw 87 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.70.
Atlanta’s Spencer Strider (5-13) suffered his fifth straight loss. He pitched six innings and allowed two runs on six hits.
Nationals 7, Marlins 5
Josh Bell homered to highlight his four-RBI performance and Mitchell Parker tossed 7 2/3 strong innings to fuel Washington to a win over host Miami.
Bell belted a three-run homer to stake Washington to a 3-0 lead in the first. He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the Nationals, who have defeated the Marlins four times during their 7-1 run over the last eight games. Parker (8-15) allowed two runs on four hits to record his first win since July 26.
The Marlins made it interesting in the ninth. Victor Mesa Jr. ripped a two-run double with two outs and scored on Xavier Edwards’ infield single. Jose Ferrer, however, induced Agustin Ramirez to ground out to secure his eighth save.
Giants 5, Diamondbacks 3
Willy Adames and Patrick Bailey hit home runs, Joel Peguero and Ryan Walker pitched out of late jams and San Francisco made it two straight over visiting Arizona.
Robbie Ray remained unbeaten against his former team with a third consecutive win, combining with four relievers on an eight-hitter as the Giants won for the 13th time in the past 16 games. San Francisco trails the New York Mets by two games for the final National League wild card. Matt Chapman added a double for the Giants, who had only five hits, three of which went for extra bases.
Seeking to end a two-game losing streak, the Diamondbacks got within 5-3 on an RBI single by Ildemaro Vargas off Giants reliever Matt Gage with one out in the sixth. Zac Gallen (11-14) yielded all five Giants runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Reds 4, Padres 2
Tyler Stephenson lined a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday night, snapping a tie and lifting visiting Cincinnati to a win over San Diego.
Gavin Lux drew a two-out walk off Robert Suarez (4-6) before Stephenson ripped his 10th homer of the year into the left field seats, enabling Cincinnati to pull within three games of the New York Mets for the National League’s final wild-card spot. Connor Phillips (2-0) worked a scoreless eighth inning.
The Padres fell two games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego right-hander Michael King made his first start in a month after being sidelined by left knee inflammation following his Aug. 9 start against Boston. He gave up three hits and two runs in five innings.
Tigers 12, Yankees 2
Parker Meadows hit a tying two-run homer in the fifth inning and a tiebreaking RBI single to spark a nine-run seventh inning as Detroit blew out New York.
Meadows snapped a 2-2 tie by lining a single to right field. In all, Yankees relievers Fernando Cruz (2-4), Mark Leiter Jr. and Tim Hill combined to allow nine runs on five hits to go along with five walks as the Tigers sent 14 to the plate. Detroit starter Casey Mize allowed two runs on six hits in six innings, striking out eight and walking none.
Aaron Judge hit his 359th homer off Detroit’s Casey Mize (14-5) in the first inning to pass Yogi Berra for fifth on New York’s all-time list. Cody Bellinger also homered, but the Yankees finished with four hits while taking their fourth loss in the past 15 games. New York starter Will Warren allowed two runs on two hits in six innings.
Phillies 9, Mets 3
Ranger Suarez struck out a career-high 12 batters and Kyle Schwarber hit his 50th homer as Philadelphia topped visiting New York.
Suarez (12-6) tossed six scoreless innings for the Phillies, allowing just a hit and three walks. Otto Kemp homered on his 26th birthday and Harrison Bader also went deep as part of a 3-for-5 night for the hosts. Schwarber’s milestone home run made him just the second Phillie in franchise history to hit 50 in a season, joining Ryan Howard.
Mets starter Sean Manaea (1-3) was charged with four runs and five hits over five innings. Mark Vientos’ home run highlighted a quiet night for the visitors.
Rangers 5, Brewers 4
Rookie Michael Helman hit a two-run home run and stole a homer at the fence to help surging Texas earn a come-from-behind win over Milwaukee in Arlington, Texas.
Hoby Milner (3-4), the second of six Texas pitchers, worked a scoreless inning to garner the victory. Shawn Armstrong allowed a solo home run to Jake Bauers in the ninth before recording his eighth save.
Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby (3-2) gave up two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings. Jackson Chourio led Milwaukee with three hits.
Rays 5, White Sox 4
Tristan Gray hit a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning and Josh Lowe and Richie Palacios also went deep as visiting Tampa Bay edged Chicago.
Junior Caminero lined a leadoff double in the second inning off White Sox starter Yoendrys Gomez and scored on Lowe’s two-run blast. Gray, who spent most of the season with Triple-A Charlotte in the Chicago minor league system, struck against his former organization with his seventh-inning blast against Tyler Alexander (5-14). Former White Sox starter Adrian Houser scattered three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with zero walks and a season-high nine strikeouts.
The White Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead on Kyle Teel’s solo home run in the first inning. Chase Meidroth had an RBI single in the fifth and Colson Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi drove in runs in the sixth to tie the score. Gomez allowed four runs and five hits in five innings.
Mariners 5, Cardinals 3
Randy Arozarena homered and drove in four runs and Josh Naylor also went deep as Seattle defeated visiting St. Louis.
Five relievers combined for five scoreless innings of two-hit ball as the Mariners won their fourth in a row and pulled within a game of the division-leading Houston Astros in the American League West.
Caleb Ferguson (4-4) earned victory in relief, and Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his 34th save. Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (7-12) lasted four innings, allowing five runs on six hits. Jose Fermin had two hits and an RBI for St. Louis.
Angels 12, Twins 2
Kyle Hendricks scattered four hits over seven shutout innings and Chris Taylor and Yoan Moncada each hit three-run homers to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Minnesota in Anaheim, Calif.
Hendricks (7-9) walked one and struck out six while snapping a seven-start winless streak dating back to a 4-1 victory over Seattle on July 27. Moncada went 2-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs and three runs scored and Taylor finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs for the Angels, who finished with 17 hits and a season high in runs scored.
Ryan Fitzgerald, an infielder who came in to pitch a scoreless eighth, homered, Byron Buxton had two hits and stole a base and Austin Martin also had two hits and scored a run for Minnesota. Zebby Matthews (4-5) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
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WNBA NEWS
SPARKS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF RACE DESPITE WIN OVER MERCURY
Dearica Hamby scored 16 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter, Rae Burrell had a career-high 20 points, and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the host Phoenix Mercury 88-83 on Tuesday, although it was not enough to keep the Sparks from playoff elimination.
Kelsey Plum had 17 points and Hamby added nine rebounds, but Los Angeles’ postseason drought will reach five seasons when Seattle beat Golden State 74-73, a game that ended moments after the Sparks’ win in Phoenix.
Alyssa Thomas had her eighth triple-double, Satou Sabally 24 points, and Sami Whitcomb had 11 off the bench for the Mercury, who are locked into the No. 4 seed in the WNBA playoffs.
The Mercury (27-16), who are 16-6 at home, will have the home-court advantage against the New York Liberty, the No. 5 seed and defending league champion, in a first-round, best-of-three playoff series to begin Sunday.
Thomas had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and like the rest of the Mercury starters did not play in the fourth quarter. Her eight triple-doubles are more than the rest of the league combined.
Los Angeles won for the first time in four games against the Mercury this season.
The Sparks trailed much of the first half before Hamby’s two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining gave them a 45-44 lead at halftime. They opened the second half on a 9-0 run keyed by a 3-pointer from Julie Allemand for their biggest lead, 54-44.
The Mercury responded with a 17-4 run that included Whitcomb’s third 3-pointer for a 61-58 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. The Sparks led 63-62 after three.
Thomas completed her triple-double on a short jumper during the Mercury’s third-quarter burst for her 10th point.
Thomas’ last triple-double came in her last game against the Sparks, a 92-84 victory in Los Angeles on Aug. 26 when she had 13 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and 15 assists.
Hamby’s three-point play with 3:46 left gave the Sparks a 79-74 lead, and she had another three-point play to make it 86-81 with 1:01 left.
STORM MAKE DRAMATIC COMEBACK, EDGE VALKYRIES TO CLAIM LAST PLAYOFF SPOT
Erica Wheeler drained a go-ahead 16-footer with 19.2 seconds left and the Seattle Storm clinched the WNBA’s final playoff spot with a dramatic 74-73 victory over the visiting Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night.
As the Los Angeles Sparks were beating the Phoenix Mercury to keep their playoff hopes alive, Wheeler doused them with the clutch shot from the right side of the free-throw line to cap a 17-point outing off the bench that included five 3-pointers.
Nneka Ogwumike recorded 16 points and eight rebounds for eighth-place Seattle (23-21). Brittney Sykes scored 14 points and Skylar Diggins had 10.
Janelle Salaun made five 3-pointers and had 22 points for Golden State (23-20), but she missed two late shots — one from inside and the other from 3-point range — on the Valkyries’ final possession. Golden State fell into seventh place with the defeat and the Indiana Fever’s win over the Minnesota Lynx.
Veronica Burton registered 14 points and 11 assists, Temi Fagbenle also scored 14 points and Kaila Charles had 12 points and nine boards for Golden State.
Seattle shot 40.6 percent from the field, but was 7 of 17 (41.2 percent) from 3-point range.
Golden State made 40 percent of its shots and was 10 of 29 (34.5 percent) from behind the arc.
Iliana Rupert swished a 3-pointer to give the Valkyries a 73-72 lead with 37.4 seconds remaining before Wheeler’s big shot.
Seattle faced an eight-point deficit when the fourth quarter began before ripping off the first 10 points of the stanza. Wheeler connected on two treys during the run, the latter one giving the Storm a 63-61 lead with 7:37 left in the contest.
Golden State regained the lead at 68-67 on a 3-pointer by Salaun with 2:36 left. But Wheeler connected on a trey 25 seconds later to put Seattle back ahead.
After Fagbenle tied the score at 70 on a layup, Diggins split two free throws as the Storm led by one with 1:17 to go.
Ogwumike split two free throws with 41.4 seconds remaining to push the Seattle lead to two.
Seattle trailed by three at halftime and soon found itself down by seven. But the Storm answered with a 12-2 run and Wheeler capped it with a trey that gave Seattle a 50-47 lead with 4:01 left in the third quarter.
The Valkyries responded with 13 straight points to open a 10-point advantage. Salaun buried consecutive treys to start the burst and Billings added a 3-pointer to make it 56-50 with 2:25 left. Burton and Billings added baskets to end the run.
Golden State led 61-53 entering the fourth quarter.
Charles had 12 first-half points as the Valkyries led 36-33 at the break.
ACES SAIL PAST SKY FOR 15TH CONSECUTIVE VICTORY
Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young each had 15 points and the Las Vegas Aces made 15 3-pointers while extending their franchise-record winning streak to 15 games with 92-61 victory over the visiting Chicago Sky on Tuesday.
Loyd came off the bench to hit five of those treys while surpassing the 6,000-point mark for her career. Dana Evans (13 points) made three 3-pointers for the Aces (29-14), who shot 51.7 percent from beyond the arc en route to matching the 1998 Houston Comets for the third-longest winning streak in WNBA history.
The only longer streaks were 18 games by the 2001 Los Angeles Sparks and 16 games by the 2014 Phoenix Mercury.
Las Vegas, aiming for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, needed only 11 points from star A’ja Wilson, who scored at least 30 in each of the previous three contests. The Aces completed a three-game season series sweep from Chicago (10-33), which played a third consecutive game without star Angel Reese (suspensions/back injury).
Las Vegas would clinch the No. 2 seed in the playoffs with a win in their finale against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. The Aces are tied with the Atlanta Dream (29-14), but Las Vegas holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Kamilla Cardoso had 13 points with 13 rebounds for the Sky, who have lost three straight and 20 of the past 23. Michaela Onyenwere also put up 13 points.
Las Vegas led 46-38 early in the third quarter before breaking things open by scoring 11 consecutive points. Loyd, a Chicago-area native, hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Young eventually followed with a bucket from long distance to cap the surge.
The Aces shot 10-for-16 from the field and made 5 of 9 3-point attempts to lead 28-14 after the first period.
However, the Sky didn’t fold and used a 10-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back treys from Onyenwere and Rebecca Allen, to get within 37-33 late in the second quarter. The Aces scored six of the final eight points of the first half to lead 43-35.
Chicago’s Ariel Atkins (13.1 ppg) missed her second consecutive contest due to a back issue.
FEVER CLOSE REGULAR SEASON WITH WIN OVER WNBA-BEST LYNX
Kelsey Mitchell scored 18 points, four teammates finished in double figures and the Indiana Fever never trailed during an 83-72 victory over the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Odyssey Sims added 15 points, Aliyah Boston had 10 points and eight rebounds and Natasha Howard and Damiris Dantas scored 10 each for the playoff-bound Fever (24-20) in their regular-season finale.
Jessica Shepard had 16 points, Maria Kliundikova scored 12 and Alanna Smith added 11 for the Lynx (33-10), who had long since clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. They will conclude the regular season at home against the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday.
Minnesota played without DiJonai Carrington, who is sidelined by a shoulder injury, and MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, who rested.
Indiana salvaged the finale of the three-game regular-season series with Minnesota, but the Fever also defeated the Lynx 74-59 on July 1 to win the Commissioner’s Cup. The Lynx won two recent meetings — 95-90 at Indianapolis on Aug. 22 and 97-84 in Minneapolis two days later.
Smith made a field goal and a 3-pointer to complete a 9-0 run for the Lynx to start the third quarter, pulling the visitors within 49-45. Boston made two free throws for the Fever’s first points of the period after 2 1/2 minutes and started a 21-8 run that gave Indiana a 70-53 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Fever produced the first 10 points of the game as four different players scored. Kliundikova’s short jumper produced the Lynx’s first points after nearly three minutes and started a 6-0 run.
Aerial Powers made two 3-pointers and scored a total of eight points as Indiana rode an 18-8 run to a 28-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Shepard made a layup to start the second-quarter scoring and Kliundikova followed with another layup before the Fever took their biggest lead of the half, 47-30, on a field goal by Mitchell.
Smith made four three throws and Courtney Williams added a basket just before the buzzer to help the Lynx trim the deficit to 49-36 entering halftime.
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NHL NEWS
FLAMES G DUSTIN WOLF SIGNS 7-YEAR, $52.5M EXTENSION
The Calgary Flames locked up the services of young goaltender Dustin Wolf with a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension on Tuesday.
The $7.5 million average annual value is a massive pay bump for Wolf, who is set to earn $850,000 in the final year of his previous contract in 2025-26. The extension begins with the 2026-27 campaign.
Wolf, 24, was a finalist for the Calder Trophy last season as one of the league’s top rookies, finishing 29-16-8 with three shutouts, a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average.
Wolf made the NHL All-Rookie team and finished second in the Calder voting to Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson.
A seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft, Wolf is 37-23-9 with a .906 save percentage and 2.73 GAA in 71 games over the past three seasons.
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GOLF NEWS
GOLF GLANCE: U.S. RYDER CUP TEAM DESCENDS ON NAPA; LPGA IN OHIO
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Tour Championship (Tommy Fleetwood)
THIS WEEK: Procore Championship, Napa, Calif., Sept. 11-14
Course: Silverado Resort, North Course (Par 72, 7,138 Yards)
Purse: $6M ($Winner: 1.08M)
Defending Champion: Patton Kizzire
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Thursday: 6-9 p.m. ET ; Friday: 1-4 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 6-9 p.m. (All times Golf Channel, NBC Sports App)
Streaming: Thursday-Friday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (ESPN+)
X: @ProcoreChamp
NOTES: This marks the beginning of the seven-tournament 2025 FedEx Cup Fall schedule that finalizes eligibility status for the 2026 season. The top 100 players in the FedEx Cup standings following the fall schedule will retain exempt status for next year. Max Homa, who won the event in 2021 and ’22, enters the week at No. 111. … The field includes 10 of the 12 players on the United States Ryder Cup team. The lone exceptions are LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele, who is at home in Florida with his newborn son. … While Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley is not in the field, vice-captains Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker and Gary Woodland are playing. … The field includes 11 of the top 25 players in the Official World Golf Ranking and 12 players who competed in last month’s Tour Championship. … Top-ranked amateur Jackson Koivun is in the field along with Walker Cup teammate Ethan Fang fresh off their victory at Cypress Point last week. … Miles Russell, 16, will make his fourth career PGA Tour start and is seeking his first made cut.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+210 at DraftKings) has five victories this year but has yet to win on the PGA Tour when making his first start in an event. He also has never won in the state of California, although Scheffler enters this week with 14 consecutive top-10 finishes on tour. … Russell Henley (+1600) is a career-high fourth in the world rankings on the strength of seven consecutive top-20 finishes, including T2s at the Tour Championship and at the Travelers. … Justin Thomas (+1600) has a win this year (RBC Heritage) and posted a T7 at the Tour Championship. … Patrick Cantlay (+1800) has not won since 2022 but is coming off a T2 at the Tour Championship. … Cameron Young (+2000) followed up his maiden win with a fifth, 11th and T5 in the playoffs. … Sam Burns (+2000) also enters in his best form of the season with a T4 and T7 to finish the playoffs.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: 45th Ryder Cup, Farmingdale, N.Y., Sept. 26-28
LPGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: FM Championship (Miranda Wang)
THIS WEEK: Kroger Queen City Championship, Hamilton Township, Ohio, Sept. 11-14
Course: TPC River’s Bend (Par 72, 6,876 Yards)
Purse: $2M (Winner: $300,000)
Defending Champion: Lydia Ko
Race to the CME Globe leader: Jeeno Thitikul
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV/Streaming: Thursday: 1-4 p.m. ET; Friday: 4-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 1-4 p.m. ET (All times Golf Channel and NBC Sports app)
X: @QueenCityLPGA
NOTES: The 144-player field will be cut to the top 65 and ties following 36 holes. … The Arnold Palmer-designed course opened in 2001, and this is the fourth iteration of the tournament. The first two were held at Kenwood Country Club and won by Ally Ewing in 2022 and Minjee Lee in 2023. … Ko set the tournament scoring record of 23-under 265 in beating Thitikul by one stroke last year. … Twenty of the top 25 players in the Rolex Rankings are in the field.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Rogers, Ark., Sept. 19-21
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
LAST TOURNAMENT: Stifel Charity Classic (Thomas Bjorn)
THIS WEEK: Sanford International, Sioux Falls, S.D., Sept. 12-14
Course: Minnehaha Country Club (Par 70, 6,727 Yards)
Purse: $2.2M (Winner: $330,000)
Defending Champion: Steve Stricker
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Miguel Angel Jimenez
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday-Sunday: 9:30-11:30 p.m. ET (All times tape delayed on Golf Channel)
X: @SanfordIntl
NOTES: Only four events remain before the start of the three-tournament Charles Schwab Cub playoffs. … Three-time defending champion Stricker set the tournament scoring record of 16-under 194 with his victory in 2023. He also won the inaugural event in 2018, but is not in the field this week as he continues to deal with a back issue.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Pure Insurance Championship, Pebble Beach, Calif., Sept. 19-21
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
LAST TOURNAMENT: Team Championship (Legion XIII)
THIS WEEK: Season Complete
Season Winners: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Legion XIII
NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 5-7
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AUTO RACING
NASCAR’S DENNY HAMLIN ADVANCES TO THE ROUND OF 12 AND MAX VERSTAPPEN DOMINATES IN F1
All Times Eastern
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Playoffs – Round of 16
Site: Bristol, Tennessee.
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 500 laps, 266.5 miles.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 4:30 p.m., qualifying, 5:40 p.m.; Saturday, race, 7:30 p.m. (USA).
Last year: Kyle Larson earned his fifth win of the season and advanced to the Round of 12 after a dominant run in which he led 462 of the 500 laps.
Last race: Leading a race-high 75 of 240 laps, pole-sitter Denny Hamlin secured his fifth win of the year while advancing to the Round of 12.
Next race: September 21, Loudon, New Hampshire.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Food City 300
Playoffs – Round of 12
Site: Bristol, Tennessee.
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 300 laps, 159.9 miles.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 2 p.m., qualifying, 3:05 p.m., race, 7:30 p.m. (CW).
Last year: Cole Custer secured the regular season championship while leading a race-high 104 laps and bouncing back from early contact with the outside wall.
Last race: Conner Zilisch captured his ninth win of the season and fourth in a row while securing the regular season championship.
Next race: September 27, Kansas City, Kansas.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES
UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics
Playoffs – Round of 10
Site: Bristol, Tennessee.
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 200 laps, 106.6 miles.
Schedule: Thursday, practice, 3:05 p.m., qualifying, 4:10 p.m., race, 8 p.m. (FS1).
Last year: Layne Riggs notched his second series win in a row after taking the lead from Corey Heim with 80 laps to go.
Last race: Corey Heim took the win at Darlington in the first round of the playoffs, marking his eighth victory of the season and securing a spot in the Round of 8.
Next race: September 21, Loudon, New Hampshire.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Last race: Max Verstappen dominated the Italian Grand Prix, beating a second-place Lando Norris by 19 seconds after the two McLaren drivers were caught up in a messy team orders dispute over the final 10 laps.
Next race: September 21, Baku, Azerbaijan.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Next race: The 2025 season has ended.
Last race: Josef Newgarden held off a late surge from Alex Palou, earning him his first win of the year and breaking a 20-race losing streak in the season finale at Nashville. Alex Palou, who had previously secured the title on August 10 in Portland, won the 2025 NTT IndyCar season, marking his third consecutive series championship.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
40th NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish
Site: Mohnton, Pennsylvania.
Track: Maple Grove Raceway.
Race distance: 1/4 mile.
Next race: September 21, Concord, North Carolina.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Needmore Late Model Showdown
Nashville West Showdown
Billy Clanton Classic
Socal Showdown
Next race: September 19 – 20.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com
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+++TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS RELEASE UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART FOR WEEK 2 GAME VS. DENVER BRONCOS
OFFENSE
- WR: Michael Pittman Jr., Ashton Dulin
- LT: Bernhard Raimann, Luke Tenuta
- LG: Quenton Nelson
- C: Tanor Bortolini, Danny Pinter
- RG: Matt Goncalves, Dalton Tucker
- RT: Braden Smith, Jalen Travis
- TE: Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
- WR: Josh Downs, Anthony Gould
- WR: Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell
- QB: Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson Sr., Riley Leonard
- RB: Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson OR DJ Giddens
- In his NFL debut, Warren had seven receptions for 76 yards against the Miami Dolphins.
- Jones was 22-of-29 for 272 two yards and a touchdown, with two rushing touchdowns of his own, in his Colts debut.
DEFENSE
- DE: Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, JT Tuimoloau
- DT: DeForest Buckner, Neville Gallimore, Adetomiwa Adebawore
- NT: Grover Stewart, Eric Johnson II
- DE: Laiatu Latu, Samson Ebukam
- WLB: Joe Bachie, Cameron McGrone, Segun Olubi
- MLB: Zaire Franklin, Chad Muma
- CB: Charvarius Ward Sr. Johnathan Edwards
- FS: Camryn Bynum, Rodney Thomas II
- SS: Nick Cross, Daniel Scott
- N: Kenny Moore II, Mekhi Blackmon
- CB: Xavien Howard, Jaylon Jones
- Cross, Ebukam and Moore each recorded a sack during Sunday’s game; Moore’s was a strip-sack recovered by Howard.
- Bynum and Latu each snagged an interception in Sunday’s win.
SPECIALISTS
- P: Rigoberto Sanchez
- PK: Spencer Shrader
- H: Rigoberto Sanchez
- LS: Luke Rhodes
- KR: Anthony Gould, Ashton Dulin
- PR: Anthony Gould, Josh Downs
- Shrader made all four of his field goal attempts on Sunday.
COLTS TE TYLER WARREN NOMINATED FOR NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK FOR WEEK 1
Colts tight end Tyler Warren has been nominated for the NFL Rookie of the Week for Week 1. You can vote for Warren to receive the award by clicking here.
In his NFL debut on Sunday, Warren had seven receptions for 76 yards as the Colts beat the Miami Dolphins 33-8 in their first season-opening victory in 11 years. The 14th overall pick from the 2025 NFL Draft quickly made an impression as he was the target of two of quarterback Daniel Jones’ first three throws of the game.
Warren also demonstrated his impressive physicality throughout the game, earning an 88.6 Pro Football Focus run blocking grade on 24 snaps. It was the highest PFF run block grade among tight ends with at least 10 blocking snaps in Week 1.
Along with Warren, Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey, Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. were nominated this week. The Week 1 Rookie of the Week will be announced on Thursday.
COLTS SIGN DB KEYDRAIN CALLIGAN, S DARRICK FORREST TO PRACTICE SQUAD; RELEASE C MOSE VAVAO, S TREY WASHINGTON FROM PRACTICE SQUAD
Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts today signed cornerback Keydrain Calligan and safety Darrick Forrest to the practice squad. The team also released center Mose Vavao and safety Trey Washington from the practice squad.
Calligan, 6-0, 200 pounds, participated in 2025 training camp with the Seattle Seahawks. He also spent time with the Houston Texans during the 2025 offseason after originally signing with the team as an undrafted free agent on May 21, 2025. Collegiately, Calligan played one season at Southeastern Louisiana (2024) and compiled 39 tackles (29 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, four passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble en route to First Team All-Southland Conference honors. Prior to Southeastern Louisiana, he saw action in 10 games at Jackson State (2023) and registered 22 tackles (16 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, two passes defensed and one interception. Calligan began his collegiate career at Louisiana-Monroe (2020-22), where he played in 25 games and totaled 45 tackles (28 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sack and three passes defensed. His first name is pronounced kee-jrin.
Forrest, 5-11, 200 pounds, most recently participated in the Buffalo Bills’ 2025 offseason program and training camp. He saw action in 40 games (17 starts) in four seasons (2021-24) with the Washington Commanders and compiled 126 tackles (78 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, nine passes defensed, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 11 special teams stops. Forrest also appeared in two postseason contests and registered two special teams tackles. He was originally selected by Washington in the fifth round (163rd overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Cincinnati. His first name is pronounced dare-ik.
Vavao, 6-2, 305 pounds, was originally signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent on May 12, 2025. Collegiately, he started 54-of-58 career games at Fresno State (2020-24). Vavao registered starts at right guard (34), center (12) and left guard (eight).
Washington, 5-10, 205 pounds, was originally signed by Indianapolis as an undrafted free agent on May 9, 2025. Collegiately, he played in 52 career games (29 starts) at Mississippi (2021-24) and totaled 201 tackles (114 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, 18 passes defensed, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
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INDIANA FEVER
GAME RECAP: FEVER BEAT LYNX TO CLOSE OUT REGULAR SEASON, AWAIT PLAYOFF FATE
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 9, 2025) — The Indiana Fever (24-20) closed out the regular season with an 83-72 win over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx (33-10) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. The Fever will begin the postseason on Sunday, September 14 with opponent, broadcast and time details to follow.
The Fever came out with a powerful start, opening on a 10-0 run, ending the first quarter leading the Lynx 28-14 with eight points from Aerial Powers and six from Aliyah Boston. The Fever continued to lead the Lynx, 49-36, at the end of the second quarter with six points from Odyssey Sims and five points from Kelsey Mitchell, maintaining a double-digit lead throughout the first half.
With nine points from Mitchell and four points from Lexie Hull, the Fever controlled the lead throughout the third quarter, outscoring the Lynx 70-53. The Fever sustained their double-digit in the fourth quarter to solidify a final victory for the regular season.
Fans can be the first to know when playoff tickets go on sale by signing up for Fever Flash, the official newsletter of the Indiana Fever, or by texting “FEVER” to 42576 to be notified via text message.
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INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANS DROP SERIES OPENER IN EXTRAS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Iowa Cubs scored seven runs in the top of the 11th inning to defeat the Indianapolis Indians, 7-0, on Tuesday night at Victory Field.
With automatic runner Parker Chavers on second base to begin the 11th, Hayden Cantrelle put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the potential first run of the game to third base. James Triantos brought home Chavers on a fielder’s choice for a 1-0 lead. Following the run-scoring play, seven consecutive Iowa (33-31, 72-66) batters reached to extend the lead to 7-0.
The two teams combined for 32 strikeouts, the most in an Indians (36-28, 78-60) game since 33 were set down on April 30, 2024, in a 4-3 win in 11 innings vs. Buffalo.
Eddy Yean opened the game with 3.0 scoreless innings. He struck out seven batters, his most since a career-high nine on June 25 (2) with Low-A Bradenton vs. Jupiter. Prior to tonight, he had not struck out more than two batters in an outing since Aug. 7, 2024, with Double-A Altoona at Portland.
The Indians tossed 10.0 scoreless innings to begin the game, using seven total pitchers in the contest. Brandan Bidois tossed 2.0 hitless innings, as he has not allowed a hit to 71 straight batters since July 29.
Ryan Harbin (L, 1-1) allowed all seven runs in the 11th.
I-Cubs starter Connor Noland tossed 5.0 scoreless frames of his own as the I-Cubs pitched an 11.0-inning shutout. Caleb Kilian (W, 1-0) was credited the win with a scoreless 10th inning.
The six-game series from Victory Field continues Wednesday afternoon at 1:35 PM. RHP Drake Fellows (8-6, 4.65) takes the mound for the Indians and the I-Cubs have not yet named a starting pitcher.
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INDY ELEVEN
BLAKE & SULTE “TEAM OF THE WEEK”
(Sept. 9, 2025) Tampa, Fla. – Indy Eleven midfielder Jack Blake and goalkeeper Hunter Sulte have earned USL Championship “Team of the Week” honors after helping the Boys in Blue to a key Eastern Conference road victory at Hartford Athletic last week.
For Blake, it is the fourth time in 2025 and the 12th time in the past two seasons that he has gotten this recognition. Sulte is a two-time “Team of the Week” selection this year and a four-time pick in his two-year Indy Eleven career. The Boys in Blue have had nine different players named to the Team of the Week/Team of the Round this season.
Blake scored goals in road matches at Hartford Athletic and Charleston Battery last week, giving him scores in three of the team’s last four USLC games. At Hartford on Wednesday in the third minute, Blake played a ball from the air down in the left side of the area and uncorked a left-footed strike into the bottom right corner of the net for the game-winning goal. That score in a nominee for the “Goal of the Week”, his second nomination for that award in the past three weeks.
At Charleston on Saturday, defender Ben Ofeimu headed a ball to Blake, who then volleyed it into the right corner of the net for his second highlight-reel goal of the week. It is Blake’s team-high ninth goal this season, one shy of his career-best 10 for the Boys in Blue last season. The goal is Blake’s 24th in three years playing for Indy Eleven, tying the franchise mark for most goals in the USL Championship era (2018-) with Tyler Pasher (2018-20). The Nottingham, England, native has 41 career goals in USLC regular-season play.
In 2025, Blake leads the Boys in Blue in goals (9), shots (37), shots on target (19), and fouls won (35). In this week’s USLC stats, Blake is tied for eighth in shots, tied for 10th in goals, and tied for 16th in assists (4).
The 30-year-old Blake was named to the Team of the Week after recording his sixth career brace vs. Miami FC on August 23. He was the USLC “Player of the Week” on July 8 after recording a goal and an assist vs. Monterey Bay FC. He started the 2025 campaign with USLC “Team of the Week” honors after a goal and an assist at Miami FC on March 15. Blake earned USL Jägermeister Cup “Team of the Round” recognition after scoring an impressive goal at Forward Madison FC on April 26.
The versatile Blake is ranked among Indy Eleven career leaders in the USLC era (2018-) in all eight categories. He leads in PKs made (10) and attempted (10) and is second in goals (22) and points (53), fourth in assists (9), and fifth in games played (80), starts (72), and minutes played (6,043).
Jack Blake Indy Eleven Stats
| Season | GP | GS | MIN | G | A | PTS | PK | PK Att |
| 2025 | 23 | 22 | 1814 | 9 | 4 | 22 | 4 | 4 |
| 2024 | 27 | 22 | 1861 | 10 | 4 | 24 | 6 | 6 |
| 2023 | 30 | 28 | 2368 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 80 | 72 | 6043 | 22 | 9 | 53 | 10 | 10 |
Sulte and starter Reice Charles-Cook combined for the team’s fifth clean sheet of the season at Hartford Athletic on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Sulte came on in the second half for his first action since the USL Jägermeister Cup quarter-final on August 20. He was tested immediately, stopping forward Michee Ngalina in the 48th and again with a diving save to his left in the 51st. In the 55th minute, Sulte made a reaction save on Samuel Careaga’s close-range effort, with the rebound attempt by Careaga just missing wide. Sulte made his five saves in the first 22 minutes of the second half to record his most stops in a match since July 18 at North Carolina FC.
At Charleston on Saturday, Sulte made five saves to improve his season total to 58, good for fifth in the USLC. He is tied for 12th in clean sheets with four in 2025.
In his two-year Indy Eleven career, the Anchorage, Alaska, native has 131 saves for the most in the team’s USL Championship era (2018-). The 6’7 Sulte also tops the franchise USLC list in career shutouts with 13.
Hunter Sulte Indy Eleven Stats
| Season | GP | GS | MIN | Saves | GA | CS |
| 2025 | 20 | 19 | 1755 | 58 | 31 | 4 |
| 2024 | 26 | 26 | 2340 | 73 | 31 | 9 |
| Total | 46 | 45 | 4095 | 131 | 62 | 13 |
Indy Eleven continues its season-long three-game USLC road swing with a key Eastern Conference match at Rhode Island FC on Saturday at 7 pm on ESPN+. The Boys in Blue currently lead Rhode Island by two points in the race for the final playoff position with seven games left in the regular season.
Indy Eleven’s next home game is Hispanic Heritage on Sunday, September 21 at 5 pm vs. Birmingham Legion FC at Carroll Stadium.
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INDIANA FOOTBALL
NO. 22 INDIANA FACES INDIANA STATE IN MATCHUP OF UNBEATENS
A pair of undefeated teams will meet when No. 22 Indiana hosts FCS opponent Indiana State in Bloomington on Friday evening.
The two teams faced off most recently in 2023, when the host Hoosiers routed their intrastate neighbors 41-7.
The Sycamores have opened their season with two straight wins for the first time since 1986. After beating McKendree 41-24 in the opener, they downed Eastern Illinois 38-14 last weekend.
“It’s great to be 2-0,” Indiana State coach Curt Mallory said. “That’s something to really be proud of. I thought the team came out, made a lot of improvement from Week 1 to Week 2. It was a very physical game.”
“They’re doing a nice job on offense, scoring 40 points a game,” said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who led the Hoosiers to a school-record 11 wins and a College Football Playoff berth in 2024, his first season in Bloomington. “They’re fairly balanced. They’re doing a nice job throwing the ball.
“Defensively, they’re doing a nice job, as well. I’m sure they’re going to come in excited to play, and I want to see us play a clean game.”
Indiana (2-0) enters the game off a 56-9 victory over Kennesaw State last weekend after topping Old Dominion 27-14 in the season opener. Cignetti said there’s still work to be done, however.
“Saturday, we definitely took a step forward, but it was far from clean,” he said. “Still a lot of areas (we) must improve. You always have to improve. The players want to look at the score and feel like, ‘Yeah, OK, we’re there.’ But we’re not.”
Cignetti pointed out that the Indiana defense allowed nine plays of 15 yards or more and consecutive drives of 63, 64, 44 and 50 yards to a Kennesaw State team playing up-tempo.
“We had a number of missed assignments, poor alignments,” said Cignetti, “particularly in the middle of the field, where they’re going fast and we’re not aligned correctly. But I do think the last two teams we’ve played in terms of getting aligned were some of the bigger challenges we’ll face this year because of their tempo.”
The Hoosiers have rushed for more than 300 yards in their initial two games for the first time since 2014. They also racked up 500-plus yards of total offense in both contests. Brothers Fernando Mendoza and Alberto Mendoza combined for five touchdown passes against Kennesaw State.
“Offensively, we still had six or seven missed opportunities that we need to convert on,” Cignetti said. “You don’t want to leave plays out on the field. You want to cash in on those opportunities because, as we move forward, the windows will get tighter.”
Mallory said Indiana State starting quarterback Elijah Owens suffered a collarbone injury and won’t be back until later in the season. That will only make the matchup with Indiana — where his father, Bill Mallory, is the all-time winningest coach — more challenging.
“They’re going to have their plays,” Mallory said of the Hoosiers. “There’s no doubt. They’re a very, very explosive football team. They’ve got a lot of weapons. They’re physical up front. I don’t know if anyone’s going to slow them down.
“We’ve got a big test this week. To play against a ranked FBS opponent, what a great opportunity.”
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INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL CENTRAL: RAMBLER INVITATIONAL
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana volleyball team (5-0, 0-0 B1G) will head back on the road as the non-conference portion of the schedule continues with a round-robin event on the campus of Loyola (Chicago). The Rambler Invitational will pit the Hoosiers against three programs that have serious postseason aspirations.
Head coach Steve Aird will take his team to face Bowling Green (Thursday), Loyola (Chicago) (Friday) and Stephen F. Austin at Gentile Arena in Chicago. Bowling Green is the preseason MAC favorite while the hosts, Loyola, are coming off a conference tournament victory. Stephen F. Austin has won at least 20 games in 10 of the last 11 seasons.
IU is coming off a commanding weekend in Wilkinson Hall at the Indiana Invitational. The Hoosiers swept all three matches behind an efficient offensive performance. Only one of the nine sets saw IU’s opponent reach the 20-point threshold. Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (4.78 kps, .458 hitting percentage) was named the tournament MVP.
Although it’s only been five matches, the Hoosiers’ fast-paced offense has been special early in the season. Freshman setter Teodora Kričković has set the team to a .347 hitting percentage across the opening contests. Armed with a trio of elite pins and a pair of talented middle blockers, IU’s got the pieces to continue producing big offensive numbers this year.
The contest against Loyola (Chicago) (Sept. 12 – 6 p.m.) will be broadcasted on ESPN+ on Friday evening. It’s the only one of IU’s matches set to be streamed this weekend. Updates and stats from the remaining contests can be found on social media pages or at iuhoosiers.com.
Gameday Info
vs. Bowling Green (Thursday, September 4th – 4:00 p.m. ET)
Live Video: No Stream
Live Stats: bit.ly/3V1vcRx
at Loyola (Chicago) (Friday, September 12th – 6:00 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4pawnMb
Live Stats: bit.ly/4gaV2wd
vs. Stephen F. Austin (Saturday, September 13th – Noon ET)
Live Video: No Stream
Live Stats: bit.ly/4gbgeC5
Stat and Trends
• Following the NCAA weekend stat update, there are early returns on IU’s talented freshman class. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager is sixth nationally and first in the Big Ten among freshmen in kills per set (3.71). Her freshman setter, Teodora Kričković, is first nationally among freshmen in assists per set (10.71).
• The Hoosiers have won 15-straight sets after dropping the first two games of the season. It’s the longest streak by the program since winning 18-consecutive sets during the 2010 campaign. IU will face an extremely talented Bowling Green side on Thursday (Sept. 11) with hopes to extend the run of form.
Notable
HOT START: Head coach Steve Aird and the Hoosiers are off to a 5-0 start for the first time since the 2017 campaign. Entering the weekend, IU has won 15-straight sets and will put its start to the test against a stiff field. It will play three games in three days against Bowling Green, Loyola (Chicago) and Stephen F. Austin.
OFFENSE CLICKING: Through the first five games on the season, the Hoosiers have been fantastic offensively. Freshman setter Teodora Kričković is averaging 10.71 assists per set. As a team, IU is hitting .347. With great success on the pins, IU will now look to get more production from its talented core of middle blockers.
HARD TO STOP: IU went unblocked in a dominant win over Western Michigan last Friday (Sept. 5). Its fast offense and outstanding attackers made it difficult for the visiting Broncos. It’s the first time that the Hoosiers went without being blocked in a match since the 2011 season (vs. High Point).
DYNAMIC DUO: The Hoosiers have greatly benefited from the outstanding senior duo of Candela Alonso-Corcelles and Avry Tatum. Since 2023, IU has gone 17-6 when both of those players record double-digit kills. In fact, IU has won six of the last seven games in which both hitters score 10+ kills.
NUMBER 100: With an appearance on Thursday, senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles would play in her 100th career college game. At this point in her time at IU, the Madrid native has recorded 1,056 kills, 576 digs, 148 blocks and 76 aces. She also has seven career 20-kill matches.
AJ SETTLING IN: Freshman libero Audrey Jackson had never played the position before taking the jersey in this year’s season opener against Miami (Fla.). Her best match of the season came against Western Michigan (Sept. 5) with 14 digs and zero reception errors across three sets.
AVRY KEEPS GOING: Senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum is on a strong run of form dating back to her junior season. She’s had at least 10 kills in 13 of the last 16 overall games. She’s had 8-or-more kills in 15 of those 16 contests. The right-side attacker is hitting at a .345 clip through five games this year.
RACK ‘EM UP: The Hoosiers have racked up 639 service aces over the last four seasons. In that timeframe (since 2022), only Washington (647) has more service aces among power four programs. IU is averaging 2.06 aces per set in the early portion of the season. Teodora Kričković leads the team with 11.
Scouting the Opponent
Bowling Green (2-4, 0-0 MAC)
• Bowling Green came up just short of upsetting a couple top-25 opponents last weekend in West Lafayette. The Falcons pushed Purdue and Georgia Tech to five sets but dropped both contests. They are just 2-4 on the young season but are the heavy favorites to win the MAC this year.
• Senior opposite Lauryn Hovey is the top offensive option in Bowling Green’s lineup. The reigning MAC Player of the Year is averaging 4.28 kills per set and hitting .279 on the right side. She has nearly twice as many points as the next best player on its roster.
• Junior setter Amanda Otten is a reigning First Team All-MAC selection and returns to run the offense. She’s averaging 8.84 assists per set this season. Junior outside hitter, a native of Fishers, Indiana, is second on the team with 2.40 kills per set.
Loyola (Chicago) (2-4, 0-0 Horizon)
• The Ramblers are coming off an incredible season that saw them win the A-10 Tournament title and beat BYU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. After losing a large amount of its offense, they’re trying to find their footing early in the season.
• Freshman outside hitter Leyna Nguyen has had a strong start to her career with 76 kills in six matchers (3.17 per set). Sophomore outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke has had 10+ kills in four of six matches on the year. Freshman setter Ava Hunter, a native of Fishers, Indiana, has 200 assists on the season.
Stephen F. Austin (4-1, 0-0 Southland)
• The Lady Jacks have had a great start to their season, winning four of their first five matches. A balanced offensive attack has helped their case. Graduate student outside hitter Ilana De Assis and sophomore outside hitter Katherine Holtman both have 66 kills this year. Holtman is the reigning Southland Freshman of the Year.
• Stephen F. Austin has spent most of the season in a 6-2 offense. Senior setter Jayden Flynn and redshirt sophomore setter Cambry Saul have orchestrated a .249 team hitting percentage early in the campaign. Five different players have at least 33 kills.
• Head coach Debbie Humphreys is in her 38th season as the head coach at Stephen F. Austin. She won her 850th game with the program last weekend and has recorded at least 20 wins in 10 of the last 11 seasons. She has led them to the NCAA Tournament on nine occasions.
Inside the Series
Bowling Green
• IU has turned around its fortunes in the series over the last 10 years. The Hoosiers have won three matches in a row to take a 5-2 lead in the all-time history between the two teams. Head coach Steve Aird is 1-0 against the Falcons during his time in Bloomington.
• The Hoosiers won a competitive contest in 2021 the last time the two sides play. Breana Edwards (18), Mady Saris (13) and Kaley Rammelsberg (10) all had double-digit kills to help IU to a five-set victory. Paula Cerame dug 27 balls for the Hoosiers in the win.
Loyola (Chicago)
• Despite being located in the Midwest, IU and Loyola (Chicago) are set to meet for just the fourth time in program history. They’ve never played in Chicago. The Hoosiers have won all three meetings.
Stephen F. Austin
• The two teams have met once all-time. They played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in 2012. Former outside hitter Jordan Haverly had 23 kills for the Hoosiers but it wasn’t enough to win a five-set battle. Both teams had over 82 digs in the match.
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INDIANA SWIMMING
TWELVE HOOSIERS FEATURE IN USA SWIMMING NATIONAL TEAM
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – USA Swimming announced its 2025-26 U.S. National Team Monday (Sept. 8). Twelve of the 121 swimmers listed are affiliated with the Indiana swimming and diving program.
The Hoosiers featured include Alexei Avakov, Brian Benzing, Mariah Denigan, Travis Gulledge, Lilly King, Matt King, Josh Matheny, Van Mathias, Owen McDonald, Anna Peplowski, Aaron Shackell and Jassen Yep. Avakov, Gulledge, McDonald and Shackell will compete for Indiana during the 2025-26 NCAA season.
Denigan, Lilly King, Matheny and Peplowski all represented Team USA at the World Aquatics Championships in July and August.
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INDIANA FIELD HOCKEY
INDIANA TO HOST LOCK HAVEN AND ST. FRANCIS (PA.) FOR WEEKEND MATCHUPS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– The Hoosiers are set to stay in Bloomington for a pair of games at Deborah Tobias Field. Indiana will host Lock Haven on Friday, Sep. 12 and St. Francis (Pa.) on Sunday, Sep. 14 at Deborah Tobias Field.
WEEKEND REWIND
• Indiana Field Hockey defeated Drexel on Thursday Sep. 4 before falling to Louisville on Sunday, Sep. 7.
• The Hoosiers bested Drexel in a shutout performance 3-0. In a high-scoring game against the Cardinals, Indiana lost 4-5.
• Sadie Canelli recorded her first shutout of the 2025 campaign. Goals by Celia Arroyo Cabezudo (2) and Anna Mozeleski (1) cemented the win for IU.
• Indiana and Louisville traded goals for much of the contest on Sunday. Four different Hoosiers found the back of the cage, including Charlotte Glasper’s first career goal and Inés Garcia Prado’s first goal of the season.
NEW AND RETURNING PRODUCTION
• Productivity for Indiana came from both newcomers and vets. Freshman Celia Arroyo Cabezudo had two goals against Drexel while senior Anna Mozeleski scored in back-to-back games on the weekend.
• Five individual Hoosiers recorded goals throughout the weekend, including sophomore Charlotte Glasper’s first career goal.
• Arroyo Cabezudo and Anna Mozeleski added two goals
• Mijntje Hagen leads the Hoosiers with four assists through IU’s first four games.
• Sadie Canelli recorded her first shutout of the 2025 season against Drexel.
CONNECTIONS TO HOME
• There are both international ties and local ones featured in Indiana’s weekend matchups against Lock Haven and Saint Francis (Pa.).
• In this weekend’s games, five players will represent the Netherlands. This includes IU’s Keke Sluiter, Kiki Oomens and Mijntje Hagen.
• Spain will also be represented with Indiana’s Celia Arroyo Cabezudo and Inés Garcia Prado and Saint Francis’ Crus Cánepa.
• Four Hoosiers come to Bloomington from Pennsylvania, the home of both Lock Haven and Saint Francis (Pa.). Those players include Georgia Rottinghaus (Pittsburgh), Anna Mozeleski (Kingston), Theresa Ricci (Garnet Valley) and Kai Killian (Hummelstown).
QUICK STATS
• Five Hoosiers have scored a goal this season: Celia Arroyo Cabezudo, Mijntje Hagen, Anna Mozeleski, Molly Stutte and Inés Garcia Prado.
• Arroyo Cabezudo leads scoring for the Hoosiers with four goals while Mozeleski has three.
• Eleven Hoosiers have taken shots on goal this season. Stutte leads the squad with eight shots, followed by Inés Arroyo Cabezudo with seven.
• Hagen leads IU in assists with four. Garcia Prado, Charlotte Glasper, Theresa Ricci and Hannah Riddle each have one assist.
• Mozeleski has scored in three of the first four contests.
• Sadie Canelli leads goalkeepers with 11 saves in the 2025 campaign.
• Canelli has recorded one shutout this season.
• Indiana has drawn 15 penalty corners in the first four games.
• Arroyo Cabezudo is tied amongst all freshmen nationally with four goals scored this season.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
• The Hoosiers will host Lock Haven on Friday, Sep. 12, followed by Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday, Sep. 14.
• Lock Haven stands at 0-4 with a 5-1 loss to Towson and a 4-1 loss to Georgetown.
• Melanie Beall leads the team with two goals on the season.
• This will be the third all-time matchup between IU and Lock Haven. Indiana leads the series 2-0. The last time IU and Lock Haven played was in 2024.
• Saint Francis (Pa.)’s record for the 2025 season is 2-2. The Red Flash lost to Bucknell 0-3 and bested La Salle 2-0.
• Sofia Marciano leads Saint Francis in scoring with two goals.
• This will be the third all-time contest between Indiana Field Hockey and Saint Francis (Pa.). Indiana leads the all-time series 2-0. The last time IU and Saint Francis played was in 2023.
OVERTIME TIDBITS
• Indiana’s Inés Garcia Prado, Emma Thompson and Mijntje Hagen were named to the Big Ten’s preseason Players to Watch list.
• Senior Emma Thompson, a captain in 2024, is once again a team captain in 2025. Junior Inés Garcia Prado was voted in as a team captain for the Hoosiers as well.
• Indiana’s roster bolsters a former high school duo who are once again playing together at the collegiate level. Javi Baeza and Charlotte Glasper played together at Shaker Heights High School (Ohio).
• The Hoosiers further their international talent, expanding the number of countries represented on the team. Lily Freeman and Elen Nicholls came to Bloomington from England while Keke Sluiter, Kiki Oomens and Mijntje Hagen travelled from the Netherlands. Emma Thompson is from New Zealand. Both Celia Arroyo Cabezudo and Inés Garcia Prado represent Spain in Bloomington.
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PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
SWEEP IN HINKLE FIELDHOUSE
WEST LAFAYETE, Ind. – No. 14 Purdue volleyball (5-1) secured its first sweep of the season at Butler (4-2) behind a 25-23, 25-22, 28-26 final score.
Up next, No. 14 Purdue heads to Lexington, Kentucky, later this week for a pair of matches at Historic Memorial Coliseum. First, Purdue will face Houton at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, followed by a top-15 matchup on Sunday at 11 a.m. ET when the Boilermakers take on the No. 10 SMU Mustangs. The matches will only be available to follow along live via radio, Statbroadcast live stats, or twitter.
Notes
Butler kept the match close in all three games and nearly stole the third set after 13 tied scores in the frame. In total, Purdue erased three set points before coming back for the match-winner on a 4-1 run.
The Boilermakers are on a three-match winning streak heading into a pair of strong opponents in Lexington this weekend.
Purdue trailed the majority of the first set, but went on a four-point run to take the 24-22 lead thanks to kills by Grace Heaney and Lindsey Miller, and a pair of self-inflicted Bulldog errors.
Hinkle Fieldhouse volleyball attendance record of 3,067 fans.
Kenna Wollard reached her third consecutive double-double behind 15 kills, 10 digs
Grace Heaney produced 11 kills and just two attack errors on 23 swings, marking her fourth match this season hitting above .300 as she finished the night on a .391 clip.
Purdue earned its first sweep of the season, moving to 1-0 in three-set matches.
Purdue held Butler to a .106 hitting % while the Boilermakers hit .241 on the night.
Libero Ryan McAleer nearly had a double-double, finishing with 15 digs, eight assists.
Purdue out-blocked Butler, 10.5-7.
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NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
IRISH RECEIVE 2025-26 ACC SCHEDULE
CHARLOTTE – The Atlantic Coast Conference has released the complete 2025-26 men’s basketball slate on Tuesday afternoon, completing Notre Dame’s schedule for the upcoming season. A reminder that the ACC moved to an 18-game schedule, with the Fighting Irish set for a home-and-home with its primary partner, Boston College, and this year’s variable partner, Stanford (variable partners will change each season). Teams will play one game, home or away, against 14 of the remaining 15 teams annually.
ACC play will tip off right before the New Year on either Dec. 30 or Dec. 31. The Irish will jet west for their first Cali ACC road swing, starting the conference slate the way they ended it a year ago. First, a midweek matchup with the Stanford Cardinal, then the California Bears on Friday, Jan. 2. It’ll mark Notre Dame’s first-ever trip to Berkeley and second to Palo Alto. ND’s lone game in Maples Pavilion – a 67-61 victory on Jan. 12, 1993.
- Irish lead Stanford, 4-0, in the series. Last season, Cole Certa drained a corner three for the 56-54 win at home.
- Irish lead Cal, 3-0, in the series. Last season, ND outlasted Cal in four overtimes, taking it 112-10. Markus Burton dropped a career high 43 points, the most by an Irish player in an ACC contest.
Notre Dame will then head back to the Midwest for its first hosting duties, welcoming Clemson on Saturday, Jan. 10, then Miami on either Jan. 13/14.
- Irish lead Clemson, 9-4.
- Irish trail Miami, 13-18.
The Blue & Gold will settle into a two-game rotating schedule for the rest of the month. Two back on the road with Virginia Tech on Saturday, Jan. 17, and then North Carolina on either Jan. 20/21. Next, back at home for two with a Saturday matchup with Boston College on Jan. 24, followed by a midweek with Virginia. Then back on the road for two with trips to Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 31, followed by a midweek clash at Louisville.
- Irish trail Virginia Tech, 10-12.
- Irish trail UNC, 9-32. Last win inside the Dean Smith Center was a 71-70 victory on Jan. 5, 2015.
- Irish lead BC, 29-17. Last year, ND completed a season sweep against the Eagles for the first time since 2019, which included a double overtime win in Chestnut Hill.
- Irish trail Virginia, 5-18. ND earned its first-ever win in Charlottesville last season via a 74-59 decision.
- Irish trail Syracuse, 24-35. Looking for first win at Syracuse since Jan. 4, 2020.
- Irish trail Louisville, 19-27. ND has won two straight inside the KFC Yum Center.
Notre Dame will then bounce back and forth but reap the benefit of consecutive Saturday games inside Purcell Pavilion. The Irish will host Florida State on Saturday, Feb. 7, travel to SMU on either Feb. 10/11, then host Georgia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 14. Notre Dame will then have its lone midweek bye before jetting to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Feb. 21.
- Irish trails FSU, 5-12.
- Irish lead SMU, 4-2. ND has not played in Moody since February of 1990.
- Irish lead Georgia Tech, 19-14. ND is 13-2 at home against the Yellow Jackets.
- Irish lead Pitt, 41-32. Last time out, ND defeated the Panthers 55-54 in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.
The end of the regular season will be a fun one with three straight games inside Purcell, starting with Duke on either Feb. 24/25. The Irish will then welcome NC State on Saturday, Feb. 28, and then complete the home-and-home with Stanford on either March 3/4. Notre Dame closes it out on the road with its other home-and-home, Boston College, on Saturday, March 7.
- Irish trail Duke, 8-32.
- Irish trail NC State, 10-11.
The T. Rowe Price Men’s Basketball ACC Tournament will take place March 10-14, 2026, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The tournament format is a 15-team bracket (Seeds 5-9 receive first-round bye; Seeds 1-4 receive double-bye).
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BUTLER VOLLEYBALL
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BUTLER MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
BRENDAN THOMAS RECEIVES BIG EAST MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Brendan Thomas was named the BIG EAST Male Athlete of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon. Friday evening at the Mike Baumer Cross Country Classic, Thomas won the five-kilometer race with a finishing time of 14:33.3.
Five of the first eight finishers in the event were Dawgs, leading to the team win for Butler at the Mike Baumer Cross Country Classic.
Up Next
The Butler men’s cross country team will return to action Sept. 26 at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo. The course is also the host of the 2025 NCAA Championships later in the fall.
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NOTRE DAME VOLLEYBALL
IRISH FALL TO LSU
SOUTH BEND, IND. – The Notre Dame volleyball team dropped Tuesday night’s inaugural ‘Showdown at the Net’ matchup to the LSU Tigers in three sets. The Irish are now 1-3 on the season.
Morgan Gaerte continued her strong play, going for 14 kills and five digs. The Irish sophomore was coming off a school-record 34 kills and is the reigning ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and is up to 89 kills on the season already.
Lucy Trump and Anna Bjork each totaled five kills on the night, while Maya Baker dished out 15 assists. Mallory Bohl made her season debut and registered three kills on just four attempts.
Notre Dame will look to bounce back Friday in their first road game of the season at Colorado State. First serve is set for 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT and will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
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BUTLER VOLLEYBALL
BUTLER FALLS TO #14 PURDUE IN COMPETITIVE MATCH
Indianapolis, In- #14 Purdue took down the Butler Bulldogs in an extremely competitive 3 set match. The Boilermakers won the three sets by a combined 7 points.
In a match that saw Dave Shondell defeat his son Kyle Shondell in the first match in women’s Division 1 volleyball where a father and son were coaching against each other, 3,067 fans attended which is a Hinkle Fieldhouse record for a volleyball match.
Bulldog Bites
Elise Ward recorded a career high in service aces tonight. (5)
Ward also picked up 7 kills during the match which was second highest on the team.
Lauren Evans led the Dawgs in digs with 18.
Kaylee Finnegan continued to set up the Butler offensively, she tallied 27 assists.
Alaleh Tolliver’s 11 kills tonight led the Dawgs.
Set 1 Purdue (25-23)
The Bulldogs came out of the locker room red hot, a Sawyer Jones kill and the first of two set 1 aces from Elise Ward gave Butler an early 5-1 lead. Purdue worked back and trailed 7-8, before an Elise Ward kill, an Alaleh Tolliver kill, and a Tolliver service ace ignited the record setting crowd. Later in the set, Ward’s second ace gave the Bulldogs a 17-12 set 1 lead. The rest of the set belonged to the Boilermakers. Purdue went on a run and eventually took a late lead in the set. Elise Ward was able to fight off one set point with a kill, but Purdue ultimately won the set 25-23.
Set 2 Purdue (25-22)
Set 2 saw the Boilermakers build a 12-7 lead. Purdue was able to maintain their small advantage throughout the set. Towards the end of the set, the Bulldogs put together a run; a Zoe McDonald kill and then back to back service aces from Elise Ward allowed Butler to pull within two. A few points later Purdue held a small lead and Sawyer Jones scored a kill to make the set 2 margin three.
Set 3 Purdue (28-26)
A kill by Ellery Rees closed off an early 4-0 run for the Bulldogs giving them a 7-6 lead in the third set. Purdue mounted an 18-15 lead before Butler responded, a block assist from Kaylee Finnegan and Zoe McDonald tied up the set at 18. In the final moments of the set, back to back Alaleh Tolliver kills tied up the set and then a Purdue error gave Butler set point. The Boilermakers saved set point and eventually won the set 28-26, clinching the match and giving Dave Shondell the win over his son Kyle.
Up Next
Butler will compete in the Refreshment Services Pepsi Sycamores Volleyball Invite hosted by Indiana State, this weekend. Their first match of the event will be Friday, September 12th at 2:30pm against Montana.
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IU INDY WOMEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER TO TRAVEL ACROSS TOWN AGAINST BUTLER
INDIANAPOLIS- The IU Indianapolis Women’s soccer team will head across town for their seventh game of the season against the Butler Bulldogs on Thursday (Sept. 11th) at the Sellick Bowl.
Last week, the Jaguars took on Illinois State and came up short in a 2-0 loss. The Jaguars were out shot 17-5, and in corner kicks, Illinois State had the advantage 8-1. Graduate student Hannah Roberson led the team with two shots and one shot on goal. Freshman Gianna Kincaid and Shannon Phillips each had one shot and shot on goal, and sophomore Keilah Muldrow had one shot as well. And in the net, senior Arissa North had five saves.
Redshirt freshman Olivia Hopper and Roberson lead the team in points with three each, and they both have one goal and one assist each. Graduate Student Emma Antoine, Junior Avery Bangert, and Muldrow each have two points with one goal each.
SCOUTING BUTLER UNIVERSITY
The Bulldogs are currently 2-1-2 on the season, with one shutout win over Central Michigan 2-0, and 5-1 win over Illinois State. Talia Sommer leads the team in assists and goals with three apiece and leads the team in points with nine. Leila Lister is second on the team in points with seven with two goals and three assists, and Norah Jacomen is third with two goals and two assists with six points.
INSIDE THE SERIES
IU Indy is 3-16-1 all-time against the Butler Bulldogs. The last match was held last year, with Butler taking the win 3-1, with a late tally by Caroline Kelley assisted by Emma Frey.
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will host the Toledo Rockets on Sunday (Sept. 14th) at 1:00 PM at Carroll Stadium.
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IU INDY MEN’S SOCCER
JAGUARS FALL 2-1 TO NIU AT CARROLL STADIUM
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s soccer dropped a tight 2-1 decision to Northern Illinois on Tuesday evening (Sept. 9) at Carroll Stadium in its 2025 home opener. The Jaguars battled back from an early deficit to level the match in the first half, but the Huskies struck again before halftime and held on through a physical second period.
“We lose the game – that sucks,” head coach Sid van Druenen said. “But, you can’t control wins and losses. You can’t control the scoreboard. All you can control is how we play, how we react to mistakes, because I think both of their goals did come from our mistakes. I think the response from our guys in the second half was good.
“This is much more of a game that we’ll encounter here in the next few weeks starting conference and I’m hopeful that we will have learned what’s necessary. I’m as proud as when we beat Butler – that doesn’t change.”
NIU (3-1-1) wasted little time getting on the board, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when Vance Sheffield finished a feed from Roman Khela to make it 1-0. Sheffield made a nifty turn near the top of the box after Khela fed the ball into dangerous territory to setup the first score of the match.
IU Indy (2-2-2) responded with energy and found the equalizer in the 35th minute. Junior Jose Antonio Herrera netted his first goal of the season, redirecting a cross from Youri Keijser just over the endline to tie the match at 1-1.
However, just three minutes later, the Huskies reclaimed the lead as Katai Mukuka tallied his third of the year off an assist from Jose Gomez. Gomez played a long ball forward off an IU Indy defender, leaving Mukuka in a one-v-one situation with senior goalkeeper Cameron Maung-Maung. The IU Indy netminder challenged off his line, but was unable to take away the attacking angle against what was the eventual game-winner.
Redshirt sophomore Nathaniel Isom almost had an equalizer before the break, but saw his attempt ring off the bar in the game’s 39th minute.
The second half saw both sides continue to create chances, with IU Indy goalkeeper Declan Finnegan coming up big off the bench. The sophomore stopped four shots over the final 45 minutes to keep the Jaguars within striking distance.
Offensively, Herrera just missed knotting the score in the 63rd minute when his blast sailed just over the bar and less than a minute later, Isom tested NIU keeper Atahan Arslan with an attempt on frame. Isom finished with a team-high three shot attempts and Herrera had two in the loss.
NIU outshot the Jaguars 22-8 overall and 9-3 on frame and held the hosts without a corner kick.
The match was physical throughout as the teams combined on four yellow cards and 29 total fouls.
The Jaguars will continue the homestand on Saturday when they host Wright State in both sides Horizon League opener at Carroll Stadium at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
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BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
CHESTER NAMED MAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR SECOND TIME IN THREE WEEKS
Addie Chester has been named the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon.
The forward / midfielder scored twice on only two shots in Sunday afternoon’s 2-2 draw with Butler.
Chester stole a Butler pass in the 10th minute at the top of the box and found the back of the net for her first score. She later played a long pass from defender Jordyn Klaasen into a goal in the 35th minute of the match. The senior upped her MAC-best goals and points totals to six and 13, respectively, with the performance.
Chester currently ranks fourth in NCAA Division I at 1.20 goals per game and sixth with 2.60 points per game. The Muncie native is in the Top 10 in program history in both career goals (16) and points (41) in only 23 games at Ball State.
This is Ball State and Chester’s second weekly recognition of the year after she claimed the honor on Aug. 26. Ball State’s next match is 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Purdue Fort Wayne.
SOCCER PLAYING AT PURDUE FORT WAYNE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN FINAL MATCH BEFORE MAC PLAY
The Ball State soccer team is set for its final match before Mid-American Conference play when it competes at Purdue Fort Wayne at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
The match will be broadcast on ESPN+, with links to the stream and live stats available above and on the schedule page.
The Cardinals (2-2-1) are coming off a 2-2 draw with Butler on Sunday afternoon. Addie Chester scored two goals in the first half to give the hosts a 2-0 lead on Senior Day. The Bulldogs scored two goals in the final 15 minutes to pull out a tie.
Purdue Fort Wayne (1-4-1) is in its 12th season under the direction of head coach Jason Burr. The Mastodons were picked to finish seventh in the 11-team Horizon League preseason poll.
Purdue Fort Wayne most recently fell 2-0 to Eastern Illinois on Sunday, an opponent Ball State beat 4-0 on Aug. 24. The Mastodons tied Akron 0-0 in the season opener on Aug. 14 in their other regular season matchup vs a MAC opponent. The only win of the year for Purdue Fort Wayne so far has been a 6-0 decision over Indiana Tech last Wednesday.
The Mastodons are second in the Horizon League in generating corner kicks (6.17 per game) and shots on goal (6.50 per game) while committing the third-fewest fouls per game (8.0) in the league.
Graduate goalkeeper Jordan Imes is tied for first in the league in shutouts with two, while junior forward Morgan Gallagher paces the team in goals and assists with two each entering Thursday’s matchup.
Ball State begins MAC play on Sunday at new member UMass.
CHESTER CHURNING OUT GOALS: Senior forward Addie Chester added to her Mid-American Conference leading goals total with a pair in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Butler to increase it to six goals on the season.
Chester is only the sixth MAC women’s soccer player in the last 15 seasons (since 2011) to score six goals in her team’s first five matches of the season. She begins the week ranking fourth in NCAA Division I in goals per game (1.20) and sixth in points per game (2.60).
The Muncie native has improved her Ball State career totals to 16 goals, nine assists and 41 points with the strong start to the season. Chester is T-8th, T-16th and T-9th in those categories, respectively, in school history.
Chester paces the Mid-American Conference in goals (four), points (nine) and points per game (2.25) so far this season while ranking ninth in NCAA Division I with a goal per game average.
IN-STATE RIVALRIES: Five of Ball State’s first six matches of the regular season are against teams from the state of Indiana.
Purdue Fort Wayne is the final one of the strign of in-state opponents the Cardinals open the season with after previously playing Purdue, Indiana, IU Indy and Butler. Ball State leads the series history with the Mastodons 16-1-1 including a 4-0 winning decision in the season opener last Aug. 15 in Muncie.
FIRST WIN FOR STOOTS: Ball State’s 4-0 win on Aug. 24 at Eastern Illinois was the first for head coach Andy Stoots leading the team.
The head man comes to Muncie after most recently serving as the women’s soccer associate head coach for four seasons at Missouri.
Other stops as an assistant coach on his resume include Louisville, Minnesota, Samford, Belmont, East Tennessee State and Troy.
CALDWELL CAREER MILESTONE LOOKOUT: Senior forward Delaney Caldwell recorded an assist in the season opener vs Purdue on Aug. 17 and is within striking distance of setting a program record in helpers.
Caldwell is three assists away from tying Ehren Reagor’s program record of 18 in a career, while she is three points and four goals away from cracking the Top 5 in those career categories as well.
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BALL STATE FOOTBALL
EXECUTION, CONFIDENCE AT FOREFRONT AS CARDINALS WELCOME NEW HAMPSHIRE
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State football returns home for the first time this season Saturday, looking to bounce back from last week’s road defeat at Auburn when it hosts New Hampshire at Scheumann Stadium. Ahead of the opener, head coach Mike Uremovich, redshirt junior receiver Eric Weatherly and senior defensive end Nathan Voorhis spoke with members of the media during the program’s Monday weekly press conference.
Uremovich opened by stating his eagerness for the Cardinals to take the field at Scheumann Stadium for the first time in 2025, but acknowledged the challenge New Hampshire, who are 2–0 entering week three, bring to the weekend contest.
“[New Hampshire] knows how to win football games,” Uremovich said. “They’ve got a quarterback who can throw and run. They’ve got eight sacks already this year, and they’ve blocked multiple kicks. They’re a very, very talented football team.”
Much of the discussion centered on the offense’s struggles sustaining drives in the first two weeks. Uremovich pointed to missed assignments, penalties and early-down mistakes as key issues, while Weatherly said the solution comes down to consistency.
“I feel like we just need all 11 guys to do their assignment,” Weatherly said. “If we do, I feel like we’ll be unstoppable.”
On the other side of the ball, Uremovich praised his defense for progress against Auburn, noting five sacks and improved coverage. Voorhis said confidence is growing after holding their own in a hostile Southeastern Conference environment.
“We went into Auburn, who had a big crowd, good environment, and some teams going into that type of environment would be scared, but we attacked Auburn,” Voorhis said. “That really shows that we know we can play with anybody.”
Ball State and the Wildcats are scheduled to kick off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Scheumann Stadium.
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BALL STATE MEN’S GOLF
CARDINALS CAP RECORD TOURNAMENT WITH 2ND & 4TH PLACE FINISHES BY FRESHMEN HARRIS AND JOHNSTON
PAWLEY’S ISLAND, S.C. — Ball State’s men’s golf team wrapped up a record round and a record tournament on Tuesday, climbing into third place at the Golfweek Fall Challenge with a 14-under-par final round that, relative to par, matched the second-best team round in program history. The biggest headline of the day was that freshman Samuel Harris finished second out of 75 golfers overall, finishing at -12 over 54 holes, to match the second-best individual effort relative to par in program history.
Freshmen, in general, carried the theme for Ball State as Luke Johnston finished in fourth place overall, using a 6-under 66 on the final day to finish only two strokes behind Harris. A third freshman, Brody Sorrell, qualified for the event as an individual and capped the first college tournament by finishing in 23rd place. Ball State’s freshmen trio topped the Cardinals’ leaderboard and combined to shoot eight of their nine rounds under par 72 at the True Blue Golf Club.
Johnston’s 66 was the second-lowest round of any golfer in the tournament, and was nearly matched by Harris, as the freshman duo put Ball State in contention for a team championship despite beginning the day in fifth place. Harris (68-67-69–204) was in contention for the individual crown on all three days of the tournament, beginning tied for fourth with eventual champion Harrison Sewell of Georgia Southern after 18 holes. Sewell took the lead ahead of Western Carolina’s Tyler Jones on day two, with Harris also passing Jones and setting up a 1-2-3 final round with each of them separated by a single stroke.
Harris, in the final round, appeared poised for the title, in fact leading the event through 15 holes while moving two strokes ahead of Sewell. Harris shot eagle on a par-5 fourth hole, and with birdies on holes #6, #9, #12 and #15, the youngster from Charlestown, Indiana, was settled into the driver’s seat with three holes to play.
Only then, did the freshman played like a freshman, and for just two holes. But after just two bogeys over his first 52 holes, Harris bogeyed the par-4 17th hole, then double-bogeyed the par-4 18th. Sewell (68-66-68–202), playing in the group behind Harris, shot birdie on #17, with par on the 16th and 18th holes, to secure a late, two-stroke victory.
Harris just missed capturing the first Ball State individual title by a freshman since teammate Carter Smith won Butler University’s Don Benvow Invitational in March of 2023.
On a day with Johnston (71-69-66–206) firing seven birdies to aid the Cardinals’ smoking-hot final round, and with his former prep teammate Sorrell (73-69-70–212) collecting an eagle, like Harris, on the same fourth hole, all six Cardinals finished under par. Senior Carter Smith (75-74-69–218) led the entire field with 40 holes of par, and his 3-under 69 on Tuesday was his best effort of the tournament. Smith jumped nine spots in the overall standings on the final day, sandwiching a spot in the final standings between teammates Happy Gilmore and Cameron Young. Gilmore (77-70-70–217) shot 2-under 70 to finish a stroke ahead of Smith, and junior transfer Young (70-79-71–220) carded a 1-under 71 to finish a two strokes behind.
Ball State’s final team round was its second-best ever, relative to par. The Cardinals’ -26 over 54 holes tied a program record set last season at the White Sands Bahamas Invitational.
“We gave it a heck of a run today and it’s a lot of fun watching these guys compete,” said a jubilant Ball State head coach Mike Fleck. “I can’t say enough about our freshmen. With Samuel and Luke in the top 5 and Brody pushing a top 20 finish is some great stuff. Gaining experience and learning how to compete at a high level is part of the process and these guys are making their presence known, that’s for sure. I’m very pleased with how we played down here, now our focus shifts to our home event.”
That home event, the Earl Yestingsmeier Invitational, takes place at Delaware Country Club with 36 holes on Saturday, Sept. 20, and the final 18 on Sunday, Sept. 21.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S SOCCER
TIME TO PARTY! ‘DONS HOST MANCHESTER
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodons host Manchester for the department’s annual Party at the Pitch on Wednesday (Sept. 10). The Mastodon women will play Ball State at 4 p.m. There will be food trucks, giveaways, games and a beer tent (21+). The event is presented by Army ROTC in partnership with the Student Activities Board. Students will receive a free jersey and a free rally towel. The first 200 students will receive a free food voucher. Food trucks include: Ziffles, Chau Time, Drop It Like It’s Tot, Another One Bites the Crust and Sweets on the Street. The ‘Dons and Manchester kick at 7 p.m.
Game Day Information
Who: Manchester (0-1-3) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (1-0-3)
When: Wednesday, Sept. 10 | 7 p.m.
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Tickets:Link
All-Time Series: Manchester leads the all-time series 9-5-0, however the two teams haven’t played since 1983. The Mastodons enter Wednesday’s contest on a five-game win streak again Manchester, with their last loss coming in 1978.
About the Spartans
Manchester has ties against Great Lakes Christian, Alma and Defiance this season, and a 2-1 loss at Wabash. Chris Wilson has two goals for Manchester on the season. Aaron Ketchmark and Will Martin have both started two games. Ketchmark owns 14 saves on the season.
Nice Start
The Mastodons have opened the season 1-0-3, it is their longest unbeaten streak to start a season since the ‘Dons started 1981 4-0-0. A win or tie on Wednesday vs. Manchester would match the 1978 squad that started the season unbeaten in their first five matches with five wins. No Mastodons team has gone undefeated in their first six matches of a season.
Party at the Pitch History
The Mastodon men are 2-1 all-time in Party at the Pitch contests.
2019
women def. Valparaiso 2-0
men def. Belmont 2-1
2021
women def. UIC 2-0
2022
men lose to Western Michigan 3-0
2023
women def. Robert Morris 2-0
2024
women lose to Central Michigan 6-1
men def. IU East 10-0
OPOTW
Iann Topete had a debut weekend to remember for the Mastodons. He scored twice vs. DePaul to help the ‘Dons earn a 3-3 tie against the Blue Demons. His play helped him earn the Horizon League’s Offensive Player of the Week honor on Aug. 25.
‘Dons & Ends
– Iann Topete is one of two Horizon League student-athletes with three goals on the year, other being Royie Rahamim of Robert Morris. Topete has been efficient with his attempts, as three of his six shots on goal have found the back of the net.
– Topete scored the game tying goal vs. Bradley in the final 10 minutes to help the ‘Dons earn a 1-1 decision against the Braves. He’s shown a knack for scoring in the second half, after adding two late goals vs. DePaul to knot the match at three.
– Sep Habibi has a 1.00 goals against average through four matches this season. He has two shutouts.
– Shane Anderson is tied for the league lead in shots with 13. His two assists on the year is tied for second.
– Karsten Ternes and Andrew Hollenbach are the only field players to play all 360 minutes this season.
‘Dons Picked Fifth
Purdue Fort Wayne was picked to finish fifth in the 10-team Horizon League, according to a vote by the league’s head coaches in the 2025 preseason poll. The ‘Dons earned 57 points with one first place vote. They were one of only five teams in the league to earn a first place vote. Green Bay was selected as the favorite with 87 points and four first place votes. The fifth place prediction is the highest finish the Mastodons have ever had in a Horizon League Preseason Poll. Should the ‘Dons finish fifth, it would mean a third consecutive league postseason berth.
New Challenge
The Purdue Fort Wayne or Indiana Fort Wayne student who attends the most Mastodon home athletics events this year will win an iPad at the end of the 2025-26 school year! Make sure to check in and get your QR code scanned at the game to start tracking your attendance.
Coming Up
The ‘Dons open Horizon League play on Saturday (Sept. 13) against Oakland. It is Family Day, fans can buy four tickets for $10.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER
‘DONS HOST BALL STATE FOR PARTY AT THE PITCH
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer teams hosts game one of the department’s annual Party at the Pitch on Wednesday (Sept. 10) against Ball State at the Hefner Soccer Complex, starting at 4 p.m. The Mastodon men will play Manchester following the match for game two of the doubleheader. There will be food trucks, giveaways, games and a beer tent (21+). The event is presented by Army ROTC in partnership with the Student Activities Board. Students will receive a free jersey and a free rally towel. The first 200 students will receive a free food voucher. Food trucks include: Ziffles, Chau Time, Drop It Like It’s Tot, Another One Bites the Crust and Sweets on the Street.
Game Day Information
Who: Ball State Cardinals
When: Wednesday, September 10 | 4 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex
Live Stats:Link
Watch:Link
Tickets:Link
Know Your Foe
Ball State has started their season 2-2-1, beating Eastern Illinois 4-0 and IU Indy 2-0. Senior Addie Chester continues to lead the Cardinals in scoring this season with six goals and one assist on the year, finishing the 2024 season with First Team All-MAC honors after 10 goals and eight assists. Chester was named MAC Offensive Player of the Week once this season. Ball State has used a number of keepers through the early portion of the season, but grad student Abby Jenkins has started the most matches (4) for the Cardinals.
Series History
Ball State leads the series history 16-2-1 over the Mastodons. The Cardinals took the last meeting, winning 4-0 in Purdue Fort Wayne’s 2024 season opener.
Fab 50
Head Coach Jason Burr secured his 50th victory with the Mastodons after the win over Indiana Tech (Sept. 3). 24 of the victories have came within the last four seasons.
Assisted By Gallagher
Following Morgan Gallagher’s two assist match in the 6-0 victory over Indiana Tech (Sept. 3), she climbed to sixth in program history for career assists with 9.
4. 10 – Shacina Hersey (2000-03)
10 – Kelsey Gallagher (2019-03)
6. 9 – Morgan Gallagher (2023-25)
9 – Morgan Reitano (2019-23)
Count ‘Em
Jordan Imes secured her eight shutout of her career against Indiana Tech (Sept. 3). The keeper continues to scale the program record book, needing only one more shutout to be tied for third. The grad student finished last season with six shutouts, tied for second in program history for a single-season.
1. 17 – Samantha Castañeda (2020-23)
2. 10 – Sam Pavlika (2012-14)
3. 9 – Shannon Lynn (2004-06)
4. 8 – Jordan Imes (2023-25)
Youthful Stride
16 of Purdue Fort Wayne’s 39 shots on goal this season have came from freshmen: Daisy Moody (8) and Bella Masse (6) lead the Mastodons in shots on goal, while Emily Ernst and Sabrina Sokol have each added one.
Imes On The Prize
Jordan Imes was named Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week (Aug. 18) after the first week of the season. The keeper earned her first shutout of the year against Akron (Aug. 14), the only Horizon League keeper to refuse a goal in the first week of play.
New Faces
The Mastodons added three assistant coaches to the team, including Camryn Hart, Alex Pagonis and former ‘Don goalkeeper Sam Castañeda. The team also added six freshman, Madison Ott, Keira Bradford, Ariadne Herrera, Emily Ernst, Daisy Moody and Sabrina Sokol, along with two transfers, goalkeeper Madison Ott and Mary McArdle.
New Challenge
The Purdue Fort Wayne or Indiana Fort Wayne student who attends the most Mastodon home athletics events this year will win an iPad at the end of the 2025-26 school year! Make sure to check in and get your QR code scanned at the game to start tracking your attendance.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons fall to Eastern Illinois (Sept. 7) 2-0. Scarlett Webster and Hailey Hoskins each took a shot on goal in the contest.
Coming Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will hit the road for their last match before conference play, facing Southern Indiana on Sunday (Sept. 14).
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S GOLF
MASTODON MEN’S GOLF MATCHES PROGRAM RECORD AT MARSHALL INVITATIONAL
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Purdue Fort Wayne men’s golf team matched its 54-hole record on Tuesday (Sept. 9), finishing the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational with a team score of 846.
Justin Hicks led the way for the Mastodons with a final round of 68 (-3). He was even on the back with a birdie on 10 (his starting hole), and 18. His bogeys on 14 and 15 put him at even for the side. On the front, Hicks’ 3-under came thanks to three birdies in the first five holes. He birdied one, two and five with pars on three and four. After a double-bogey on seven, he eagled eight immediately after to remedy it. His 70-72-68-210 is a top-10 mark in program history, and moved him up 25 spots in the final round to take 12th in the 94-player field.
AJ Agnew finished in a tie for 31st with a 71-70-72-213. After a bogey on his opening hole, Agnew played a very clean round with one birdie, one bogey and 15 pars over the final 17 holes. He birdied the 561-yard par-5 11th.
One shot back of Agnew, Julian Dugan tied for 39th with a 69-72-73-214. On the back nine, he birdied holes 11, 14 and 17. He added five more pars on the front to finish the event 1-over.
Brock Reschly was one shot back of Dugan for 45th place with a 69-74-72-215. In his final round, he had a bogey on six, parring every other hole on the course. Nick Holder was another shot back for 48th place, turning in a 75-69-72-216. He had a birdie on his first hole, the 11th, then found another on hole five, a 423-yard par-4. He added 13 pars for a 1-over day.
Landon Smith played as an individual, turning in a 76-68-69-213, matching Agnew for 31st.
As a team, the Mastodons finished in a sixth place tie with Youngstown State with their 846. The ‘Dons beat Horizon League foes Cleveland State (848), Robert Morris (858) and Northern Kentucky (881).
Eastern Kentucky won the event with an 827. Cleveland State’s Brody Simms won the tournament with a 10-under 203.
Purdue Fort Wayne is back in action on Saturday (Sept. 13) at the Golden Grizzlies Intercollegiate in Rochester, Michigan.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER
USI WOMEN’S SOCCER SWEEPS OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer swept this week’s Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week awards.
For the second consecutive week, redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland was named the OVC Goalkeeper of the Week. Sophomore defender Emma Schut earned OVC Defender of the Week honors, and senior forward Emerson Grafton received OVC Offensive Player of the Week accolades.
It is the first time USI Women’s Soccer has swept all three OVC weekly honors since joining the conference in 2022. USI is now up to five OVC Player of the Week awards this season after Markland’s award last week and redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer’s honor in late August.
For Markland, it is her fifth OVC Goalkeeper of the Week award in her USI career. After picking up her first shutout of the season on August 31 against Southern Illinois University, Markland continued to be strong in goal for USI last week. Markland recorded two more clean sheets against Valparaiso University and at Bellarmine University, increasing her career total to 11 solo clean sheets. She ranks eighth in USI history in career shutouts. The netminder notched six saves on the week, including saves on all four shots on goal by Bellarmine this past Sunday. Markland faced 21 shots against the Knights and helped keep USI’s defensive scoreless streak intact. This season, Markland has made seven starts, totaling 17 saves, and has posted a 1.91 GAA.
Schut received her first career OVC Player of the Week honor. After some positional shifting that moved the sophomore to left back for USI, Schut had a tremendous week on the Screaming Eagles’ backline. Playing all 180 minutes between the two matches against Valparaiso and Bellarmine, Schut helped make several key tackles and stops down the wing side of the field last week. Schut was also part of the USI defense that blocked 11 shots in Sunday’s scoreless draw at Bellarmine, while adding two shot attempts on the attacking end of the field.
The performance of Markland, Schut, and the rest of the defensive unit for USI helped the Screaming Eagles not only record three straight results, including two wins, in the last week but also three consecutive shutouts. The Eagles have held the opposition scoreless for the last 286 minutes heading into the next match.
Grafton picked up OVC Offensive Player of the Week laurels for the second time in her USI career. Grafton found a scoring breakthrough this past week in a big way. The senior scored her first goals of the season with a pair of tallies in USI’s shutout win against Valparaiso last Thursday. Grafton scored for the first time in the eighth minute and again 57 seconds after halftime against the Beacons. The first goal went down as the game-winning goal. Grafton also registered four shots with three on goal. Grafton, who was All-OVC Second Team and All-Newcomer Team last season, is tied for the team lead in scoring with four points and paces the Screaming Eagles with 18 shots. Both rank inside the top 10 in the OVC.
The Screaming Eagles will be back in action Sunday, September 14, returning home to Strassweg Field against Purdue University Fort Wayne for Alumni Weekend. Kickoff, which was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., is now set for 3 p.m. Admission to next Sunday’s match is free courtesy of ProRehab and can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.
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EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER
ACES WELCOME XAVIER FOR MIDWEEK MATCH
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team wraps up a three-match homestand on Wednesday, hosting Xavier at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Kick-off is set for 6 PM.
Last Time Out
Evansville dropped their second contest of the season last Thursday night, falling to Lindenwood 1-0 at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
The first 45 minutes of the night were scoreless, with Lindenwood out-shooting Evansville 5-2. Evansville nearly broke through early in the second half on a set piece, but a header from Nacho Garcia (Zaragoza, Spain/UNIR) was saved and the Aces were kept off the board.
Lindenwood found the winner just over ten minutes later, netting a goal off a set piece in the 59th minute. The Lions’ defense held strong for the remainder of the contest, withstanding four Evansville shots to secure the shutout.
Series History
Thursday marks the 27th all-time meeting between the former MCC foes, with the Purple Aces holding a 19-5-2 advantage. Wednesday’s match will be the second meeting between the two sides in as many seasons and the fifth meeting since 2010. Xavier has won the last three match-ups, including a 2-0 win last season in Cincinnati.
Scouting Xavier
Xavier brings a 1-2 record into Wednesday’s match, defeating Saint Francis to open the season before falling to Bellarmine and Northwestern.
Follow Along
Wednesday’s match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S GOLF
USI FINISHES STRONG AT PAYNE STEWART MEMORIAL
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Golf finished strong and finished ninth in the 2025-26 opening Payne Stewart Memorial in Springfield, Missouri. The tournament was hosted by Missouri State University at Twin Oaks Country Club.
Day 1 (36 holes):
USI was 10th of the 11 teams after the first day of the tournament, following a two-round 637 (317-320). The Screaming Eagles were ninth after the first 18 holes but dropped back to 10th following round two. Sophomore Fernanda Vera and graduate Valeria Lopez led the Eagles with each posting a two-round 154 (77-77). Vera and Lopez were tied for 32nd after the first 36 holes.
Day 2 (18 holes):
The Eagles improved 12 strokes, as a team, in the final round to return to the ninth with a 308 in the third 18 holes. Vera and junior Tora Timinsky tied for the team lead in the third round, each posting a 76. Freshman McKenna Lowe followed with a 78.
Final Results:
The Eagles shot a three-round 945 (317-320-308) as a team, finishing ninth ahead of Oklahoma City University (10th) and Western Illinois University (11th). Missouri State won its home tournament with an 866 (287-288-291).
Individually, Vera tied for 31st overall with a 54-hole score of 230 (77-77-76). She had 10 birdies during the tournament.
Lopez was close behind, tying for 35th with a 232 (77-77-78), while sophomore Brianna Kirsch was nine strokes back with a 241 (80-81-80) to place 53rd. Timinsky and Lowe rounded out the Eagles, placing 55th and 58th, respectively. Timinsky shot a 244 (83-85-76), while Lowe rounded out USI’s five with a 250 (85-87-78).
NEXT UP FOR USI:
USI continues the 2025-26 fall season September 15-16 by playing in The Velvet, hosted by Murray State University at Country Club of Paducah in Paducah, Kentucky.
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VALPO WOMEN’S SOCCER
SOCCER HOSTS SENIOR DAY SUNDAY TO CLOSE NONCONFERENCE PLAY
Soccer 9/9/2025 1:08:00 PM
Soccer Hosts Senior Day Sunday to Close Nonconference Play
Valparaiso (2-4-1, 0-0-0 MVC)
Thursday, Sept. 11 – at Western Illinois (1-6-0) – 5 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 14 – Chicago State (2-3-2) – 1 p.m.
Next Up in Valpo Soccer: The Valpo soccer team closes out a stretch of three consecutive road matches on Thursday evening at Western Illinois before returning to Brown Field for its final nonconference match and Senior Day Sunday afternoon versus Chicago State.
Previously: The Beacons dropped a pair of matches last week, falling at Southern Indiana and at Illinois.
Looking Ahead: Valpo opens MVC play next Saturday evening at Drake.
Following the Beacons: Both matches this week will be carried on ESPN+. All home matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as part of The Valley on ESPN, while select road fixtures will also have live video available.
Head Coach John Marovich: In his 18th season at the helm of the Valpo program, John Marovich holds a 138-135-50 (.505) record both overall and at Valpo as a head coach. The 2014 Horizon League Coach of the Year and the head of the 2022 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, Marovich holds Valpo’s all-time records for both victories and winning percentage.
Series Notes: Western Illinois – Valpo owns a 9-3-1 record in the all-time series with the Leathernecks. The two sides have met just three times since Valpo departed the Mid-Continent Conference, most recently a 2-1 WIU win on Brown Field Sept. 10, 2021.
Chicago State – Valpo enjoys a 5-1-0 advantage in the all-time series with the Cougars. This marks the sixth consecutive season the two sides have met, with the Beacons emerging victorious in Chicago last season, 3-1. Addy Joiner, Sam Gountounas and Ashley Trippeer found the back of the net for Valpo in the win, while Kate Sheridan earned the win in goal in the first appearance of her career.
Scouting the Opposition: Western Illinois – The Leathernecks enter Thursday’s match with a 1-6-0 record this season. It has been an MVC-heavy schedule for WIU, as four of their six defeated have come at the hands of Valley programs. Kayla Turner has scored both of the Leathernecks’ goals, while Ariel Bernard has seen the vast majority of action in goal.
Chicago State – The Cougars come into the week with a 2-3-2 record on the season. Valpo will be CSU’s third MVC opponent of the year, as the Cougars drew 0-0 with UIC and take on Southern Illinois Thursday. Gabby Flores and Maya Dixon have each scored two goals to share team-high honors. Aviana Gutierrez has played every minute in goal and owns a 1.86 GAA and a .780 save percentage.
Celebrating the Seniors: Valpo will recognize four players on Sunday on Senior Day at Brown Field. Molly O’Rear, Kennedy Hill and Kate Sheridan came in together in the summer of 2022 and were part of that season’s MVC regular season champion squad. Hannah Gabriel, who will be graduating early, joined the aforementioned trio the next year as the quartet were part of the MVC Tournament champions and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Old Friend Alert: This weekend brings the last of four matches on the nonconference schedule versus opponents that Valpo previously shared conference affiliation with, as it played alongside Western Illinois in the Mid-Continent Conference from 1999 through 2006. On opening weekend, Valpo took on Detroit Mercy (Horizon, 2007-2016) and Oakland (Mid-Con, 1999-2006; Horizon, 2013-2016), and later faced off against Wright State (Horizon, 2007-2016). Valpo also was in the Mid-Con with Chicago State prior to joining the Horizon League, but the Cougars did not sponsor women’s soccer at that point.
Looking for Nonconference Success: Should they win both matches this week, the Beacons would close out nonconference play with a 4-4-1 record – it would mark the fifth time in the last six seasons Valpo has posted a .500 winning percentage or better in nonconference action.
Making Her Debut: Junior goalkeeper Suki Tsuchiya became the 24th Beacon to see action this season, getting the nod between the pipes for the second half on Sunday at Illinois. Tsuchiya made five saves in her 45 minutes of play, including a stop of a penalty kick in the 84th minute.
A Youthful Side: For the second straight season, the Beacons have the vast majority of minutes being played by underclassmen. Through the season’s first seven matches, 84% of the minutes played by field players have come from underclassmen, including 42.9% by Valpo’s freshman class.
Goddard Gets Going: Freshman Martha Goddard was named the MVC Freshman of the Week Sept. 2 after being involved in all three of Valpo’s goals the previous week. The London native tallied an assist on the opening goal against Eastern Illinois. Then, trailing 1-0 in the second half against Wright State, Goddard recorded her first collegiate goal in the 56th minute before setting up Ashley Harvatin’s eventual match-winner in the 65th minute.
Make It Three Straight: Goddard’s pair of assists pushed her season total to three, one apiece in three consecutive matches. The three assists are the most by a Valpo freshman since Cierra Welch tallied three in 2019, while Goddard is the first Valpo player with a helper in three straight contests since Grace Rogers closed out the 2017 season with an assist in each of Valpo’s final three matches.
Weekly Awards: Valpo already has a pair of MVC weekly award winners this year, as Goddard joined Kiara Desiderio, who was named MVC Freshman of the Week Aug. 26. It is the first time Valpo has had multiple different players named MVC Freshman of the Week in the same season since Abby White, Dana Fish and Addy Joiner earned the honor once apiece during the 2021 season – that trio would go on to be instrumental in the 2022 MVC regular season championship side and the 2023 MVC Tournament championship team.
First Timers: With Goddard and Harvatin scoring in the win over Wright State, that makes four of the Beacons’ five goal scorers who have netted their first collegiate goal this year – Alyssa Thomas and Kiara Desiderio have done so as well. Molly O’Rear is Valpo’s only goal scorer this season who came into the year with a collegiate goal to her credit.
Three in Two: Freshman Kiara Desiderio followed up her brace against Purdue Fort Wayne with another goal against Eastern Illinois, giving her a team-high three goals on the season. Her three goals are already the most by a Valpo freshman since current senior Molly O’Rear netted four as a rookie in 2022. Desiderio became the first Valpo player with at least three goals in a two-match stretch since Addy Joiner netted four over a two-match span against Kentucky and Chicago State in August 2023.
Valley Adjustments: The round-robin Missouri Valley Conference slate has been shortened by one match this season, as with the departure of Missouri State, the MVC has a nine-game conference schedule for its 10 teams. In addition, the conference tournament will feature the top-six teams in the regular season standings, an adjustment from what was previously an eight-team field.
Preseason Honoree: Senior Molly O’Rear represented the Beacons as she earned preseason First Team All-MVC accolades. O’Rear has been a constant presence in the midfield for Valpo over her first three seasons, appearing in 56 matches and making 49 starts while playing a total of 3,579 minutes. She was an MVC All-Freshman Team selection as a rookie in 2022, when she scored four goals and tallied a pair of assists. O’Rear was a vital component of the program’s MVC regular season title in 2022 and the team’s MVC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023.
Who’s Back: 13 position players and one goalkeeper who saw action in 2024 for Valpo return in 2025, including seven regular starters.
Who’s Gone: The Beacons will need to replace nearly half of their minutes played from last season, most notably the departure of graduate Addy Joiner, who finished her decorated career among the program’s all-time leading goal scorers.
Who’s New: Chomping at the bit to be the next group of Beacons to get Valpo back to among the MVC’s best are 11 newcomers to the roster in 2025. The group of first-year players on Union Street include seven true freshmen and four transfers – three from other Division I programs and one from junior college.
Looking Back at Last Year: The Beacons finished the 2024 campaign with a 4-13-1 overall record, including a win over eventual Horizon League regular season and tournament champion Milwaukee. Beset by injuries, Valpo had 41% of its field minutes played by freshmen during the 2024 season – only one other MVC program had more than 25% of its field player minutes played by freshmen.
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VALPO FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL HITS ROAD FOR FIRST TIME IN 2025, VISITS WESTERN ILLINOIS
Valparaiso (1-1, 0-0 PFL)
at Western Illinois (0-2, 0-0 OVC-Big South)
Game #3 Saturday, Sept. 13, 6 p.m. CT
Hanson Field (16,368) – Macomb, Ill.
This Week in Valpo Football: The Valparaiso University football team will hit the road for the first time in 2025 by visiting Western Illinois for the team’s second straight night game, this one in Macomb, Ill. This marks the first of back-to-back road games against scholarship, FCS opponents to close out the nonconference slate.
Previously: Valpo took a 7-3 lead in thrilling fashion as an 11-play, 80-yard drive culminated with Dawaiian McNeely plunging into the endzone from 3 yards out with 1:25 to play on Saturday night at Brown Field, but visiting Adrian needed just four plays to cover 83 yards including a 26-yard touchdown pass from Noah Beaudrie to Ethan Abberger with 26 seconds on the clock. The Beacons drove to the Adrian 41, but the game ended on an interception.
Glancing Ahead: Valpo will visit another FCS, scholarship opponent next week as the Beacons head to North Dakota to close out nonconference play. The Fighting Hawks took FBS No. 17/20 Kansas State to the wire in Week 1 (L 38-25) before blitzing Portland State (W 50-20) in Week 2.
Series Notes: This will mark the third matchup between Valpo and Western Illinois and first since 2014, when the Leathernecks prevailed 45-6 in the first game of Dave Cecchini’s head coaching regime. The Brown & Gold fell 45-0 at Western Illinois in 2010, the first game of the Dale Carlson Era. This is the third matchup between the two programs, and all three have been the first road game for Valpo’s head coach.
Following the Beacons: All 12 games this season will be streamed nationally, with 10 on ESPN+, one on Midco Sports Plus (at St. Thomas) and one on FloSports (at Butler). Saturday’s game will air on ESPN+. If the hometown call is what you seek, the game will also air on WVUR, 95.1 FM Valparaiso with Todd Ickow and Brandon Vickrey calling the action. For in-game updates, follow @valpoufootball on X. Links to live video and stats can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.
Road Openers
Valpo is seeking its first win in the first road game of a season since the Spring 2021 campaign, a victory at Butler.
The Beacons last won a road opener during a traditional fall season in 2006, a 54-0 win at Wisconsin Lutheran.
This season marked the first time that Valpo played back-to-back home games to start a season since 2002. Sept. 13 marks the team’s latest road opener on the calendar since 2002 (Sept. 21 at Tennessee Tech).
Notes Wrapping Up Week 2: Adrian 10, Valpo 7
The team’s top tackler was Anthony Feltrinelli, who racked up 14 including six solos. Nic Lendino added eight tackles, while De’Andre Wilborn had 2.5 tackles for loss. The last Valpo player with more than 14 tackles in a game was Jake Birmingham on Nov. 16 of last season at Dayton (15).
This was Valpo’s first loss by three points or fewer since Oct. 14, 2023, a 24-21 setback vs. Morehead State.
Redshirt freshman Noah Long had 11 carries for 57 yards to lead a short-handed Beacons team, which played without star running back Michael Mansaray due to an injury.
Dawaiian McNeely’s touchdown was his second of the season and the fourth of his collegiate career.
The Beacons moved the ball and punted just twice, but five turnovers were the biggest bugaboo, the team’s most since Sept. 9, 2023 against Indiana Wesleyan (6).
Jay Melchiori, Ryan Ricketti and Chris Gundy had four catches apiece with Melchiori’s 66 receiving yards marking a team high.
Quarterback Rowan Keefe went 15-of-19 through the air for 153 yards, tying his career high for completions in a game set on Nov. 4, 2023 vs. Dayton.
This marked Valpo’s fewest points allowed in a loss since also falling 10-7 on Sept. 28, 1996 at San Diego.
Scouting the Leathernecks
Opened the season on the road against two Big Ten teams, falling 52-3 at FBS No. 12 Illinois and 42-7 at Northwestern.
Picked fifth in the OVC-Big South Preseason Poll.
Senior kicker Antonio Chada was named to the Fred Mitchell Award Preseason Watch List.
Second-year head coach Joe Davis led WIU to its most wins in a season since 2017 last year as the Leathernecks finished No. 1 in the OVC-Big South Football Association in total offense, offensive touchdowns, first downs, third-down conversions, passing offense and offensive efficiency.
Defensive coordinator Landon Fox spent the last six seasons as Valpo head coach.
One for the Record Books
Valpo’s season-opening 67-10 victory over Virginia Lynchburg marked the program’s most lopsided victory and highest single-game point total since 1958.
The 67 points were the fourth most in a single game in program history, behind 110 vs. Lewis in 1923, 85 vs. Northwestern in 1920 and 78 vs. Indiana Central in 1958.
The 57-point margin of victory was tied for the seventh largest in program history.
Sack Attack
Valpo recorded eight sacks in the season opener vs. Virginia Lynchburg, the most of any FCS program nationally in Week 1 of the 2025 season.
The eight sacks would have ranked tied for eighth nationally in a single FCS game in 2024.
This marked Valpo’s most sacks in a game since 10 on Nov. 6, 2021 vs. Presbyterian.
The Beacons had 18 tackles for loss against the Dragons. Valpo became the first team in the FCS nation with 18 tackles for loss since N.C. Central on Oct. 12, 2024 (also vs. VUL). That total led the FCS nation for team single-game TFL for all of last season. Valpo’s 18 TFL tied for the most by an FCS team in a single game since Oct. 12, 2019, when Sam Houston had 19 vs. Lamar.
Batres Recognized by PFL
Gabriel Batres led the way with a team-high six tackles in Week 1 vs. Virginia Lynchburg. He tallied four tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble.Batres became the first player nationally in FCS with a three-sack game this season. He joined Tulsa’s Byron Turner Jr. and Oklahoma State’s Wendell Gregory as the only Division-I players (FBS or FCS) with a three-sack game in Week 1.
Batres had the most TFL by any Valpo player in a game since Trejuan Purty had five on Nov. 20, 2021 vs. Presbyterian. The three sacks were the most by a Beacon since Purty and Nick Prine each had three in that game against the Blue Hose.
Valpo has already equaled its PFL Defensive Player of the Week award total from last season, when Mark Johnson was the lone Beacon to earn that distinction, doing so on Oct. 27.
Other Notes Wrapping Up Week 1: Valpo 67, Virginia Lynchburg 10
The Beacons rushed for 296 yards, the team’s highest total since 298 on Nov. 6, 2021 vs. Presbyterian. Valpo had the eighth-highest rushing total nationally in FCS in Week 1.
Valpo picked up 409 yards of total offense while holding the Dragons to 161 total yards including just 25 on the ground. This marked the team’s highest offensive output since 460 on Nov. 12, 2022 at Marist.
Mark Johnson made his first career interception, while Nic Lendino had his third.
Michael Mansaray ran for 134 yards, one shy of a career high, with two scores on 15 attempts. He is up to 15 career rushing touchdowns including 11 at Valpo.
Dawaiian McNelly had six carries for 54 yards including his third career TD run. Rowen Keefe and Noah Long each had their first collegiate rushing scores.
Jay Melchiori and Ryan Ricketti led the receivers with three grabs apiece, while Melchiori paced the squad with 41 receiving yards. Ricketti and Colin Hayes each hauled in their first collegiate TD grabs.
Redshirt freshman Luke Scoma went 2-for-2 on field goals with a long of 43 and 6-for-6 on PATs in his collegiate debut.
Welcoming Waddle
Andy Waddle was named the 19th head coach of the Valpo football program on Dec. 9, 2024.
A two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Waddle possesses over two decades of collegiate coaching experience including the last 12 years as the head coach at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.
The Pioneers started the 2024 season 8-0, the first 8-0 start in program history. The program enjoyed a 13-game winning streak that spanned the end of the 2023 season and start of the 2024 campaign, tied for the longest in program history and the program’s longest since 1920. The 13-game winning streak was at the time tied with Army for the second longest active winning streak in all of NCAA college football, behind only Division-III SUNY-Cortland’s 20-game streak.
Waddle guided the squad to a combined 16-5 record and 14-2 mark in the NCAA Division-III Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) over the last two seasons. He successfully engineered a turnaround of the Marietta program, leading the team to a record of .500 or better in seven of the last eight years after the Pioneers had previously experienced nine consecutive losing seasons.
When Waddle took over as the head coach at Marietta prior to the 2013 season, he inherited a program that had won three or fewer games in each of the previous six years and was coming off an 0-10 season. Before Waddle’s eight-year run of sustained success that began in 2017, Marietta had a winning record just twice in a 20-year span. The program enjoyed as many winning seasons in Waddle’s final eight years as head coach as it had experienced in the previous 30 years combined.
The 2024 season culminated with Marietta’s second-ever postseason appearance and first since 1973 as the Pioneers competed in the Extra Points Bowl, hosted at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. After the 8-0 start, Marietta was ranked 22nd nationally by D3Football.com and 23rd by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The Pioneers finished the 2024 campaign ranked among national leaders in the following categories – third-down conversion percentage defense (first, .250), redzone offense (eighth, .912), total defense (10th, 236.1), sacks per game (3.18, 16th), total offense (453.9, 19th), scoring offense (40.5, 21st) and scoring defense (14.9, 23rd).
Marietta placed 16 players on the All-OAC team in 2024 and had 101 total all-league selections during Waddle’s tenure. Following the 2023 campaign, Waddle was named the OAC Coach of the Year after leading Marietta to its highest win total since 1995. Waddle earned his first OAC Coach of the Year award in 2017 after leading the Pioneers to a 6-4 mark, the team’s first winning season in 11 years. During his time at Marietta, Waddle instructed 19 all-region performers, 22 All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans.
Prior to his dozen years leading the Marietta program, Waddle spent eight seasons at Wittenberg University, where he joined the staff in 2005 as the defensive secondary coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator a year later. Wittenberg won four North Coast Athletic Conference championships and made four NCAA playoff appearances in the seven seasons with Waddle running the defense. His 2009 defensive unit led all of the NCAA in total defense (189.9) and scoring defense (8.85) and the program tied a school record with 12 wins.
Waddle began his coaching career in 2003 at Mansfield University (Pa.) as the defensive backs coach. The NCAA Division-II Mountaineers went 8-3, a six-game improvement over the previous season, and recorded the team’s first winning season in nearly 30 years. In 2004, Waddle served as the secondary coach at D-III Maryville College (Tenn.), where he helped the program win as many games as it had in the previous three seasons combined.
An all-conference defensive back, Waddle played for two North Coast Athletic Conference championship teams and made three NCAA playoff appearances at Wittenberg. He spent two seasons at the University of Findlay prior to transferring to Wittenberg. He was redshirted during the Oilers’ 1997 NAIA national championship season and was a starter the following year.
Waddle earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wittenberg in 2003 and completed his master’s in executive leadership from Liberty University in 2014. A native of Enon, Ohio, Waddle and his wife Kerry Jean have a daughter, Hopelyn, and a son, Spencer. The Waddles are involved with the Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry and have raised nearly $20,000 while registering over 2,000 potential bone marrow donors.
Preseason Prognostications
Running back Michael Mansaray was tabbed to the All-Pioneer Football League Team that was released by the league office and garnered Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Second Team honors.
Mansaray was named to the All-PFL Second Team in 2024, ranking seventh in the league with 58.36 rushing yards per game.
His 4.52 yards per rush ranked sixth in the league, while his nine rushing touchdowns were tied for fourth and his 642 total yards ranked seventh. He was one rushing score away from becoming just the eighth player in program history with double-figure rushing touchdowns in a single season. Mansaray had a season-best 135 rushing yards on Oct. 26 at Marist, narrowly ahead of his 132 on Sept. 21 vs. Roosevelt.
The Beacons will look to prove the league’s head coaches’ preseason balloting to be wide of the mark, as they were projected 10th of 11 in the preseason poll. San Diego was picked to win the league, outdoing defending champion Drake atop the survey.
Leading The Way
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Niko Paic and junior defensive back Mark Johnson have been named team captains for the 2025 season.
Paic played in all 22 games over the last two seasons, starting all 11 during the 2024 campaign. He made his collegiate debut in 2022 at FBS foe New Mexico State while redshirting that season.
Johnson appeared in 10 games and made seven starts a year ago, posting 45 tackles including 18 solos, 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He was named the Pioneer Football League’s Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 27 after a season-high 10 tackles in the Oct. 26 win at Marist, a matchup during which he delivered the game-winning pass breakup on Marist’s final offensive snap. Johnson has played in 21 games since arriving on campus prior to the 2023 campaign.
Roster Rundown: The program has continued to bring in talent from all over the United States. Half of the 50 states are represented on the roster, with Illinois (27) and Indiana (21) leading the way followed by Ohio (17) and California (nine).
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VALPO VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL DROPS HEARTBREAKER AT NORTHWESTERN TUESDAY
The Valpo volleyball team jumped out to a two-set lead at Northwestern Tuesday night in search of its first win over a Big Ten program in 12 seasons, but the Wildcats took each of the final three sets by two points to pull out a 3-2 (21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 15-13) win over the Beacons. The match featured one of the best blocking performances in Valpo volleyball history, as the Beacons totaled 19 team blocks — led by a career-best 12 rejections from sophomore Lilly Merk (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute South Vigo).
How It Happened
The first set epitomized how tight the entire match would be, featuring 11 tie scores. The first time either side gained more than a two-point lead came late in the frame, when a kill from sophomore Ava Helming (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) and a block by senior Sam Warren (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) and sophomore Jessica Pickett (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) gave the Beacons a 21-18 lead.
The Wildcats scored the next point, but the Beacons responded with back-to-back kills from Warren to force a Northwestern timeout at 23-19. The Wildcats replied with two points out of the break to force a Valpo timeout, but the Beacons closed things out after the last stoppage on kills from Warren and Merk to take the opening set.
In case the 11 ties in set one weren’t enough, the second frame featured 15 ties and seven lead changes. Valpo looked to pull away just past the midway mark of the set, reeling off four straight points — including two blocks from Merk and a block and a kill by Warren — to go out to a 17-13 lead.
Northwestern came back with five points in a row of its own to turn the tables and take an 18-17 lead. The two teams were then tied at 18, 19 and 20 before the Wildcats scored back-to-back points to lead 22-20. A solo block by sophomore Kadence Brumitt (Niles, Mich./Brandywine) made it a one-point set, and Pickett followed with a kill to force a Northwestern timeout at 22-all.
The timeout didn’t slow Valpo’s momentum, though, as Warren tallied a kill and then combined with Pickett on yet another block to force another Northwestern timeout at set point at 24-22. A service error helped the Wildcats set one Valpo set point chance, but a Wildcat attack error closed out the second set in the Beacons’ favor and made it a 2-0 lead in the match.
Just like the first two, the third set was heavy on the tie scores, with 14 to go with six lead changes. It featured more swings in the score, however, as Northwestern led by as many as three early in the frame, and then after the Beacons gained the lead at the midway point of the set, the Wildcats put together a 5-0 run to go in front, 16-13.
Valpo answered with the next three points on kills from Helming, Pickett and Warren to tie the set at 16 apiece, setting up ties at every score from 16-16 to 23-23 as the set became a race to two points. Northwestern earned the first set point at 24-23 on a kill before Helming registered another kill to force extra points. The Wildcats closed things out with back-to-back kills to extend the match.
The fourth set was all Valpo early on, as the Beacons scored the first five points to take early control. It didn’t take long for Northwestern to erase its deficit, as it scored seven of the next nine points to even the frame.
With the score tied 9-9, Valpo came through with four of the next five points to lead 13-10 past the midway mark. The Beacons held the lead up until 17-15, at which point the Wildcats scored the next five points to jump ahead, 20-17, as part of a bigger 9-2 run which gave them set point at 24-19.
Valpo didn’t go down in the fourth without a fight, however. A kill by Merk, a Wildcat hitting error, and a kill from Helming forced a Northwestern timeout at 24-22. After the stoppage, Helming came through with another kill to move Valpo within one point of going to extra points, but a Northwestern kill sent the match to the fifth set.
Valpo grabbed the early lead in the decisive set and led 6-2 on back-to-back blocks from Pickett and Helming. The teams switched sides with the Beacons leading 8-5, and a Pickett kill pushed the advantage back to four.
Northwestern scored the next three to cut the lead to 9-8 before Valpo answered with three straight of its own — the last coming on a rejection by Merk and Warren — to move to within three points of taking the match at 12-8. But the Wildcats scored six in a row to turn the tables, earning match point at 14-12, and while Warren came up with a kill to extend the match, an attack error closed things out in the Wildcats’ favor.
Inside the Match
Valpo’s defense carried the day, as the Beacons posted 19 total team blocks and forced a total of 36 Northwestern attack errors. The 19 rejections are second-most in a five-set match in the 25-point era, fourth-most in a five-set match overall and tied for eighth over all matches in program history.
Leading the way at the net was Merk, who was part of 12 blocks to blow past her previous career best of seven blocks. Merk’s total ranks second by a Valpo player in a five-set match in the 25-point era, third in a five-set match overall and tied for fifth across all matches in program history.
Merk was one of three Beacons to surpass their previous career best in the blocks department, as both Helming and Warren set new individual standards with seven rejections apiece. Pickett was part of six blocks as well.
On the attack, the story was Helming, who set a career best with 21 kills on .341 hitting. Warren joined her in double figures, posting 11 kills to go with her seven blocks.
Both of Valpo’s setters posted double-doubles on Tuesday. Addy Kois (Osceola, Ind./Penn) handed out a season-best 30 assists and tallied 10 digs for her 16th career double-double, while Mara Thomas (Bogart, Ga./Athens Academy) recorded her 18th career double-double with 21 assists and 11 digs.
Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) reached the 30-dig mark for the second time this year and the 15th time in her career, posting exactly 30 digs to move to within 20 digs of fourth place in program history in the category.
Jordyn Gove (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) smashed her previous career best of 14 digs as she finished the night with 22, while Brumitt reached double figures as well with 14.
Valpo out-hit Northwestern for the match, .205-.165, but the Wildcats held a 72-63 advantage in kills. The Beacons also struggled from the service line, committing 10 service errors against just two aces.
Combined, Tuesday’s five sets featured 45 ties and 18 lead changes.
Next Up
Valpo (4-3) heads to the Lehigh Steel Classic, where the Beacons will face NJIT and Sacred Heart in addition to the tournament hosts across Friday and Saturday.
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UINDY VOLLEYBALL
HOUNDS DULL ARROWS IN MID-WEEK SWEEP
INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy volleyball kept its momentum alive and well on Tuesday evening, sweeping in-region Ursuline from Ruth Lilly Fitness Center in the programs’ first-ever matchup.
The Greyhounds attacked at a .434 clip, their highest hitting percentage in a match since September 2023. Six Hounds recorded at least five kills, led by Maddie Lynch’s match-high 11, fresh off her first GLVC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week recognition.
The Hounds started hot, snatching sets one and two. Juniors Maddie Berger and Riley Laine both hit .667, totaling seven on nine attempts, and eight on 12 total attempts, respectively. Sophomore outside hitter, Caitlin Blomberg, added seven kills of her own on 15 attempts, hitting .400 for UIndy. Macy Bruton and Mackenzis Pflederer led the squad on the defensive end, scooping up eight digs apiece. Junior Allie Wuestenfeld was close behind, adding seven digs of her own.
INS & OUTS
The Hounds had all the control in the first two sets, only allowing their opponent 11 points in set one. UIndy went on a 5-0 run to end the first set with the last three points courtesy of Kaitlin Fasbender, including a service ace to conclude the opening set.
Set two also ended with a service ace, this time from Plederer.
The Arrows went on a 10-3 run late in set three to narrow the score to 19-21, in favor of the Hounds, but the Hounds sealed the deal with a 4-1 run of their own, capped with a Bloomberg kill to complete the sweep.
UP NEXT
The Hounds travel to Cedarville, OH, for the Cedarville Invitational, where they will face D’Youville on Friday, Sept. 12th at 11:30 a.m.
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UINDY WOMEN’S GOLF
HOUNDS FINISH SOLO SECOND AT UINDY FALL INVITATIONAL
HENRYVILLE, IN. – The UIndy women’s team claimed a solo second-place at the UIndy Fall Invitational, with a combined +9 team score. The team took on eight GLVC schools, including No. 21-ranked UMSL, who took home first in the team competition.
UIndy’s Ava Ray also captured a share for first-place in the individual competition, after charging from behind with consecutive 69’s (-3) in the second and third rounds to track down Tiffin’s Laura Goetz.
The 12-team event was held at Champions Pointe Golf Club in Henryville, IN.
INS & OUTS
Ray catapulted her way into a share for first place, facing a five-stroke deficit heading into the final round. She fired a -3 (69) final round, making seven birdies. Goetz posted -4 a closing birdie on 18, putting Ray one shot behind with six holes to play. She made birdies on holes 14 and 15, putting her two shots ahead of Goetz, before making a double bogey on the par-5 16th to put her back into a share of the lead, where she would finish the day.
Ray found most of her success over the third rounds on the par four holes, where she shot a combined -4, one better than Ferris State’s Kylie Walker. Her highlight of the weekend came on the par-4 seventh hole when she holed out for eagle from the fairway.
Greyhound senior Macey Brown and junior Caroline Whallon both finished top 10 after three strong rounds of golf to finish at +3, and a tie for eighth. Both shot impressive matching scores of 73-72-74, on a week where the scoring average was 78.38.
The three freshmen; Lucile Ceolin, Paige Giovenco, and Valentina Cortez all made debut appearances this weekend for the Greyhounds. Ceolin, who competed as an individual, used a first round 70 (-2), while Giovenco shot a second round -1 (71), to slide into the top-20, both finishing T-19.
Cortez rounded out the squad of Hounds competing at this weekend’s event, with a +13 score that saw her shoot rounds of 77-76-76 to finish T-30.
UP NEXT
UIndy has a quick turnaround, and will head to Allendale, MI for the Folds of Honor Challenge at The Meadows Golf Club. The event will be hosted by Grand Valley State.
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MARIAN FOOTBALL
LA BELLE AND CURRY EARN MSFA MIDWEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES
INDIANAPOLIS – Coming off the team’s first victory of the 2025 season, the Marian football team was honored by the Mid-States Football Association with the MSFA Midwest Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Keagan La Belle picked up the Offensive Player of the Week honor, and Kenny Curry earned the Special Teams Player of the Week award.
Keagan La Belle was tabbed as the MSFA Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in his career, as the senior running back put up league-high numbers in week one against Lawrence Tech. La Belle gashed the Blue Devils for 187 yards and three touchdowns, doing so on 29 carries. The senior’s final touchdown was a 29-yard run, in which he broke seven tackles on his way to the end zone. La Belle is second in the NAIA in rushing touchdowns through two games of the season.
Kenny Curry earned MSFA Midwest League Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in his career. The redshirt-sophomore kicker was a perfect 5-5 on PATs in Marian’s 35-21 win over Lawrence Tech, and averaged 55.5 yards per kickoff on four attempts. The honor marks consecutive weeks the Knights have earned MSFA Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
The Knights return home for Family Weekend, hosting Defiance College Saturday at 1:05 p.m.
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MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER
PARMER’S BRACE LEADS MARIAN TO A WIN OVER SAINT XAVIER
Indianapolis, Ind. – Marian continued their non-conference win streak with a 4-1 win over Saint Xavier on Tuesday evening. The Knights continue their undefeated stretch and move to 7-0 on the season.
The Knights opened up the match striking early with Katie Koger and Taylor Wert each recording a shot before Olivia Parmer recorded the first goal of the evening with the assist from Kiley Jones. Marian continued their push with Marian Corro Celma, Koger, Parmer, and Sammie King each recording a shot with Koger’s on target. The Cougars were able to strike with a shot off of a turnover by Marian to bring the score 1-1 with 30 minutes remaining in the half. The Knights offense continued to shine with eight more shots recorded before Parmer was able to score her second goal of the evening to claim the 2-1 lead. Nine minutes later Kaitlyn Lavezzi took her chance and scored a goal with the assist from Sophia Lewis to increase the lead to two. Corro Celma took advantage of a free kick off of a yellow card issued to the Cougars but came up wide ending the half with a 3-1 lead over Saint Xavier.
Marian opened the second half as fierce as the first with Sophia Lewis and Allie Tredway each recording shots on goal with Tredway recording two. Koger took a chance after Tredway’s shot was saved and extended the lead at the 66th minute with the assist from Tredway extending the lead to three. Saint Xavier took their chances at decreasing Marian’s lead but came up short with a high shot. Tredway and Corro Celma attempted at a goal but each came up short ending the game with a 4-1 win over the Cougars.
Marian out-shot the Cougars 24-2 with 15 on target throughout the evening. Olivia Parmer led the team in goals with two while she also led the team in shots alongside Katie Koger. Koger recorded one goal for the evening with Kaitlyn Lavezzi also recording a goal. Marian Corro Celma recorded four shots throughout the evening while Allie Tredway recorded three and Taylor Wert recorded two. Kiley Jones, Sammie King, Kaitlyn Lavezzi, Savannah Spangler, and Sophia Lewis each recorded one shot on the evening. Tredway and Jones recorded one assist each on the evening as well. In goal Lily Ames earned her seventh win only allowing one goal.
Marian closes out their non-conference slate on Saturday, September 13th as they travel to Joliet, Ill. to take on the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) with kickoff set for 1 pm CT.
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MARIAN MEN’S GOLF
West Lafayette, Ind. – Led by Weston Ogden and the senior’s third collegiate victory, the Marian men’s golf team earned a wire-to-wire victory at the IWU Bob Rohrman Invite to begin their 2025-26 season. The Knights were masterful in the first round on Monday, shooting one-over, while finishing the event with two rounds of 10-over golf or better.
No. 14 Marian begins their season with a strong victory, defeating No. 22 Campbellsville by 23 shots as the team’s 883 overall score secured a victory to kickstart the fall season. Campbellsville scored a 906, edging out (RV) Cumberlands by one. Indiana Wesleyan’s B-team finished fourth with a 911, while the No. 9 Wildcats main lineup finished fifth with a 918. Mount Mercy would finish sixth ahead of the Cumberlands reserve lineup, and (RV) Cumberland finished eighth. UT Southern and Augustana rounded out the field in ninth and 10th.
Marian’s win avenges the team’s second-place finish from the previous season and gives them an early 9-0 record against their competition.
Individually, Marian was led by Weston Ogden’s one-stroke victory over Indiana Wesleyan’s Sam Dykema, as the Knights’ senior shot a 211 for the win. Ogden led the field after Monday’s first round with a five-under 67, and finished with a 69 in the second round on Tuesday, seeing Dykema one stroke back after day one. Ogden and Dykema would trade spots on the leaderboard on Tuesday afternoon, but would finish with an identical 75 on the scorecard, seeing the win go to the Marian senior.
Lane Zedrick joined Ogden on the all-tournament team with his 216 score, placing third individually. Zedrick shot a 70 and 75 on Monday, before closing with a 71 on Tuesday. Augie Mann finished in a tie for seventh with a 225, carding a 73, 75, and 77 over three rounds. Drew Werkley finished the team scoring with his 23rd place finish, as the freshman shot a 234 overall. Werkley carded an 80, 79, and 75 in his three rounds.
Brody Holubar finished his first collegiate tournament with a 29th-place finish, shooting a 235 for the 54-hole event. Holubar shot a 79, 81, and 75.
Playing as an individual, Nolan Potter turned in a ninth-place finish, scoring a 226 for the week. Potter shot a 75 and 72 in the opening 36 holes, before firing a 79 in the final round on Tuesday.
The Knights will hit the road for their next event of the season, traveling west to Northwestern College and the Northwest Iowa Invite held in Le Mars.
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MARIAN WOMEN’S GOLF
KNIGHTS TAKE HOME SEASON-OPENING WIN AT IWU INVITE
West Lafayette, Ind. – The Marian women’s golf team picked up where they left off a season ago, as they finished their first tournament of the season on Tuesday afternoon. The fourth-ranked Knights earned a 54-hole win at the IWU Rohrman Invite, hosted at Kampen GC on the campus of Purdue University, while Emma Weiler paced Marian as the runner-up in the field.
The Knights earned wins over four top-25 teams as they completed play on Tuesday, defeating No. 13 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 17 Pikeville, No. 11 Cumberlands, and No. 22 Cumberland. Marian scored a 943 as a team with round scores of 321, 307, and 315, defeating the Wildcats by 12 strokes. UPike finished third, with the Patriots in fourth and the Pheonix in fifth. Saint Mary of the Woods, UT Southern, Indiana Wesleyan B-team, and Campbellsville rounded out the field of nine teams.
Marian trailed Indiana Wesleyan by five strokes after Monday’s round one, but rebounded nicely in the second round, firing a tournament-best 307 to take the lead on the field. Marian then outplayed the field and the host Wildcats on Tuesday, defeating Indiana Wesleyan by one stroke on the team score to seal their 12-shot win. Marian went 7-0 overall in the event.
Individually, Emma Weiler finished second overall with a 232 score, as she climbed the leaderboard in both the second and third rounds to take the runner-up spot. Emma Weiler shot an 81 in the opening round, before scoring a 76 and a 75 to complete the tournament. Keara Eder finished in a tie for fifth with teammate Maria Kennard, as each Knight scored a total of 238. Eder finished her tournament with scores of 80, 77, and 81, while Kennard had scores of 77, 73, and 88. Jordan Adam rounded out the scoring for the lineup, shooting a 240 overall in her eighth-place finish. Adam scored an 83 and 81 on Monday, before finishing with a 76 on Tuesday.
Hailey Kirkland was the final member of the lineup, shooting a 247 and finishing 20th overall. Kirkland scored an 83 in rounds one and three, while carding an 81 in round two. Addyson Weiler played as an individual in her first collegiate tournament and scored a 256 overall, finishing 29th. Weiler shot a 95 in round one before recovering with an 83 and 78.
Marian competes next Monday and Tuesday in Florida, traveling to West Palm Beach to compete in the Keiser Seahawk Shootout.
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+++SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES+++
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
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
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+++SPORTS EXTRA+++
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
Sept. 10
1919 — Cleveland’s Ray Caldwell pitched a no-hitter against the New York Yankees, a 3-0 victory by the Indians in the opening game of a doubleheader.
1950 — Joe DiMaggio became the first player to hit three home runs in one game at Griffith Stadium, and the New York Yankees beat the Washington Senators 8-1.
1967 — Joe Horlen of the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers with a 6-0 no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader.
1969 — The New York Mets swept Montreal in a doubleheader at Shea Stadium, 3-2 in 12 innings and 7-1. The victories moved the Mets into first place in the NL East for their first time on top.
1974 — Lou Brock tied Maury Wills’ single-season stolen base record in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. He broke the record with steal No. 105 in the seventh inning.
1977 — Roy Howell hit two home runs, two doubles and a single and drove in nine runs, powering Toronto past the New York Yankees 19-3.
1980 — Bill Gullickson struck out 18 — the most by a rookie — to lead the Montreal Expos past the Chicago Cubs 4-2.
1997 — Mark McGwire joined Babe Ruth as the only players in major league history with consecutive 50-homer seasons by hitting a 446-foot shot off Shawn Estes in the third inning of St. Louis’ game against at San Francisco. McGwire, who hit a major league-leading 52 homers for Oakland last season, became the first player with back-to-back 50-homer seasons since Ruth did it in 1927 and 1928.
2000 — Arizona’s Randy Johnson became the 12th player to reach 3,000 strikeouts, fanning a season-high 14 in seven innings in the Diamondbacks’ 4-3 loss to Florida in 12 innings.
2003 — St. Louis’ Tony La Russa became the eighth manager in major league history to reach 2,000 wins when the Cardinals beat Colorado 10-2. La Russa is 2,000-1,782 in 25 seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland and St. Louis.
2007 — Kurt Suzuki and Dan Johnson hit grand slams to power Oakland past Seattle 9-3.
2013 — Mark Trumbo matched a team record with four extra-base hits, including back-to-back home runs with Josh Hamilton, and Los Angeles beat Toronto 12-6.
2017 — Aaron Judge became the second major league rookie with a 40-homer season, going deep twice in New York’s 16-7 rout of the Texas Rangers 16-7.
2002 — 42-year-old Albert Pujols, who has stated many times that he will retire at the end of the season, hits his 17th homer of the year and #696 of his career off J.T. Brubaker of the Pirates in the 6th inning of a 7 – 5 Cardinals win to tie Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the all-time list.
2024 — By leading off the bottom of the 1st with a homer off Taj Bradley at Citizens Bank Park, Kyle Schwarber sets a new record with his 14th leadoff homer of the season. The Phillies go on to defeat the Rays, 9 – 4. The previous record holder was Alfonso Soriano, who had hit 13 such long balls for the 2003 Yankees.
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Sept. 11
1912 — Eddie Collins set a major league record with six stolen bases for the Philadelphia Athletics in a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers. Collins stole six more in a game on Sept. 22.
1918 — The Boston Red Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 behind the three-hit pitching of Carl Mays to win the World Series in six games. This was Boston’s third championship in a four-year stretch — 1915, 1916 and this season.
1936 — Hod Lisenbee of the Philadelphia A’s tied a major league record for hits allowed, giving up 26 in a 17-2 rout by the Chicago White Sox.
1949 — The New York Yankees sent 18 men to the plate in the third inning of the first game of a doubleheader against Washington. In the 50-minute half-inning the Senators walked a major-league record 11 batters as the Yankees went on to a 20-5 win. New York won the second game 2-1 in one hour and 22 minutes.
1959 — The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4, putting an end to reliever Roy Face’s 22-game winning streak. It was his only loss of the season as he finished with an 18-1 record.
1974 — It took the St. Louis Cardinals 25 innings — seven hours, four minutes — to beat the New York Mets. A record 202 batters went to the plate, Felix Millan and John Milner had 12 appearances apiece.
1985 — Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds became the all-time hit leader with his 4,192nd hit to break Ty Cobb’s record. Rose lined a 2-1 pitch off San Diego pitcher Eric Show to left-center field for a single in the first inning. It was the 57th anniversary of Ty Cobb’s last game in the majors.
1987 — New York Mets third baseman Howard Johnson, with 34 homers, became the first National League infielder to reach 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. His 30th stolen base came in the fourth inning of a 6-4, 10-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
1996 — San Diego’s Ken Caminiti broke his own major league record by homering from both sides of the plate in a game for the fourth time this season. In a 6-5 win over Pittsburgh, Caminiti homered left-handed in the fifth inning, hitting a two-run shot. Batting right-handed in the seventh, he hit a solo shot to break his record set last year.
2008 — Albert Pujols drove in his 100th run with a sixth-inning double in the Cardinals’ 3-2 loss to the Cubs, becoming only the third player in major league history to reach the milestone in his first eight seasons. Pujols also extended his major league-record streak of reaching 30 homers and 100 RBIs in his first eight seasons, two more than any player in history.
2014 — Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton sustained multiple facial fractures, dental damage and cuts that needed stitches after being hit in the face by a pitch. Stanton was hit under the left eye by a fastball from Milwaukee’s Mike Fiers in the fifth inning of a 4-2 loss.
2021 — Corbin Burns and Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers throw a combined no-hitter to beat the Cleveland Indians 3-0. It was the record ninth no-hitter of the season.
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+++TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY+++
Sept. 10
1933 — Fred Perry wins his first U.S. men’s singles title with a 6-3, 11-13, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Australian Jack Crawford.
1937 — The Cleveland Rams play their first NFL game and lose 28-0 to the Detroit Lions.
1962 — Rod Laver becomes the first man since Don Budge in 1938 to win the Grand Slam beating Roy Emerson 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, at the U.S. Open. Margaret Smith becomes the first Australian woman to win the U.S. Open with a 9-7, 6-4 win over Darlene Hard.
1966 — Muhammad Ali knocks out Karl Mildenberger in the 12th round in Frankfurt, Germany, to retain his world heavyweight title.
1967 — John Newcombe beats Clark Graebner to win the men’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships. Billie Jean King wins the singles, doubles and mixed doubles championships.
1972 — The United States men’s basketball team loses its first game in Olympic competition. The Soviet Union wins 51-50 with the help of a controversial ending. Dr. William Jones, secretary general of the International Amateur Basketball Federation, tells the referees to have the players replay the final three seconds and the Soviets score a last-second bucket. The Americans, who had the lead when the buzzer sounded the first time, protest in vain. The U.S. team later refuses to accept the silver medal.
1972 — Emerson Fittipaldi wins the Italian Grand Prix to become the youngest to win a Formula I championship. Fittipaldi, 25, wins his fifth race of the season and clinches the title with two races remaining.
1978 — Jimmy Connors becomes the only player to win the U.S. Open on three different surfaces, with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over Bjorn Borg. Connors wins the first men’s final played on the Deco Turf II courts at the new USTA National Tennis Center. Connors had won the 1974 U.S. Open on grass and the 1976 U.S. Open on clay courts.
1983 — Larry Holmes TKOs Scott Frank in 5 for heavyweight boxing title.
1988 — Steffi Graf becomes the third women to complete the Grand Slam, defeating Gabriela Sabatini 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the U.S. Open.
1989 — Five days after hitting a HR for Yankees in a 12-2 win over the Mariners, MLB and NFL player Deion Sanders returns a punt 68 yards for a touchdown, his first.
1989 — Indianapolis running back Eric Dickerson rushes for 106 yards against San Francisco to become the fastest player to top the 10,000 yard plateau; 91st career game.
1993 — Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez fight to a majority draw. Two judges score the fight 115-115 and the third scores the fight 115-113 for Whitaker. It’s the first blemish on Chavez’s record who was 87-0 entering the bout.
1995 — Pete Sampras wins his third U.S. Open men’s singles title, taking down the No. 1 seed and defending champion Andre Agassi, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
1995 — Fuad Reveiz of the Minnesota Vikings sets an NFL record for consecutive field goals, converting from 32 and 27 yards to give him 30 in a row.
2000 — Arizona’s Randy Johnson becomes the 12th player to reach the 3,000 strikeout plateau, fanning a season-high 14 in seven innings as the Diamondbacks lost to Florida 4-3 in 12 innings.
2004 — Zippy Chippy, thoroughbred racing’s lovable loser, makes it 0-for-100 when he finishes last in an eight-horse field at the Three-County Fairgrounds in Northampton, Mass.
2006 — Roger Federer defeats Andy Roddick 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the U.S. Open final for his third major championship this year and ninth of his career. Federer becomes the first man ever to win back-to-back Wimbledon and U.S. Open crowns for three straight years.
2006 — Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts make fewer mistakes than Eli Manning and the New York Giants in the first NFL game to feature two brothers starting at quarterback. Big brother Peyton is 25-of-41 for 276 yards and a touchdown and the Colts score on five of their first seven possessions to defeat Eli and the Giants 26-21.
2012 — Andy Murray wins the U.S. Open in five grueling sets to become the first British man since 1936 to capture a Grand Slam title. Murray beats defending champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 in his fifth try in the final of a major tournament.
2017 — Rafael Nadal wins his 16th Grand Slam title by sweeping Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the U.S. Open final.
2017 — The Los Angeles Rams rout the Indianapolis Colts 46-9 in 31-year-old Sean McVay’s impressive debut as the youngest head coach in modern league history.
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Sept. 11
1886 — The Mayflower defends the America’s Cup by beating Britain’s Galatea in two straight heats.
1937 — Don Budge beats Gottfried von Cramm in five sets to win his first U.S. Open men’s singles title. Budge wins 6-1, 7-9, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
1964 — ABC television cancels Fight of the Week, ending 18 years of regularly scheduled prime-time boxing on U.S. broadcast network television.
1976 — In the third race at Latonia, jockey John Oldham and his wife, Suzanne Picou, become the first husband and wife riding team to compete in a parimutuel race. Oldham finishes second aboard Harvey’s Hope and Picou rides My Girl Carla to an 11th-place finish.
1977 — In the last U.S. Open match played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York, Guillermo Vilas beats Jimmy Connors, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-0, for the men’s singles title
1982 — Chris Evert wins her sixth U.S. Open singles title, defeating Hana Mandlikova, 6-3, 6-1.
1982 — In a 23-16 loss to Illinois, Rolf Mojsiejunko of Michigan State kicks a 61-yard field goal in his first collegiate attempt.
1983 — Pittsburgh running back Franco Harris runs for 118 yards in Steelers 25-21 win at Green Bay to become the only the third player in NFL history to rush for 11,000 yards.
1985 — Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds becomes the all-time hit leader with his 4,192nd hit, breaking Ty Cobb’s record. Rose lines a 2-1 pitch off San Diego pitcher Eric Show to left-center field for a single in the first inning. It’s the 57th anniversary of Ty Cobb’s last game in the majors.
1988 — Mats Wilander wins the longest men’s final in U.S. Open history, edging Ivan Lendl, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
1994 — Andre Agassi wins the U.S. Open with a three-set victory over Michael Stich and becomes the first unseeded player to beat five seeded players in a Grand Slam and the first unseeded champion since Fred Stolle in 1966. Andre wins 6-1, 7-6, 7-5.
1999 — U.S. Open Women’s Tennis: Serena Williams wins her first Grand Slam title; beats World #1 Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6.
2001 — Sports comes to a standstill after terrorism in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, with major league baseball postponing a full schedule of regular-season games for the first time since D-Day in 1944.
2010 — James Madison, a top team in the Football Championship Subdivision, beats No. 13 Virginia Tech 21-16. The last time Virginia Tech lost to a I-AA team was 1985, when Richmond beat the Hokies 24-14 at Lane Stadium.
2010 — The Penn State women’s volleyball team has its record winning streak ends at 109 matches with a 28-26, 25-12, 25-18 loss to Stanford in a tournament at Florida. Penn State’s streak is the second-longest in Division I team sports, behind the 137 straight wins by the Miami men’s tennis program from 1957-1964.
2011 — Carolina’s Cam Newton becomes the first rookie to throw for more than 400 yards in his NFL opener in a 28-21 loss to Arizona. Newton, the No. 1 draft pick playing on the same field where he led Auburn to the BCS championship in January, completes 24 of 37 passes for 422 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
2015 — Roberta Vinci stuns Serena Williams to end her Grand Slam bid in one of the greatest upsets in tennis history. The 43rd-ranked Italian wins 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the U.S. Open semifinals.
2021 — Milwaukee Brewers throw a combined no-hitter to beat the Cleveland Indians 3-0. It was the record ninth no-hitter of the season.
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+++TV SPORTS+++
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10
COLLEGE GOLF
11:30 A.M.
GOLF — 2025 FOLDS OF HONOR COLLEGIATE: WOMEN’S FINAL ROUND, AMERICAN DUNES GOLF CLUB, GRAND HAVEN, MICH.
4:30 P.M.
GOLF — 2025 FOLDS OF HONOR COLLEGIATE: MEN’S FINAL ROUND, AMERICAN DUNES GOLF CLUB, GRAND HAVEN, MICH.
COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
8 P.M.
ACCN — MIAMI AT WAKE FOREST
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
6 P.M.
ACCN — SOUTH CAROLINA AT NC STATE
6:30 P.M.
ESPN — PITTSBURGH VS. KENTUCKY, FORT WORTH, TEXAS
7 P.M.
SECN — FLORIDA ST. AT OKLAHOMA
7:30 P.M.
FS1 — TEXAS A&M AT TCU
9 P.M.
ESPN — LOUISVILLE VS. TEXAS, FORT WORTH, TEXAS
MLB BASEBALL
2:30 P.M.
MLBN — REGIONAL COVERAGE: MILWAUKEE AT TEXAS (2:35 P.M.) OR BOSTON AT ATHLETICS (3:35 P.M.)
7 P.M.
MLBN — REGIONAL COVERAGE: DETROIT AT N.Y. YANKEES (7:05 P.M.) OR CHICAGO CUBS AT ATLANTA (7:15 P.M.)
11 P.M.
MLBN — REGIONAL COVERAGE: ST. LOUIS AT SEATTLE (9:40 P.M.) OR COLORADO AT L.A. DODGERS (10:10 P.M.)
TENNIS
2 P.M.
TENNIS — GUADALAJARA-WTA & SAO PAULO-WTA EARLY ROUNDS
