“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 5 SCHEDULE
ATTICA (1-3) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (1-3)
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (3-1) AT SEYMOUR (0-4)
BENTON CENTRAL (0-4) AT FRONTIER (4-0)
BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (4-0) AT TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (3-1)
BLUFFTON (4-0) AT JAY COUNTY (1-3)
BOONE GROVE (1-3) AT WHEELER (4-0)
BOONVILLE (3-1) AT LINTON (2-2)
BOWMAN ACADEMY (2-2) AT CALUMET (3-1)
BREBEUF JESUIT (0-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (3-1)
CALUMET CHRISTIAN AT HAMMOND NOLL (1-3)
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-4) AT HAGERSTOWN (2-2)
CARROLL (FLORA) (3-1) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (3-1)
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (1-3) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (2-2)
CASCADE (4-0) AT FRANKFORT (0-4)
CASTLE (3-1) AT VINCENNES LINCOLN (2-2)
CASTON (1-3) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-4)
CENTER GROVE (4-0) AT TROTWOOD-MADISON (OHIO)
CENTRAL NOBLE (1-3) AT FREMONT (3-1)
CHURUBUSCO (2-2) AT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-4)
CLARKSVILLE (2-2) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (1-3)
CLINTON CENTRAL (2-2) AT TAYLOR (3-1)
CLINTON PRAIRIE (2-1) AT SHERIDAN (2-1)
COLUMBUS NORTH (3-1) AT CARMEL (3-1)
CONCORD (3-1) AT WARSAW (3-1)
CONNERSVILLE (3-1) AT RUSHVILLE (0-4)
COVENANT CHRISTIAN (1-3) AT INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (2-2)
CRAWFORDSVILLE (2-2) AT SOUTHMONT (4-0)
CROWN POINT (4-0) AT PORTAGE (0-4)
CULVER (1-3) AT NORTH JUDSON (3-1)
DANVILLE (2-2) AT TRI-WEST (3-1)
DECATUR CENTRAL (2-2) AT MOORESVILLE (3-1)
DEKALB (2-2) AT COLUMBIA CITY (3-1)
DELTA (1-3) AT MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (0-4)
EAST CENTRAL (3-1) AT BATESVILLE (3-1)
EASTBROOK (4-0) AT BLACKFORD (0-4)
EASTERN (PEKIN) (0-4) AT EASTERN GREENE (1-3)
EDGEWOOD (4-0) AT WEST VIGO (0-4)
ELKHART (3-1) AT NEW PRAIRIE (0-4)
ELWOOD (2-2) AT MADISON-GRANT (3-1)
EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-4) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (2-2)
EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-4) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (4-0)
EVANSVILLE REITZ (3-1) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-3)
FAITH CHRISTIAN (1-3) AT NORTH WHITE (1-3)
FISHERS (3-1) AT BROWNSBURG (4-0)
FLOYD CENTRAL (3-1) AT JEFFERSONVILLE (2-2)
FOREST PARK (2-2) AT SOUTH SPENCER (0-4)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (1-3) AT SOUTH ADAMS (2-2)
FORT WAYNE NORTH (3-1) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (1-3)
FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (3-1) AT FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-4)
FORT WAYNE SOUTH (0-4) AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-4)
FRANKLIN (2-2) AT MARTINSVILLE (1-3)
FRANKLIN CENTRAL (3-1) AT AVON (2-2)
FRANKLIN COUNTY (3-1) AT LAWRENCEBURG (3-1)
GARRETT (2-2) AT EASTSIDE (2-2)
GIBSON SOUTHERN (3-1) AT SOUTHRIDGE (1-3)
GOSHEN (1-3) AT MISHAWAKA (3-1)
GREENWOOD (1-3) AT PLAINFIELD (4-0)
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (1-3) AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (2-2)
HAMILTON HEIGHTS (1-3) AT WESTERN (3-1)
HAMMOND CENTRAL (0-4) AT CULVER ACADEMY (0-4)
HANCOCK COUNTY (KY.) AT TELL CITY (3-1)
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (2-2) AT NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (1-3)
HERITAGE (3-1) AT ADAMS CENTRAL (4-0)
HIGHLAND (2-2) AT LOWELL (3-1)
HOBART (4-0) AT ANDREAN (3-1)
HOMESTEAD (3-1) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (3-1)
HUNTINGTON NORTH (1-3) AT BELLMONT (0-4)
INDIAN CREEK (4-0) AT LAPEL (4-0)
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (2-2) AT SOUTHPORT (0-4)
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (3-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (2-2)
INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (2-2) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (3-1)
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (1-3) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (1-2)
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-3) AT MONROE CENTRAL (1-3)
IRVINGTON PREP (0-3) AT CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-4)
JASPER (3-1) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (2-2)
JIMTOWN (1-3) AT BREMEN (2-2)
KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-4) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (1-3)
KNIGHTSTOWN (3-1) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (1-3)
KNOX (4-0) AT JOHN GLENN (2-2)
KOKOMO (0-4) AT ANDERSON (1-3)
LAFAYETTE JEFF (3-1) AT RICHMOND (1-3)
LAKE CENTRAL (2-2) AT LAPORTE (1-3)
LAKE STATION (3-1) AT WHITING (2-2)
LAKELAND (2-2) AT ANGOLA (2-2)
LAVILLE (2-2) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (2-2)
LAWRENCE CENTRAL (2-2) AT PIKE (1-3)
LAWRENCE NORTH (3-1) AT ARSENAL TECH (1-3)
LEO (4-0) AT EAST NOBLE (4-0)
LEWIS CASS (3-1) AT ROCHESTER (3-1)
LOGANSPORT (4-0) AT TWIN LAKES (4-0)
MADISON (0-4) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (1-3)
MCCUTCHEON (2-2) AT LEBANON (3-1)
MERRILLVILLE (2-2) AT MICHIGAN CITY (3-1)
MILAN (1-3) AT EDINBURGH (1-3)
MISSISSINEWA (4-0) AT ALEXANDRIA (3-1)
MITCHELL (0-4) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (3-1)
MONROVIA (1-3) AT BEECH GROVE (3-1)
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (3-1) AT PRINCETON (2-2)
MUNCIE CENTRAL (1-3) AT MARION (1-3)
MUNSTER (0-4) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (1-3)
NEW ALBANY (0-4) AT COLUMBUS EAST (2-2)
NEW CASTLE (1-3) AT YORKTOWN (3-1)
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (2-2) AT NORTH KNOX (2-2)
NORTH DAVIESS (4-0) AT CLOVERDALE (2-2)
NORTH DECATUR (4-0) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (4-0)
NORTH HARRISON (1-3) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (4-0)
NORTH POSEY (3-1) AT PIKE CENTRAL (0-4)
NORTH PUTNAM (2-2) AT GREENCASTLE (1-3)
NORTHFIELD (0-4) AT MANCHESTER (2-2)
NORTHRIDGE (0-4) AT NORTHWOOD (2-2)
NORTHWESTERN (2-2) AT WHITKO (1-3)
NORWELL (1-3) AT NEW HAVEN (0-4)
OAK HILL (2-2) AT FRANKTON (0-4)
OWEN VALLEY (1-3) AT NORTHVIEW (4-0)
PENDLETON HEIGHTS (4-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (4-0)
PENN (4-0) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (2-2)
PERRY CENTRAL (0-4) AT TECUMSEH (1-3)
PERU (1-3) AT MACONAQUAH (4-0)
PIONEER (3-1) AT NORTH MIAMI (3-1)
PLYMOUTH (2-2) AT WAWASEE (1-3)
PROVIDENCE (3-1) AT CHARLESTOWN (3-1)
PURDUE ENGLEWOOD (4-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (3-1)
RIVER FOREST (2-2) AT GRIFFITH (3-1)
RIVERTON PARKE (4-0) AT NORTH VERMILLION (0-4)
SEEGER (3-1) AT PARKE HERITAGE (3-1)
SHELBYVILLE (3-1) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (2-2)
SHENANDOAH (2-2) AT PARK TUDOR (4-0)
SILVER CREEK (1-3) AT SCOTTSBURG (4-0)
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (4-0) AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS (2-2)
SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (1-3) AT SOUTH BEND RILEY (2-2)
SOUTH DEARBORN (3-1) AT GREENSBURG (0-4)
SOUTH DECATUR (1-3) AT BROWN COUNTY (1-3)
SOUTH NEWTON (1-3) AT TRI-COUNTY (0-4)
SOUTH VERMILLION (2-2) AT COVINGTON (3-1)
SOUTHWOOD (1-3) AT WABASH (0-4)
SPRINGS VALLEY (4-0) AT SALEM (1-3)
STRATFORD (TENN.) AT GARY WEST (2-1)
SULLIVAN (2-2) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (3-1)
TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-4) AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH (1-3)
TIPTON (2-2) AT RENSSELAER CENTRAL (3-1)
TRI (3-1) AT CENTERVILLE (3-1)
TRITON CENTRAL (4-0) AT SPEEDWAY (0-4)
UNION CITY (0-4) AT NORTHEASTERN (4-0)
VALPARAISO (1-3) AT CHESTERTON (2-2)
WARREN CENTRAL (3-1) AT BEN DAVIS (1-3)
WASHINGTON (2-2) AT HERITAGE HILLS (4-0)
WES-DEL (2-1) AT DELPHI (1-3)
WEST CENTRAL (4-0) AT NORTH NEWTON (3-1)
WEST LAFAYETTE (1-3) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-3)
WEST NOBLE (3-1) AT FAIRFIELD (3-1)
WEST WASHINGTON (2-2) AT PAOLI (2-2)
WESTERN BOONE (2-2) AT NORTH MONTGOMERY (0-4)
WESTFIELD (3-1) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (3-1)
WHITELAND (2-2) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (2-2)
WINAMAC (1-3) AT TRITON (3-1)
WINCHESTER (3-1) AT UNION COUNTY (1-3)
WOODLAN (1-3) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (1-3)
ZIONSVILLE (1-3) AT NOBLESVILLE (1-3)
_____
+++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:+++
YORKTOWN 172, RICHMOND 178
LAPEL 149, ANDERSON 178, LAWRENCE NORTH 200
SECTIONALS
1. VALPARAISO (8) | VALPARAISO COUNTRY CLUB | MON, 9 AM CT | RESULTS
BOONE GROVE, CHESTERTON, HAMMOND BISHOP NOLL, HAMMOND MORTON, HOBART, PORTAGE, VALPARAISO, WHEELER
2. LAKE CENTRAL (10) | PALMIRA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB | MON, 8 AM CT | RESULTS
ANDREAN, CALUMET, CROWN POINT, HANOVER CENTRAL, HIGHLAND, ILLIANA CHRISTIAN, LAKE CENTRAL, LOWELL, MERRILLVILLE, MUNSTER
3. LAPORTE (11) | BEECHWOOD GOLF COURSE | THURS, 8:30 AM CT | RESULTS
GLENN, KNOX, LAPORTE, MARQUETTE CATHOLIC, MICHIGAN CITY, NEW PRAIRIE, NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE, OREGON-DAVIS, SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS), TRI-TOWNSHIP, WESTVILLE
4. PENN (10) | KNOLLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB | FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
ELKHART, JIMTOWN, MISHAWAKA, MISHAWAKA MARIAN, PENN, SOUTH BEND ADAMS, SOUTH BEND RILEY, SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH, SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON, TRINITY AT GREENLAWN
5. LOGANSPORT (12) | DYKEMAN PARK GOLF COURSE | MON, 9:30 AM ET | RESULTS
CASTON, DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN, KANKAKEE VALLEY, LOGANSPORT, NORTH NEWTON, PIONEER, RENSSELAER CENTRAL, ROCHESTER COMMUNITY, SOUTH NEWTON, TRI-COUNTY, TWIN LAKES, WINAMAC COMMUNITY
6. NORTHRIDGE (10) | MEADOW VALLEY GOLF CLUB | FRI, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS
CARROLL (FORT WAYNE), CENTRAL NOBLE, CHURUBUSCO, CONCORD, EAST NOBLE, FAIRFIELD, LAKELAND, NORTHRIDGE, PRAIRIE HEIGHTS, WEST NOBLE
7. ANGOLA (12) | ZOLLNER GOLF COURSE | FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
ANGOLA, DEKALB, FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER, FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA LUTHERAN, FORT WAYNE NORTH SIDE, FORT WAYNE NORTHROP, FORT WAYNE SNIDER, FREMONT, GARRETT, HAMILTON, LEO, WOODLAN
8. WARSAW COMMUNITY (12) | STONEHENGE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB | THURS, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS
BREMEN, COLUMBIA CITY, CULVER ACADEMIES, CULVER COMMUNITY, MANCHESTER, NORTHWOOD, PLYMOUTH, TIPPECANOE VALLEY, TRITON, WARSAW COMMUNITY, WAWASEE, WHITKO
9. HOMESTEAD (11) | CHESTNUT HILLS GOLF CLUB | FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
ADAMS CENTRAL, BELLMONT, FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS, FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY, FORT WAYNE SOUTH SIDE, FORT WAYNE WAYNE, HERITAGE, HOMESTEAD, NEW HAVEN, NORWELL, SOUTH ADAMS
10. EASTBROOK (12) | ARBOR TRACE GOLF CLUB | SAT, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
BLACKFORD, BLUFFTON, EASTBROOK, HUNTINGTON NORTH, MADISON-GRANT, MARION, MISSISSINEWA, NORTHFIELD, OAK HILL, SOUTHERN WELLS, SOUTHWOOD, WABASH
11. HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (11) | COYOTE CROSSING GOLF COURSE | MON, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
CARROLL (FLORA), CLINTON CENTRAL, CLINTON PRAIRIE, DELPHI COMMUNITY, FAITH CHRISTIAN, HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE), LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC, LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON, MCCUTCHEON, ROSSVILLE, WEST LAFAYETTE
12. WESTERN (10) | CHIPPENDALE GOLF COURSE | FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
EASTERN (GREENTOWN), KOKOMO, LEWIS CASS, MACONAQUAH, NORTH MIAMI, NORTHWESTERN, PERU, TAYLOR, TRI-CENTRAL, WESTERN
13. GUERIN CATHOLIC (9) | PEBBLE BROOK GOLF CLUB | MON, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
BREBEUF JESUIT PREPARATORY, CARMEL, GUERIN CATHOLIC, INDIANAPOLIS CARDINAL RITTER, LEBANON, PIKE, SPEEDWAY, UNIVERSITY, WESTFIELD
14. ATTICA (10) | HARRISON HILLS GOLF CLUB | SAT, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
ATTICA, BENTON CENTRAL, COVINGTON, CRAWFORDSVILLE, FOUNTAIN CENTRAL, NORTH MONTGOMERY, NORTH PUTNAM, SEEGER, SOUTHMONT, WESTERN BOONE
15. BROWNSBURG (12) | WEST CHASE GOLF CLUB | FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
AVON, BEN DAVIS, BROWNSBURG, CASCADE, COVENANT CHRISTIAN (INDPLS), DANVILLE COMMUNITY, DECATUR CENTRAL, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF INDIANA, MOORESVILLE, PLAINFIELD, TRI-WEST HENDRICKS, ZIONSVILLE
16. NOBLESVILLE (11) | HARBOUR TREES GOLF CLUB | MON, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
ALEXANDRIA MONROE, ANDERSON, ELWOOD COMMUNITY, FISHERS, FRANKTON, HAMILTON HEIGHTS, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN, LAPEL, NOBLESVILLE, PENDLETON HEIGHTS, TIPTON
17. MUNCIE CENTRAL (12) | CRESTVIEW GOLF COURSE | SAT, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
BLUE RIVER VALLEY, DALEVILLE, DELTA, JAY COUNTY, MONROE CENTRAL, MUNCIE BURRIS, MUNCIE CENTRAL, UNION CITY, WAPAHANI, WES-DEL, WINCHESTER COMMUNITY, YORKTOWN
18. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (11) | MAPLE CREEK GOLF COURSE | MON, 8 AM ET | RESULTS
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN, INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECHNICAL, INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD, INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL, INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA, INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE, LAWRENCE CENTRAL, LAWRENCE NORTH, NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS), PARK TUDOR, WARREN CENTRAL
19. NEW PALESTINE (9) | THE LINKS GOLF COURSE | MON, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
EASTERN HANCOCK, GREENFIELD-CENTRAL, KNIGHTSTOWN, MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE), NEW PALESTINE, RUSHVILLE CONSOLIDATED, SHENANDOAH, TRI, TRITON CENTRAL
20. RICHMOND (9) | ELKS LODGE AND COUNTRY CLUB | FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN, CENTERVILLE, CONNERSVILLE, HAGERSTOWN, NEW CASTLE, NORTHEASTERN, RICHMOND, UNION (MODOC), UNION COUNTY
21. NORTHVIEW (13) | FOREST PARK GOLF COURSE | FRI, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
CLAY CITY, CLOVERDALE, GREENCASTLE, MONROVIA, NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG), NORTHVIEW, PARKE HERITAGE, RIVERTON PARKE, SOUTH PUTNAM, SOUTH VERMILLION, TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO, TERRE HAUTE SOUTH VIGO, WEST VIGO
22. JASPER (11) | BUFFALO TRACE GOLF COURSE | SAT, 10 AM ET | RESULTS
BOONVILLE, CRAWFORD COUNTY, FOREST PARK, GIBSON SOUTHERN, HERITAGE HILLS, JASPER, NORTHEAST DUBOIS, SOUTH SPENCER, SOUTHRIDGE, TECUMSEH, TELL CITY
23. EVANSVILLE REITZ MEMORIAL (12) | THE FARM GOLF COURSE | SAT, 7 AM CT | RESULTS
CASTLE, EVANSVILLE BOSSE, EVANSVILLE CENTRAL, EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN, EVANSVILLE F.J. REITZ, EVANSVILLE HARRISON, EVANSVILLE MATER DEI, EVANSVILLE REITZ MEMORIAL, EVANSVILLE NORTH, MT. VERNON, NORTH POSEY, SIGNATURE
24. NORTH KNOX (12) | HIGH POINTE COUNTRY CLUB | THURS, 10 AM ET | RESULTS
BARR-REEVE, LINTON-STOCKTON, NORTH DAVIESS, NORTH KNOX, PIKE CENTRAL, PRINCETON COMMUNITY, SHAKAMAK, SOUTH KNOX, SULLIVAN, VINCENNES LINCOLN, VINCENNES RIVET, WASHINGTON
25. BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (12) | OTIS PARK GOLF COURSE | SAT, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE, BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL, EASTERN GREENE, MITCHELL, ORLEANS, PAOLI, SALEM, SEYMOUR, SPRINGS VALLEY, TRINITY LUTHERAN, WEST WASHINGTON, WHITE RIVER VALLEY
26. BLOOMINGTON NORTH (12) | CASCADES GC | MON, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS
BLOOMFIELD, BLOOMINGTON NORTH, BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, BROWN COUNTY, COLUMBUS EAST, COLUMBUS NORTH, EDGEWOOD, EDINBURGH, HAUSER, INDIAN CREEK, MARTINSVILLE, OWEN VALLEY
27. GREENSBURG (11) | GREENSBURG COUNTRY CLUB | SAT, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
BATESVILLE, EAST CENTRAL, FRANKLIN COUNTY, GREENSBURG, JAC-CEN-DEL, MILAN, NORTH DECATUR, OLDENBURG ACADEMY, SHELBYVILLE, SOUTH RIPLEY, SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)
28. CENTER GROVE (10) | HICKORY STICK GOLF CLUB | MON, 10 AM ET | RESULTS
BEECH GROVE, CENTER GROVE, FRANKLIN CENTRAL, FRANKLIN COMMUNITY, GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, GREENWOOD COMMUNITY, PERRY MERIDIAN, RONCALLI, SOUTHPORT, WHITELAND COMMUNITY
29. CORYDON CENTRAL (14) | OLD CAPITAL GOLF COURSE | SAT, 12:30 PM ET | RESULTS
BORDEN, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF INDIANA, CLARKSVILLE, CORYDON CENTRAL, CROTHERSVILLE, EASTERN (PEKIN), FLOYD CENTRAL, JEFFERSONVILLE, LANESVILLE, NEW ALBANY, NORTH HARRISON, PROVIDENCE, SILVER CREEK, SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH)
30. MADISON CONSOLIDATED (10) | SUNRISE GOLF COURSE | SAT, 11 AM ET | RESULTS
AUSTIN, CHARLESTOWN, JENNINGS COUNTY, LAWRENCEBURG, MADISON CONSOLIDATED, NEW WASHINGTON, SCOTTSBURG, SOUTH DEARBORN, SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER), SWITZERLAND COUNTY
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS:+++
PHIL CLAY INVITE:
BOYS: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/703481-phil-clay-invite-2025/results/1209037/raw
GIRLS: https://in.milesplit.com/meets/703481-phil-clay-invite-2025/results/1209038/raw
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS SCORES:+++
BROWNSBURG 4 NORTH CENTRAL 1
TRITON CENTRAL 5 GREENWOOD 0
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL UNIFIED FLAG FOOTBALL+++
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
_____
+++MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL+++
CHICAGO CUBS 8 PITTSBURGH 4
CINCINNATI 6 ST. LOUIS 2
BALTIMORE 3 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 1
SAN FRANCISCO 5 ARIZONA 1 (11)
ATLANTA 9 WASHINGTON 4
CLEVELAND 4 DETROIT 0
BOSTON 5 LAS VEGAS 4 (10)
TAMPA BAY 2 TORONTO 1
SAN DIEGO 7 NY METS 4
KANSAS CITY 7 SEATTLE 5
MILWAUKEE 9 LA ANGELS 2
NY YANKEES 10 MINNESOTA 5
HOUSTON 5 TEXAS 2
MIAMI 8 COLORADO 4
LA DODGERS 5 PHILADELPHIA 0
_____
+++MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL+++
GWINETT 5 INDIANAPOLIS 0
_____
+++COLLEGE FOOTBALL+++
WEEK 4
THURSDAY, SEPT. 18
7:30 P.M. | RICE AT CHARLOTTE | ESPN
FRIDAY, SEPT. 19
6 P.M. | COLUMBIA AT LAFAYETTE | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | TULSA AT OKLAHOMA STATE | ESPN
8 P.M. | IOWA AT RUTGERS | FOX
SATURDAY, SEPT. 20
12 P.M. | SYRACUSE AT CLEMSON | ESPN
12 P.M. | SMU AT TCU | ESPN2
12 P.M. | MARYLAND AT WISCONSIN | NBC
12 P.M. | NO. 17 TEXAS TECH AT NO. 16 UTAH | FOX
12 P.M. | ARKANSAS AT MEMPHIS | ABC
12 P.M. | SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AT SOUTH FLORIDA | ESPN+
12 P.M. | WOFFORD AT VIRGINIA TECH | ESPN+/ACC EXTRA
12 P.M. | BOWLING GREEN AT LOUISVILLE | ACC NETWORK
12 P.M. | UNLV AT MIAMI (OHIO) | ESPNU
12 P.M. | NORTH TEXAS AT ARMY | CBSSN
12:45 P.M. | UAB AT NO. 15 TENNESSEE | SEC NETWORK
1 P.M. | WAGNER AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | ESPN+
3 P.M.| OREGON STATE AT NO. 6 OREGON | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | PURDUE AT NO. 24 NOTRE DAME | NBC/PEACOCK
3:30 P.M. | KENT STATE AT NO. 7 FLORIDA STATE | ACC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | NO. 22 AUBURN AT NO. 11 OKLAHOMA | ABC
3:30 P.M. | TULANE AT NO. 13 OLE MISS | ESPN
3:30 P.M. | NO. 21 MICHIGAN AT NEBRASKA | CBS/PARAMOUNT+
3:30 P.M. | NORTH CAROLINA AT UCF | FOX
3:30 P.M. | BALL STATE AT UCONN | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | JAMES MADISON AT LIBERTY | ESPNU
3:30 P.M. | LOUISIANA AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | TROY AT BUFFALO | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | TOLEDO AT WESTERN MICHIGAN | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | GARDNER-WEBB AT OHIO | ESPN+
4 P.M. | NC STATE AT DUKE | ESPN2
4:15 P.M. | NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | SEC NETWORK
4:30 P.M. | TEMPLE AT NO. 18 GEORGIA TECH | THE CW NETWORK
5 P.M. | IDAHO AT SAN JOSE STATE | MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK
6 P.M. | DELAWARE AT FIU | ESPN+
6 P.M. | ARKANSAS STATE AT KENNESAW STATE | ESPN+
6 P.M. | DUQUESNE AT AKRON | ESPN+
6 P.M.| WEST VIRGINIA AT KANSAS | FS1
7 P.M. | SOUTH CAROLINA AT NO. 23 MISSOURI | ESPN
7 P.M. | MURRAY STATE AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | MARSHALL AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | UT MARTIN AT MISSOURI STATE | ESPN+
7 P.M. | NEVADA AT WESTERN KENTUCKY | ESPN+
7 P.M. | BOISE STATE AT AIR FORCE | CBSSN
7 P.M. | MAINE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | ESPN+
7 P.M. | COASTAL CAROLINA AT SOUTH ALABAMA | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | FLORIDA AT NO. 4 MIAMI (FLA.) | THE CW NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | NO. 9 ILLINOIS AT NO.19 INDIANA | NBC
7:30 P.M. | GEORGIA STATE AT NO. 20 VANDERBILT | ESPNU
7:30 P.M. | ARIZONA STATE AT BAYLOR | FOX
7:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON AT WASHINGTON STATE | CBS
7:30 P.M. | STANFORD AT VIRGINIA | ACC NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | BYU AT EAST CAROLINA | ESPN2
7:30 P.M. | SOUTHERN MISS AT LOUISIANA TECH | ESPN+
7:45 P.M. | SE LOUISIANA AT NO. 3 LSU | SEC NETWORK
8 P.M. | SAM HOUSTON AT NO. 8 TEXAS | ESPN+/SECN+
8 P.M. | NICHOLLS AT TEXAS STATE | ESPN+
8 P.M.| MCNEESE AT UTAH STATE | MOUNTAIN WEST NETWORK
9 P.M. | UL MONROE AT UTEP | ESPN+
9:30 P.M.| UTSA AT COLORADO STATE | FS1
10:15 P.M. | WYOMING AT COLORADO | ESPN
10:30 P.M. | CAL AT SAN DIEGO STATE | CBSSN
11 P.M. | MICHIGAN STATE AT NO. 25 USC | FOX
11:59 P.M. | FRESNO STATE AT HAWAI’I | SPECTRUM SPORTS
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+++NFL WEEK 3 SCHEDULE+++
THURSDAY, SEPT. 18
MIAMI AT BUFFALO, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
PITTSBURGH AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M. (CBS)
HOUSTON AT JACKSONVILLE, 1 P.M. (CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS AT TENNESSEE
CINCINNATI AT MINNESOTA, 1 P.M. (CBS)
NY JETS AT TAMPA BAY, 1 P.M. (FOX)
GREEN BAY AT CLEVELAND, 1 P.M. (FOX)
LAS VEGAS AT WASHINGTON, 1 P.M. (FOX)
ATLANTA AT CAROLINA, 1 P.M. (FOX)
LA RAMS AT PHILADELPHIA, 1 P.M. (FOX)
NEW ORLEANS AT SEATTLE, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)
DENVER AT LA CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)
DALLAS AT CHICAGO, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
ARIZONA AT SAN FRANCISCO, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
KANSAS CITY AT NY GIANTS, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 22
DETROIT AT BALTIMORE, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)
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+++WNBA SCORES+++
PLAYOFFS
PHOENIX 86 NEW YORK 60
MINNESOTA 75 GOLDEN STATE 74
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+++MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER+++
NEW YORK CITY 3 COLUMBUS 2
LOS ANGELES 4 SALT LAKE 1
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+++TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++
NFL NEWS
WEEK 3 PREVIEW
Entering Week 3, close, high-scoring games have been the norm around the NFL, and the dynamic kickoff is living up to its name.
Seventeen games have been decided by a touchdown (six points) or less, the most at this point in 12 years, and second-most all-time (20, 2013). Last week, teams combined to score 797 points, the highest scoring week in the NFL since Week 18, 2021 (817 points).
As for the dynamic kickoff, the kickoff return rate of 76.9 percent (256 of 333) is the highest through the first two weeks of a season in 16 years (77.7 percent in 2009, 241 of 310) and the average of 201.4 kick return yards per game is the most through Week 2 since 1970.
Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 3:
2-0 teams: 10 teams have begun the season 2-0 (with at least one undefeated team in each division for the third time since 2002), including four teams – Arizona, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Francisco – that missed the postseason in 2024. For the second consecutive season, at least four teams started 2-0 the season after missing the playoffs.
L.A. Rams (2-0) at Philadelphia (2-0) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): In last season’s NFC Divisional playoffs, the Eagles defeated the Rams, 28-22, as running back Saquon Barkley became the sixth player ever with at least 200 rushing yards (205) and two rushing touchdowns in a postseason game. The teams also met in Los Angeles in Week 12 last season, a 37-20 Philadelphia victory in which Barkley became the fourth running back in the Super Bowl era with at least 300 scrimmage yards in a regular-season game [302 scrimmage yards – 255 rushing (ninth-most in a game in NFL history), 47 receiving].
Los Angeles can begin 3-0 for the fourth time since head coach Sean McVay was hired in 2017 (2018-19, 2021) while Philadelphia can begin the season with three consecutive victories for the third time in five seasons under head coach Nick Sirianni (2022-23).
In five of the past 10 seasons (2015-24), the reigning Super Bowl champion has begun 3-0 (2024 and 2020 Kansas City Chiefs, 2019 and 2015 New England Patriots, and 2016 Denver Broncos).
Last week, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded his 45th career game with a rushing touchdown (including the playoffs), surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (44 games) for the third-most such games by a quarterback in NFL history, including the postseason. Only Cam Newton (65 games) and Josh Allen (58) have more.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams recorded his 33rd career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception last week, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (33 games) and Reggie Wayne (33) for the fifth-most such games since 1970.
Arizona (2-0) at San Francisco (2-0) (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX): Since 1970, the Cardinals have begun 3-0 on five previous occasions (1974, 2012, 2014-15 and 2021). San Francisco has begun a season with three straight wins five times since 1990 (1990, 1995, 1998, 2019 and 2023).
Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell, appearing for Arizona for the first time since 2016, had two sacks in the team’s Week 2 win and became the fourth player age 39-or-older since 1982 to record multiple sacks in a game, joining James Harrison, Clay Matthews and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith (three times).
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey, with a touchdown reception in Week 2, became the third player in NFL history with at least 50 rushing touchdowns and 30 touchdown receptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore. McCaffrey is one of three running backs (James Cook and Bijan Robinson) with at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the first two weeks of the season.
Miami (0-2) at Buffalo (2-0) (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): Buffalo can win their first three games for the second-consecutive season and for the fourth time since 2017, when head coach Sean McDermott was hired. The Bills have won 12 consecutive regular-season home games, the longest active home winning streak in the NFL.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is 7-0 as a starting quarterback in Thursday games and can join Tom Brady (nine consecutive Thursday wins from 2002-15), Russell Wilson (nine from 2013-20) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (eight from 2004-13) as the only quarterbacks ever to win eight consecutive Thursday starts.
Green Bay (2-0) at Cleveland (0-2) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Green Bay can begin 3-0 for the third time (2019-20) since head coach Matt LaFleur was hired in 2019.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs has a rushing touchdown in 11 consecutive games (including the playoffs) since Week 11 of the 2024 season. On Sunday, he can become the fifth player all-time with a rushing touchdown in 12 straight games, including the postseason, and the first since Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (12 consecutive games in 2004).
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is one of two players (Carl Granderson) with at least 1.5 sacks in each of the first two weeks. Since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, only four players have recorded 1.5-or-more sacks in each of their team’s first three games of a season: Mark Gastineau (1984 with the N.Y. Jets), Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene (1998 with Carolina), DeMarcus Lawrence (2017 with Dallas) and Haason Reddick (2021 with Carolina).
Cincinnati (2-0) at Minnesota (1-1) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Cincinnati can begin a season with three consecutive wins for the first time since 2015. Among players with at least 50 career games played, Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson (95.7 receiving yards per game).
and Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (87.8 receiving yards per game) have the two highest receiving yards per game averages in NFL history.
Jefferson recorded his 500th career reception last week and tied Larry Fitzgerald (26 years and 90 days old) as the youngest player in NFL history to reach 500 career receptions.
Chase had 14 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown in the Bengals’ Week 2 win and became the fourth player in NFL history with at least 14 receptions in three career games, joining Keenan Allen (six games), Antonio Brown (four) and Jason Witten (three).
N.Y. Jets (0-2) at Tampa Bay (2-0) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): Tampa Bay, who began 2-0 for the fifth consecutive season, look to win their first three games of a season for the first time since 2005. The Buccaneers are the first team since the 1970 merger to score a game-winning touchdown in the final minute of each of their first two games of a season.
Indianapolis (2-0) at Tennessee (0-2) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Indianapolis looks to start 3-0 for the first time since 2009. In the first two weeks, the Colts became the first team in NFL history to score on each of their first 10 offensive possessions of a season and the first team in the Super Bowl era to not punt in either of their first two games in a season.
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones is one of four players in NFL history with at least 270 passing yards, a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown in each of his team’s first two games of a season, joining Jack Kemp (1965 with Buffalo), Kyler Murray (2021 with Arizona) and Cam Newton (2011 with Carolina).
Denver (1-1) at the Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): The Los Angeles Chargers can begin the season with three straight wins for the first time since 2002. With divisional wins over Kansas City and Las Vegas in the first two weeks, the Chargers can become the third team since realignment in 2002 to defeat division opponents in each of their first three games of a season, joining the 2006 Chicago Bears and 2003 Minnesota Vikings.
High powered offenses meet on Monday night: When the Detroit Lions visit the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), the two highest scoring teams from Week 2 and two of the most consistently prolific offenses will take the field. Last season, Detroit (409.5 yards per game) and Baltimore (424.9) had the top-two offenses in yards per game while the Lions ranked first (33.2 points per game) and the Ravens ranked third (30.5) in scoring average.
Since 2021, when the Lions acquired quarterback Jared Goff, Detroit ranks third in points per game (26.7) and fourth in yards per game (376.8).
With the Lions scoring an NFL-high 52 points in Week 2, Goff now has five career starts in which his team scored at least 50 points, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (five) for the fourth-most such starts by a quarterback since 1950, trailing only Tom Brady (eight starts), Drew Brees (six) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Dawson (six).
Since 2018, when the Ravens selected quarterback Lamar Jackson in the NFL Draft, Baltimore ranks second in the NFL in both points per game (27.2) and yards per game (379.0).
Since Week 12 of the 2024 season and including the playoffs, Jackson has 10 consecutive games with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 90-or-higher. In NFL history, only five quarterbacks have recorded longer such streaks, including the postseason: Aaron Rodgers (14 consecutive games from 2010-11), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (13 in 2004), Philip Rivers (13 from 2017-18), Tom Brady (12 from 2014-15) and Patrick Mahomes (11 in 2018).
THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW
MIAMI AT BUFFALO
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: MIA leads series, 61-56-1 (BUF won 12 of past 13)
Postseason: BUF leads series, 4-1 (Home team won past 3)
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 11/3/24: MIA 27 at BUF 30
Postseason: AFC-WC 1/15/23: MIA 31 at BUF 34
DOLPHINS NOTES:
QB TUA TAGOVAILOA completed 26 of 32 atts. (81.3 pct.) for 315 yards & 2 TDs vs. INT with 115.5 rating last week, 4th-career game with 80+ comp. pct. & 300+ pass yards, tied 3rd-most among active players. Has 70+ comp. pct. in 4 of his past 5 road starts. Completed 25 of 28 ats. (89.3 pct.) for 231 yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 124.9 rating in last meeting. Aims for his 5th in row vs. division with 2+ TD passes & 100+ rating. • RB DE’VON ACHANE led team with 122 scrimmage yards (career-high 92 rec., 30 rush) & had TD catch last week. Is 1 of 2 RBs (Chuba Hubbard) with rec. TD in each of 1st 2 weeks of season. Aims for his 4th in row with 75+ scrimmage yards & TD. Has 467 scrimmage yards (116.8 per game) & 6 TDs (4 rush, 2 rec.) in 4 career games vs. Buf. Has TD catch in each of 2 career Thursday games. • WR TYREEK HILL had 6 catches for 109 yards in Week 2, 37th-career 100- yard game, 5th-most among active WRs. Had 80 rec. yards in last meeting & has 55+ rec. yards in 4 of his past 5 vs. Buf. Has 905 rec. yards (90.5 per game) & 7 rec. TDs in 10 career Thursday games. • WR JAYLEN WADDLE had 5 catches for 68 yards & 1st TD of season last week. Had TD catch in last meeting. • WR NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE had TD catch in his last game vs. Buf. (10/20/24 w/ Ten.). • LB BRADLEY CHUBB is 1 of 6 LBs with sack in each of 1st 2 weeks of season. Has 7 sacks & 2 FFs in 3 career Thursday games, with 2+ sacks in each game. • LB JORDYN BROOKS had 8 tackles & 1st sack of season last week. Aims for 3rd in row with 8+ tackles & TFL. Has TFL in 10 of his past 11. • LB CHOP ROBINSON had 1st sack of season in Week 2. Had sack in last meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Buf. with TFL. • LB TYREL DODSON led team with 9 tackles last week. Aims for 3rd in row with 9+ tackles. Had 7 tackles in his last game vs. Buf. (10/27/24 w/ Sea.). • S MINKAH FITZPATRICK aims for 3rd in row with 7+ tackles.
BILLS NOTES:
BILLS can begin 3-0 for 2nd-consecutive season & 4th time under HC Sean McDermott. Lead NFL with 450 yards/game & rank 2nd with 35.5 points/game. Have won 12 straight reg. season home games, 2nd-longest streak in Buf. history. • QB JOSH ALLEN totaled 207 yards (148 pass, 59 rush) with 0 INTs last week. Has 0 INTs in 10 of his past 11 starts, incl. playoffs. Has 2+ TD passes in 14 of 15 career starts vs. Mia., with 90+ rating in each of past 8, incl. playoffs. Is 7-0 with 107.4 rating in 7 career starts on Thursday. • RB JAMES COOK rushed for 132 yards & 2 TDs last week, 5th game with 2+ rush TDs since 2024, tied-most in NFL. Is only player in NFL with 100+ scrimmage yards & rush TD in each of 1st 2 weeks of season. Has rush TD in 6 straight reg. season games, 2nd-longest active streak in NFL. Has 6 TDs (5 rush, 1 rec.) in his past 5 in primetime. Tied for NFL lead with 3 rush TDs in 2025. • WR JOSHUA PALMER led team with 47 rec. yards in Week 2. Aims for his 5th in row with 40+ rec. yards. Has TD catch in 2 of his past 3 on Thursday. • WR KEON COLEMAN aims for his 3rd in row at home in reg. season with rec. TD. • WR ELIJAH MOORE had 2nd-career rush TD last week. • TE DALTON KINCAID has 4 catches in 4 of past 5. • DE JOEY BOSA had career-high 2 FFs & sack last week, only player with 2 FFs in a game this season & only player with FF in each of 1st 2 weeks. Has sack in 2 of his past 3 on Thursday. • DE GREG ROUSSEAU had PD & half sack last week. Aims for his 4th in row in reg. season with PD. Had 3 TFL & sack in last meeting & aims for his 5th in row vs. Mia. with TFL. • DT ED OLIVER aims for 3rd in row at home in reg. season with sack. Has sack in 3 of his past 4 on Thursday. • DT DAQUAN JONES had 18th-career sack in Week 2. • S COLE BISHOP had 5 tackles & 1st-career sack last week.
DOLPHINS TRAVEL TO BUFFALO, WHERE THEY’VE LOST NINE STRAIGHT AND NOT BEATEN THE BILLS SINCE 2016
Miami (0-2) at Buffalo (2-0)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime Video.
BetMGM NFL odds: Bills by 12 1/2.
Against the spread: Bills 2-0; Dolphins 0-2.
Series record: Dolphins lead 62-60-1.
Last meeting: Bills beat Dolphins 30-27 on Nov. 3, 2024, in Orchard Park, New York.
Last week: Bills beat Jets 30-10; Dolphins lost to Patriots 33-27
Dolphins offense: overall (24t), rush (29), pass (15), scoring (25).
Dolphins defense: overall (26), rush (25), pass (24), scoring (31).
Bills offense: overall (1), rush (2), pass (2t), scoring (2).
Bills defense: overall (8), rush (31), pass (1), scoring (22).
Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-4; Bills plus-2.
Dolphins player to watch
RB De’Von Achane has been one of Miami’s best players through the first two weeks of the season. The third-year running back had the Dolphins’ only touchdown in Week 1, breaking several tackles on his way into the end zone. Achane again scored in Week 2 on a 29-yard pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Bills player to watch
QB Josh Allen. After failing to throw, run or catch a touchdown for just the fifth full game of his career last weekend, Allen has a chance to get back on the board. His 37 touchdowns passing in 14 regular-season games against Miami are by far the most against any opponent, ahead of 19 versus New England.
Key matchup
Achane vs. Bills defense. The third-year player presents a dual-threat challenge to a defense missing two starters in defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano. Though Buffalo limited the Jets to 154 total yards, New York still combined for 100 yards rushing. And this is a defense that allowed 432 total yards, including 238 rushing, in beating Baltimore in Week 1.
Key injuries
Dolphins: S Ifeatu Melifonwu is dealing with a calf injury and has not practiced this week. … TE Darren Waller (hip), C Aaron Brewer (hip) and RB Jaylen Wright (knee) were limited in practice. Bills: Oliver and Milano have been ruled out. … Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson (quadriceps) is trending toward returning after missing one game.
Series notes
The Bills have won 13 of the past 14 meetings, including playoffs, with their lone loss a 21-19 nail-biter in hot and humid conditions at Miami in September 2022. … The Bills have won the past nine meetings at home, including playoffs, in a streak that began in 2017, Sean McDermott’s first season as coach. … The Dolphins’ most recent win at Orchard Park was a 34-31 OT decision on Dec. 24, 2016, which led to Rex Ryan being fired as Bills coach a day later, with one week remaining in the season.
Stats and stuff
With the loss to New England, the Dolphins fell to 0-2 for the first time under Mike McDaniel. Tua Tagovailoa also fell to 0-2 for the first time in his career as a starter. … The Dolphins have turned the ball over four times in the first two games of the season and are tied for the worst turnover margin in the NFL. … Achane has 25 touchdowns (14 rushing and 11 receiving) since being drafted by Miami in 2023. He is one of only six active players to score 25-plus touchdowns in their first 30 games. … Tyreek Hill’s 47-yard reception in the third quarter against New England was his first catch of more than 30 yards since the 2024 opener. … Miami’s defense has allowed opponents to score on 13 of 17 possessions this season. … Bradley Chubb is one of six linebackers with a sack in each of the first two weeks of the season. He’s combined for seven sacks and two forced fumbles in three Thursday night appearances. … Buffalo has won 12 straight regular-season home games, three short of matching the team record set spanning the 1990-91 seasons. … Since 2020, the Bills are 12-7 in prime-time outings, including 5-1 in their past six. Overall, the Bills are 52-49 in night games, including a 41-40 season-opening win over Baltimore. … The Bills lead the NFL in scoring 30 or more points 46 times since the start of the 2020 season. … Allen has committed one turnover in his past 11 starts, including playoffs. His record is 39-10 when not throwing an interception or losing a fumble. … With 78 regular-season wins, Allen moved one ahead of Joe Ferguson for second on the franchise list, behind only Hall of Famer Jim Kelly (101). … RB James Cook has scored a TD rushing in six straight games, one short of matching O.J. Simpson’s team record run of seven in 1975. … Cook’s 19 TDs rushing since the start of last season lead the NFL. … Buffalo has won an NFL record 24 straight when winning the turnover margin. … DT Joey Bosa earned his first sack with Buffalo, and 73rd of his career, moving into a tie for 99th with Robert Burnett on the NFL list. He’s one shy of moving into a tie for 94th with Mark Gastineau, Jevon Kearse and Cliff Avril. … The 154 yards allowed against the Jets were the fewest by Buffalo since giving up 53 total yards in a 27-10 win over New York in the 2021 season finale.
Fantasy tip
This is likely a good week to bench Tagovailoa. The sixth-year player has had little success against the division rival Bills with a 1-8 record. Of the 47 interceptions he’s thrown, 10 have come against Buffalo — the most against any opponent.
COMMANDERS’ JAYDEN DANIELS WILL NOT PRACTICE EARLIER THAN FRIDAY BECAUSE OF INJURED KNEE
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will not practice earlier than Friday while recovering from an injured knee, coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday.
Daniels went through a rehabilitation session and threw on the field Wednesday, but was not going to take part in that day’s work with teammates, Quinn added.
The Commanders (1-1) host the Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) on Sunday.
“As we get into Friday, I’ll give you an assessment where we’re at,” Quinn said.
Last season’s AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was hurt in the fourth quarter of Washington’s 27-18 loss at the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night and later had an MRI exam that revealed the injury. Daniels was sacked four times and faced pressure throughout the game from a blitz-heavy Packers’ defense.
“We recognize the importance of the person, the player, what he means to the franchise, so we’re also going to be smart, not just fast, with this assessment,” Quinn said about his starting quarterback. “This is a player that’s absolutely wanting to do everything, all the time.”
Quinn said Daniels’ throwing and movement “looked good” while working on his own on Wednesday, while noting that it’s important to see him on the field with the rest of the team before playing in a game.
“But it was a good first step,” Quinn said.
If Daniels is held out of Sunday’s game, backup Marcus Mariota would be in line to make his first NFL start since 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons. Mariota appeared in relief of the starting QB in three games each in 2023 with the Philadelphia Eagles and 2024 with Washington.
“We have the utmost confidence in him,” Quinn said.
Daniels was one of several Commanders players injured against the Packers, and cornerback Jonathan Jones went on injured reserve Wednesday with a bad hamstring. Quinn said the team expects Jones to return to the roster at some point this season.
Running back Austin Ekeler and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. both were put on IR on Monday with season-ending injuries. Washington signed free-agent defensive end Preston Smith — who previously was with the club from 2015-18 — to replace Wise.
Quinn praised Smith’s “proven pass-rush ability, and we liked his size, too. … Felt like a good fit.”
VIKINGS PUT RB AARON JONES ON IR WITH HAMSTRING INJURY THAT WILL SIDELINE HIM MORE THAN A MONTH
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The ailing Minnesota Vikings placed running back Aaron Jones Sr. on injured reserve on Wednesday, requiring him to miss a minimum of four games with a hamstring injury suffered during a costly defeat in the home opener.
With quarterback J.J. McCarthy likely out for multiple weeks with a sprained ankle, the Vikings also signed Desmond Ridder, the starter in 2023 for the Atlanta Falcons, to the active roster for depth behind Carson Wentz and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.
Jordan Mason, who was in an even share of the backfield load with the nine-year veteran Jones, will become the clear featured ball carrier with Ty Chandler and undrafted rookie Zavier Scott behind him on the depth chart. The Vikings also signed old friend Cam Akers to the practice squad, after acquiring the sixth-year running back in separate in-season trades in 2023 with the Los Angeles Rams and 2024 with the Houston Texans.
Akers, who was released at the end of training camp by the New Orleans Saints, became a favorite of Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips during their time together with the Rams that ended with a Super Bowl trophy after the 2021 season. In 12 regular-season games last year for the Vikings, Akers had 64 carries for 297 yards for a career-best average of 4.6 yards per attempt. He also had 10 catches for 52 yards and totaled three touchdowns.
Ridder was a third-round pick by the Falcons in 2022 out of Cincinnati, whom he helped lead to a College Football Playoff semifinal berth. He passed for 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 64.2% completion rate and 2,836 yards in 2023, plus five rushing scores. The following year, when the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins and drafted Michael Penix Jr., he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals for wide receiver and return specialist Rondale Moore. Ridder was eventually signed off the practice squad by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 and made one start. He was cut at the end of training camp last month by the Cincinnati Bengals, who visit the Vikings on Sunday.
JETS QUARTERBACK JUSTIN FIELDS RULED OUT WITH CONCUSSION, TYROD TAYLOR TO START AGAINST BUCCANEERS
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields was ruled out Wednesday for the game at Tampa Bay with a concussion, and Tyrod Taylor will start against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Coach Aaron Glenn announced the decision before the Jets’ first practice of the week. Fields remains in the concussion protocol after being hurt late in the Jets’ 30-10 loss to Buffalo last Sunday.
“I just know how these things are,” Glenn said, declining to say whether Fields has improved while in the protocol. “Just to my knowledge, this will be a week he’ll be out.”
Fields fell backward when he was sacked by Joey Bosa in the fourth quarter and the back of his helmet hit off the turf. He was down for a few moments before he was able to get up and walk off under his own power.
The 36-year-old Taylor will start for the first time since doing so in five games for the Giants in 2023.
“I have competed against him a number of times and there’s an element within him that we also have in Justin that I like a lot,” Glenn said, likely referring to how both are dual-threat quarterbacks.
“The fact that he’s been in this league for a long time, there’s no coverage, there’s no pressure that he hasn’t seen,” Glenn added. “That’s why I have confidence in him. He’s a very studious person, a good athlete. … There’s no better player that you would want as your backup quarterback than him at this point in time.”
Taylor missed the Jets’ three preseason games with a knee injury that required surgery, but Glenn isn’t concerned that Taylor will be compromised in any way. Taylor went 7 of 11 for 56 yards in place of Fields against the Bills, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Ruckert.
“He has over 14 years of reps,” Glenn said of Taylor. “So, he’s not new to this.”
Taylor, who signed a two-year deal with the Jets last year to be Aaron Rodgers’ backup, has 58 career starts in the NFL. He began his career as a backup with Baltimore from 2011 through 2014 before going to Buffalo, where he started 43 games over three seasons.
Taylor later started games for Cleveland (three in 2018), the Los Angeles Chargers (one in 2020), Houston (six in 2021) and the Giants (five in 2023). He has thrown for 12,310 yards and 69 touchdowns with 29 interceptions in 95 games over 14-plus seasons. Taylor also has rushed for 2,302 yards and 19 TDs.
It’s a tough break for Fields, who had a standout debut against Pittsburgh with a touchdown pass and two TD runs in the loss. But he struggled mightily against the Bills, going just 3 of 11 for 27 yards and running for 49 yards on five carries before leaving the game with the concussion.
It is believed to be the first documented concussion for Fields in the NFL.
Glenn said edge rusher Jermaine Johnson (ankle), safety Tony Adams (groin), nickel cornerback Michael Carter II (shoulder), defensive tackle Jay Tufele (illness), wide receiver Josh Reynolds (hamstring) and running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu (hamstring) were being evaluated, but “a lot of those guys are trending in the right direction.”
CAN PATRICK MAHOMES AND THE CHIEFS DEFY HISTORY TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?
Each year after the second week of the NFL season, the long odds that teams face to make the playoffs after losing their first two games get bandied about.
The odds have hovered at just under 12% ever since the NFL expanded the season to 16 games and added a second wild-card team in 1978, with little fluctuation when additional playoff teams were added in 1990 and 2020.
None of those other teams have come off three straight Super Bowl appearances like Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The oddsmakers at BetMGM Sportsbook have Kansas City as a favorite to make the postseason with an implied probability of about 65%, while some other projection models have it closer to a 50-50 proposition.
Since the playoffs expanded in 2020, only five of the 43 teams (11.6%) that started 0-2 made the postseason, but 31 of those teams missed the postseason the previous year. Out of the 12 returning playoff teams that started 0-2, three made the playoffs, with the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore doing it last season and Cincinnati in 2022.
But the goals for the Chiefs are much loftier than getting into the postseason with the team seeking a fourth Super Bowl title in the Mahomes-Andy Reid era. Only three teams — Dallas in 1993, New England in 2001 and the New York Giants in 2007 — have won a Super Bowl following a 0-2 start and only 5% of the teams that have done it since the 1970 merger won their division.
Kansas City has won nine straight division titles — two shy of New England’s record set from 2009-19 — but now is two games behind the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West.
That has flipped the odds in the division at BetMGM, with the Chargers favored and the Chiefs at plus-250 odds to win the division. This is the first time since a three-week stretch midway through 2021 that Kansas City hasn’t been favored to win the AFC West by BetMGM, and the current odds are the longest for the Chiefs since they were plus-275 before the opener in 2018 when Mahomes began his first season as starter.
The only other team that is 0-2 after making the playoffs in 2024 is the two-time defending AFC South champion Texans, with both Houston and Kansas City losing a pair of one-score games.
There are 10 teams that have started the season 2-0, including four that missed the playoffs last season: Arizona, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Francisco. This is the second straight season four teams began the season 2-0 after missing the playoffs, with Minnesota and the Chargers making it to the postseason, while New Orleans and Seattle missed out.
Jackson and Mahomes show off dual-threat abilities
Lamar Jackson already had established himself as the NFL’s best running quarterback ever when he passed Michael Vick as the career leading rusher at the position.
Now he’s the most efficient passer as well.
After throwing four TD passes and no interceptions in a win over Cleveland on Sunday, Jackson improved his career passer rating to 102.65, narrowly moving ahead of Aaron Rodgers at 102.6 for the best rating ever among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts.
Mahomes ranks third on that list at 101.8 but has had to rely more than usual on his legs this season. He ran for 66 yards on Sunday — his most ever in the regular season — and has 123 yards on the ground through two games this season.
Mahomes has accounted for 56.2% of the Chiefs’ yards on the ground this season, the third-highest share for any quarterback through two games in the Super Bowl era. Jackson has the highest mark at 62.4% in 2022 for Baltimore, with Colin Kaepernick the only other QB higher than Mahomes at 57.4% for San Francisco in 2013.
Aubrey’s long range kicks
Long field goals are becoming almost routine, with kickers making 75% of their tries from at least 55 yards so far this season. The 12 makes in 16 tries from at least 55 yards in two weeks equals the entire total from the 2013 season.
Kickers made less than half (49.1%) of their tries from at least 55 yards as recently as 2020.
No one is better at the long-range kicks than Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey, who kicked his second career 64-yarder on the final play of regulation against the Giants on Sunday before winning it with a 46-yarder with no time left in overtime. Aubrey became the first player to convert a tying field goal with no time remaining in the fourth quarter and a winning field goal with no time remaining in overtime in the same game.
Aubrey has half of the made field goals from at least 64 yards ever in the NFL, having also made a 65-yarder last season against Baltimore. Matt Prater was the first player to make a 64-yarder, doing so in 2013 at altitude in Denver, and Justin Tucker set the NFL record with a 66-yarder at Detroit in 2021.
His four field goals from at least 60 yards are tied for the most ever with Brett Maher.
Bumbling Bears
The optimism in Chicago brought on by the hiring of Ben Johnson as coach has dissipated quickly after a rough start to his first season.
The Bears blew an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter of the opener against Minnesota before falling 52-31 to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Only two other teams in NFL history started a season by allowing at least 50 points in one of the first two games and blowing a double-digit lead in the other.
The Jets did it in 1995 to start the Rich Kotite coaching era, losing their opener 52-14 to Miami and then squandering a 24-3 lead in Week 2 against Indianapolis before falling 27-24 in overtime. Kotite went 4-28 as Jets coach before getting fired.
Kotite and Johnson are the only coaches ever to begin a tenure with a team by doing it, according to Sportradar.
It happened one other time to start a season, with the Bears doing it in 1965 under Hall of Fame coach George Halas. Chicago lost the opener 52-24 to San Francisco and then blew a 19-point lead in Week 2 before losing 30-28 to the Rams.
Chicago recovered to go 9-5 that season but missed the playoffs.
PATRICK MAHOMES WELCOMES BACK XAVIER WORTHY AND JALEN ROYALS TO CHIEFS PRACTICE ON HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrated his 30th birthday Wednesday by welcoming Xavier Worthy and Jalen Royals back to practice.
The two wide receivers have hardly played after Worthy hurt his shoulder in a collision with Travis Kelce early in their season opener, and Royals was left dealing with a knee injury from training camp. But after Worthy practiced a bit late last week, coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that neither would have any restrictions in preparing for Sunday night’s game against the New York Giants.
“I’m just excited to get those guys back and, you know, go out there and try to have some success on offense better than we did last week,” said Mahomes, who is off to one of the worst starts of his NFL career for the winless Chiefs.
Mahomes has completed just 58.8% of his passes and averaging 222.5 yards passing in losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Spotty protection from an offensive line that the Chiefs have poured financial and draft resources into over the past few years is one of the problems. But another has been the absence of three wide receivers expected to make a big impact on the team.
Along with the injuries to Worthy and Royals, Rashee Rice is in the midst of a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Few teams can withstand those kinds of losses, and the Chiefs have been no different. Marquise Brown is their only pass catcher with more than six receptions total, and that includes tight end Travis Kelce, who had a touchdown pass bounce off his hands for an interception at the goal line in their Super Bowl rematch against Philadelphia on Sunday.
It’s been reminiscent of last season, when the Chiefs had to withstand a season-ending knee injury to Rice and a shoulder injury to Brown that caused him to miss almost the entire regular season. In that case, Worthy stepped up with a rookie season that far exceeded most expectations, and that made him a focal point of the Chiefs’ offseason plans for the offense.
“I think more than anything,” Mahomes said, “having him out there is a threat in general. He can at any moment take a pass, short or long, and he can take it to the house. Having him on the practice field was very encouraging last week. Obviously we didn’t know after the injury in Brazil (how long he’d be out), but seeing him out there — he wanted to stay out there. We were kind of holding him back. Hopefully we can go through a good week of practice and have him out there.”
The same goes for Royals, whom the Chiefs picked in the fourth round of the draft out of Utah State.
While Worthy has game-breaking speed, Royals offers a similar kind of shifty quickness as Rice, which means he would have been a good option to take on some of the suspended wide receiver’s workload over the first six weeks of the season.
“We’ll just see how he does,” Reid said. “He’s been out for a while. We’ll see how he comes around.”
In the meantime, Mahomes didn’t sound as if he had many other birthday plans Wednesday. The fact that he’s on an 0-2 team for the first time since his sophomore year at Whitehouse High School in Texas has kind of put a damper on things.
“It’s always hard to have a birthday in general — especially this year with the losses — but being so early in the season, you’re so focused on football and trying to get going in the right direction,” Mahomes said. “We celebrated in the offseason. We went down and I hung out with my friends; we all grew up together. I’m a little ahead of them but all of them, their wives are pregnant, they are getting their jobs that they’re going to have for the rest of their life, stuff like that. So it’s cool to see.”
Besides, Mahomes said, “I’ve been saying, I’ve got kids, man. I’ve been 30 forever.’”
NOTES: DE Mike Danna (quad) and CB Kristian Fulton (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. … Reid brushed aside Wednesday any notion of “load management” for Kelce, who turns 36 next month, especially after his slow start. “I don’t think it’s an age thing or anything,” Reid said. “We try to keep an eye on him the best we can.”
CARDINALS PLACE CB GARRETT WILLIAMS AND DL L.J. COLLIER ON INJURED RESERVE IN HIT TO TEAM’S DEFENSE
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals placed defensive lineman L.J. Collier and cornerback Garrett Williams on injured reserve Wednesday, dealing a blow to a defense that’s played well over the first two games.
Collier (knee) and Williams (knee) were both hurt during the team’s 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Coach Jonathan Gannon said there’s a chance that both players could potentially return this season.
The Cardinals also announced Wednesday that they signed cornerback Darren Hall to the active roster from the practice squad.
The injury news wasn’t good for the Cardinals, but it also wasn’t as bad as initially feared.
Two other cornerbacks — Max Melton (knee) and rookie Will Johnson (groin) — also left Sunday’s game with injuries, but Gannon said both are day to day. Melton was on the field for Wednesday’s practice.
The Cardinals were down to their last two cornerbacks by the end of the Panthers game, with rookie Denzel Burke and Kei’Trel Clark pressed into more action. Gannon said he’s pleased with how they responded.
“I’m very confident in whoever we put out there, they’ll give us a chance to win,” Gannon told reporters.
BEARS, STAR CB JAYLON JOHNSON MULLING OPTIONS WITH SEASON-ENDING SURGERY POSSIBLE
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears and star cornerback Jaylon Johnson are mulling their options after the two-time Pro Bowler indicated this week he might have season-ending groin surgery.
Coach Ben Johnson had no update Wednesday, saying “nothing official has been decided yet.” The Bears (0-2) host Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
“I don’t see him being out there here this week, and hopefully we’ll have some clarity here in the near future,” Ben Johnson said.
Jaylon Johnson exited a blowout loss at Detroit on Sunday after he was hurt breaking up a pass. He said Monday in his weekly appearance on WSCR-AM that the groin “as a whole just needs to get repaired” and that he was “trying to see what’s the best option.”
Johnson missed training camp, the preseason and the season opener because of a groin injury. But he said he suffered a new one, in a different part of that region, against the Lions.
It happened early in the second quarter of a 52-21 loss, when he broke up a pass intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown. He stayed on his stomach after lunging to make the play.
Johnson previously injured his groin in what he recently described as a “freak accident” while working with some receivers in Las Vegas over the summer. He said he partially tore the adductor muscle from the pelvic bone, and he did not start practicing until the week leading up to the season-opening loss to Minnesota.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 4: CONFERENCE MATCHUPS IN SPOTLIGHT; MICHIGAN-NEBRASKA A MEASURING-STICK GAME
The college football season has reached the point where conference play starts taking center stage.
All three Associated Press Top 25 matchups Saturday are conference games with intriguing storylines.
In the Big 12, No. 17 Texas Tech and its high-scoring offense visit No. 16 Utah, which has a revived offense to go with its traditionally strong defense.
In the Southeastern Conference, No. 22 Auburn goes to No. 11 Oklahoma, where Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold faces the team he left in December to search for the fresh start that’s turned out well for him.
In the Big Ten, No. 9 Illinois heads to No. 19 Indiana, which has outscored three overmatched opponents 156-23. The Big Ten has another spotlight game with No. 21 Michigan going to Nebraska for a matchup of two of the eight FBS programs with at least 900 all-time wins.
A couple nonconference matchups merit watching.
Florida, with its embattled coach Billy Napier and struggling quarterback DJ Lagway, plays a rivalry game at No. 4 Miami, which is on a roll and got three first-place votes in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 college football poll.
Texas’ home game against Sam Houston usually wouldn’t merit much buildup, but there will be lots of eyeballs on Austin given Arch Manning’s early struggles.
Best game
No. 21 Michigan (2-1) at Nebraska (3-0), 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
Five-star freshman QB Bryce Underwood didn’t respond well in a hostile road environment in the 24-13 loss at Oklahoma on Sept. 6. His confidence should be restored after he accounted for 349 yards and three touchdowns in a 60-point rout of Central Michigan. Biff Poggi will be the Wolverines’ acting coach a second straight game as Sherrone Moore completes his two-game suspension.
Nebraska’s first three games didn’t offer a clue as to whether Matt Rhule’s third year would be a breakthrough for the Cornhuskers. They barely hung on to beat Cincinnati in their opener and QB Dylan Raiola and his teammates fattened their statistics in blowouts of Akron and Houston Christian by a total of 120 points.
The Wolverines hammered Nebraska 45-7 when they visited Lincoln during their 2023 national championship season. Oddsmakers expect this one to be much closer. Michigan is listed as a 2 1/2-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Under the radar
South Carolina (2-1, 0-1 SEC) at No. 23 Missouri (3-0), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
A hit to the head knocked South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers out of the game against Vanderbilt, and coach Shane Beamer was hopeful he would be available against the Tigers. Sellers threw for five touchdowns against Missouri last year, his final one with 15 seconds left giving the Gamecocks a 34-30 win at home.
As SEC schedules go, the Tigers have a favorable one going forward. Missouri needs a win here if it plans to build off last year’s 10-win season and be a factor in the conference race.
Heisman watch
Miami QB Carson Beck’s performance in a 49-12 win over South Florida put him in strong position in what is becoming a wide-open race for the Heisman Trophy.
Beck goes into Saturday’s home game against Florida as the favorite among the wagering public at 7-to-1, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. He threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another against the Bulls and leads the nation in passing accuracy at 79.3%.
Oklahoma QB John Mateer was mostly sharp against Temple and is 9-to-1 heading into his home game against Auburn.
Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar put up big numbers in their QB duel last week and are serious contenders. Stockton gets this week off. Aguilar probably will have a short day against UAB.
Numbers to know
3 — Vicari Swain’s punt returns for touchdowns for South Carolina, tying the program season record set by Dick Harris in 1971.
7 — Florida’s remaining games against AP top-15 opponents, including five in the top 10.
27 — Nebraska’s consecutive losses against Top 25 opponents entering its home game against No. 21 Michigan.
104 — Meetings between SMU and TCU in the “Battle for the Iron Skillet.” The teams have no future games scheduled after they play Saturday in Fort Worth.
223 — Auburn QB Jackson Arnold’s consecutive passes without an interception since he was picked off against Tennessee last September when he was playing for Oklahoma.
Hot seat
UAB’s Trent Dilfer and his team will go to No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday, pick up a $1.65 million guarantee and return to American Conference play against Army on Oct. 4.
The Blazers are 9-18 overall and 5-12 in the American since Dilfer took over in 2023. Their two wins this season are against Alabama State and Akron, and the Blazers needed a touchdown in the last two minutes to get past ASU. In their 38-24 conference loss at Navy, they committed three turnovers while getting shut out in the second half.
Defensive improvement was the priority for this season. The Blazers are actually worse on that side of the ball so far, ranking 131st in yards allowed. Dilfer’s buyout would be $2.4 million at the end of the season.
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NBA NEWS
NEW EUROPEAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE COULD LAUNCH IN 2027 OR ’28, NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER SAYS
NEW YORK (AP) — A new basketball league based in Europe that the NBA and FIBA are working together to launch could begin play in 2027 or ’28, though no timeline has been finalized, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday.
Speaking at a conference hosted by Front Office Sports, Silver called a 2027 start “ambitious, no doubt about it” given the issues that still need to be addressed but did not rule out that possibility. He reiterated previous comments that the timeline could be two to three years, pointing out that existing arenas across Europe could be used at the beginning until more modern infrastructure is built up.
“I don’t think I’d want to go much longer than ’28,” Silver said. “The opportunity is now to do something like this.”
Silver earlier this year said getting the league off the ground closer to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 might make more sense.
The NBA and FIBA, the sport’s global governing body, announced plans in March to pursue a new European league — ending years of speculation about when or if such a move would happen. The process has been moving rapidly and a substantial move was made last month with the NBA brought on JPMorgan Chase and Raine Group to advise on finances and strategy going forward.
Silver said he and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum had positive meetings with political leaders, teams, media companies, possible investors and other stakeholders across Europe, while work continues in the league office to make the project happen.
“I would say I’m enthusiastic about it,” Silver said.
Early plans call for the new league to have 16 teams, though that number could change. Existing European clubs like Real Madrid, Fenerbahce Istanbul and Barcelona are likely to figure into the NBA’s plans for the new league, along with other top soccer brands like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
About one in every six current NBA players is European, including Denver’s Nikola Jokic from Serbia and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece — who have combined for five of the last seven MVP awards — along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic from Slovenia and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama from France.
“Basketball’s probably the fastest-growing sport in the world right now, and it’s a huge No. 2 sport in Europe behind soccer, so I think there’s a real opportunity,” Silver said.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: CUBS TOP PIRATES, CLINCH 1ST PLAYOFF BID SINCE 2020
Ian Happ homered as part of a three-RBI day for the Chicago Cubs, who clinched a playoff spot Wednesday with their 8-4 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Cubs celebrated their first postseason berth since the shortened 2020 campaign after Happ caught the final out in left field to sweep the three-game series and win their fourth straight.
Happ and Moises Ballesteros homered in a four-run first inning for Chicago, which added three runs in the sixth. Aaron Civale (4-9) allowed just a hit in three innings of relief to get his first win with the Cubs and his first since Aug. 2, when he played for the White Sox.
Joey Bart hit a three-run homer for the Pirates, who lost their fourth straight. Yohan Ramirez (1-3) pitched just two-thirds of an inning but was charged with all three sixth-inning runs, none earned.
Yankees 10, Twins 5
Trent Grisham went 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs, and New York pulled away for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Cody Bellinger finished 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for New York, which won the rubber match of the three-game series. Jasson Dominguez and Ryan McMahon contributed one RBI apiece. Yankees right-hander Fernando Cruz (3-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He followed starter Luis Gil, who allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Brooks Lee went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs to lead Minnesota. Royce Lewis finished 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (6-8) surrendered seven runs on eight hits in four innings.
Dodgers 5, Phillies 0
Blake Snell struck out a season-high 12 batters as Los Angeles earned a shutout victory over visiting Philadelphia to avert a three-game series sweep.
Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani hit home runs as the Dodgers maintained their two-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West. Snell gave up two hits and two walks over seven innings. After the Dodgers’ bullpen gave up 14 of the Phillies’ 15 runs in the first two games of the series, Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott finished off the last two innings to cap a three-hitter.
Jesus Luzardo (14-7) gave up four runs over seven-plus innings for the Phillies, who still won their sixth consecutive series while clinching the NL East title on Monday.
Astros 5, Rangers 2
Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena homered as Houston completed a three-game sweep of visiting Texas and moved back into first place in the American League West.
The Astros not only extended their lead over the third-place Rangers to five games, but they also claimed the rubber match in the 13-game season series with Texas. Houston moved a half-game ahead of Seattle atop the division. Astros starter Cristian Javier (2-3) delivered six innings of two-run ball.
The Astros scored twice in the first inning against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (12-8) and extended the margin when Altuve and Pena slugged home runs in the third and fifth innings, respectively. deGrom allowed a season-high-tying five runs on six hits in five innings.
Guardians 4, Tigers 0
Gavin Williams and a handful of relievers combined on a four-hit shutout as streaking Cleveland blanked host Detroit.
Williams (11-5) struck out nine and gave up three hits in five innings. Bo Naylor had a two-run single for the Guardians, who have won 11 of 12 to pull within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Tigers in the American League Central and within 2 1/2 games of a wild-card spot.
Detroit starter Jack Flaherty (8-14) allowed one run and three hits in five innings.
Marlins 8, Rockies 4
Agustin Ramirez homered, Javier Sanoja had three hits, and the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 8-4 in Denver on Wednesday night.
Troy Johnston and Connor Norby had two hits each for the Marlins, who have won the first two games of the three-game series. Miami reliever Lake Bachar (7-2) threw two shutout innings.
Hunter Goodman had three hits and Mickey Moniak homered for the Rockies, who have dropped 21 of their past 25. Reliever Jaden Hill (1-1) allowed one run in his lone inning.
Reds 6, Cardinals 2
Spencer Steer drove in five runs to power Cincinnati past host St. Louis.
Steer went 3-for-4 with a homer and Gavin Lux went 3-for-5 with a run for the Reds, who won two of three games in the series. Cincinnati starter Brady Singer (14-10) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in 5 2/3 innings, with six strikeouts.
Alec Burleson hit a home run for the Cardinals, who lost for the seventh time in nine games. Starter Andre Pallante (6-15) allowed four runs on six hits in five innings.
Giants 5, Diamondbacks 1
Christian Koss’ two-run double keyed a five-run 11th inning and San Francisco beat Arizona in Phoenix to end a four-game losing streak.
Jerar Encarnacion had a tiebreaking single off John Curtiss (3-2). Following Koss’ hit, Grant McCray produced a sacrifice fly and Rafael Devers capped the inning with another run-scoring single as the Giants salvaged the final game of a three-game series.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt threw a career-high nine innings, giving up one hit. Giants starter Justin Verlander matched his longest outing of the year, throwing seven innings.
Orioles 3, White Sox 1
Tyler Wells threw six quality innings, Dylan Beavers hit a two-run homer and visiting Baltimore posted a victory over Chicago to complete a three-game sweep.
Wells (2-0) allowed one run on four hits. Keegan Akin pitched the ninth inning for his seventh save. Beavers homered for the second time in as many games for the Orioles, who have gone 11-4 in September.
White Sox starter Martin Perez (1-6) surrendered three runs on five hits across 3 2/3 innings before exiting due to left shoulder soreness. Mike Tauchman homered for Chicago.
Braves 9, Nationals 4
Matt Olson had three hits, including a home run, and visiting Atlanta rallied from a 3-0 deficit against Washington to complete a four-game sweep.
Olson had three homers and nine RBIs in the series as the Braves outscored the Nationals 31-10. Atlanta totaled 16 hits on Wednesday and has won five straight.
Washington starter Brad Lord gave up two runs on six hits and one walk in 5 1/3 innings.
Rays 2, Blue Jays 1
Ian Seymour was fantastic in his fourth career start, and Chandler Simpson was clutch both in the outfield and at the plate as Tampa Bay snapped a three-game skid against Toronto.
Seymour (4-2) gave up just one unearned run and four hits over seven innings to drop his ERA to 2.54. Simpson was 3-for-4 with a double and the tiebreaking RBI in the seventh after making a defensive play that saved two runs, turning a potential home run from Alejandro Kirk into a sacrifice fly. Yandy Diaz was 2-for-2 with a run batted in and a walk.
Ernie Clement was 2-for-3 for the American League East-leading Blue Jays, who produced only four hits and dropped their first game in the last seven. Kevin Gausman pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits.
Padres 7, Mets 4
Manny Machado hit a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning as San Diego topped host New York to split the first two games of a three-game series between the teams holding down the final two National League wild-card spots.
Ramon Laureano hit an insurance solo homer in the ninth as San Diego won for the fourth time in six games. After relieving starter Nick Pivetta, who surrendered three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, Adrian Morejon (12-5) retired all four batters he faced to earn the win.
Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Starling Marte and Francisco Alvarez homered for the Mets, who dropped their ninth game of the last 11. Starter David Peterson (9-6) gave up six runs on six hits over five innings.
Red Sox 5, Athletics 4 (10 innings)
Nick Sogard’s grounder to second base scored Nate Eaton from third in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Boston a victory over the visiting Athletics.
Rob Refsnyder homered for the Red Sox, who won despite going 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Jarren Duran had three hits, Masataka Yoshida added two hits and two RBIs and Trevor Story contributed two hits and an RBI. Chris Murphy (3-0) entered in the top of the 10th and earned the win. Boston is tied with Seattle in the second AL wild-card spot.
The A’s got three hits from Jacob Wilson and three RBIs from Darell Hernaiz. They had runners on first and third with no outs in the top of the 10th but failed to score. Michael Kelly (4-4) pitched the bottom of the 10th as the Athletics’ five-game winning streak ended.
Royals 7, Mariners 5
Adam Frazier was 2-for-4 with a tiebreaking, two-run homer during a four-run eighth inning as host Kansas City snapped Seattle’s 10-game winning streak.
Salvador Perez added his 29th home run of the season, a three-run shot to open the scoring in the first for the Royals. Starter Cole Ragans threw 62 pitches over 3 2/3 innings in his return from a rotator cuff injury. He surrendered two runs and one hit. Lucas Erceg (8-4) was one of six M’s relievers to enter the game.
Seattle’s Eugenio Suarez was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a two-run homer. J.P. Crawford added a solo shot. Matt Brash (1-3) retired two batters in the eighth for Seattle, giving up four runs on four hits. Starter Bryce Miller allowed three runs on eight hits over five innings.
Brewers 9, Angels 2
Blake Perkins was 2-for-4 with a triple and five RBIs, Sal Frelick had a three-run homer and starter Brandon Woodruff was stellar over five innings for host Milwaukee in a win over Los Angeles.
Woodruff (7-2), making his first start in 11 days, gave up two hits and one run while striking out nine in a 69-pitch outing for the MLB-leading Brewers.
Taylor Ward hit two solo shots, his 32nd and 33rd, for the Angels, who lost their sixth game in a row. Starter Jose Soriano (10-11) left in the second inning after being struck by a 107.4 mph line drive from Jake Bauers. Soriano suffered a right forearm contusion, but X-rays were negative for a fracture.
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WNBA NEWS
TOP SEED LYNX ERASE 17-POINT DEFICIT TO CLOSE OUT SERIES VS. VALKYRIES
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx rallied from as many as 17 points down to close out their first-round WNBA playoff series with the host Golden State Valkyries, 75-74, on Wednesday in San Jose, Calif.
Minnesota (2-0) lost an early lead with 6:15 remaining in the first quarter and didn’t get it back until 2:48 remained in regulation on Kayla McBride’s short-range bucket.
Golden State (0-2), looking to avoid elimination in the expansion franchise’s first-ever playoff series, rode aggressive defense and torrid 3-point shooting to build a double-digit-point lead that spanned most of the second and third quarters.
The Valkyries built their largest lead of 17 points thanks in large part to shooting 11-of-22 from beyond the arc. All five Golden State starters made at least one 3-pointer, led by Veronica Burton’s 3-of-6.
Burton finished with 13 points, six rebounds and nine assists, with the last of her assists coming on a driving dish to Kaila Charles for a corner 3-pointer. Charles’ triple was part of a 5-0 run in the fourth quarter after Minnesota scored the period’s first 11 points to pull within three points.
Golden State’s push to bring the lead back to eight points was short-lived.
Minnesota responded with an 11-2 run, pulling ahead on the McBride basket for two of her 18 points. Napheesa Collier, who scored a game-high 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, put the Lynx ahead for good on a long baseline jumper with 1:24 remaining.
Courtney Williams effectively put the game way in the final minute when she attacked an opening in the defense off the dribble and sunk a 17-foot jumper.
Williams scored six points to go with her seven assists. Bridget Carleton added 12 points for Minnesota, and DiJonai Carrington added 11 points off the bench.
A potential rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals awaits in the next round for Minnesota if the New York Liberty can get past the Phoenix Mercury on Friday in Phoenix. Golden State’s first season came to an end after the Valkyries became the first expansion franchise in league history to make the playoff in its inaugural season.
SATOU SABALLY, MERCURY BLOW OUT LIBERTY, FORCE DECISIVE GAME 3
Satou Sabally scored 15 points in a bounce-back performance, leading the Phoenix Mercury to a 86-60 win over the host New York Liberty on Wednesday and tying their best-of-three first-round playoff series at one game each.
The deciding game will be played on Friday night in Phoenix.
Sabally made 5 of 11 shots on Wednesday, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range. On Sunday, she shot just 2-for-17, including 1-for-10 from deep, and finished with nine points as Phoenix lost the opener at home in overtime, 76-69 in overtime.
In Game 2, however, fourth-seeded Phoenix used a 15-0 second-quarter run to build a first-half lead that got as high as 19 points.
The fifth-seeded Liberty, the reigning WNBA champions, never recovered.
The margin topped out at 31 points as Phoenix produced its first playoff win since 2021.
Phoenix also got 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds from Alyssa Thomas. Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner added 14 points each, and Kathryn Westbeld contributed 10 points.
Liberty All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu, a 93.3 percent foul shooter this year, missed her first four free throws. She had never missed more than two free throws in a game in her career. She finished the game with nine points after going 2-for-6 from the foul line and 1-for-8 on 3-point attempts.
New York’s Breanna Stewart, a seven-time All-Star, started despite sustaining an MCL strain on Sunday. Stewart scored just six points in 20 minutes.
Emma Meesseman put up a team-high 11 points off the bench for New York. Liberty center Jonquel Jones produced seven points and a game-high 13 rebounds, but she went scoreless after the first quarter.
The opening period ended with a 25-25 score. The Liberty, who led the league with 83.7 percent foul shooting in the regular season, made just 2 of 7 from the line in the opening quarter. Phoenix made 7 of 7.
Sabally scored 10 points in the second quarter as the Mercury — despite a late Liberty run — settled for a 51-37 halftime lead. New York shot just 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) from the floor in the second period.
The Liberty got stops in the third quarter, but they couldn’t take advantage, missing their first 11 shots. New York’s first field goal of the quarter came on a Meesseman layup with 1:35 left, and the Mercury led 69-47 entering the fourth.
For the game, Phoenix had a 20-2 edge on fastbreak points.
New York shot just 30.2 percent from the floor while Phoenix hit 47.9 percent.
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NASCAR NEWS
STUBBS: RESETTING NASCAR PLAYOFFS ENTERING ROUND OF 12
Following the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, only 12 drivers remain alive in the NASCAR Cup Series championship hunt.
The second round of the Cup Series playoffs consists of three unique racetracks: the one-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway and the 2.32-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
The postseason intensity will only ratchet up in the second round, where four more drivers will be eliminated from playoff contention at Charlotte on Oct. 5.
As teams prepare to take on the ‘Magic Mile’ of New Hampshire on Sunday, here’s the current playoff outlook for every Round of 12 driver.
FEELING GOOD
It’s hard to say that there could be any ‘near locks’ for the Round of 8, given the variety of tracks in the Round of 12 and the way the points standings have narrowed. However, there are still a few drivers that stand out above the rest and should have an easier time advancing to the penultimate round of the playoffs.
-Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
As his 45th birthday nears, Hamlin is putting together some of the best races of his career. It’d be shocking if the five-time 2025 winner didn’t advance to the Round of 8, especially considering that he’ll be among the favorites to win at both New Hampshire and Kansas.
The Roval could bring him some trouble if he finds himself close to the cut line, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Hamlin isn’t at least comfortable on points going into Charlotte.
-Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Larson’s Round of 12 outlook is similar to Hamlin’s. There are two tracks — Kansas and the Charlotte Roval — where the 2021 champion will be among the favorites to win. That’s especially true given that Larson is the defending Charlotte Roval winner and dominated the May 11 race at Kansas Speedway.
Unlike Hamlin, however, the remaining race — in this case, New Hampshire — isn’t as big a weak spot for Larson as the Roval is for Hamlin. Larson has finished top-five in the last two New Hampshire races, and a similar result on Sunday would leave Larson sitting pretty ahead of Kansas.
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN
These drivers won’t waltz through the Round of 12 effortlessly, but it’d be surprising to see them eliminated.
-William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Byron’s inclusion in this category comes with a caveat — the No. 24 team must wake up and find the speed that took them to the Championship 4 in 2023 and 2024. Byron didn’t finish inside the top 10 once in the Round of 16. The two-time Daytona 500 winner is certainly capable of winning a Round of 12 race or easily advancing on points, and most HMS fans would argue that doing so is the bare minimum expectation.
Byron has earned a reputation as a championship-caliber driver over the past three seasons, but he can’t afford to rest on his laurels over the next three weeks.
-Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Bell’s insertion into this list is mainly due to the fact that New Hampshire Motor Speedway opens the Round of 12. Bell has made NHMS his playground in recent years, winning two of the last three Cup Series races at the track. Even if he can’t win on Sunday, he has enough of a points gap (plus-20) to the cut line that top-10 runs at Kansas and the Roval would likely be enough to get Bell to the Round of 8.
-Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford, Team Penske
Blaney is looking to get to the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year. He enters the Round of 12 with a 19-point advantage over the cut line and on the heels of consecutive top-five finishes.
Blaney has only one win at tracks in the Round of 12, and it was a chaotic victory at the Roval in 2018, which was the result of a last-lap tangle between Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. However, it’d still be shocking if Blaney isn’t able to point his way into the Round of 8 in search of his second title in three years.
DANGER ZONE
These drivers are currently close to the cut line and will have to scratch and claw in order to make the Round of 8.
-Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Briscoe has been red-hot over the last three months of the season, but he’s only 10 points above the cut line going into New Hampshire. Should the No. 19 team encounter a crash, mechanical failure or any other significant misfortune during even one Round of 12 race, they could be on the wrong side of the cut line in a hurry.
The good news for Briscoe? He’s looked like a championship-caliber driver over the second half of the season. He’ll need to keep driving like one to advance.
-Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
The days of Elliott making the Championship 4 three years in a row (2020-22) now seem like decades away. If Elliott can’t find a win at the Charlotte Roval, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him within 10 points of either side of the cut line when the checkered flag flies in the Queen City.
Elliott can still be an elite driver, but the No. 9 team as a whole is not at the same level it was just three short years ago.
-Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota, 23XI Racing
Wallace is in a similar position to Briscoe: a small gap (plus-1) to the cut line with a lot of momentum on his side. Kansas is Wallace’s shot to win his way into the Round of 8, but a history of middling results at both New Hampshire and the Roval suggests that Wallace’s likely Round of 12 outcome will be a dogfight to advance.
-Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske
Cindric will have to shine at the Roval and secure at least top-15 finishes at both New Hampshire and Kansas to give himself a chance to advance. Reaching the Round of 12 is an accomplishment, but it’s time for the 2022 Daytona 500 champion to have a breakout playoff run and prove his worth to Roger Penske — something that could be accomplished by getting to the Round of 8 for the first time in his career.
-Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske
The defending champion isn’t in an optimal situation going into the Round of 12, but everyone in the garage knows that he can’t be counted out. Logano is a past winner at both Kansas and New Hampshire, and it might take another victory for Logano to keep his hopes of defending his championship alive.
-Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet, Trackhouse Racing
Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing team are still struggling to unload with speed on Saturday for practice and qualifying. If that trend continues in the Round of 12, it will be incredibly tough for Chastain to advance.
There is some hope for Chastain, however: he’s the defending winner at Kansas, and if presented with another opportunity to win at the 1.5-mile venue, he’ll do all he can to get back to victory lane.
-Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota, 23XI Racing
Reddick is yet to win this season, and his subsequent lack of playoff points is beginning to seriously hurt him. Like with his 23XI teammate Wallace, Kansas is Reddick’s best chance to win his way to the Round of 8. Without that win, Reddick will be entrenched in a brutal fight for a transfer spot.
–Samuel Stubbs, Field Level Media
+++TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS RB JONATHAN TAYLOR NAMED AFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR WEEK 2
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor on Wednesday was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 2.
Taylor exploded for a massive 68-yard run and 43-yard reception on his way to recording 215 all-purpose in the Colts’ 29-28 win over the Denver Broncos. The veteran running back was in prime form, with 25 carries for 165 yards (6.6 yards/attempt) and two receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown against a highly regarded Broncos defense. Through two games, Taylor leads the NFL with 236 rushing yards.
Taylor’s 215 all-purpose yards are the third-most he’s recorded in his career; Sunday was Taylor’s fifth career game with over 200 scrimmage yards, tying Edgerrin James for most in Colts history. Taylor’s 43-yard reception is the second-longest of his career, he also became the first Colts player to have at least 150 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in a single game since Marshall Faulk in Week 13 of the 1998 season.
Sunday also marked the 25th game in which Taylor has recorded at least 100 rushing yards – passing Eric Dickerson (24) for the second-most 100-yard rushing games in franchise history – and his seventh consecutive game with at least 70 rushing yards, good for the longest active streak in the NFL.
Taylor is the first Colts player to earn player of the week honors this season.
This is the fourth time Taylor has won AFC Player of the Week honors in his career. He previously won it in Week 16 of the 2024 season (when he rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans), Week 10 of 2022 (a 147-yard performance against the Las Vegas Raiders) and Week 11 of 2021 (his five-touchdown game against the Buffalo Bills).
COLTS TE TYLER WARREN SITS WEDNESDAY WITH TOE INJURY
Colts leading receiver Tyler Warren wore a floppy fishing hat and walked adjacent to the practice field on Wednesday as Indianapolis gears up for its first road trip of the season.
Warren did not practice due to a toe injury but said he expects to be available later in the week and to play in Sunday’s game at Tennessee.
Warren appeared to injure a toe on his plant foot after a catch with 11 minutes left in the third quarter of the Week 2 win over the Broncos. He caught a pass in the left flat, stopped, and cut upfield to the right. Warren stayed on the field and logged 66 total snaps.
Quarterback Daniel Jones’ favorite receiver this season, Warren has a team-leading 11 receptions.
The 14th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Warren leads all tight ends in yards (155) and yards after the catch (90).
Wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle), who is third on the team with eight catches, also missed Wednesday’s practice.
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INDIANA FEVER
GAME PREVIEW: FEVER, DREAM SET FOR WINNER-TAKE-ALL CLASH ON THURSDAY
Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream (Game 3)
Thursday, September 18
Gateway Center Arena | 7:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – John Nolan (play-by-play), Bria Goss (analyst)
Probable Starters
Indiana Fever
Guard – Odyssey Sims
Guard – Kelsey Mitchell
Forward – Lexie Hull
Forward – Natasha Howard
Center – Aliyah Boston
Atlanta Dream
Guard – Jordin Canada
Guard – Allisha Gray
Forward – Rhyne Howard
Forward – Naz Hillmon
Center – Brionna Jones
GAME PREVIEW:
After splitting the first two games of their best-of-three series, the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream will meet for the third and final time this postseason on Thursday night in Atlanta. The winner advances to the WNBA semifinals, while the loser is eliminated.
The Fever bounced back from an 80-68 loss on Sunday in Game 1 by routing the Dream on Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana led by as many as 24 points in a 77-60 victory. The Fever went 8-for-19 (42.1 percent) from 3-point range and limited Atlanta to just 37.9 percent shooting from the field in the win.
Kelsey Mitchell has led the Fever offense during the postseason, tallying a game-high 27 points in Game 1 and following that up with 19 points and four assists while going 4-for-8 from beyond the arc in Game 2.
The Fever’s defense was particularly effective on Atlanta’s All-Star guards Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray on Tuesday. Howard and Gray scored 20 points apiece in Game 1, but combined for just 19 total points in Game 2. Howard had 10 points and went 3-for-9 from the field and 0-for-4 from 3-point range (she was 4-for-10 from long distance in Game 1). Gray scored nine points on just 4-of-16 shooting on Tuesday.
Despite an injury-riddled season that has seen the Fever lose five players to season-ending injuries and a sixth (Damiris Dantas) currently in the concussion protocol, the Fever are just one win away from advancing to the semifinals.
“This is a group that’s confidence has never really wavered,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said of the opportunity that lies ahead. “We’ve been in every kind of situation you can imagine and we’ve been able to find ways to put ourselves in position to win. And this will be no different. Obviously it’s going to be on the opponent’s home floor, but it doesn’t matter.
“I think for us if we maintain our attention to detail, if we continue the defensive effort we had tonight, and we shoot with confidence, we give ourselves a chance. This group has continued to show their heart and their character night in and night out.”
The winner of Game 3 on Thursday will advance to face the winner of Game 3 between Las Vegas and Seattle in the semifinals. The Aces and Storm meet on Thursday at 9:30 PM ET in Las Vegas.
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INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER
MATCH CENTRAL: INDIANA AT MARYLAND
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s soccer continues Big Ten play on the road as they play at Maryland at College Park, Md. the game is scheduled to be played on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
ABOUT THE TERRAPINS
In a series led by the Hoosiers 4-2-3, The Hoosiers look to make it two wins in a row at Maryland. The previous matchup resulted in a 2-0 shutout against the Terrapins.
The Hoosiers head to College Park, Md. to take on a Maryland team looking to get back on track. After starting the season 4-1, the Terrapins have lost their last three matches to Florida, James Madison and No. 8 Penn State to open Big Ten play.
LAST TIME OUT
IU opened Big Ten play last Friday when they faced off against Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
The first half was dictated by the defenses, as neither team could find their footing, offensively. through the first 45′ both teams combined for six total shot attempts.
Illinois came out of the break ready to attack but graduate goalkeeper Sally Rainey was ready in goal. in the 57th minute Rainey made back-to-back saves to keep the game tied at 0-0.
Senior forward Marisa Grzesiak saw two breakaway opportunities but was unable to convert on each attempt.
The Illini tried to make one last push to win the game, but Rainey would make four saves in the final five minutes to keep the result at a 0-0 draw.
QUICK STATS
The Hoosiers have six goal scorers on the season. Maggie Ledwith, Aleyna Quinn, Sarah Sirdah, Grace Hamm, and Abbey Iler each lead the way with two goals apiece. Haden Vlcek has also scored for Indiana.
Ledwith leads the team in points with six, followed by Hamm with six. Hamm and Sirdah follow with five points each. Quinn and Iler have four points, followed by Vlcek with two. Marisa Grzesiak, Olivia Rush, Olivia Smith, Ella Stanley, and Olivia Smith have recorded one point.
Indiana has taken 105 shots from 18 different players on the season. Ledwith leads the way with 19, followed by Grzesiak and Neighbors with 12 each. Quinn has recorded ten shots, while Hamm and Sirdah follow with nine shots each. Vlcek has also added eight shot attempts for the Hoosiers.
Offensively, IU is outshooting their opponents 105-84 on shot attempts. They also lead in shots on goal attempts 44-34.
The Hoosiers have been a second half scoring team with eight of their 11 goals this season coming in the second half.
In goal, Sally Rainey and Dani Jacobson have only allowed six goals and combined for two shutouts on the season. Jacobson also has an additional shutout against Ball State.
Rainey has three games this season recording at least five saves. She has totaled 18 saves on the year.
IU is shooting 100% on their penalty kicks. Sirdah and Hamm have each of Indiana’s two attempts.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers will stay on the east coast when they travel to Piscataway, N.J. to face Rutgers on Sunday, Sept. 21st at 1 pm. This will be the final of three straight road games to open Big Ten play.
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PURDUE FOOTBALL
GAME 4 PREP: BOILERS MAKE FIRST ROAD TRIP OF ODOM ERA, FACE #21 NOTRE DAME
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After kicking off the Barry Odom era with three straight home games, Purdue Football hits the road for the first time under its new head coach. The Boilermakers make the 112-mile trip north to South Bend, Ind., to face No. 21 Notre Dame with the Shillelagh Trophy up for grabs. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
QUICK HITS
The Boilermakers finished the homestand 2-1, winning the first two games before dropping the Big Ten opener against USC in a game that was delayed three hours and five minutes due to lightning.
Purdue and Notre Dame are meeting for the 89th time in a series that started in 1896 with a 28-22 Boilermaker victory. The two programs have battled for the Shillelagh since 1957.
Throughout history, the Boilermakers are 4-2 on September 20. That includes a four-game winning streak on that date.
Nearly 75 years ago (Oct. 7, 1950), an unranked Purdue upset No. 1 Notre Dame 28-14 at Notre Dame Stadium. It was the first of four Purdue victories throughout history when the Fighting Irish were ranked No. 1 in the country, all between 1950-1967.
Notre Dame is one of six current Top 25 teams on Purdue’s schedule this season. A year ago, the Boilermakers became the first team in history to face five College Football Playoff teams during the regular season.
The Purdue defense has not given up a touchdown in the second half this season.
Devin Mockobee is currently ranked in the program Top 10 in several career categories: 100-yard rushing games (4th), rushing yards (5th), rushing touchdowns (9th).
Quarterback Ryan Browne ranks fourth in the Big Ten in passing, averaging 262.0 yards per game. Browne has eclipsed 300 yards passing in two of the three games this season.
Browne’s 14.04 yards per completion ranks 15th in the nation.
Sophomore linebacker Charles Correa is one of two underclassmen in the country to have at least 20 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks this season (MarcAnthony Parker – Navy).
Three Boilermakers crack the nation’s Top 25 in solo tackles. Tahj Ra-El ranks 18th with 16 solo tackles (5.3 per game), while Correa and Myles Slusher are tied for 23rd with 15 solo tackles (5.0 per game).
Purdue is one of two teams (Kansas State) nationally to have three players with at least 15 solo tackles.
EJ Horton Jr. and Michael Jackson III led the Boilermakers with 70 receiving yards apiece last week. It marked the first time since Purdue’s victory in the 2023 Old Oaken Bucket Game that two Boilermakers recorded at least 70 receiving yards in the same game.
Jack McCallister is the first Purdue punter to average at least 50 yards per punt in a game (min. 3 punts) twice in a season since Jared Armstrong in 2006.
BATTLE FOR THE SHILLELAGH TROPHY
One of the most played matchups in Purdue Football history, Saturday’s Shillelagh Trophy Game will be the 89th all-time meeting between the Boilermakers and Notre Dame.
Purdue has only played four opponents more times than the Fighting Irish: Indiana (126), Illinois (100), Iowa (94) and Wisconsin (91).
Purdue and Notre Dame have played for the Shillelagh since 1957. It was donated by Joe McLaughlin, a merchant seaman and a Fighting Irish fan who brought the club from Ireland.
Purdue claimed three out of five games from Notre Dame from 2003-07, taking ownership of the Shillelagh Trophy in 2003, 2004 and 2007.
SUCCESS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
Purdue has beaten seven ranked teams over the past seven seasons despite being the underdog in each one of those games.
Three of those wins were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
The victories during the 2021 campaign (No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State) gave Purdue multiple wins over Top 5 teams in one season for the first time since 1960 (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 1 Minnesota).
Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
Purdue has defeated a ranked Notre Dame team 16 times throughout history, including seven wins when the Fighting Irish cracked the Top 5 and four victories when Notre Dame was the No. 1 team in the country (1950, 1954, 1965, 1967).
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
After giving up some record-breaking numbers last year, the Purdue defense has locked down under new head coach Barry Odom and defensive coordinator Mike Scherer.
The Boilermaker defense has not given up a touchdown in the second half this season. A 70-yard pick six by USC was the only touchdown scored by an opposing team after halftime.
Purdue’s defense has surrendered just nine second half points over the first three games.
The Boilermakers shut out Ball State in the season opener, one of 10 teams to start the year with a shutout, allowing only 203 yards of total offense.
In the final three quarters against SIU, Purdue only gave up three points and 130 yards, including just 66 yards in the second half.
FROM GEORGIA TO PURDUE
In the offseason, the Purdue wide receiver room welcomed a pair of Georgia transfers who have become an important part of the Boilermaker offense.
After making the move north, Michael Jackson III and Nitro Tuggle have combined for 21 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns through the first three games of the season.
Jackson leads the Boilermakers in receptions (14), while Tuggle’s two receiving touchdowns are tied for a team best.
Both receivers had their biggest games as Boilermakers in the B1G opener against USC. Jackson paced Purdue with seven receptions for 70 yards, and Tuggle added four catches for 69 yards and a touchdown, all season highs for the dynamic duo.
FAST START
Purdue got off to fast starts in its first two games of the season. The Boilermakers scored touchdowns on their first two drives in both games, totaling 28 points. Purdue scored only 13 first quarter points Purdue throughout all of last season.
Arhmad Branch scored Purdue’s first touchdown in both games. The wide receiver has gotten off to fast starts of his own, recording five catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns in first quarters this year.
It took the Boilermakers two plays and only 36 seconds to score for their first points of the season. After a 13-yard run by Devin Mockobee, Ryan Browne found Branch down the middle of the field. The sophomore wideout broke multiple tackles and added a smooth spin move before finding the end zone for the 49-yard touchdown.
The last time Purdue scored within the first minute of the season was at the start of the 1981 campaign.
IN-STATE OPPOSITION
A schedule rarity, Purdue has three opponents from the state of Indiana this season.
Purdue downed Ball State 31-0 to start the year.
The Boilermakers will square off with Notre Dame for the Shillelagh Trophy on Sept 20.
Purdue will close the regular season with the 100th Old Oaken Bucket Game against Indiana on Black Friday (Nov. 28)
It marks the second straight season the Boilermakers will face three in-state foes and just the fifth time in the last 25 years.
THAT’S A FACT, JACK – FOR THE BRAND
A starting punter for the past three seasons at Washington, senior Jack McCallister had no problem bringing his talents from the Pacific Northwest to West Lafayette.
A weapon for the Boilermakers, McCallister’s punts have forced opponents to a starting field position of their own 10.8-yard line.
McCallister has punted six times on the year for an average of 52.3 yards per boot. He has dropped five ball inside the 20-yard line and launched four punts of 50 yards or more with a long of 68.
Against USC, McCallister was called upon three times for an average of 54.3 yards per game, including a 68-yard boot.
The 68-yard punt was the longest by a Boilermaker since Brooks Cormier’s 69-yard punt against Minnesota in 2019.
He is one of three Purdue punters to average 50+ yards on a minimum of three punts twice in a season since at least 1995 joining Jared Armstrong (2006) and Travis Dorsch (2000, 2001).
In his Purdue debut, McCallister punted three times and averaged 50.3 yards per punt with all three landing inside the 20-yard line.
He was named to the Ray Guy Award Ray’s 8 after Week 1 and Week 3 of the season.
GAME NOTES: https://purduesports.com/documents/4272c1bd-0f79-4357-9033-f577427621b2.pdf
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PURDUE MEN’S GOLF
BOILERMAKERS FACE LOADED FIELD AT OLYMPIA FIELDS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men’s golf team steps into the fire this weekend when it heads to the Chicago suburbs for one of college golf’s premier events at Olympia Fields Country Club for the Fighting Illini / Olympia Fields Invitational.
Purdue last appeared in the tournament in Sept. 2023, and will be facing one of college golf’s toughest fields. The Boilermakers will be competing for the second time this season after taking a three-week hiatus after the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate in Michigan.
It also begins a stretch of four straight weekends of competition for the Boilermakers. All told, Purdue will play five more tournaments over a span of the next six weeks.
Ten of the nation’s top-25 teams from last year’s final rankings, including defending National Champion Oklahoma State, will compete this weekend at Olympia Fields. Only three of the teams (Loyola Marymount, Indiana and Baylor) finished last year outside of the top 50.
THE FIELD (Final 2025 Clippd Rankings)
2 Oklahoma State
3 Arizona State
5 Texas
6 Florida
10 Florida State
11 Texas A&M
13 Illinois
18 Alabama
21 Texas Tech
23 Georgia Tech
38 Purdue
41 Stanford
59 Loyola Marymount
72 Indiana
82 Baylor
TEAM NOTES
• Purdue is coming off a second-place finish at the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate three weeks ago in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
• The Boilermakers’ score of 49-under par 815 was the second-lowest, 54-hole score in school history. It featured a second-round tally of 24-under par 264, the lowest 18-hole score in school history.
• Purdue has now shot 280 or better in all three rounds in a tournament seven times in school history. Three of the occurrences have come under head coach Andrew Sapp.
• The 815 shot in Michigan was the best 54-hole score in a season-opening tournament in school history, surpassing the 838 at the Marquette Intercollegiate in Sept. 2021, by 23 shots.
• Purdue’s five on the counting team registered no double-bogeys or worse during the entire tournament of the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
PURDUE LINEUP
• Sam Easterbrook (Jr. / Tomworth, England)
… 2025 First-team All-Big Ten honoree.
… Owns 10 top-10 finishes in just 26 career events, needing one more top-10 finish to move into the top 10 in school history.
… Has a 72.32 career stroke average, good for second all-time behind All-American Herman Sekne (71.42).
… Owns 18 career rounds in the 60s and 36 of his 75 career rounds have been even or under par.
… Finished T-6th at the season-opening Island Resort Intercollegiate at 12-under par 204 (71-66-67); was 11-under par 133 over his final two rounds.
• Kentaro Nanayama (Sr. / Jakarta, Indonesia)
… Totaled a 6-under par 210 (69-71-70) to finish T-23 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate.
… Has a 72.46 career stroke average in 54 rounds, despite playing just 19 rounds on the counting team.
… Owns two top-20 finishes, including a T-18 finish at the Boilermaker Invitational where he was in the top five after 36 holes.
… Won the Badger Individual to start his redshirt freshman year in Sept. 2022.
… Eight of his last 12 rounds have been even or under-par.
• Supapon Amornchaichan (So. / Bangkok, Thailand)
… 2025 Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman – one of three freshmen nationally to be named to ANY All-American squad.
… Finished T-15 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, his third straight top-15 finish dating to his freshman season.
… Finished T-9th at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish for a Boilermaker since 1961.
… Also finished T-15 at the NCAA Auburn Regional to begin a strong postseason run.
… 35 of his 43 career rounds have been 75 or lower, including 17 straight rounds.
• Andre Zhu (R-Fr. / Richmond Hill, Ontario)
… Named Big Ten Golfer of the Week following a T-3 showing at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, in his first career event (68-65-68=201; -15).
… The 201 was the third-lowest, 54-hole score in Purdue history, and the lowest by five shots by a freshman.
… Became the fourth player in school history to have three rounds of 68 or better (Herman Sekne, Cole Bradley, Pariya Junhasavasdikul).
… Redshirted a year ago at the University of South Carolina, under previous Purdue head coach Rob Bradley.
… Was a standout high school golfer in Canada, earning four AJGA wins as a freshman and sophomore.
• Will Harvey (Fr. / Westfield, Indiana)
… Placed T-15 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate, shooting 8-under par 208 (70-64-74).
… His second-round 64 tied for the fourth-best round in Purdue history and was the lowest round in school history by a freshman.
… Won the 2025 Indiana High School championship by three shots, tying the record for lowest 36-hole score in state championship history.
… Was named the 2025 Hoosier Conference Athlete of the Year.
… Also a strong basketball player, named second-team All-Conference after shooting over 46 percent from 3-point range. Attended same high school as Purdue Basketball’s current All-American Braden Smith.
PREVIOUSLY AT THE FIGHTING ILLINI / OLYMPIA FIELDS INVITATIONAL
This marks Purdue’s 11th appearance at Olympia Fields, last competing in Sept. 2023 (T-11th place; 36 holes). The Boilermakers have struggled against the elite field, finishing in the top five just once (2006; 3rd) with T-11th (2023), 10th (2021), 12th (2018), T-8th (2016) and 14th- (2012) place showings in the last five trips. Sam Easterbrook is the lone Boilermaker to play on the course, shooting 78-69=147 in 2023 as a freshman.
THE COURSE
One of the top courses in the country, Olympia Fields has hosted two U.S. Opens (1928, 2003), two PGA Championships (1925, 1961), a U.S. Amateur (2015) and two BMW Championships (2020, 2023). Known for its massive clubhouse and clock tower, the course is a classic parkland course that can stretch to almost 7,300 yards while playing just par 70. The North course enjoys pleasant terrain that boasts some significant but walkable elevation changes, a winding creek, and its share of trees. The bunkers are deep and penal while the undulated greens are a formidable challenge to navigate when rolling firm and fast.
WEATHER FORECAST
Friday: Sunny, 84 degrees; SE winds 7 MPH
Saturday: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees; SE winds 8 MPH
Sunday: Chance of thunderstorms, 80 degrees; SSW winds 11 MPH
LIVE SCORING
Will be available on golfstat.com.
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
NO. 24 NOTRE DAME SEARCHING FOR CURE TO DEFENSIVE WOES BEFORE TAKING ON PURDUE
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — No. 24 Notre Dame faces a familiar predicament — two early-season losses has left no margin for error.
The circumstances have changed, though. This time, it’s the usually stout Fighting Irish defense searching for answers as it faces rival Purdue (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten) on Saturday. It wouldn’t be the first time Notre Dame has used this matchup as a springboard to change directions.
A year ago, after a stinging 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois at home, the Irish hit their stride by handing the Boilermakers what was then the worst loss in program history, 66-7. It was the first step on a 14-game winning streak that sent them to the national championship game.
Back then, though, Al Golden’s defense was the team’s heart and soul. Notre Dame led the nation with 33 takeaways, was third nationally with 38 sacks and finished in the top five in points allowed (15.5).
With Golden and six key players from that team off to the NFL, Chris Ash has taken over as defensive coordinator, and things have not started well. The Irish surrendered 68 points in losses to Miami and Texas A&M, compared with 70 in their first six games last year, and have one interception and one sack.
Worse, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed threw for a career-high 360 yards in a 41-40 come-from-behind win. It was the most points allowed by Notre Dame since a 45-14 loss to Michigan in 2019.
Coach Marcus Freeman, a former linebacker and defensive coordinator, is spending this week trying to find solutions, and he indicated Monday he may get more involved than usual in the defensive meetings.
“It’s the execution of what we’re asking them to do,” he said. “If we’re asking them to do things they can’t execute, then we have to evaluate what we’re asking them to do. Like I said, it’s not a call, it’s not a scheme, there’s no perfect call, no perfect scheme. It’s the ability to execute.”
Whatever the explanation, the defensive stats have plummeted. The Irish rank 118th in points allowed (34.0), 113th in pass rush and 129th in pass coverage.
Freeman doesn’t blame the early-season woes on a new defensive system or so many new faces. Instead, he wants to see the Irish eliminate the big plays that allowed Texas A&M to rally.
“What we can’t do is let a bad play turn into an explosive play. (Texas A&M) had over 200 yards on six plays,” Freeman said. “What does a lack of execution come down to? It could be a lack of focus, a lack of proper technique, a lack of understanding what’s expected — a personnel issue where you’re asking somebody to do something that they can’t do consistently.”
Safety Adon Shuler believes it’s not a personnel issue, either.
Rather, he thinks the answer is better practices, which would lead to faster, more violent action on Saturdays.
The first test comes this weekend against a vastly improved Purdue team under first-year coach Barry Odom. The Boilermakers are coming off a 33-17 loss to Southern California in their Big Ten Conference opener but are averaging 391.3 total yards and 27.3 points per game, a substantial upgrade over their 15.8 ppg average last season.
And if Notre Dame doesn’t plug some holes fast, it could be staring at its first 0-3 start since 2008 — likely leaving it out of the playoff chase. But Shuler saw how the Irish responded to last year’s challenge and thinks they can do it again.
“(Coach Freeman said), ‘We could be here, like, oh, we’re five points away from being 2-0, but that doesn’t help us,’” he said. “The reality is, we’re 0-2, and we have to have that mindset and that grit to go get it.”
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BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL
HOME SWEET HOME: WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL RETURNS TO WORTHEN THURSDAY
THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women’s volleyball team will be in action at home the first time this season when it hosts Cincinnati at 11:30 a.m. Thursday for Field Trip Day … It is the first of three home matches on the week, as the Cardinals also welcome Purdue Friday (6 p.m.) and Eastern Kentucky Saturday (4 p.m.).
FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans unable to make their way to Worthen Arena have several ways to follow the action … All three Ball State matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ … Ball State Sports Link Digital will have the audio call on their social channels (@bsusportslink) … Live stats will be available via StatBroadcast courtesy of Ball State Athletics … Updates from the matches will also be provided on the team’s X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.
MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATION: Ball State women’s volleyball team received 102 points in the league’s annual coaches’ poll, trailing only defending regular season champion Bowling Green (119) … With coaches unable to vote for their own teams, BGSU earned 10 of the 12 votes to win the MAC regular season title, with the Cardinals claiming the other two … The Falcons were also selected as the favorite to win the MAC Volleyball Championship with 10 votes, while Buffalo and Central Michigan each garnered one vote.
PRESEASON HONORS: In addition to the team rankings, the MAC announced its annual Preseason All-MAC Team … Representing Ball State are sophomore outside Carson Tyler and sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter … Tyler was named the 2024 MAC and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year after ranking first on the team and seventh in the league with a 3.34 kills-per-set average last season … Ledbetter earned a nod on the 2024 MAC All-Freshman team after leading the squad and ranking 10th in the MAC with a 3.68 digs-per-set average.
BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters Thursday’s match versus Cincinnati with a 1038-663-2 (.610) all-time record in women’s volleyball … Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 … All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 MAC West Division Championships, 10 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles … Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons … BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 324-100 (.764) all-time mark inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-38 (.689) record against non-conference foes … Purdue is the only team of this week’s opponents to have played regular season match in Worthen Arena, with the Boilermakers earning a 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-21) victory Sept. 6, 2008 … Looking at just opponents from the MAC, Ball State is 240-62 (.795) when battling in its current home gym … Overall, no MAC opponent owns a winning record inside Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals have at least a .630 winning percentage against all league schools on its current home floor.
BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 13-5 league record in 2024, Ball State maintained its status as the winningest program in league play with a 459-225 (.671) all-time Mid-American Conference mark … Western Michigan is second on the list, two matches behind the Cardinals at 457-227 (.668).
SCOUTING BALL STATE:
• The Cardinals enter the week with a 4-5 overall record after going 2-1 at last weekend’s Marquette Tournament … Ball State started the event with a 3-2 win over the host Golden Eagles Friday, before sweeping Milwaukee Saturday … Unfortunately, James Madison rallied for a 3-2 Sunday win.
• Ball State enters the week as one of the nation’s top terminating teams, ranking 19th nationally with 500 total kills … 158 of those kills have come from the arm of sophomore outside Carson Tyler who ranks second in the MAC and 47th nationally with a 4.16 kills-per-set average.
• In addition, the Cardinals lead the MAC and rank 75th nationally with a .250 team attack percentage … Junior middle Camryn Wise is third in the league with a .356 rate of success, while graduate outside Noelle VanOort is 10th at .294.
SCOUTING CINCINNATI:
• Cincinnati, led by former Bowling Green head coach Danijela Tomic who is in her first season at UC after spending the past 13 at BGSU, enters the weekend with a 6-2 overall record after going 1-1 at last weekend’s Linda Herman Classic hosted by Illinois State … The Bearcats opened the event with a 3-0 loss to Illinois, before rebounding for a 3-1 victory over the host Redbirds.
• The Bearcats feature one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, ranking 16th nationally with a .296 team attack percentage … Sydney Nolan is the squad’s top attacker, averaging 4.69 kills per set which is 15th nationally … Carly Glendinning is not far behind with her 3.83 average ranking 82nd nationally.
• Cincinnati is also solid at the net, ranking 31st nationally with a 2.71 blocks-per-set average, led by a 1.21 mark from Brooke Crummel and a 1.10 mark from Tatjana Simeunovic.
SCOUTING NO. 11 PURDUE:
• The collegiate alma mater of Ball State head coach Kelli Miller Phillips, the Boilermakers are led by Dave Shondell who himself is a Ball State alumnus and two-year letterwinner for the Cardinals men’s volleyball program (1978 & 1980) … He has guided Purdue to a 7-1 record so far this season, including a 3-1 win over then-No. 10 SMU this past Sunday.
• Purdue is another one of the nation’s top hitting teams, ranking 25th nationally with a .285 attack percentage … Lindsey Miller leads the way, ranking 38th nationally with a .414 rate of success.
• The Purdue offense is led by Kenna Wollard who is 54th nationally with a 4.09 kills-per-set average, while Taylor Anderson runs the offense and ranks 15th nationally with 10.45 assists per set.
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY
• The Colonels coaching staff also features a familiar face to the Ball State and Muncie community in Kendall Murr … A high school standout a nearby Yorktown, where she helped guide the Tigers to the 2016 IHSAA Class 3A State Championship, her mother Rhonda was a four-year letterwinner for the Ball State women’s volleyball program from 1991-94 and her father Scott was a four-year letterwinner for the Ball State baseball program from 1990-93.
• EKU enters the week with a 7-3 overall record after going 2-1 in its home tournament last weekend … The Colonels opened the event with a 3-1 setback to MAC member Akron, before sweeping Texas-Rio Grande Valley and topping rival Northern Kentucky 3-2.
• EKU also ranks among the national leaders in attack percentage, ranking 62nd overall with a .257 mark … AG Hynes is 68th nationally with a .383 rate of success, while Carson Ledford is 83rd at .373.
• AG Hynes leads a quartet of attackers averaging above 4.20 kills per set, ranking sixth among Atlantic Sun players with a 3.15 mark … Addison Burke is second on the team at 2.90 kills per set, followed by Emilee Hill (2.53) and Amanda Mack (2.41).
BALL STATE QUICK HITS:
• Graduate outside Noelle VanOort made quite an impact during her first three weekends with the Cardinals, smashing 132 total kills, collecting 83 digs and hitting .294 (132-36-327) … A member of the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team, VanOort has smashed double digit kills in eight of BSU’s nine matches, including a season-high 20 kills twice … She has also been credited with five kill/dig double-doubles … The effort helped her raise her collegiate total to 11 matches with 20+ kills, including a 20/20 effort Nov. 5, 2022, with 23 kills and 25 digs versus Siena Heights.
• Prior to arriving at Ball State, Noelle VanOort finished her four-year playing career at Indiana Tech (2021-24) as a two-time NAIA Third Team All-American … Her 1,724 career kills ranked second in program history, while her 1,648 career digs were sixth … She also set the program standard with 282 career service aces … She continued to find success in her first three weekends with the Cardinals with double-digit kills in eight of the nine outings … The effort upped her career total to 105 collegiate matches with double-digit kills.
VanOort Career Tracker
Kills: 1856
Digs: 1731
Aces: 290
• Noelle VanOort has been just as solid on defense through the first three weekends, earning double-digit digs five times, including a season-high 15 vs. Cal Poly (Sept. 31) … The effort has raised her career total to 95 matches with double-digit digs, including her 90 at Indiana Tech … It also helped her raise her collegiate kill/dig double-double total to 73, including five with Ball State and 68 with the Warriors.
• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler has been just as impressive over the first three weeks, smashing 158 total kills for a team-high 4.16 kills-per-set average … The effort includes a career-high 26 kills last time out versus James Madison (Sept. 14) and 21 kills at UConn (Sept. 5) … Last season, Tyler averaged 3.34 kills per set to become the first player in program history to earn AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year accolades.
• Carson Tyler has smashed double-digit kills in all nine matches for the Cardinals so far this season, raising her career total to 31 … She has secured 20+ kills in nine of those matches and is one of just nine players in program history to register 20-or-more kills in at least nine career matches.
• A six-rotation player, Carson Tyler is currently second on the squad with 108 digs this season … She has recorded kill/dig double-doubles in six matches so far this season, including all three matches at last weekend’s Marquette Tournament … Her effort last weekend included a career-high 19 digs in the win over host Marquette (Sept. 12) … Tyler also leads Ball State’s primary passers with a .961 reception percentage this seasons, successfully passing 199 of the 207 serves she faced … Tyler led the Cardinals’ primary passers last season with a .963 reception percentage by successfully passing 650 of the team-high 675 serves she faced.
• With 20 kills each in the Aug. 31 match versus Cal Poly, Noelle VanOort and Carson Tyler became the first Ball State duo to record 20-or-more kills in the same match since the 2007 season … Brittany May and Julie Breivogel were the last players to do so with 21 and 20 kills, respectively, in an Oct. 5, 2027 match versus Western Michigan.
• Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter paces the Ball State defense with 137 digs and a 3.61 digs-per-set average so far this season … Both the dig total and the average rank fifth among MAC defenders so far this season … She has recorded double-digit digs in eight of BSU’s nine matches, upping her career total to 31 … The effort includes a season-high 26 digs in the season-opener versus St. Thomas (Aug. 29), one shy of her career-high 27 digs set last season versus James Madison (Sept. 6, 2024).
• Sophie Ledbetter earned her first collegiate double-double versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), handing out 10 assists to go along with her 14 digs in the outing.
• Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness have combined to lead the Ball State offense to a .250 attack percentage so far this season which is first in the MAC and 75th nationally … Green, who dished out a career-high 51 assists twice last weekend, currently ranks eighth in the MAC with a 7.79 assists-per-set average … She also leads the squad with 12 service aces … Axness, meanwhile, enters the week with a 3.86 assists-per-set average and has served up a pair of aces.
• Sophomore transfer middle/opposite Tiffany Snook turned in one of the best matches of her collegiate career versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), smashing a career-high 16 kills while connecting for a .481 (16-3-27) rate of success … It was her 10th collegiate match with double-digit kills, including nine in her lone season at Memphis, and was three kills more than her previous career high of 13 at Southern Illinois Sept. 6, 2024.
• Roster Update: Senior opposite Madison Buckley and redshirt junior outside attacker Aniya Kennedy will both miss the 2025 season as medical redshirts … Buckley was a 2024 First Team All-MAC selection after ranking second on the team in total blocks (90.0) and third in total kills (276) last season … Kennedy, the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection, ranked second on the squad with 279 kills last season and chipped in 43 total blocks.
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BALL STATE FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: CARDINALS VISIT UCONN IN FINAL TUNEUP BEFORE MAC OPENER
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State rides momentum from its first win in 2025, a 34-29 home-opening win over New Hampshire, while traveling this week to battle the Connecticut Huskies for the fifth time since 2000. The Cardinals and Huskies meet in Ball State’s final non-conference matchup before opening their 51st season of play in the Mid-American Conference.
— Ball State used an aggressive defensive effort and its most productive run game in seven years to get past the Wildcats last Saturday. The Cardinals posted exactly five sacks and eight tackles for loss for the second straight week, and amassed 308 rushing yards — 243 on 15 carries by halftime. It was the Cardinals’ most rushing yards in a game since 2019.
— Just as the Cardinals managed five sacks and eight TFL at Auburn on Sept. 6, Ball State’s defensive surge produced the same numbers against New Hampshire, led by 2.5 sacks from Nathan Voorhis. Others joining the sack party were DeJuan Echoles Jr., Micah Wing, Darin Conley an Drew Hughes.
— Ball State’s 11 sacks through three games are tied for fourth among all FBS teams, with only Southern Cal (14), West Virginia (13) and Pitt (12) boasting more. Ironically, UConn (10) ranks right behind the Cardinals, with Ball State led by Voorhis (4.5) who played the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Huskies.
— The Cardinals defense allowed just two offensive touchdowns against New Hampshire. The Wildcats scored its other points by way of a blocked punt for touchdown, a safety and two field goals.
— First-year head coach Mike Uremovich has preached a strong run game, and the Cardinals produced just that against New Hampshire. Transfer back Qua Ashley used a 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to spur a career-high 154 rushing yards. Quarterback Kiael Kelly added 101 rush yards of his own, and the Cardinals rushed for more yards, 308, than in any game last season.
WHAT A WIN MEANS:
— Ball State will win its fifth straight game against UConn.
— Ball State will win consecutive games for the first time since beating Northern Illinois and Kent State in November 2023.
— The Cardinals will finish the non-conference season at 2-2, winning a non-league road game for the first time since beating San Jose State in the Offerpad Arizona Bowl in 2020.
INSIDE THE SERIES: CONNECTICUT
— When the Cardinals met UConn for homecoming in 2022, it was a 25-21 win in Ball State’s favor at Scheumann Stadium. Current Kansas City Chiefs star Carson Steele rambled for 179 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Cardinals victory.
— As UConn transitioned from the I-AA ranks in 1999, the Cardinals and Huskies met in three consecutive seasons — 2000, 2001 and 2002 — before colliding again in 2022.
— Apart from their first contest in 2000, which saw Ball State on top in a shutout, 29-0, games between the Cardinals and Huskies have been decided by an average of four points.
— Ball State makes its first appearance at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. UConn began playing at the Rentschler Field site in 2003, a year after the Cardinals visited UConn in 2001 and 2002. The stadium officially took on its new name in 2015.
BACK-TO-BACK IN THE MAC FOR HUSKIES
— UConn hosts the Cardinals this week, and travels to Buffalo, next week, for matchups with Mid-American Conference schools in consecutive weeks.
FORMER HUSKIES
— Three current Cardinals spent at least two seasons recently at UConn. Alfred Chea and Nathan Voorhis both began their college careers at UConn. Both are tied as the Cardinals’ third-leading tacklers this season, with 12 stops apiece.
— Special teams coordinator Nick Fiacable was a special teams analyst with the Huskies the past two seasons, hired at Ball State immediately following UConn’s appearance in the 2024 Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
— Chea, a grad transfer linebacker at Ball State this year, spent five seasons with the Huskies, stemming to his redshirt campaign in 2020. He played 11 or more games with UConn in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
— Voorhis played 10 games with the Huskies in 2022 and 11 in 2023, prior to transferring to Bryant University in search of more playing time.
FIRST IN MAC, FOURTH IN FBS
— Ball State leads the Mid-American Conference and is fourth in the nation in total sacks, with 11. Connecticut, with 10 team sacks, is next.
INTO THE BACKFIELD
— The Ball State defense has generated exactly five sacks and eight TFL in consecutive games.
— The Cardinals defense thrived in the New Hampshire backfield on Sept. 13, allowing just two offensive touchdowns and forcing four field goal attempts.
— Despite allowing 42 points during a Sept. 6 visit to Auburn, the Cardinals got consistent pressure into the Tigers’ backfield. Ball State managed eight tackles for loss that totaled 41 yards. The Cardinals recorded five sacks and forced four fumbles.
VOORHIS LEADING DEFENSIVE LINE SURGE
— Nathan Voorhis (pronounced VORR-is) has had a sack in all three games. His 2.5 sacks last Saturday set a career-high and his 4.5 sacks through three games not only lead the team, but are ranked fourth nationally among all FBS players.
— Playing with Bryant University last year, he earned a streak of five straight games with a sack. He totaled 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and a forced fumble.
— With UConn in 2022 and 2023, he recorded seven tackles over 21 games, without a sack.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
— Current sack leader Nathan Voorhis boasts 4.5 sacks on the year, already just one shy of last year’s leader, Riley Tolsma, who had 5.5.
STRONG IN RUN GAME IS UREMOVICH MANTRA
— Since hired last December, head coach Mike Uremovich has preached a strong run game.
— Ball State’s 308 rushing yards were the most Ball State rush yards since Nov. 23, 2019 when they ran for 330 at Kent State.
— The Cardinals had 243 yards on just 15 carries at halftime. It was just the 15th 300-yard rushing game in Ball State’s 101-year football history.
ASHLEY BURSTS FREE
— Qua Ashley’s 154 rushing yards were the most by a Ball State back since Marquez Cooper had 162 vs. Central Michigan in 2023.
— Ashley’s 72-yard TD run was Ball State’s longest run play since a 73-yard TD run by Walter Fletcher against Ohio in 2019.
— Ashley’s 72-yard TD run was the longest run of his career and the longest offensive play of Ball State’s season.
— It was the first 100-yard rushing game of Ashley’s career.
MORE RUSHING: 100 x 2
— Qua Ashley (154) and Kiael Kelly (101) both rushed for 100+ yards on Saturday.
— The last time two Ball State players had 100+ rushing yards in the same game was in Kelly’s last home start: Kelly and Marquez Cooper and both had 136 yards vs Miami (Nov 25, 2023). Kelly’s 136 rushing yards in that game are a career high.
RUSH AND PASS FOR 100
— Kiael (pronounced ky-ELL) Kelly is the first Ball State player with 100 yards rushing (101) and passing (105) since 2000.
— Since at least 1995, it was just the third time a Ball State player has rushed and passed for over 100 yards in the same game.
— In the midst of all the rushing numbers last Saturday, Kelly also tossed two passing TDs for the first time in his career.
CAREER RUSHING BY A CARDINALS QB
— Kiael Kelly is always a threat to gain yards with his legs, and he enters the Connecticut game 572 yards shy of the Cardinals’ career record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He is currently third in career rush yards by a QB.
— He tallied 83 yards in one game as a reserve in 2022. He rushed for 724 yards during a six-game stint as starter in 2023, and he compiled 91 lining up as a QB or wildcat last season.
— Those 724 yards over just six games in 2023 stand as a Ball State single-season record for a quarterback.
— He boasts 1,041 career rush yards overall through three weeks of the 2025 season.
Ball State Career Rushing Yards by a Quarterback
Player Yards Carries
1. Art Yaroch, 1973-76 1,613 421
2. Riley Neal, 2015-18 1,363 325
3. Kiael Kelly, 2022-present 1,041 228
4. Dave Wilson, 1976-79 693 320
5. Talmadge Hill, 2000-03 582 309
GAMES WITH 100 RUSHING YARDS BY A QB
— Kiael Kelly is just the second quarterback in Ball State history to rush for at least 100 yards in two different games. The other, Art Yaroch (pronounced yuh-ROW), quarterbacked the Cardinals from 1973-76 — in Ball State’s first season in the MAC in 1975, and in their first league championship season a year later.
KELLY AS QB1
— Kelly has appeared in 27 career games and been a starter in 12 games overall (twice at WR, once as utility QB).
— But in the nine games in which he has started as Ball State’s primary QB, Kelly has amassed 780 rushing yards on 153 carries, for an average of 86.7 yards per game.
— He has rushed for 90+ yards in five of his nine starts as QB1.
— Ball State finished 3-3 after Kelly took the quarterback reins in Week 7 of the 2023 season.
— With Kelly at the helm in 2023, Ball State averaged 235.3 rush yards over its last six games.
FIVE TIGHT ENDS
— Likely the Cardinals’ deepest position, five primary tight ends see regular action for Ball State — Kameron Anthony, Drew Cassens, Koby Gross, Maximus Webster and Tate Hoover.
— All five have already started at least one game.
— Anthony is a highly regarded redshirt freshman who caught his first career pass against New Hampshire, for a 10-yard touchdown. He is the biggest target of all of them.
— Cassens is a transfer from Butler where he played with Uremovich in 2024. He also logged two seasons at Northern Illinois.
— Gross is a transfer from Florida A&M who hails from San Ramon, California. He was All-SWAC for the Rattlers before arriving at Ball State.
— Webster, is the fastest of the tight end crew, and with good hands is a staple in the pass game.
— Hoover, a junior college transfer from Kansas, started the season’s first two games and also is active on special teams.
— So far this year, Gross has two catches, with one apiece by Anthony, Cassens and Webster.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION
8 Wide receiver Eric Weatherly has caught a pass in 26 consecutive games, counting 23 over every game with Bucknell the past two seasons.
Only 12 receivers in the country have caught passes in more consecutive games.
BY THE NUMBERS
4.5 – Sacks this season by Nathan Voorhis, who spent two seasons at UConn. Last year’s Ball State sacks leader, Riley Tolsma, finished with 5.5.
100 – Kiael Kelly became the first Ball State player with over 100 rushing and passing yards since QB Talmadge Hill in 2000, vs. Central Michigan.
154 – Qua Ashley’s career-high rushing output vs. UNH was the most by a Cardinal since Marquez Cooper had 162 vs. Central Michigan in 2023.
1,000 – Career rushing yards for QB Kiael Kelly (1,041) are third-most by a quarterback in Ball State history.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
SOCCER HOSTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN THURSDAY AND KENT STATE SUNDAY AT THE BRINER SPORTS COMPLEX
The Ball State soccer team returns home to host Central Michigan on Thursday and Kent State on Sunday for the start of its home Mid-American Conference slate.
Thursday’s match at the Briner Sports Complex is set for a 4 p.m. kickoff, while Sunday’s contest will begin at 1 p.m. Links to the video streams and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.
The Cardinals (4-2-1, 1-0 MAC) topped UMass 1-0 on Sunday afternoon in Amherst in the conference opener. Lexi Watkins scored an early goal to give Ball State a lead it would not relinquish in the first-ever MAC contest for UMass in any sport.
Central Michigan (0-7, 0-1 MAC) fell 1-0 at home to Ohio on Sunday afternoon in the conference opener for the Chippewas, who have yet to score a goal this season while taking 55 shots (28 on goal).
Head coach Jeremy Groves is in his seventh season leading CMU, as the Chippewas were picked to finish 12th in the 13-team MAC preseason coaches poll.
Central leads the league and ranks No. 38 in NCAA Division I in saves per game (5.71), but the Chippewas are 11th in the MAC in goals-against average (1.714). Junior goalkeeper Brylee Borgman is second in the conference with 5.50 saves per game and fourth in save percentage (.815).
Kent State (2-3-3, 0-1 MAC) fell 2-1 at Bowling Green on Sunday to open league play. The Golden Flashes get a midweek bye to prepare for the Cardinals.
Head coach Rob Marinaro is in his 25th season in charge of the Golden Flashes and sports a 223-182-60 record. This year’s team was picked to finish sixth in the MAC preseason poll.
The Golden Flashes lead the league in total goals with 12 while ranking second in shot accuracy (.533) and third in corner kicks per game (6.0). Junior goalie Leah Shaffer is second in the MAC in total saves (39) and third in saves per game (4.88).
Ball State will next travel to Buffalo for a 6 p.m. match on Thursday, September 25.
WATKINS STRIKES FAST: Redshirt freshman Lexi Watkins scored just over two minutes into Ball State’s match on Sunday at UMass, and it would prove to be the only scoring of the day in a 1-0 win for the visiting Cardinals.
The score off a cross from Addie Chester was the first collegiate goal for Watkins, who has taken five shots (three on goal) this year.
FIRST HALF SHUTDOWN: The Ball State defense hasn’t yielded a first half goal in a month and has allowed only two in the first seven matches this season.
Purdue scored two goals in the first half of the season opener on Aug. 17, but the Cardinals shut down the next six opponents in the opening 45 minutes of each game.
CHESTER CHURNING OUT GOALS: Senior forward Addie Chester added to her Mid-American Conference leading goals total with a pair in the 2-2 draw with Butler on Sept. 7 to increase it to six goals on the season. The Muncie native was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks thanks to the performance.
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 this week ranking No. 16 in NCAA Division I in goals per game (0.86) and No. 14 in points per game (2.00).
The Muncie native has improved her Ball State career totals to 16 goals, 10 assists and 41 points with the strong start to the season. Chester is T-8th, T-11th and T-9th in those categories, respectively, in school history.
Chester paces the Mid-American Conference in goals (six), points (14) and game-winning goals (two) so far this season.
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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INDIANA STATE VOLLEYBALL
SYCAMORE VOLLEYBALL TRAVELS TO TENNESSEE FOR TIGER INVITATIONAL
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Indiana State volleyball travels to Tennessee State to play the last three matches of the non-conference season on Sept. 18-19.
The Sycamores play in the Tiger Invitational, hosted by TSU, against TSU, Idaho, and Chattanooga. Indiana State plays the Tigers on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. ET, and on Friday the team plays Idaho at 11 a.m. and Chattanooga at 4 p.m. The Sycamores in program history have played Tennessee State and Chattanooga each one time, and this will be the first time playing Idaho.
*No matches on Thursday or Friday will be streamed.
Statistical Leaders:
Kira Holland
Following any matches played on Monday, Sept. 15, Holland ranks 35th in the nation and first in the MVC in total kills with 133 on the season.
She is second in the league in kills per set with 4.03.
Holland leads the MVC in total points (147.5) and average points per set (4.47).
She also sits 46th in the nation in total points.
Ella Scott
Scott is fifth in the league in hitting percentage, sitting at .327 (67-18-150).
She is 14th in the league in total blocks (25) and 20th in blocks per set (0.76).
Scott is 18th in total points (92.5) and 20th in points per set at 2.8.
Kimora Whetstone
She sits seventh in the league in hitting percentage (.324).
Whetstone is 10th in total blocks (28) while sitting 16th in blocks per set (0.85).
Ava Robart
Robart is 13th in the league in kills per set with 2.79 but 12th in total kills sitting at 92.
With 11 service aces, she is tied for ninth in the league, and with 0.33 service aces per set she is 14th.
The freshman is 13th in the league in both points per set (3.21) and total points (106).
Emily Weber
Weber is ninth in the MVC in assists per set with 5.7 but sixth in total assists with 188.
Hadley Hardersen
The freshman is tied for 15th in service aces per set with 0.32 and tied for 20th in total aces with eight.
Hardersen is 10th in the Valley in digs per set (3.2).
Chloe Gilley
Gilley is ninth in the league in total digs, sitting at 103, but 11th in digs per set with 3.12.
In three tournament this season, with two naming All-Tournament Team selections, Kira Holland and Ella Scott have both been selected this season.
Holland was selected in back-to-back weeks to tournament teams: NIU Invitational and the Pepsi Sycamores Invite.
At NIU, she totaled 44 kills, averaged 3.76 kills per set, tallied 17 digs, and served up five aces.
At the Sycamores Invite, she totaled 49 kills, 26 digs, three blocks, and five assists. Holland tied her career high in kills with 21 and set her season high in digs with 14 against Eastern Illinois.
These were her second and third selections to All-Tournament Teams in her career.
Scott was selected to the Pepsi Sycamores Invite Team.
She recorded 29 kills on a .375 hitting percentage with 10 digs and four blocks.
Against Butler, she notched season highs of 12 kills and seven digs.
This was her second All-Tournament Team selection in her career.
Following the Tiger Invitational
Indiana State begins Missouri Valley play, opening up at home against Illinois State on Sept. 26 and hosting Belmont on Sept. 27.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL
MASTODON WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL HOSTS PURDUE FORT WAYNE INVITATIONAL
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball will play host to Mercyhurst, Bellarmine and Toledo this weekend (Sept. 19-20) for the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational. This will be the first time in 2025 that fans can see the Mastodons on the Arnie Ball Court.
Tickets for the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational will be full-day passes, with one available for purchase on each day.
Game Day Information
Who: Mercyhurst Lakers, Bellarmine Knights and Toledo Rockets
When: Friday, September 19 – Saturday, September 20
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch:Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 | Match 4 | Match 5 | Match 6
Tickets:Day 1 | Day 2
Match Notes: Link
Attendance 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.
Promotions
• Friday’s match will be the kickoff for the home season and the international student celebration. Whip & Chill shaved ice will be available.
• Saturday night’s match will be Camp Reunion Night, with free tickets available to all women’s volleyball camp attendees (sixth grade and below).
Know Your Foes
• Mercyhurst is 2-8 with wins over Holy Cross and Canisius. The Lakers fell to Youngstown State in the season opener 3-0. Julia Shepher is leading the team with 2.78 kills per set on a solid .346 hitting percentage.
• Bellarmine is 4-5, coming off a 2-1 weekend at IU Indy’s tournament, which included a 3-1 win over the Jaguars. Natalie Bland is the Knights’ best hitter, averaging 3.32 kills per set this season.
• Toledo has a 6-3 record and is coming off a 1-2 weekend in Denver. The Rockets beat Denver and took Arkansas to five sets. The Rockets are very balanced offensively with five players averaging between 1.50 and 3.00 kills per set.
Series Histories
• The Mastodons and Lakers have never met as Division I foes. They did, however, play one neutral match in 1995 when the two teams were Division II, which the Mastodons won 3-0.
• One of the longest series in Purdue Fort Wayne history, the Mastodons owned a 30-2 advantage over Bellarmine in the GLVC days, but have not played since the ‘Dons transitioned to Division I.
• Purdue Fort Wayne leads the series against Toledo 8-6, with the last meeting coming in 2022. Iris Riegel was the only Mastodon on the current roster to play in that match, which saw her lead the team with 11 kills.
Back for More
2024 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Riley Rosneck has the second-most points and kills per set in the league this season with 4.42 points and 4.00 kills per set.
So Good I Can’t Barrett
Becky Barrett ranks in the top-55 nationally with 4.40 digs per set this season. That mark is good for third in the Horizon League.
When Life Gives You Plemons
Mya Plemons had a double-double of 10 kills and 10 blocks against Middle Tennessee in the season opener. She was the first to do so since 2017, and her 10 blocks in the four-set match is a top-five mark in the rally scoring era.
Last Time Out
The Mastodons dropped a pair of matches at Missouri State last week, taking a set off the Bears in the second match.
Next Time Up
Purdue Fort Wayne opens Horizon League play with Robert Morris on September 26-27.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER
PINK OUT! ‘DONS START #HLWSOC PLAY WITH WRIGHT STATE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer team begins Horizon League play on Thursday (Sept. 18), hosting Wright State at 7 p.m. The ‘Dons will be sporting their pink kits for their annual Pink Out match in conjunction with Brestie Boxes to support those affected by breast cancer.
Game Day Information
Who: Wright State Raiders
When: Thursday, September 18 | 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Hefner Soccer Complex
Live Stats:Link
Watch: Link
Tickets:Link
Know Your Foe
Wright State has wrapped up non-league play at 3-5, dropping a match to Valparaiso and besting Chicago State. The Raiders are offensively led by Caitlin Burger, who has scored three goals and notched an assist so far this season. Wright State has split their keeper duties between graduate student Kiera Sarka, started five matches while appearing in six, and freshman Leigha Lauer, started in net for the other three matches and appeared in five total.
Series History
Wright State holds a 10-1-3 series history lead over Purdue Fort Wayne. Last year’s meeting was a 2-0 loss in Dayton.
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)
Imes also breached the program’s top 10 career saves list after claiming four in the Party at the Pitch contest against Ball State (Sept. 10).
9. 148 – Haley Lydon (2015-18)
10. 119 – Jordan Imes (2023-25)
11. 114 – Jodi Schnelker (2000)
Youthful Stride
17 of Purdue Fort Wayne’s 45 shots on goal this season have came from freshmen: Daisy Moody (9) 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 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 dropped their final non-league contest at Southern Indiana (Sept. 14) 6-1. Mary McArdle netted her first goal for the Mastodons, scoring off a free kick.
Coming Up
Purdue Fort Wayne travels to Milwaukee on Thursday (Sept. 25) for their first away Horizon Legue contest.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S SOCCER
WRIGHT STATE IS MEN’S SOCCER’S FIRST ROAD LEAGUE MATCH
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Nearly a month into the season, the Purdue Fort Wayne men’s soccer is still undefeated. The Mastodons will put that record on the line on Saturday (Sept. 20) in a 4 p.m. start at Wright State.
Game Day Information
Who: Purdue Fort Wayne (3-0-3, 1-0-0 Horizon League) at Wright State (0-5-1, 0-1-0 Horizon League)
When: Saturday, Sept. 20 | 4 p.m.
Where: Dayton, Ohio | Alumni Field at Rinzler Student Sports Complex
Live Stats:Link
Watch: ESPN+
All-Time Series: Wright State leads the all-time series 16-2-1. The ‘Dons have never won in Dayton, holding a 0-9-1 record in the Gem City. The only positive result in that time came in a scoreless draw in 2017. It was a non-league game, as the Mastodons were members of the Summit League.
About the Raiders
Wright State has been outscored 15-4 on the season and are looking for their first win. They opened league play with a 2-1 loss at IU Indy last week. Their only tie of the season was a 2-2 draw at Loyola Chicago. Henry Hutchinson has a pair of goals on the year.
Double-Digit ‘Dons
Shane Anderson (11) and Iann Topete (10) are first and second in the league in points. If they want to reach the top 10 in the Division era for points in a season they’ll need to get to 17.
Nice Start
The Mastodons have opened the season 3-0-3, becoming the first Mastodon team in program history to open the season undefeated through the first six matches. son, meaning a win or tie on Saturday vs. Oakland would be a first for the Mastodon program.
A Win and…
A win on Saturday over Wright State would mark the second consecutive season the ‘Dons have opened league play with two wins. The Mastodons went 3-0 in league play out of the gates last year.
No Losses
The ‘Dons are the only team in the Horizon League and one of only 29 teams in the nation without a loss on the season.
All Eyes on ‘Dons
The department’s sixth annual Party at the Pitch on September 10 drew a record crowd of 1,062. It is the third time the ‘Dons have drawn over 1,000 for the event.
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 leads the league with five goals.
– Sep Habibi has a 0.909 goals against average on the season. He has two shutouts and one combined shutout this season.
– Shane Anderson has a league-best five assists on the season, tied for third in the nation in total assists.
– Shane Anderson is second in the league lead in shots with 16.
– Angel Rodriguez scored twice against Manchester for his first goals as a Mastodon. He scored six in his first two seasons at NIU in 2022 and 2023.
– At 8.00, the Mastodons are sixth in the nation in shots on goal per game.
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 play their final non-league game of the season on Tuesday (Sept. 23) in a 1 p.m. kick at the Hefner Soccer Complex.
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EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER
ACES PICK UP QUALITY ROAD RESULT WITH 0-0 DRAW AT DAYTON
DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team earned a strong road result on Wednesday evening, playing the Dayton Flyers to a 1-1 draw.
Evansville posted their second shutout in a row, with goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) making a season-high five saves, including two highlight-worthy stops in the final ten minutes to preserve his second clean sheet of the year.
Despite neither side being able to put together a goal in the first half of play, Evansville controlled the pace of the game for much of the first period. Mroz made the lone save of the half in the second minute, while the Aces’ defense prevented the Flyers from putting another shot on goal for the remainder of the half. Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes/Spain IES Joan Miro) had Evansville’s only shot of the half in the fourth minute, but the Aces could not find a goal as the score went into halftime at 0-0.
Despite a lack of scoring chances in the first half, the second half saw a plethora of opportunities for both the Aces and Flyers. Dayton began the half on the attack, tallying seven shots in the first 20 minutes of the half, but the Evansville defense held strong.
In the 70th minute, Chase Ricker (Albuquerque, N.M. La Cueva) saw Evansville’s best chance of the night to that point, as he was able to get a foot on a loose ball in the box. However, a great save from Dayton keeper Gavin Krenecki denied UE of the night’s first goal.
Another great scoring chance for the Aces came in the 76th minute off a dangerous corner kick from Ricker, but a header by Pablo Calvete (Ponferrada, Spain UNIR) went just wide of the post and the match remained scoreless.
Mroz made the first of two fantastic late-game saves in the 81st minute, leaping to get a fingertip on a Dayton header and lift it over the post to deny the Flyers. Tancredi Fadda (Monza, Italy/University of Milan) had the next near scoring chance for Evansville a minute and a half later, but his shot went wide of the post as the Aces just missed the winner. In the 89th minute, Mroz made another game-saving stop, diving to his right to make his fifth save of the night and help the Aces secure a road result.
“It’s a tough place to play,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “I thought in the first half, we kind of dictated the tempo a little bit, but in the second half, they came after us. We suffered a little bit, their pressure got to us, but to get a result on the road against a team that has been to two straight NCAA Tournaments, went to the Sweet Sixteen, hosted a Sweet Sixteen match here, I’m proud of the resiliency.”
“We had a couple chances of chances to snag a winner, so I’m proud of the effort that we put forth tonight and that we got a result on the road.”
With the tie, Evansville moves to 1-2-5 on the season. The Aces return to Arad McCutchan Stadium on Tuesday for their final tune-up before the start of conference play, hosting in-state rival Butler. Kick-off is set for 6 PM.
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EVANSVILLE VOLLEYBALL
VOLLEYBALL FACES USI IN HOME-AND-HOME
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In its final pair of non-conference matches, the University of Evansville volleyball team faces USI in a home-and-home series this weekend. On Thursday the Purple Aces welcome the Screaming Eagles to Meeks Family Fieldhouse for a 6 p.m. contest before the rematch takes place on Saturday at 4 p.m. inside Liberty Arena.
Recapping the Weekend
– Last weekend, Evansville hosted its home tournament going 1-2 with a victory against Western Illinois
– UE dropped a 5-set match to UAB in the tournament opener before falling by a 3-0 final in the final to Morehead State
– Sabrina Ripple was named to the All-Tournament Team after posting 1.85 kills and 0.92 blocks per set
Reaching a Milestone
– With 17 digs against UAB, Ainoah Cruz passed 1,000 for her career
– Her top effort of the weekend was a 27-dig performance in the win over Western Illinois where she added nine assists
– Cruz remains third in the MVC with her season average of 4.86 per set
– She was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8 after averaging 4.59 digs per set
– At the GSU Invitational, Cruz finished the weekend with an average of 5.38 digs
All-Tournament Accolade
– Sabrina Ripple averaged 1.85 kills and 0.92 blocks on her way to All-Tournament honors at UE’s home tournament
– Ripple had the top offensive showing of her career, totaling 13 kills in the win over WIU
– Highlighted by seven total blocks against PFW and WIU, Ripple is 8th in the league with her average of 1.05 blocks per set
– She has multiple blocks in each of her matches this season
– Her .287 hitting tally is 14th in the MVC
Scouting the Opposition
– USI comes into the weekend with a 2-8 record with victories over Northern Kentucky and Miami Ohio
– They were victorious in both meetings last season
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SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
EAGLES STIFLED BY BRUINS IN HOMESTAND FINALE
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer closed out its five-game homestand with a 3-0 loss to Belmont University Wednesday evening at Strassweg Field.
The Screaming Eagles conclude the homestand with a 1-4 record, with a 1-0 win over Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on August 26. USI scored three goals in the five games, one against Rose-Hulman and two in a loss to Indiana University Indianapolis on September 6.
The Bruins’ potent offense was on display early, possessing the ball for the majority of the first half. USI held them off the board until the 30th minute, when they snuck a ball past junior goalkeeper Kael McGowan.
At the half, USI trailed only 1-0 despite the relentless Belmont pressure. The Eagles trailed in total shots, 11-4, and shots on goal, 4-1. Sophomore forward David Davila put up a team-high two shots in the first half, while freshman midfielder Nolan Stevens recorded the team’s only shot on goal. In his first start as an Eagle, McGowan tallied three saves through the first 45.
Belmont came out of the break firing, scoring two goals at the 59:42 and 63:49 marks of the match. The Bruins continued to dominate the possession battle, allowing the Eagles only two second-half shots, neither on goal.
For the game, the Eagles were outshot 18-6 from the field and 8-1 on goal. Davila led the Eagles with two shots, while Stevens recorded the only shot on goal. McGowan recorded three saves over his 68 minutes, getting replaced by freshman goalkeeper Jacob English, who held the Bruins scoreless over his 22 minutes with two saves.
The Eagles hit the road for the first time since the season-opener, traveling north for a matchup with former Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Purdue Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on September 23. Then, on September 27, USI travels to Lynchburg, Virginia, for the Ohio Valley Conference opener with Liberty University.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
USI SET FOR SERIES AGAINST CROSSTOWN RIVAL EVANSVILLE
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is set to take on University of Evansville in the first game of the home-and-home series against the crosstown rival on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Admission to Thursday’s game is available for $10-$12 on the Evansville ticket page. There will be no video stream available for the match.
The Screaming Eagles are coming off their second weekend on the road at the Best Western Invitational at Miami (Ohio) University, taking on Duquesne, Miami (OH), and Middle Tennessee State. Taking all three games at the invitational to four sets, USI secured a win against the host team, Miami (OH), moving to 2-8 for the season.
For her performance at the invitational, freshman Aysa Thomas was named Ohio Valley Conference’s Co-Setter of the Week. Over the three games at Miami (OH), Thomas tallied 114 assists, 37 digs, 10 kills, and eight blocks. She earned her first career double-double in the game against Duquesne with 28 assists and 12 digs. Building off that performance, the freshman led her offense to a win against host Miami (OH), and she tallied a career-high 47 assists with 10 digs. To wrap up the weekend, she earned a new career-high 15 digs and another 39 assists in the match against Middle Tennessee State.
Junior Ashby Willis was selected to the Best Western All-Tournament Team for her performance, tallying 57 kills and 37 digs over three games. Willis recorded a double-double in each of the games last weekend. Her best game was in the win against Miami (OH), where she tallied a career-high 20 kills and a season-high 15 digs.
Another Eagle who played a big part in the offense on the road was senior Bianca Anderson. She tallied 37 kills and 16 blocks over the last three games. In her best game, she put down 12 kills and nine blocks, landing her in the top 20 in the country for blocks in a four-set match.
About Evansville:
Evansville leads the all-time series between the two schools, 6-3. Since transitioning to Division I, the series has been split 2-2, with USI taking the last two wins. Last season’s team was the first to take a win from Evansville in the D-I era of USI Athletics.
In the first game of the series in 2024, USI took down the Aces in a four-set win where Anderson and Willis each tallied 15 kills and two blocks. To complete the series sweep, the Screaming Eagles took a five-set victory in front of a record crowd in Liberty Arena.
The Aces are 4-6 in their first ten games in 2025; their most recent win was over Western Illinois, a five-set thriller in their UE Home Tournament. Freshman Brooke Herdes led UE with 15 kills, and sophomore Sabrina Rippled posted 13 in the win against Western Illinois. Junior libero Ainoah Cruz reached 1,000 career digs in the game before, a five-set loss to UAB, and she averages five digs per set in the 2025 season. Freshman outside Hinsley Everett averages the most kills per set for the Aces. Head Coach Zach Weinberg is in his first season with the Aces, after serving as the associate head coach at Tennessee Tech for the last seven years.
To get updates on this week’s matches against Evansville, fans can follow USI Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, and X for game coverage and online at usiscreamingeagles.com.
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VALPO VOLLEYBALL
BEACONS CLOSE OUT NONCONFERENCE PLAY AT LEATHERNECK CLASSIC
Valparaiso (7-3, 0-0 MVC)
at Leatherneck Classic (Macomb, Ill.)
Friday, Sept. 19 – vs. #22 Missouri (5-3) – 11 a.m. | at Western Illinois (2-8) – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20 – vs. Chicago State (0-7) – 1 p.m.
Next Up For Valpo Volleyball: The Valpo volleyball team closes out nonconference action this weekend at the Leatherneck Classic in Macomb, Ill., starting out with a matchup against a nationally-ranked foe in #22 Missouri before taking on host Western Illinois and Chicago State to close the tournament out.
Previously: The Beacons nearly upset Northwestern in midweek action last week, taking a 2-0 lead in the match before dropping each of the final three sets by two points. Valpo then went on to win the Lehigh Steel Classic, as Kadence Brumitt was named Tournament MVP and Addy Kois joined her on the All-Tournament Team.
Looking Ahead: Valpo opens MVC play next weekend, welcoming Drake and UNI to the ARC for the lone matchups of the season against the Iowa-based programs.
Following the Beacons: All three matches this weekend are scheduled to be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats are also available for all three matches via ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Carin Avery: In her 24th season as head coach at Valpo, Carin Avery is the all-time winningest head coach across all sports in the history of Valpo Athletics. She has won 514 matches (514-260, .664) at the helm of the program and has led Valpo to three league regular season and three league tournament titles. The program has made seven postseason appearances under Avery, including three NCAA Tournament appearances, and advanced to the championship match of the 2021 NIVC. Avery has coached 61 All-League recipients over her tenure at Valpo, which has spanned three different conferences. She is Valpo’s all-time leader in both victories and winning percentage, and owns a 569-284 (.667) record overall as a head coach.
Series History: Missouri – Valpo is 1-2 all-time against the Tigers, with the most recent meeting being a 3-0 Missouri win in September 2012 at Morehead State’s Eagle Challenge.
Western Illinois – Longtime conference rivals back in the Mid-Continent Conference, Valpo holds a dominating 33-6 advantage in the all-time series over WIU. Under Coach Avery, Valpo is 16-1 against the Leathernecks, including a perfect 6-0 since Valpo departed the Mid-Con. The last meeting came on Sept. 1, 2023, a 3-0 Valpo sweep to kick off the Popcorn Classic.
Chicago State – Valpo owns more wins over the Cougars than any other team in program history, as it is 45-1 against another former Mid-Con foe. Under Coach Avery, Valpo is a perfect 23-0 against CSU, but the two teams haven’t met since November 2017 – a 3-0 Valpo sweep in Chicago.
Scouting the Opposition: Missouri – The Tigers enter the weekend ranked #22 in the latest AVCA top-25 poll and have a 5-3 record, with two of their losses coming to top-15 opponents. Caylen Alexander, who was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American last season and led the nation in kills while playing for Hawai’i, paces the Tigers with 3.78 kills/set.
Western Illinois – The Leathernecks enter the weekend at 2-8 on the season, but earned one of those victories last time out – a 3-0 sweep in mid-week action at Kansas City. Coming off a 17-13 season a year ago, WIU was picked to finish sixth in the OVC preseason poll.
Chicago State – NEC champions and an NCAA Tournament participant a season ago, the Cougars are still in search of their first victory this year, coming into the weekend with an 0-7 record.
Facing a Ranked Foe: When Valpo takes the court Friday against Missouri, it will be the first time the program has taken on a nationally-ranked opponent in the regular season since a matchup at #13 Notre Dame in the spring of 2021 – a narrow 3-2 defeat. The Beacons did take on nationally-ranked Purdue in an exhibition match earlier this year. Valpo is searching for its first win over a top-25 opponent in program history.
Capturing Crowns: Valpo has continued its penchant for winning in-season tournament titles under Carin Avery this season, claiming a share of the crown at the USI Invitational on opening weekend and sweeping its way to the Lehigh Steel Classic title last weekend. Valpo has won 36 in-season tournament titles in Avery’s time as head coach. The team has won at least one tournament in 18 of her seasons, and multiple tournaments 12 times – if the Beacons were to win this weekend’s tournament, it would be her sixth team to win three or more in-season tournaments in one season. Those tournament titles have come in 14 different states.
MVP: Sophomore outside Kadence Brumitt was stellar in all facets of the game at Lehigh last weekend and was rewarded with Tournament MVP honors, her first career All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP accolade. She led the Beacons with 3.63 kills/set on an eye-popping .424 hitting percentage and posted 3.50 digs/set as well. Brumitt opened the weekend with eight kills on .400 hitting in just two sets of action in the sweep of NJIT Friday. Saturday morning, Brumitt needed just two sets to match her career high of 13 kills, doing so on .522 hitting in the sweep of Sacred Heart, and the sophomore capped the weekend with a career-best 17 digs to go with eight kills on .333 hitting in the win over the hosts.
Setting The Table: Senior setter Addy Kois picked up her second career All-Tournament Team accolade last weekend at Lehigh as she continued her strong start to the season, averaging 6.20 assists/set with a setting percentage above .500 as the Beacons’ attack hit .314 for the weekend. She dished out 17 assists with a .515 setting percentage in the sweep of NJIT and followed the next morning with 20 assists and a .526 setting percentage in the sweep of Sacred Heart. Kois closed the tournament with 25 assists and a .481 setting percentage in the win over Lehigh. After posting a setting percentage above .500 just three times in her first three seasons, Kois has done so five times in this year’s first 10 matches.
A Block Party: Valpo’s defense at the net was a big reason it nearly upset Northwestern last week, as the Beacons racked up an MVC season-high 19 blocks against the Wildcats. That mark ranks third in D-I in a five-set match this year. In Valpo’s record book, 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. Five times already this season, the Beacons have racked up 10 or more blocks in a match as they lead the MVC and rank 40th nationally with 2.65 blocks/set.
Merk Leads the Way: Sophomore middle Lilly Merk had a hand in a majority of those rejections at Northwestern, smashing her career best with an MVC season-high 12 blocks. That 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, while it also tied for seventh among all D-I players this season in a five-set match. Merk followed with six blocks over the two matches she appeared in at the Lehigh Steel Classic. For the week, Merk averaged an MVC-best 1.50 blocks/set and was honored as MVC Defensive Player of the Week – her first career weekly award from the conference office.
Lucas Steps Up: After seeing limited action in the first two and a half weeks of her collegiate career, freshman outside Keira Lucas was an integral part of the Beacons capturing the Lehigh Steel Classic title and was honored as MVC Freshman of the Week. She opened the tournament with eight kills on .583 hitting, three service aces and five digs in just two sets of action in the sweep of NJIT, and followed with five kills and eight digs in the sweep of Sacred Heart. Lucas closed the tournament with nine kills, five digs and a pair of aces in the clinching victory over the hosts. For the week, Lucas averaged 2.44 kills/set on .302 hitting, 2.00 digs/set and committed just one serve reception error on 49 attempts.
Efficient Attack: Valpo enjoyed its most efficient match on the attack in a number of years in its sweep of Sacred Heart last weekend, swinging at a .375 clip in the win. It was the program’s best single-match hitting percentage since hitting .396 against Central Michigan Sept. 1, 2018. The Beacons have already hit .300 or better in four matches this season.
Poised to Move Up: Given the long legacy of great Valpo liberos, it takes a lot to move up the program’s career digs chart, but senior Emma Hickey did so last week and is poised to do so again this week. Hickey moved past Morganne Longoria for fourth in program history at Lehihg and enters the week with 2,278 career digs, just 31 shy of Brittany Malicoat for third in program history. Hickey leads all active NCAA players (all divisions) in career digs and owns over 600 more digs than any other active Division I player.
Players of the Week: Three weeks into the season, and the Beacons have already racked up three weekly awards from the conference office. Merk and Lucas’ honors this week join Emma Hickey, who was tabbed the MVC Defensive Player of the Week following opening weekend. That Defensive Player of the Week honor was the fifth-such accolade of Hickey’s career and her sixth weekly award overall from the conference office.
All-Tournament Accolades: Through three weekends of action, Valpo has picked up a total of seven All-Tournament Team honors. At EMU, sophomores Ava Helming and Lilly Merk received the awards, while at the USI Invitational, Helming was joined by Emma Hickey and Sam Warren.
Looking Back at Last Year: Valpo is coming off an 18-win season in 2024, a campaign highlighted by the amount of production generated by the team’s youth. Jessica Pickett set program freshman records for hitting percentage and blocks, while Ava Helming had the third-most kills by a freshman in Avery’s tenure as both rookies earned spots on the MVC All-Freshman Team. On the more veteran side, Emma Hickey became the fastest player in program history and tied for the fastest in MVC history to reach 2,000 career digs.
Who’s Back: In a nutshell, everybody who could be. All 16 players who ended last season on the Beacons squad with remaining eligibility return for Valpo in 2025. That group accounted for 78.1% of the kills, 84.4% of the service aces, 78.0% of the digs and 93.9% of the blocks from the 2024 season.
Who’s Gone: Valpo graduated just two players from last year’s squad: Abby Boyle and Elise Swistek. Swistek’s production will be the big piece to replace, as she closed her time at Valpo as one of just 10 players in program history to surpass 1,000 kills (1,018; 19th) and 1,000 digs (1,479; 12th).
Who’s New: The Beacons welcome two freshmen to the large group of returnees this year. Keira Lucas is an outside hitter who was a three-time All-State honoree at Northview [Ind.] H.S., while Olivia Wagner is a setter who helped lead Lakeville South [Minn.] H.S. to the 2024 Minnesota Class AAAA state championship.
Winning Tradition Continues: The Beacons secured a winning 2024 season as they completed the campaign with an 18-14 record, the 21st winning season in 23 years under head coach Carin Avery. Valpo has won 20 or more matches in 18 of Avery’s 23 seasons as well, and has averaged 22 wins per season in Avery’s tenure.
Top Half Finishes: The Beacons finished the 2024 regular season in a tie for sixth place in the MVC standings with Murray State. Valpo has now finished in the top-half of the Valley standings in each of its eight years in the conference, the only MVC program to accomplish that feat. Going back further, Valpo has posted top-half conference finishes in 22 of Avery’s 23 seasons – as well as qualifying for the conference tournament in each of her 23 seasons – and 31 of the last 32 years overall.
Young But Mighty: Legendary college basketball coach Al McGuire is credited for having said “The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.” If that’s the case for last year’s class of Valpo volleyball freshmen, opponents are in for a rough time this season. Last year’s freshman class accounted for 59.1% of the team’s kills, 31.% of the aces and 73.6% of the blocks in the 2024 campaign. That comes out to a total of 58.7% of the team’s points accounted for by freshmen last season, a mark which ranked third nationally among D-I programs, trailing only Mississippi Valley State and Le Moyne – two programs which combined for just eight wins, compared with the Beacons’ 18 victories. Prior to last season, none of Avery’s teams in her time at Valpo had freshmen account for even 30% of the team’s points.
Digging Deep: Valpo continued its long tradition of strong back row play last fall, finishing the 2024 campaign 19th nationally with an average of 17.20 digs/set. The program has ranked among the top-30 nationally in digs/set in every season since 2009, including 14 seasons among the top-20 and four seasons among the top-10 – highlighted by the 2017 campaign in which Valpo led the nation with 20.03 digs/set. Other top finishes include fourth nationally in the spring 2021 season (20.37/set), a fourth-place rank in 2010 and a sixth-place finish in 2015. Since the move to 25-point scoring, only seven teams have averaged more than 20 digs/set over the course of a season, and Valpo is the only program to have done it twice. 2018 saw Valpo lead the nation with 2,613 total digs – a mark which set a program single-season record and a Division I record in the 25-point era. Valpo also boasts two of the top-10 athletes in D-I history in career digs – Rylee Cookerly (2nd; 3,175) and Taylor Root (10th; 2,752).
Libero on Lockdown: Senior Emma Hickey has been quite simply one of the nation’s most prolific liberos since stepping on campus prior to the 2022 campaign. She’s ranked among the top-15 nationally in digs/set in each of her first three seasons, ending last season in third position with 5.72 digs/set. Her 715 total digs last year were sixth-most in a single season in program history.
The Pickett Fence: Sophomore Jessica Pickett made a big impact at the net in her first season of collegiate volleyball last year. An MVC All-Freshman Team honoree, Pickett ranked third in the Valley in blocks/set (1.14, 139 total) and fourth in hitting percentage (.331). She set Valpo freshman records for both hitting percentage and total blocks – her hitting percentage ranked third overall and second in the 25-point era in Valpo’s single-season record book, while he block total ranked eighth overall and third in the 25-point era.
At the Helm(ing): Sophomore Ava Helming joined Pickett as an MVC All-Freshman Team honoree last season for her strong work on both sides of the net at the right pin as a rookie. Helming ranked second on the team with 293 kills and 78 blocks – her 293 kills is tied for third-most by a freshman under head coach Carin Avery, while 78 blocks ranks sixth by a freshman under Avery. The only other freshman to rank among the top-10 in both kills and blocks by a rookie in the Avery era was another right side in Morgan Beil, who developed into a three-time All-Horizon League performer.
Next Stop, 600: Head coach Carin Avery reached yet another milestone last October, winning her 500th match in charge of the Valpo program with the Beacons’ win at Murray State. Valpo’s all-time winningest coach in any sport, Avery’s 500th win came in her 752nd match in charge of the program. Avery is the second current MVC coach to win at least 500 matches at their current institution, joining UNI’s Bobbi Petersen.
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ANDERSON ATHLETICS
Raven Scoreboard: September 17, 2025
Men’s Soccer (5-2-1) fought past Blackburn College (4-3) by a score of 1-0 in Carlinville, Ill. Women’s Soccer (2-2-2) battled to a 1-1 draw with St. Mary’s College (Ind.) (5-0-1) at Macholtz Stadium. The University of Olivet (3-7) took down Volleyball (5-3) by a score of 3-1 in Olivet, Mich.
Men’s Soccer Fights Past Blackburn
The Anderson University men’s soccer team (5-2-1) fought past Blackburn College (4-3) by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday in Carlinville, Ill.
Blackburn outshot Anderson 11-7 and held a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal. Braydon Kennedy recorded a seven-save shutout. Emmett Kindler netted a goal assisted by Marek Bollinger and Carson Reed. Luke Weinman V led the Ravens with six intercepts while Jack Harris tallied five steals. Miles Tucker paced the Ravens with three steals. Kindler was named The Raven’s Raven.
After opening the season with four home games, Anderson has completed four games of a seven-game road stand.
“Well, these games happen,” Coach Scott Fridley said. “When we have obstacles in life we hope that the boys find a way to get a result when you’re not playing the way you’re capable. We have had quite a week of extended travel and this was the longest yet. Both teams had to deal with the crazy heat. I felt like the boys found a way when we weren’t sharp. Blackburn worked hard and gave us trouble until the end. At the end of the day, we found a way to win, so I am happy about that. Onto Saturday taking on a quality Spalding team.”
Anderson battles Spalding University (2-3-2) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Louisville, Ky.
Results: Anderson 1, Blackburn 0 (Box Score)
Women’s Soccer Battles to Draw with Belles
The Anderson University women’s soccer team (2-2-2) battled to a 1-1 draw with St. Mary’s College (Ind.) (5-0-1) on Wednesday at Macholtz Stadium.
St. Mary’s outshot Anderson 30-8 and held an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal. Emily Metzger netted a goal assisted by Meghan Foster. Adrienne Weyers saved seven (87.5 percent) of the eight shots she faced. Hannah Thompson, Kyndall Ferguson and Metzger each put their only shot on frame.
Results: Anderson 1, St. Mary’s (Ind.) (Box Score)
Olivet Grinds Out Four-Set Win against Volleyball
The University of Olivet (3-7) grinded out a 15-25, 27-25, 26-24, 30-28 victory against the Anderson University volleyball team (5-3) on Wednesday in Olivet, Mich.
Anderson recorded a .114 hitting percentage while Olivet finished with an .086 hitting percentage. Peyton Bundy notched 23 digs and three service aces while Lacy Rathbun contributed 21 digs, three service aces and three blocks. Bre Lawrence racked up 17 kills, four blocks and a .286 hitting percentage. Jayda Lanham provided 12 kills, 20 digs and two service aces. Ellie Wilson and Taylor Bock put together six blocks apiece. Blythe Young dished out 39 assists.
The Ravens take on Asbury University (2-6) on Saturday in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
Results: Olivet 3, Anderson 1 (Box Score)
Emenhiser Selected as HCAC Athlete of the Week
Anderson University women’s golf junior Hannah Emenhiser was selected as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Athlete of the Week.
Emenhiser earned her first career conference player-of-the-week selection.
Anderson locked up eighth place in the two-day Heidelberg Fall Invitational, which concluded on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Fostoria, Ohio. The Ravens recorded a 36-hole team score of 692 (+116). Anderson’s Round 2 of +50 (338) marks the program’s lowest 18-hole relative-to-par score since 2011.
Emenhiser took 22nd place with a 36-hole score of 164 to lead the Ravens. The junior from Whiteland fired rounds of 86 and 78 on the par-72 layout at Fostoria Country Club. Emenhiser tied her 18-hole relative-to-par personal record and has accounted for both of the program’s individual rounds of +6 since 2014.
Anderson battles in the two-day Randy Sadler Invitational, beginning on Saturday, Sept. 20 at The Players Club at Woodland Trails in Yorktown.
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TAYLOR ATHLETICS | EARLY STRIKE LEADS TAYLOR PAST IU COLUMBUS 2-0
COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Taylor University men’s soccer team bounced back Wednesday to close out non-conference play with a 2-0 road shutout victory over Indiana University Columbus.
An early goal from Luke Smith in just the third minute of action put the Trojans ahead 1-0, as momentum jolted through the TU side.
Smith cleaned up a free ball from close range and buried his second goal of the season.
The play began off a free kick by Justin Devlin, which was headed by Guilio Mapessa into a line of Trojans, which led to a blocked shot attempt before Smith was able to put away the finishing touch.
Later on, Tadé Adeyemi extended TU’s lead with a tally in the 28th minute – tying him for the team lead in goals with four on the season. Adeyemi finished with poise and held a defender off his hip, as Luka Gole slotted a perfect through ball to find Adeyemi on his run.
The pair of goals proved to be all the offense that was needed as the Trojans adjusted and tightened up the back line, taking the 2-0 lead into halftime and holding on through the rest of the match.
Mere moments later after the second goal, TU goalkeeper Connor Shaw preserved the shutout with an athletic play, as he backpedaled to his right and punched away a near-miss before the ball slipped inside the post.
Shaw finished with a pair of saves and made confident approaches throughout the night. The sophomore keeper earned his third clean sheet of the fall campaign and picked up his eighth career victory between the posts.
TU outshot IU Columbus 13-9 overall in the match, while producing an 8-2 advantage in shots on frame. The Trojans took seven corners, including five in the second half, while surrendering five total to the Crimson Pride.
Looking ahead, TU will prepare for its conference-opening matchup against No. 7 Bethel on Wednesday, Sept. 24. That contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Turner Stadium.
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TAYLOR ATHLETICS | NO. 24 TAYLOR KNOCKS OFF NO. 11 AQUINAS FOR EIGHTH STRAIGHT WIN
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 24th-ranked Taylor University women’s soccer team earned its second road win over a ranked opponent this season with a 2-1 victory at No. 11 Aquinas on Wednesday afternoon, extending the Trojans’ win streak to eight.
TU (8-0-0) closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule undefeated for the first time since the 2022 season. The Trojans will commence league play next week.
Eliza Luttrell, the reigning NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week, put the Trojans on the board first with her team-leading ninth goal. The junior forward made it 1-0 in the 12th minute, logging her 14th point and sixth goal in three matches.
The Trojans’ offense sparked early with a pair of shots delivered off the foot of Morgan Fletemeyer, before building up to the opening goal of the contest.
Both keepers were busy at the onset of the battle between ranked squads, with each recording a save in the early going. Brianna Rawlings grabbed her first save of the day after the TU defensive group fended off pair of corners during a nervy moment near the 10-minute mark.
Making her first career appearance in the starting lineup, Faith Sena nearly extended the lead with her shot on frame in the 25th minute.
Then, the Trojans finally broke through with the second goal of the opening stanza coming just before halftime. Kiana Siefert, who returned to the lineup after missing three games, found the back of the net in the 42nd minute for her second strike of the season and 14th goal of her career. The assist was credited to Mairin Carpenter – the first helper of her collegiate career.
TU finished the opening half with four of its six shots placed on target, while the hosts only put one of five shot attempts on frame.
Meskerem James and Leah McQuade put two additional shots on goal within the first 10 minutes of action in the second half, as the Trojans continued to generate chances and work at a high rate to control possession.
The Saints (1-3-0) finally cut the deficit to one with their goal coming late in the 82nd minute. A header attempt was blocked by the Trojans before Maeve Comfort cleaned up the free ball. Those were the only two shot attempts of the entire second half for the Saints, as the stalwart TU defense held on the rest of the way and closed out the key road victory.
Statistically, the Trojans doubled up the Saints in total shot attempts, 14-7, while maintaining an impressive 7-2 edge in shots on goal. There were only a combined five total corners in the contest.
Next up, TU will travel to Bethel (3-1-1) for the Crossroads League opener on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
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TAYLOR ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES 2025 HALL OF FAME CLASS
UPLAND, Ind. – Taylor Athletics will induct a class of four members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 4, as part of the 2025 Taylor Homecoming festivities. The 2025 inductees are Steve Brooks, Matt Hall, Savannah Porter and Plenseh-Tay Sakeuh.
Brooks graduated from Taylor in 1980 and went on to post a record of 659 wins to just 176 losses over 24 years as a NAIA women’s basketball head coach, while leading programs at Indiana Wesleyan, Saint Francis (IL) and Marian. Brooks coached 22 of his 24 teams to the NAIA National Tournament, leading IWU to NAIA National Championships in 2007 and 2013. Along the way Brooks guided his teams to the 20-win plateau in all but two years, piled up 13 regular season league titles and eight league tourney crowns. Brooks was an 11-time coach of the year in his conference and was twice heralded as the NAIA National Coach of the Year for his work on the bench. Brooks also led his teams at Indiana Wesleyan to a NAIA record of 56-straight wins from 2006 through 2008 and logged 37-straight polls as the NAIA’s No.1-ranked team during that stretch. Prior to beginning his legendary head coaching career, Brooks played collegiately at Taylor from 1977 through 1980 and was a three-year starter for the Trojans, before serving as an assistant coach at TU for Hall of Famer, Paul Patterson.
Hall graduated from Taylor in 2017 as one of the most decorated athletes in TU’s men’s cross country and track and field programs. Hall received Taylor’s Gates-Howard Award as a senior in recognition of an outstanding career which resulted in eight NAIA All-American honors and six individual Crossroads League Championships. Hall was a 13-time NAIA Nationals qualifier and an eight-time All-Crossroads League performer. The distance runner set Taylor’s indoor 5,000-meters record and posted the programs’ second-best time in the outdoor 5,000-meters, while also running to two course, stadium or meet records. Hall raced to eight CL Athlete-of-the-Week awards and helped Taylor to three-straight top-20 finishes at NAIA Cross Country Nationals and a trio of top-25 showings at NAIA Track and Field Nationals. In addition to his athletic efforts, Hall was widely honored for his academic prowess as well, being named the 2016-2017 CoSIDA NAIA Men’s Cross Country and Track Academic All-American of the Year, in addition to his trio of CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, pair of NAIA Scholar-Athlete nods and two Academic All-Crossroads League selections.
Porter was a 2019 graduate from TU and a 2016 NAIA Women’s Soccer Honorable Mention All-American. The defender anchored the Trojans while playing in all 76 matches and starting in 74 contests over her four-year career. During that time, Porter was a two-time team captain and played to three First-Team All-Crossroads League honors and two NAIA All-Mideast Region accolades. Porter helped Taylor to a record of 46-21-9 during her career, including a mark of 19-12-5 in Crossroads League play. In that span, Porter helped power TU to NAIA Top-25 rankings in three-straight years. With Porter leading the way, TU posted shutouts in 36-of-76 matches over four years with her on the pitch, setting program records with 14 wins, 11 shutouts and a 0.65 goals-against average in 2016.
Sakeuh also graduated from Taylor in 2019, after racking up nine NAIA All-American honors and 13 individual Crossroads League Championships for the TU track and field program. Sakeuh dominated her events, winning the CL Championship in the outdoor long jump and 100-meter hurdles in each of her four years in a Trojan uniform. The 21-time All-Crossroads League performer and 16-time NAIA National Qualifier set Taylor’s indoor records in the 60-meter hurdles and long jump and the program’s outdoor marks in the 100-meter hurdles and long jump. Sakeuh also set the CL Championships records for indoor 60-meter hurdles and outdoor 100-meter hurdles and secured 10 CL Athlete-of-the-Week honors. With Sakeuh piling up points in her events, Taylor claimed the Crossroads League Indoor Championship in 2018 and 2019, as well as the CL Outdoor Championship in 2018. Sakeuh also helped lift the Trojans to five finishes inside the top-25 at Indoor and Outdoor NAIA National Championship events.
Individuals wishing to attend the 2025 Hall of Fame brunch at 9:00 am on Saturday, October 4 can purchase tickets by going to TaylorTrojans.com/tickets.
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ROSE-HULMAN THRIVES IN WIN OVER WEBSTER
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Rose-Hulman took down the Webster Gorloks by a score of 2-0 to conclude their homestand.
RHIT quickly got on the board in the 14th minute, with sophomore Lena Darini scoring the opening goal in her first start of the season. Sophomore Sydnee Schuler assisted to Darini, who fired a shot from the far-right side into the left corner of the goal.
The Fightin’ Engineers were awarded an 18th-minute corner kick, which connected to senior Katie Choi. Choi fired a hard strike on goal, which was deflected away on a diving save.
With the Gorloks deep in RHIT territory, sophomore Taylor Beede recorded a big-time save in the 29th minute right in front of Rose-Hulman’s goal, keeping the Fightin’ Engineers in the lead.
Rose-Hulman concluded the half with a 1-0 lead, where their defensive line didn’t allow a single shot. On the offensive end, RHIT recorded seven total shots with four being on target.
The Fightin’ Engineers would attempt a 60th-minute shot to try and tie the game, but senior Camille Clark blocked their shot away. Clark would make another great defensive play in the 79th minute, recording a steal in a one-on-one fastbreak.
In the 32nd minute of the first half, Schuler scored what appeared to be Rose’s second goal of the game with a header, which was ultimately taken away as a foul was called a second before her goal. She refused to be denied in the 82nd minute, as she scored on a right-side kick that deflected off Webster’s goalie and rolled into the back of the net.
Schuler’s goal would secure Rose-Hulman’s 2-0 victory, while senior Brooke Spurlock recorded a jumping save in the 89th minute to accumulate her second shutout of the season.
The Fightin’ Engineers will voyage to Granville, Ohio, as they take on Dension, Saturday, September 20, at 2 PM.
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TIGERS SNAP ROSE-HULMAN’S WIN STREAK IN COMPETITIVE BATTLE
GREENCASTLE, Ind. — The Rose-Hulman volleyball team suffered their first loss of the season on the road Wednesday night to the DePauw Tigers with a final score of 3-0. This moves the Fightin’ Engineers to 9-1 overall this season.
Rose-Hulman entered the match, recording their best start to a season in program history with nine straight wins to begin the year. The only other time the team conquered that feat was during the 2010 season.
The Rose-Hulman win streak came to an end after a tough battle with the DePauw Tigers. After falling in the first set 25-12, Rose-Hulman looked to even the score.
The second set remained tight down the stretch with both teams tied at 25-25. DePauw put together two kills to end the set 27-25 and take the 2-0 lead over Rose-Hulman.
Rose put together a strong effort in the final set, but came up short with a final score of 25-23 to suffer their first loss of the season.
Amaya Harrell and Greta Carlson led the team with 11 kills each. Keira Ohse was another productive hitter with eight kills in the match.
The Fightin’ Engineers had three players reach double figures in digs, including Lily Ebright with 23, Julia Irmen with 12, and Aurora Schmidt with 11.
The women’s volleyball team will look to bounce back this weekend in the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational. The team will begin the weekend facing Coe on Friday, September 19, at 7 PM CT.
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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. 18
1903 — Philadelphia’s Chick Fraser pitched a 10-0 no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader. The Cubs won the opener 6-5. Fraser struck out five and walked four. Peaches Graham, normally a catcher, was the loser in his only major league decision.
1908 — Bob Rhoads of the Indians pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox for a 2-1 victory in Cleveland.
1930 — New York pitcher Red Ruffing hit two home runs as the Yankees edged the St. Louis Browns 7-6 in 10 innings.
1954 — The Cleveland Indians clinched the American League pennant with a 3-2 triumph over the Detroit Tigers.
1963 — The New York Mets lost their last game at the Polo Grounds — 5-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies before a crowd of 1,752.
1968 — Ray Washburn threw a 2-0 no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park, one day after the Giants’ Gaylord Perry tossed a no-hitter against Washburn’s St. Louis Cardinals.
1980 — Minnesota’s Gary Ward hit for the cycle in a 9-8 loss at Milwaukee. It was Ward’s 14th career game and the home run was his first in the major leagues. The Brewers won the game in the bottom of the ninth on Gorman Thomas’ two-out two-run homer.
1984 — The Detroit Tigers clinched the American League East Division with a 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, making the Tigers the fourth team in major league history to lead from start to finish. The other three teams were the 1923 New York Giants, 1927 New York Yankees and the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.
1984 — Montreal’s Tim Raines became the first player in major league history with four consecutive seasons of 70 or more stolen bases by swiping four in the Expos’ 7-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
1985 — Boston catcher Rich Gedman hit for the cycle and drove in seven runs as the Red Sox rout the Toronto Blue Jays, 13-1.
1987 — Detroit’s Darrell Evans became the first 40-year-old player in major league history to hit 30 home runs in a season as the Tigers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6.
1996 — Roger Clemens equaled his own major league record, fanning 20 batters and pitching a four-hitter to lead Boston over the Detroit Tigers 4-0.
2003 — Atlanta clinched its 12th straight division title when second-place Florida was mathematically eliminated from the NL East race after a 5-4 loss to Philadelphia. The record title streak started in 1991, when the Braves won the NL West. They moved to the East Division in 1994 and trailed Montreal by six games when the strike stopped the season in August.
2006 — The Los Angeles Dodgers hit four consecutive homers in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and Nomar Garciaparra’s two-run homer in the 10th lifted Los Angeles to an 11-10 victory over the San Diego Padres.
2011 — Erick Aybar went 4 for 4, with four extra-base hits and tied a franchise record by scoring five runs, leading the Los Angeles Angels to an 11-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
2012 — Dusty Baker managed his 3,000th game, guiding the Cincinnati Reds against one of his former teams, the Chicago Cubs.
2020 — Garrett Crochet becomes the first player in over a decade to go straight to the majors when the #11 pick from the 2020 amateur draft makes his maiden appearance pitching in relief for the White Sox against the Reds. After working out at the Sox’s alternate training site in Schaumburg, IL since being signed, he impresses by striking two of three batter he faces and regularly hitting 100 mph on the radar gun with his fastball.
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+++TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY+++
Sept. 18
1899 — The Cincinnati Open begins. It is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States still played in its original city and is now known as the Cincinnati Masters & Women’s Open.
1938 — The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 2-0. Left end Dick Plasman tackles Arnie Herber in the end zone in the fourth quarter for the win.
1946 — Joe Louis knocks out Tami Mauriello in the first round at Yankee Stadium in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.
1960 — Goose Gonsoulin intercepts four passes to lead the Denver Broncos to a 27-21 win over the Buffalo Bills.
1965 — In his first collegiate game, quarterback Billy Stevens of Texas-El Paso gains 483 total yards in a 61-15 rout of North Texas State. Receiver Chuck Hughes has 349 of those yards.
1966 — Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas throws 4 touchdown passes in 38-23 win at Minnesota to surpass Y.A. Tittle as NFL’s career leader with 212; finishes career with 290 TD passes.
1967 — U.S. yacht Intrepid beats the Australian yacht Dame Pattie in four straight races to defend the America’s Cup.
1977 — U.S. yacht Courageous beats the challenger Australia in four straight races to defend the America’s Cup.
1982 — In a rare father-son matchup, coach Jack Elway leads San Jose State to its second consecutive upset of quarterback John Elway and Stanford 35-31 in Palo Alto, Calif. John Elway completes 24-of-36 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns. Spartans quarterback Steve Clarkson, throws for 285 yards, three touchdowns and scores on a three-yard keeper for the win after a Cardinal fumble. Stanford reaches the Spartans’ 26-yard line, but Elway gets sacked on four consecutive plays to end the game.
1996 — Roger Clemens equals his own major league record, fanning 20 batters and pitching a four-hitter to lead Boston over the Detroit Tigers 4-0.
2003 — Atlanta clinches its 12th straight division title when second-place Florida is mathematically eliminated from the NL East race. The record title streak started in 1991, when the Braves won the NL West. They moved to the East Division in 1994 and trailed Montreal by six games when the strike stopped the season in August.
2005 — Green Bay’s Brett Favre joins Dan Marino and John Elway with 50,000 yards passing and also breaks Elway’s single-stadium NFL touchdown record of 180 with a 4-yard toss to Tony Fisher with 4 seconds left of a 26-24 loss to Cleveland at Lambeau Field.
2011 — At 16, Lexi Thompson becomes the youngest player to win an LPGA Tour event. The 16-year-old Floridian closes with a 2-under 70 to win by five strokes over Tiffany Joh at the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville, Ala. Thompson shatters the age record for winning a multiple-round tournament held by Paula Creamer, who won in 2005 at 18.
2011 — Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sets an NFL rookie record by throwing for 432 yards against the Green Bay Packers. Newton, who tied the record by throwing for 422 yards in last week’s loss at Arizona, completes 28 of 46 passes with one touchdown in the 30-23 loss to the Packers. Newton’s 854 yards passing is also the most yards for a player in his first two games.
2013 — American Jordan Burroughs earns another wrestling world title. Burroughs, a gold medalist at the 2012 Olympics, extends his undefeated streak to 65 matches with a 4-0 victory over Iran’s Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei in the 163-pound category at the Laszlo Papp Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary.
2016 — Detroit’s Anquan Boldin has a touchdown catch in the Lions’ 16-15 loss to Tennessee, to join Terrell Owens as the only players in NFL history to have at least 1,000 career receptions and a touchdown catch with four teams.
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+++TV SPORTS+++
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Thursday, Sept. 18
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
5:30 a.m. (Friday)
FS2 — AFL Postseason: Geelong vs. Hawthorn, Preliminary Final, Richmond, Australia
AUTO RACING
4:25 a.m. (Friday)
ESPNU — Formula 1: Practice, Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Rice at Charlotte
COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
6 p.m.
BTN — Nebraska at Penn St.
7 p.m.
SECN — Florida at Oklahoma
8 p.m.
BTN — UCLA at Michigan St.
ESPNU — Mississippi St. at Texas
10 p.m.
BTN — Illinois at Oregon
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
6 p.m.
ESPNU — Kentucky at Louisville
GOLF
7:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The FedEx Open de France, First Round, Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Breteche, Paris
3 p.m.
GOLF — Korn Ferry Tour: The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, First Round, The Ohio State University Golf Club, Upper Arlington, Ohio
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: San Diego at N.Y. Mets (1:10 p.m.) OR Cleveland at Detroit (1:10 p.m.)
4 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Seattle at Kansas City (2:10 p.m.) OR Miami at Colorado (3:10 p.m.)
7 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati OR N.Y. Yankees at Baltimore
10 p.m.
MLBN — San Francisco at L.A. Dodgers (10:10 p.m.)
NFL FOOTBALL
8:15 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Miami at Buffalo
SOCCER (MEN’S)
12:40 p.m.
CBSSN — UEFA Champions League: Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Copenhagen
2:55 p.m.
CBSSN — UEFA Champions League: Galatasaray at Eintracht Frankfurt
7 p.m.
FS2 — Canadian Championship: Vancouver FC at Atletico Ottawa, Semifinal – Leg 2
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
10:30 p.m.
CBSSN — NWSL: Washington at Angel City
TENNIS
10 p.m.
TENNIS — Laver Cup Line Up Show
1 a.m. (Friday)
TENNIS — BJK Cup Finals: Semifinal 1; Seoul – WTA Quarterfinals; Chengdu – ATP Early Rounds
TRACK AND FIELD
6 a.m.
USA — World Athletics Championships: Day 6, Tokyo
WNBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Playoffs: Indiana at Atlanta, First Round – Game 3
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Playoffs: Seattle at Las Vegas, First Round – Game 3
