THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 7 SCHEDULE

ADAMS CENTRAL (6-0) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (2-4)

ALEXANDRIA (4-2) AT FRANKTON (0-6)

ANDREAN (5-1) AT ANGOLA (3-3)

ATTICA (2-4) AT RIVERTON PARKE (6-0)

BATESVILLE (3-3) AT GREENSBURG (0-6)

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (5-1) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (5-1)

BEECH GROVE (4-2) AT SPEEDWAY (0-6)

BLACKFORD (0-6) AT OAK HILL (3-3)

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (6-0) AT COLUMBUS NORTH (4-2)

BLUFFTON (6-0) AT HERITAGE (4-2)

BOONE GROVE (2-3) AT WHITING (2-4)

BOONVILLE (3-3) AT PRINCETON (3-3)

BREBEUF JESUIT (0-6) AT ARSENAL TECH (2-4)

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (6-0) AT MADISON (0-6)

CALUMET (5-1) AT WHEELER (5-0)

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-6) AT UNION CITY (1-5)

CARMEL (5-1) AT BEN DAVIS (1-5)

CASCADE (6-0) AT GREENCASTLE (3-3)

CASTLE (5-1) AT JASPER (5-1)

CASTON (2-4) AT TRITON (4-2)

CENTERVILLE (4-2) AT UNION COUNTY (1-5)

CHARLESTOWN (5-1) AT CORYDON CENTRAL (2-4)

CHURUBUSCO (4-2) AT CENTRAL NOBLE (1-5)

CLINTON CENTRAL (2-4) AT CARROLL (FLORA) (3-2)

CLINTON PRAIRIE (3-2) AT TAYLOR (4-2)

CLOVERDALE (3-3) AT BROWN COUNTY (1-5)

COLUMBUS EAST (3-3) AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH (3-3)

CONCORD (5-1) AT GOSHEN (2-4)

CONNERSVILLE (3-3) AT EAST CENTRAL (5-1)

COVENANT CHRISTIAN (1-5) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (2-4)

COVINGTON (4-2) AT SEEGER (5-1)

CULVER ACADEMY (2-4) AT BREMEN (4-2)

DECATUR CENTRAL (4-2) AT GREENWOOD (2-4)

DELPHI (2-4) AT SHERIDAN (4-1)

DELTA (3-3) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (5-1)

EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (1-5) AT LAKE STATION (5-1)

EAST NOBLE (6-0) AT COLUMBIA CITY (4-2)

EASTERN (PEKIN) (1-5) AT SALEM (2-4)

EASTERN GREENE (1-5) AT NORTH DECATUR (5-1)

EASTSIDE (4-2) AT FREMONT (4-2)

EDINBURGH (1-4) AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (3-3)

ELWOOD (2-4) AT MISSISSINEWA (6-0)

EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-6) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-5)

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (2-4) AT EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-6)

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (6-0) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (4-2)

FAIRFIELD (3-3) AT GARRETT (2-4)

FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-6) AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-6)

FORT WAYNE DWENGER (4-2) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (3-3)

FORT WAYNE NORTH (4-2) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (1-5)

FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (5-1) AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER (2-4)

FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (2-4) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (2-4)

FRANKLIN (3-3) AT PLAINFIELD (5-1)

FRANKLIN CENTRAL (4-2) AT FISHERS (4-2)

FRANKLIN COUNTY (4-2) AT SOUTH DEARBORN (4-2)

FRONTIER (6-0) AT TRI-COUNTY (1-5)

GARY WEST (2-3) AT GRIFFITH (5-1)

GIBSON SOUTHERN (5-1) AT WASHINGTON (3-3)

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (3-3) AT YORKTOWN (5-1)

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (1-5) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (5-1)

GUERIN CATHOLIC (3-3) AT PIKE (1-5)

HAGERSTOWN (3-3) AT WINCHESTER (5-1)

HAMILTON HEIGHTS (2-4) AT TWIN LAKES (5-1)

HAMMOND CENTRAL (0-6) AT HAMMOND MORTON (4-2)

HAMMOND NOLL (2-4) AT RIVER FOREST (2-4)

HIGHLAND (2-4) AT MUNSTER (1-5)

HOBART (4-2) AT HANOVER CENTRAL (3-3)

HOMESTEAD (4-2) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (3-3)

INDIAN CREEK (4-2) AT TRITON CENTRAL (5-1)

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (5-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (3-3)

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (4-2) AT CENTER GROVE (6-0)

INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (5-1) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (3-3)

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (4-2) AT CINCINNATI LASALLE (OHIO)

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (4-2) AT PROVIDENCE (4-2)

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-5) AT CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-6)

IRVINGTON PREP (1-4) AT FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (1-5)

JAY COUNTY (2-4) AT SOUTH ADAMS (3-3)

JEFFERSONVILLE (2-4) AT NEW ALBANY (0-6)

JIMTOWN (1-5) AT KNOX (6-0)

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-5) AT TIPTON (3-3)

LAFAYETTE JEFF (5-1) AT KOKOMO (2-4)

LAKE CENTRAL (2-4) AT CHESTERTON (4-2)

LAKELAND (4-2) AT WEST NOBLE (5-1)

LAPEL (6-0) AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (4-2)

LAPORTE (2-4) AT CROWN POINT (6-0)

LAVILLE (2-4) AT JOHN GLENN (2-4)

LAWRENCE CENTRAL (3-3) AT NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (2-4)

LAWRENCEBURG (5-1) AT RUSHVILLE (1-5)

LEBANON (5-1) AT DANVILLE (3-3)

LEO (5-1) AT HUNTINGTON NORTH (2-4)

LEWIS CASS (4-2) AT MACONAQUAH (6-0)

LINTON (4-2) AT NORTH KNOX (3-3)

LOWELL (5-1) AT KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-6)

MADISON-GRANT (5-1) AT EASTBROOK (6-0)

MANCHESTER (4-2) AT WHITKO (1-5)

MARTINSVILLE (2-4) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (2-4)

MERRILLVILLE (4-2) AT VALPARAISO (1-5)

MILAN (2-3) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (3-3)

MISHAWAKA MARIAN (2-4) AT NEW PRAIRIE (1-5)

MITCHELL (0-6) AT NORTH DAVIESS (6-0)

MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (0-6) AT NEW CASTLE (1-5)

MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (4-2) AT HERITAGE HILLS (5-1)

MUNCIE CENTRAL (3-3) AT ANDERSON (1-5)

NEW HAVEN (1-5) AT BELLMONT (0-6)

NOBLESVILLE (1-5) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (3-3)

NORTH JUDSON (5-1) AT WINAMAC (1-5)

NORTH MIAMI (4-2) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-6)

NORTH MONTGOMERY (0-6) AT CRAWFORDSVILLE (2-4)

NORTH NEWTON (3-3) AT BOWMAN ACADEMY (3-3)

NORTH POSEY (5-1) AT FOREST PARK (3-3)

NORTH PUTNAM (2-4) AT FRANKFORT (0-6)

NORTH WHITE (2-4) AT SOUTH NEWTON (2-4)

NORTHFIELD (1-5) AT ROCHESTER (5-1)

NORTHRIDGE (0-6) AT WAWASEE (1-5)

NORTHWESTERN (3-3) AT WABASH (1-5)

NORWELL (1-5) AT DEKALB (4-2)

OSCEOLA GRACE AT MONROE CENTRAL (3-3)

OWEN VALLEY (1-5) AT WEST VIGO (0-6)

PAOLI (4-2) AT CRAWFORD COUNTY (4-2)

PARKE HERITAGE (4-2) AT NORTH VERMILLION (0-6)

PENN (6-0) AT ELKHART (4-2)

PHALEN ACADEMY AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (5-1)

PIKE CENTRAL (0-6) AT SOUTH SPENCER (1-5)

PIONEER (5-1) AT CULVER (2-4)

PLYMOUTH (3-3) AT NORTHWOOD (3-3)

PORTAGE (0-6) AT MICHIGAN CITY (4-2)

PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-6) AT WOODLAN (1-5)

PURDUE ENGLEWOOD (5-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (1-4)

RENSSELAER CENTRAL (4-2) AT BENTON CENTRAL (0-6)

RICHMOND (1-5) AT MARION (1-5)

SCOTTSBURG (5-1) AT CLARKSVILLE (3-3)

SEYMOUR (0-6) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (2-4)

SHELBYVILLE (3-3) AT NEW PALESTINE (6-0)

SHENANDOAH (4-2) AT NORTHEASTERN (6-0)

SILVER CREEK (2-4) AT NORTH HARRISON (2-4)

SOUTH BEND RILEY (3-3) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (6-0)

SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (2-4) AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS (2-4)

SOUTH PUTNAM (5-1) AT NORTHVIEW (5-1)

SOUTHWOOD (1-5) AT PERU (1-5)

SULLIVAN (3-3) AT EDGEWOOD (5-1)

SWITZERLAND COUNTY (5-1) AT SOUTH DECATUR (2-4)

TECUMSEH (3-3) AT SPRINGS VALLEY (6-0)

TELL CITY (3-3) AT SOUTHRIDGE (2-4)

TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-6) AT SOUTHPORT (0-6)

TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (4-2) AT MCCUTCHEON (2-4)

TRI (3-3) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (4-2)

TRI-WEST (5-1) AT MONROVIA (3-3)

VINCENNES LINCOLN (3-3) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (4-2)

WARREN CENTRAL (5-1) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (5-1)

WARSAW (4-2) AT MISHAWAKA (5-1)

WES-DEL (2-3) AT PARK TUDOR (4-2)

WEST CENTRAL (6-0) AT FAITH CHRISTIAN (1-5)

WEST LAFAYETTE (2-4) AT LOGANSPORT (5-1)

WEST WASHINGTON (2-4) AT PERRY CENTRAL (0-6)

WESTERN (5-1) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (4-2)

WESTERN BOONE (4-2) AT SOUTHMONT (6-0)

WESTFIELD (4-2) AT AVON (3-3)

WHITELAND (4-2) AT MOORESVILLE (3-3)

ZIONSVILLE (3-3) AT BROWNSBURG (6-0)

_____________

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACHES POLLS

CLASS 6A

1. BROWNSBURG (9) 6-0 99

2. CENTER GROVE (1) 6-0 88

3. CARMEL 5-1 82

4. CROWN POINT 6-0 67

5. LAWRENCE NORTH 5-1 57

6. WESTFIELD 4-2 41

7. WARREN CENTRAL 5-1 34

8. PENN 6-0 33

9. FISHERS 4-2 27

10. DECATUR CENTRAL 4-2 13

11. AVON 3-3 5

12. HOMESTEAD 4-2 2

13. COLUMBUS NORTH 4-2 1

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 3-3 1

________

CLASS 5A

1. NEW PALESTINE (9) 6-0 99

2. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (1) 6-0 88

3. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL 4-2 82

4. EAST CENTRAL 5-1 60

5. LAFAYETTE JEFF 5-1 59

6. MERRILLVILLE 4-2 49

7. PLAINFIELD 5-1 42

8. CONCORD 5-1 39

9. CASTLE 5-1 19

10. WARSAW 4-2 7

11. WHITELAND 4-2 5

12. FLOYD CENTRAL 5-1 1

___________

CLASS 4A

1. INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (6) 5-1 96

2. EAST NOBLE (2) 6-0 89

3. HERITAGE HILLS (2) 5-1 82

4. MISHAWAKA 5-1 72

5. LEO 5-1 59

6. PENDLETON HEIGHTS 5-1 44

7. FORT WAYNE DWENGER 4-2 31

8. INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI 4-2 26

9. SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 6-0 25

10. EVANSVILLE REITZ 4-2 13

11. LOWELL 5-1 4

NORTHVIEW 5-1 4

13. JASPER 5-1 2

YORKTOWN 5-1 2

15. LEBANON 5-1 1

___________

CLASS 3A

1. EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (10) 6-0 100

2. GIBSON SOUTHERN 5-1 86

3. CASCADE 6-0 76

4. LAWRENCEBURG 5-1 65

5. KNOX 6-0 57

6. MISSISSINEWA 6-0 43

7. MACONAQUAH 6-0 37

8. TRI-WEST 5-1 29

9. FORT WAYNE LUERS 3-3 16

10. WEST NOBLE 5-1 11

11. TWIN LAKES 5-1 8

12. SCOTTSBURG 5-1 7

13. GUERIN CATHOLIC 3-3 5

INDIAN CREEK 4-2 5

15. WESTERN 5-1 3

16. EDGEWOOD 5-1 1

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 2-4 1

___________

CLASS 2A

1. ADAMS CENTRAL (6) 6-0 96

2. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (4) 6-0 94

3. LAPEL 6-0 78

4. ANDREAN 5-1 67

5. EASTBROOK 6-0 55

6. INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 5-1 45

7. BLUFFTON 6-0 44

8. LINTON 4-2 34

9. WHEELER 5-0 16

10. TRITON CENTRAL 5-1 10

11. EASTSIDE 4-2 5

NORTHEASTERN 6-0 5

13. WESTERN BOONE 4-2 1

____________

CLASS 1A

1. SOUTH PUTNAM (8) 5-1 98

2. NORTH JUDSON 5-1 82

3. SPRINGS VALLEY (1) 6-0 79

4. NORTH DECATUR (1) 5-1 73

5. PROVIDENCE 4-2 60

6. PIONEER 5-1 50

7. FRONTIER 6-0 37

8. RIVERTON PARKE 6-0 28

9. MADISON-GRANT 5-1 23

10. NORTH DAVIESS 6-0 14

11. WEST CENTRAL 6-0 4

12. NORTH MIAMI 4-2 2

+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SCORES:+++

https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=9/29/2025

Z RATINGS: HTTPS://WWW.ZVOLLEYBALL.COM/IPV/INDIANA-HS-Z-RATINGS/Z-GIRLS-2025

__________

+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER SCORES:+++

https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=9/29/2025

INDIANA BOYS SOCCER POLLS

3A ISCA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER POLL (9/29/25)

1. WL HARRISON

2. BROWNSBURG

3. FW CARROLL

4. GOSHEN

5. EV. MEMORIAL

6. CARMEL

7. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH

8. CONCORD

9. HAMILTON SE

10. ELKHART

11. PENN

12. VALPARAISO

13. NOBLESVILLE

14. FISHERS

15. LAKE CENTRAL

16. CASTLE

17. CATHEDRAL

18. SB ADAMS

19. ZIONSVILLE

20. HOMESTEAD

2A ISCA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER POLL (9/29/25)

1. BISHOP NOLL

2. GUERIN CATHOLIC

3. PARK TUDOR

4. ILLIANA CHRISTIAN

5. BISHOP LUERS

6. HANOVER CENTRAL

7. CONCORDIA LUTHERAN

8. HERITAGE HILLS

9. BISHOP DWENGER

10. CARDINAL RITTER

11. BISHOP CHATARD

12. SPEEDWAY

13. LEO

14. CHARLESTOWN

15. GREENCASTLE

16. WASHINGTON COMMUNITY

17. BETHANY CHRISTIAN

18. EASTBROOK

19. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (INDPLS)

20. SILVER CREEK

1A ISCA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER POLL (9/29/25)

1. COVENANT CHRISTIAN (INDPLS)

2. BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN

3. GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN

4. FAITH CHRISTIAN

5. WESTVIEW

6. SHAWE MEMORIAL

7. NORTHEAST DUBOIS

8. MUNCIE BURRIS

9. OLDENBURG ACADEMY

10. WHITE RIVER VALLEY

11. FOREST PARK

12. SCECINA

13. ARGOS

14. PROVIDENCE

15. SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBY)

16. SOUTH KNOX

17. SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)

18. TIPTON

19. BETHESDA CHRISTIAN

20. TELL CITY

___________

+++INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER SCORES:+++

https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls/scores/?date=9/29/2025

INDIANA GIRLS SOCCER POLLS

3A ISCA GIRLS POLL

1. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN

2. HOMESTEAD

3. CARMEL

4. ZIONSVILLE

5. WESTFIELD

6. FW CARROLL

7. CENTER GROVE

8. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH

9. CROWN POINT

10. CATHEDRAL

11. MEMORIAL

12. EVANSVILLE NORTH

13. CASTLE

14. NORTHRIDGE

15. LAKE CENTRAL

16. PENN

17. NOBLESVILLE

18. EAST CENTRAL

19. LAWRENCE NORTH

20. COLUMBUS NORTH

2A ISCA GIRLS POLL

1. SB SAINT JOSEPH

2. BISHOP DWENGER

3. MISHAWAKA MARIAN

4. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI

5. BELLMONT

6. PARK TUDOR

7. LAWRENCEBURG

8. CHATARD

9. BREBEUF JESUIT

10. RONCALLI

11. HANOVER CENTRAL

12. GUERIN CATHOLIC

13. WASHINGTON

14. MADISON

15. TRI WEST

16. BATESVILLE

17. OAK HILL

18. WEST LAFAYETTE

19. HERITAGE HILLS

20. LEBANON / ILLIANA CHRISTIAN

1A ISCA GIRLS POLL

1. OLDENBURG

2. FAITH CHRISTIAN

3. PROVIDENCE

4. ELKHART CHRISTIAN

5. SWITZERLAND CO.

6. HERITAGE CHRISTIAN

7. WESTVIEW

8. FW BLACKHAWK

9. FOREST PARK

10. SHERIDAN

11. EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN

12. MONROVIA

13. COVENANT CHRISTIAN (INDY)

14. BREMEN

15. TRINITY GREENLAWN ACADEMY

16. COVINGTON

17. SHAWE MEMORIAL

18. CULVER COMMUNITY

19. LAPEL

20. WHITE RIVER VALLEY

___________

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GOLF STATE FINALS

OCTOBER 4,5

FRIDAY TEE TIMES: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2025-26%20GGo%20State%20First%20Round%20Pairings.pdf

___________

+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS:+++

NO RACES SCHEDULED

INDIANA GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY POLL

1 CARMEL

2 FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA

3 BLOOMINGTON SOUTH

4 HOMESTEAD

5 ZIONSVILLE

6 PENN

7 WESTFIELD

8 LAKE CENTRAL

9 FISHERS

10 HARRISON

11 NORTH CENTRAL

12 NOBLESVILLE

13 BREBEUF

14 FLOYD CENTRAL

15 CHATARD

16 COLUMBUS NORTH

17 VALPARAISO

18 WARSAW

19 FORT WAYNE CARROLL

20 FRANKLIN CENTRAL

21 AVON

22 COLUMBIA CITY

23 GUERIN CATHOLIC

24 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN

25 MUNSTER

__________

INDIANA BOYS CROSS COUNTRY POLL

COLUMBUS NORTH
NOBLESVILLE
BLOOMINGTON NORTH
CARMEL
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
HOMESTEAD
BROWNSBURG
AVON
CENTER GROVE
NORTH CENTRAL
NORTHRIDGE
FISHERS
LAWRENCE NORTH
FRANKLIN CENTRAL
PENN
WESTFIELD
YORKTOWN
BEN DAVIS
ZIONSVILLE
FORT WAYNE CARROLL
FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA
HARRISON
CROWN POINT
LOWELL
WARSAW

+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS +++

SECTIONAL PAIRINGS : https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/092825.BoysTennisPairings.pdf

SECTIONAL DATES: SEPTEMBER 30, OCT 1, 2, 3, 4

___________

+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL UNIFIED FLAG FOOTBALL+++

DEKALB 33 NEW HAVEN 19

LAWRENCE CENTRAL 62 MOORESVILLE 56

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 40 INDIAN CREEK 12

__________

+++MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL+++

MLB PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

WILD-CARD SERIES (ALL GAME TIMES ET)

++++NO. 6 DETROIT AT NO. 3 CLEVELAND

GAME 1: TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, 1:08 P.M. (ESPN)

GAME 2: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1, 1:08 P.M. (ESPN)

GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY): THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 1:08 P.M. (ESPN)

++++NO. 5 BOSTON AT NO. 4 NEW YORK

GAME 1: TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, 6:08 P.M. (ESPN)

GAME 2: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1, 6:08 P.M. (ESPN)

GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY): THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 6:08 P.M. (ESPN)

++++NO. 6 CINCINNATI AT NO. 3 LOS ANGELES

GAME 1: TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, 9:08 P.M. (ESPN)

GAME 2: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1, 9:08 P.M. (ESPN)

GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY): THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 9:08 P.M. (ESPN)

++++NO. 5 SAN DIEGO AT NO. 4 CHICAGO

GAME 1: TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, 3:08 P.M. (ABC)

GAME 2: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1, 3:08 P.M. (ABC)

GAME 3 (IF NECESSARY): THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 3:08 P.M. (ABC)

DIVISION SERIES (GAMES 1-2 AND 5 AT HIGHER SEED, 3-4 AT LOWER SEED)

++++NO. 1 TORONTO VS. NEW YORK/BOSTON WINNER

GAME 1: SATURDAY, OCT. 4

GAME 2: SUNDAY, OCT. 5

GAME 3: TUESDAY, OCT. 7

GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY): WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY): FRIDAY, OCT. 10

++++NO. 2 SEATTLE VS. CLEVELAND/DETROIT WINNER

GAME 1: SATURDAY, OCT. 4

GAME 2: SUNDAY, OCT. 5

GAME 3: TUESDAY, OCT. 7

GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY): WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY): FRIDAY, OCT. 10

++++NO. 1 MILWAUKEE VS. CHICAGO/SAN DIEGO WINNER

GAME 1: SATURDAY, OCT. 4

GAME 2: MONDAY, OCT. 6

GAME 3: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8

GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY): THURSDAY, OCT. 9

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY): SATURDAY, OCT. 11

++++NO. 2 PHILADELPHIA VS. LOS ANGELES/CINCINNATI WINNER

GAME 1: SATURDAY, OCT. 4

GAME 2: MONDAY, OCT. 6

GAME 3: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8

GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY): THURSDAY, OCT. 9

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY): SATURDAY, OCT. 11

++++ALCS (HIGHER SEED HOSTS GAMES 1-2, 6-7, LOWER SEED HOSTS GAMES 3-5)

GAME 1: SUNDAY, OCT. 12

GAME 2: MONDAY, OCT. 13

GAME 3: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15

GAME 4: THURSDAY, OCT. 16

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY): FRIDAY, OCT. 17

GAME 6 (IF NECESSARY): SUNDAY, OCT. 19

GAME 7 (IF NECESSARY): MONDAY, OCT. 20

++++NLCS (HIGHER SEED HOSTS GAMES 1-2, 6-7, LOWER SEED HOSTS GAMES 3-5)

GAME 1: MONDAY, OCT. 13

GAME 2: TUESDAY, OCT. 14

GAME 3: THURSDAY, OCT. 16

GAME 4: FRIDAY, OCT. 17

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY): SATURDAY, OCT. 18

GAME 6 (IF NECESSARY): MONDAY, OCT. 20

GAME 7 (IF NECESSARY): TUESDAY, OCT. 21

++++WORLD SERIES (HIGHER SEED HOSTS GAMES 1-2, 6-7, LOWER SEED HOSTS GAMES 3-5)

GAME 1: FRIDAY, OCT. 24

GAME 2: SATURDAY, OCT. 25

GAME 3: MONDAY, OCT. 27

GAME 4: TUESDAY, OCT. 28

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY): WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29

GAME 6 (IF NECESSARY): FRIDAY, OCT. 31

GAME 7 (IF NECESSARY): SATURDAY, NOV. 1

__________

+++COLLEGE FOOTBALL+++

WEEK 6 SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27

THURSDAY, OCT. 2

9 P.M. | SAM HOUSTON AT NEW MEXICO STATE | CBSSN

FRIDAY, OCT. 3

7 P.M. | WESTERN KENTUCKY AT DELAWARE | CBSSN

7 P.M. | CHARLOTTE AT SOUTH FLORIDA | ESPN2

10 P.M. | NEW MEXICO AT SAN JOSE STATE | FS1

10:30 P.M. | WEST VIRGINIA AT NO. 23 BYU | ESPN

10:30 P.M. | COLORADO STATE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | CBSSN

SATURDAY, OCT. 4

12 P.M. | KENTUCKY AT NO. 12 GEORGIA | ABC

12 P.M. |NO. 14 IOWA STATE AT CINCINNATI | ESPN2

12 P.M. | WISCONSIN AT NO. 20 MICHIGAN | FOX

12 P.M. | NO. 22 ILLINOIS AT PURDUE | BIG TEN NETWORK

12 P.M. | BOSTON COLLEGE AT PITT | ACC NETWORK

12 P.M. | CLEMSON AT NORTH CAROLINA | ESPN

12 P.M. | KANSAS STATE AT BAYLOR | ESPN+

12 P.M. | AIR FORCE AT NAVY | CBS/PARAMOUNT+

12 P.M. | ARMY AT UAB | ESPNU

12 P.M. | OHIO AT BALL STATE | CBSSN

1 P.M. | WAKE FOREST AT VIRGINIA TECH | THE CW NETWORK

1 P.M. | UTSA AT TEMPLE | ESPN+

2 P.M. | CAMPBELL AT NC STATE | ESPN+/ACC EXTRA

2 P.M. | OKLAHOMA STATE AT ARIZONA | TNT/TRUTV/HBO MAX

2:30 P.M. | WESTERN MICHIGAN AT UMASS | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | NO. 7 PENN STATE AT UCLA | CBS

3:30 P.M. | NO. 9 TEXAS AT FLORIDA | ESPN

3:30 P.M. | NO. 16 VANDERBILT AT NO. 10 ALABAMA

3:30 P.M. | BOISE STATE AT NO. 21 NOTRE DAME | NBC/PEACOCK

3:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON AT MARYLAND | BIG TEN NETWORK

3:30 P.M. | UL MONROE AT NORTHWESTERN | BIG TEN NETWORK

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

3:30 P.M. | NO. 24 VIRGINIA AT LOUISVILLE | ESPN2

3:30 P.M. | SYRACUSE AT SMU

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

3:30 P.M. | JAMES MADISON AT GEORGIA STATE | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT AKRON | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | EASTERN MICHIGAN AT BUFFALO | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | MIAMI (OHIO) AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | ESPN+

4 P.M. | KENT STATE AT NO. 5 OKLAHOMA | SEC NETWORK

4 P.M. | MICHIGAN STATE AT NEBRASKA | FS1

4 P.M. | TEXAS STATE AT ARKANSAS STATE | ESPNU

6 P.M. | COASTAL CAROLINA AT OLD DOMINION | ESPN+

7 P.M. | NO. 11 TEXAS TECH AT HOUSTON | ESPN

7 P.M. | UNLV AT WYOMING | CBSSN

7 P.M. | SOUTH ALABAMA AT TROY | ESPN+

7 P.M. | FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT RICE | ESPN+

7:30 P.M. | MINNESOTA AT NO. 1 OHIO STATE | NBC/PEACOCK

7:30 P.M. | NO. 3 MIAMI (FLA.) AT NO. 18 FLORIDA STATE | ABC

7:30 P.M. | MISSISSIPPI STATE AT NO. 6 TEXAS A&M | SEC NETWORK

7:30 P.M. | COLORADO AT TCU | FOX

7:30 P.M. | KANSAS AT UCF | ESPN2

8 P.M. | TULSA AT MEMPHIS | ESPNU

10:30 P.M. | DUKE AT CAL | ESPN

10:30 P.M. | NEVADA AT FRESNO STATE | CBSSN

_________

+++NFL SCHEDULE+++

MONDAY NIGHT

MIAMI 27 NY JETS 21

DENVER 28 CINCINNATI 3

_________

NFL SCHEDULE

WEEK 5

THURSDAY, OCT. 2

SAN FRANCISCO AT LA RAMS, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)

SUNDAY, OCT. 5

MINNESOTA VS. CLEVELAND AT LONDON, 9:30 A.M. (NFLN)

NY GIANTS AT NEW ORLEANS, 1 P.M. (CBS)

DENVER AT PHILADELPHIA

HOUSTON AT BALTIMORE, 1 P.M. (CBS)

DALLAS AT NY JETS, 1 P.M. (FOX)

LAS VEGAS AT INDIANAPOLIS, 1 P.M. (FOX)

MIAMI AT CAROLINA, 1 P.M. (FOX)

TENNESSEE AT ARIZONA, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)

TAMPA BAY AT SEATTLE, 4:05 P.M. (CBS)

WASHINGTON AT LA CHARGERS, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)

DETROIT AT CINCINNATI, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)

NEW ENGLAND AT BUFFALO, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)

MONDAY, OCT. 6

KANSAS CITY AT JACKSONVILLE, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)

BYES: ATLANTA, CHICAGO, GREEN BAY, PITTSBURGH

__________

+++WNBA SCORES+++

__________

+++MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER+++

__________

+++TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS

YANKEES-RED SOX POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

(MLB.COM)

Emotions can run high any time the Yankees and Red Sox get together. But a postseason matchup with a trip to the American League Division Series on the line? That’s pure theater.

Boston won nine of the 13 meetings between the rivals this season, but New York has won three of the last four, including two of three at Fenway Park from Sept. 12-14. This marks the sixth time in history that the Yankees and Red Sox have met in the postseason, the first coming in 1999 and the last in 2021, when Boston won a one-game Wild Card matchup on its home turf.

This best-of-three series will take place in the Bronx, where the fans are sure to be amped up as the Yankees take aim at a second straight AL pennant and their first World Series title since 2009. Get your popcorn ready.

Here’s how the Yankees and Red Sox match up position-by-position:

Catcher

Austin Wells will start Game 1 to catch Max Fried, though Ben Rice could see time behind the plate in the series, as well. Rice’s defensive metrics are not strong, but his bat more than makes up for it, as he hit 26 home runs with an .836 OPS while ranking between the 88th and 98th percentile in nine different Statcast categories this season. Wells slugged 21 homers of his own with a .711 OPS and is an elite framer, and while he struggled offensively in his first postseason a year ago, he should get the nod against Boston’s right-handed starters.

After being traded from the Yankees to the Red Sox last December, Carlos Narvaez had a strong first half, posting a .786 OPS with eight homers and 31 RBI in 73 games. His offense declined in the second half (.620 OPS in 45 games), but Narváez is an elite defender, ranking in the top 12 percent of the league in three key Statcast categories: blocks above average, caught stealing above average and framing.

Advantage: Red Sox

First base

When Rice isn’t behind the plate, he will likely share first-base duties with Paul Goldschmidt, who posted a .981 OPS against left-handers this season and a .618 OPS against righties. Goldschmidt has a wealth of playoff experience, putting up a .909 OPS with eight home runs in 23 games over six Octobers with the Cardinals and D-backs, though the 38-year-old struggled at the plate over the final month (.502 OPS in 24 games since Aug. 26).

Nathaniel Lowe was released by the Nationals on Aug. 16, signing with the Red Sox two days later. The move proved to be fruitful for the 30-year-old, whose bat was rejuvenated following his arrival in Boston; Lowe had a .790 OPS in 34 games with the Red Sox, a 135-point improvement from his first 119 with Washington. Lowe’s defense ranks near the bottom of the league (-5 outs above average), though neither Yankees first baseman is particularly strong with the glove, either.

Advantage: Yankees

Second base

New York has been a solid fit for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who put up the first 30-30 season of his career in 2025 while posting an .813 OPS in 130 games. Chisholm ranked in the 89th percentile at his position in outs above average (+5), settling in nicely after making a full-time return to second base. In 17 career games over three postseasons, Chisholm owns a meager .167 average (11-for-66) and a .524 OPS, but he hit .317 with four homers and a .965 OPS in 12 games this year against the Red Sox.

Romy Gonzalez had a breakout year in his age-28 season, reaching career highs in home runs (9), RBI (53), average (.305) and OPS (.826) in 96 games. He can play first, second and third base, and while he played more games at first this season, he has settled in as Boston’s everyday option at second. Gonzalez had an .856 OPS in 11 games against the Yankees this season.

Advantage: Yankees

Shortstop

Anthony Volpe’s season felt markedly worse than his first two years in the Majors, yet his numbers were in line with each of his first two campaigns, as he hit .212 with 19 home runs and a .663 OPS in 153 games. The 24-year-old was repeatedly hounded by the hometown fans, especially for his defense, which took a major step backwards (his -6 outs above average ranked in the 8th percentile). If there’s good news for Volpe, it’s that he’s shown he’s not afraid of the spotlight, posting an .815 OPS in 14 games last October.

Trevor Story had his best year since joining the Red Sox in 2022, hitting 25 home runs with a .741 OPS and 3.8 bWAR in 157 games, including an .847 OPS in 13 games against the Yankees. Story’s defense is suspect, as his -10 outs above average was the third-lowest mark in the AL this season. In two career postseasons, Story is 7-for-22 (.318) with an .863 OPS, but he hasn’t played into October since making back-to-back playoff appearances with the Rockies in 2017-18.

Advantage: Red Sox

Third base

Ryan McMahon’s numbers took a hit after he was traded to the Yankees, as he hit .208 with four home runs and a .641 OPS in 54 games for New York after going deep 16 times with a .717 OPS in 100 games with the Rockies. A deeper dive into his numbers shows some promising signs, namely his ranking in average exit velocity (95th percentile), hard-hit percentage (90th) and walk percentage (87th). He also owns an elite glove at the hot corner, ranking in the 91st percentile with +6 outs above average.

Injuries limited Alex Bregman to only 114 games this season, but he made his third All-Star team while hitting 18 home runs with an .822 OPS. Bregman remains an elite contact hitter who doesn’t strike out much, evidenced by his strong ranking in chase percentage (95th percentile), whiff percentage (92nd) and strikeout percentage (89th). Bregman, whose +4 outs above average placed him in the top 15 percent of the league, has a strong postseason history, playing into October in each of his first eight years in the Majors, winning World Series rings with the Astros in 2017 and 2022 while hitting 19 home runs with a .789 OPS in 99 career postseason games.

Advantage: Red Sox

Emotions can run high any time the Yankees and Red Sox get together. But a postseason matchup with a trip to the American League Division Series on the line? That’s pure theater.

AL Wild Card Game 1: Tuesday 6 p.m. ET on ESPN

Here’s how the Yankees and Red Sox match up position-by-position:

Catcher

Advantage: Red Sox

Carlos Narváez’s three-run homer (15)

Sep 24, 2025 · 0:28

Carlos Narváez’s three-run homer (15)

First base

Advantage: Yankees

Second base

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Advantage: Yankees

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run homer (30)

Sep 19, 2025 · 0:29

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run homer (30)

Shortstop

Advantage: Red Sox

Trevor Story’s double in the 8th

Sep 9, 2025 · 0:23

Trevor Story’s double in the 8th

Third base

Advantage: Red Sox

Alex Bregman’s fantastic barehanded play

Sep 20, 2025 · 0:16

Alex Bregman’s fantastic barehanded play

Left field

Cody Bellinger was very productive in his first season with the Yankees, slugging 29 home runs with 98 RBIs, an .814 OPS and 5.0 bWAR in 152 games while playing excellent defense (+6 outs above average). Bellinger appeared in the playoffs in each of his first six seasons and won a ring with the Dodgers in 2020, but he hasn’t played into October since 2022. In 69 career postseason games, Bellinger has nine homers and 33 RBIs, though his .661 OPS is more than 150 points below his regular-season mark.

Jarren Duran was unable to follow up his breakout 2024 season with a similar campaign, but the 29-year-old did hit 16 home runs with 84 RBIs, 24 stolen bases and a league-high 13 triples, showing he can still do damage in a variety of ways. Duran has a strong arm in left field, though his range (-2 outs above average) leaves something to be desired. This will be the first postseason of Duran’s five-year career.

Advantage: Yankees

Center field

Trent Grisham played a part-time role in his first season with the Yankees in 2024, but he busted out with a career year in 2025, belting 34 home runs with an .812 OPS in 143 games. Grisham commands the strike zone as well as anybody, ranking in the 99th percentile in chase percentage and the 96th in walk percentage. The 28-year-old has been to the postseason three times, the last coming in 2022 with San Diego, when he hit three homers in 12 games.

Ceddanne Rafaela showed some improvement at the plate in his sophomore season, decreasing his strikeout numbers while boosting his walks. But he was a below-average hitter overall (95 OPS+) and posted another sub-.300 on-base percentage. What Rafaela lacks in offense, he more than makes up for in the field, where his +22 outs above average led all Major League center fielders.

Advantage: Yankees

Right field

What more can we say about Aaron Judge? The reigning AL Most Valuable Player might earn his third MVP Award in four seasons after putting up one of the best all-around years we’ve ever seen. Judge hit 53 home runs with 114 RBIs, leading the AL in bWAR (9.7), runs scored (137), walks (124), batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.688), OPS+ (215) and total bases (372). Judge was also a plus for the Yankees defensively in right field, though his elbow injury has forced him to be conservative in terms of throwing.

Rob Refsnyder should get the call against the Yankees’ two lefty starters, as he posted an impressive .959 OPS against southpaws this season. Refsnyder’s only postseason experience consists of three at-bats for the Yankees in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game, so he’ll finally have another crack at October. Wilyer Abreu is a much stronger defender, so he could find himself in games if the Red Sox are trying to protect a lead or if a right-hander is on the mound.

Advantage: Yankees

Designated hitter

When you consider that Giancarlo Stanton didn’t make his 2025 debut until June 16 and played in only 77 games, his stat line — 24 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .944 OPS — is even more impressive. The 35-year-old will be playing in his seventh postseason with the Yankees, and as good as Stanton has been during the regular season, his playoff numbers — 18 homers, 40 RBIs and a .993 OPS in 41 games — are even better.

Like Stanton, Masataka Yoshida’s season didn’t start on time, as he debuted on July 9. Yoshida hit four home runs with 26 RBIs and a .695 OPS in 55 games, though he’s been heating up in September, posting a .333/.351/.486 slash line in 20 games to finish his season, striking out only five times in 77 plate appearances.

Advantage: Yankees

Starting pitching

Max Fried certainly lived up to his massive contract during his first season with the Yankees, going 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA. Fried is no stranger to the postseason, having pitched for the Braves in seven straight Octobers from 2018-24 while winning a World Series ring in 2021. Carlos Rodón, who went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA in his third season with the Yankees, is set for Game 2 as he tries to improve upon his mediocre performance last October. Rookie Cam Schlittler, who went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA in his first 14 big league starts, could get the ball in a decisive Game 3.

As good as Fried was for the Yankees this season, Garrett Crochet was even better for the Red Sox, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA while leading the AL in innings pitched (205 1/3) and the Majors in strikeouts (255). He’ll get the ball in Game 1 in an epic battle of left-handed aces, while righty Brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA) will likely make his postseason debut in Game 2. Lucas Giolito is not on the roster due to an elbow issue, leaving Boston’s potential Game 3 starter yet to be determined.

Advantage: Red Sox

Bullpen

The Yankees’ bullpen has been a roller coaster this season, though the midseason additions of David Bednar and Camilo Doval added two quality arms to the group. Bednar and Luke Weaver are the two most reliable late-inning arms, with Devin Williams, Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill also in the mix for crucial outs.

Boston’s relief corps has been anchored all season by Aroldis Chapman, who may be having the best year of his career at 37 years old. Chapman posted a 1.17 ERA and 32 saves, while Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert have done a solid job forming the bridge to the All-Star closer.

Advantage: Red Sox

Prediction: Yankees in three

REDS-DODGERS POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

The reigning World Series champion Dodgers are back in the playoffs for a 13th straight season and ready to start their title defense. Their opponent in the first round? The upstart Reds, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2020 and didn’t clinch their playoff spot until the final day of the regular season.

The Dodgers are the No. 3 seed in the National League and will host the Reds, the No. 6 seed, in each game of the best-of-three Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium. Game 1 is set for Tuesday at 9:08 p.m. ET/6:08 p.m. PT.

Los Angeles will once again be powered by its superstar trio of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. But the Reds have a pair of exciting young stars in Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene leading the way. And even though the Dodgers are a juggernaut that just won their division for the 12th time in those last 13 years, and the Reds snuck into the playoffs on a tiebreaker over the Mets (and only after the Mets lost in Game 162), anything can happen in a three-game series.

So, who has the edge: the Dodgers or the Reds? Here’s how the two teams match up, position by position.

Catcher

If Will Smith plays, this is a big edge for the Dodgers. But Smith is a question mark for the Wild Card Series due to a hairline fracture in his right hand. The latest news is that Smith came out “fine” after taking swings in the batting cage on Sunday, but he’ll need to take live at-bats on Monday even to be considered for the Dodgers’ Wild Card Series roster. And if Smith doesn’t play, then the Dodgers are going into this series with Ben Rortvedt and his .152 batting average at catcher. The Reds’ duo of Tyler Stephenson (13 home runs) and Jose Trevino doesn’t stack up to Smith, but if Smith is out or not at full strength, Cincinnati will have the better backstop.

Advantage: Reds (unless Smith plays)

First base

For Cincinnati, Spencer Steer has some pop (21 home runs), and top prospect Sal Stewart is an interesting option who has gotten playing time at first base down the stretch. But neither one of those players is Freddie Freeman. Last year’s World Series MVP is at it again in 2025 (.294 average, 23 homers, 140 OPS+). Freeman will be one of the toughest outs for the Reds.

Advantage: Dodgers

Second base

Neither team has a huge standout at second base. Veteran Miguel Rojas has been solid enough for the Dodgers, and utility man Tommy Edman has proven he can impact a playoff series — he was last year’s NLCS MVP and great in the World Series, too — but he’s had career-worst offensive numbers this season. For the Reds, Matt McLain hasn’t been able to recapture his 2023 rookie performance after missing all of last year due to a shoulder injury, but he is at least a power-speed threat (15 home runs, 18 stolen bases in 2025) who’s also a valuable fielder.

Advantage: Reds

Third base

Max Muncy is expected to be ready to go for the Wild Card Series after missing the last four games of the regular season due to lower-body soreness, and that’s a key bat the Dodgers will have back in the lineup. The 35-year-old Muncy still has good pop (19 homers in 100 games this season) and great plate discipline. Ke’Bryan Hayes will have a tough time replicating Muncy’s production at the plate for the Reds, but he’s been the best defensive third baseman in baseball this year and one of the best fielders at any position. Hayes might make a game-changing web gem, but Muncy has been through two World Series title runs with the Dodgers and has had plenty of big swings over the years (13 career playoff home runs).

Advantage: Dodgers

Shortstop

This is the most notable position battle of the series: Mookie Betts vs. Elly De La Cruz. If we were breaking down this matchup at the All-Star break, it would’ve been a landslide for De La Cruz — he was looking like one of the most dynamic players in the game, while Betts was having his worst start to a season ever. But now, the script has flipped. Betts has looked like his old self over the last two months (.317 batting average, .892 OPS, nine home runs since Aug. 5), while De La Cruz has slumped (18 homers, 25 steals, .854 OPS in the first half compared to three homers, 12 steals and a .657 OPS in the second half). Plus, despite De La Cruz’s ability to make highlight-reel plays at short, Betts has been much more sure-handed, with De La Cruz leading the Majors with 26 errors. We’re excited to see what De La Cruz can do in his first career postseason, but Betts is playing better right now and he has the track record, including in October (.951 OPS, four home runs in last year’s playoffs).

Advantage: Dodgers

Left field

The Dodgers are relatively weak here, with Michael Conforto batting below the Mendoza Line in the regular season (.199 average) and Alex Call not the biggest impact player since coming over in a Trade Deadline deal with the Nationals (.717 OPS in 38 games with Los Angeles). The Reds have Austin Hays, who returned from back spasms for Game 162 and has been one of Cincinnati’s better hitters this year (15 home runs, 105 OPS+). That’s not earth-shattering production, but it’s more than what the Dodgers have been getting from their left fielders.

Advantage: Reds

Center field

Andy Pages has a lot of stars overshadowing him in L.A., but he’s had a really good year for the Dodgers, with 27 home runs, 14 stolen bases and a 114 OPS+ while playing some of the best outfield defense in the Majors. TJ Friedl (14 homers, 12 steals) is a solid hitter but lacks Pages’ all-around impact.

Advantage: Dodgers

Right field

Teoscar Hernández hasn’t put up quite the numbers this year that he did in his All-Star 2024 debut for the Dodgers, but he still smacked 25 home runs this season and had 89 RBIs. The Reds have a talented young right fielder in 23-year-old Noelvi Marte (14 home runs, 10 stolen bases in 90 games this season), but he’s not the proven slugger in the corner outfield that Teoscar is.

Advantage: Dodgers

Designated hitter

The Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani. The Reds don’t have Shohei Ohtani. Cincinnati could deploy former Dodger Gavin Lux or the resurgent Miguel Andujar (.318 batting average and .822 OPS this season, including a .359 average and .944 OPS in 34 games since joining the Reds). Either way, it’s not close to the MVP favorite Ohtani and his 55-homer bat.

Advantage: Dodgers

Starting pitching

The Reds’ rotation is a huge strength and would give them the edge against most teams. They have an electric flamethrowing ace in Hunter Greene (2.76 ERA, 132 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings) and two strong lefties behind him in Andrew Abbott (2.87 ERA, 149 K’s) and Nick Lodolo (3.30 ERA, 156 K’s). But they’re facing the Dodgers, and the Dodgers’ starting rotation is every bit as dominant. There’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who emerged as a Cy Young-caliber pitcher this year with a 2.49 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 30 starts. There’s Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner who was limited to 11 starts this season but has a 2.35 ERA and 10.6 K/9. And, waiting in the wings, there’s Ohtani, the two-way superstar who just posted a 2.87 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 14 starts in his return to pitching. You couldn’t go wrong with either rotation in this series, but we’re leaning toward the champs.

Advantage: Dodgers

Bullpen

The bullpen battle here is a particularly interesting one. The Dodgers’ bullpen was extremely shaky down the stretch — but it also might be better than you think in October. Why? Because reinforcements are coming … from the starting rotation. Emmet Sheehan, Tyler Glasnow and a rejuvenated Roki Sasaki could all pitch out of the bullpen in the Wild Card Series, and that could make a big difference while veteran relievers like Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen look to right the ship. Now, will that Frankenstein Dodgers bullpen be able to outperform Cincinnati’s? The Reds’ bullpen doesn’t have as big names as the Dodgers, but their key relievers have gotten a lot of big outs down the stretch, from closer Emilio Pagán (32 saves, 2.88 ERA this season) to setup man Tony Santillan (2.44 ERA in an MLB-high 80 appearances) to, more recently, rookie phenom Chase Burns. This is a tough one, but we think the Los Angeles bullpen, thanks to the creativity it might display, could become a strength again this October, just as it was in 2024.

Advantage: Dodgers

Prediction

The Reds’ pitching might keep them in this series, but for a young team without playoff experience, it’s going to be a tall task to go into Dodger Stadium and take this series from the World Series champs. The Dodgers went 52-29 at home this year, the Reds went 38-43 on the road, and the Dodgers won five of their six games against the Reds, including a sweep in Los Angeles in August. Yes, anything can happen in a short series, but the Dodgers are the better team and their star power should carry them here. Ohtani, Betts, Freeman & Co. move on.

Dodgers in 2

TIGERS-GUARDIANS POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

It’s the Guardians vs. the Tigers this week, and why does that sound familiar?

Oh, maybe because these two American League Central rivals — set to face each other in the best-of-three Wild Card Series that begins Tuesday and takes place entirely at Progressive Field — faced each other last postseason in a Division Series that went the distance (and went to the Guards).

Or maybe it’s because they just played each other three times last week at Progressive Field. And three times the week before that at Comerica Park. All as part of the most stunning September surge/strife in MLB history, with the Guardians erasing a 10 1/2-game deficit as of Sept. 1 (not to mention the 15 1/2-game deficit they faced as late as July 8) to take the Central crown for the second straight season.

If familiarity breeds contempt, then this will be one contemptuous series.

Mostly, though, it should be an entertaining one, a fitting finish to the late-season struggle between these two squads.

Let’s take a look at these two teams, position by position, to see how they match up (again).

Catcher

In his first full season, the Tigers’ Dillon Dingler took over the starting job from Jake Rogers and gained a reputation as one of the best defensive catchers in MLB. He graded out exceptionally well in blocks, caught stealings and framing. And he did it while slashing a respectable .278/.327/.425 with 13 homers and 21 doubles.

While the Guardians’ Bo Naylor had a September surge that was a huge reason why they got here (to go with some big hits last October), his bat has still not reached its potential overall (80 OPS+ entering Sunday, or 20 percent below league average this season), and he is sometimes replaced by the light-hitting Austin Hedges for defensive purposes.

Advantage: Tigers

First base

Primary Guardians starter Kyle Manzardo had a productive first full season, with 27 homers, 19 doubles and a 109 OPS+ (entering Sunday). His numbers, including a sub-.200 average, aren’t strong against lefties, so C.J. Kayfus or Jhonkensy Noel could be options here against Tarik Skubal, though Manzardo did start and notch a double against Skubal the last time the Guardians faced him.

A big reason why the Tigers surged to the top of the AL earlier this season was Spencer Torkelson living up to his No. 1 overall pick pedigree after spending some time in the wilderness. As with the Tigers as a whole, his second half (.739 OPS) wasn’t quite as voluminous as the first (.826), but the threat of “Tork Bombs” in big moments are still strong.

Advantage: Tigers

Second base

After trading away one of the best defensive players in the game in Andrés Giménez in the offseason, the Guardians ultimately settled on Brayan Rocchio as the regular at the keystone by the end of the 2025 season. Rocchio spent time in the Minors this year after a rough start and his numbers both offensively (.630 OPS) and defensively (42nd percentile in fielding run value) aren’t impressive. But he has profiled better at second base than shortstop and has a good heartbeat in big moments, such as making a sensational game-ending defensive play in September, surprisingly churning out a .333 average and .906 OPS in the postseason last year or hitting the walk-off homer in their division clincher Sunday. So don’t write him off.

The Tigers made a wise move in bringing aboard Gleyber Torres, who had apparently overstayed his welcome in the Bronx but was a huge key at the top of the Yankees’ order in their run to the World Series last fall and then turned in a fine first year in Detroit in which his OPS+ was eight percent better than league average. He’s another Tiger who struggled in the second half, but he’s still a key player with recent postseason pedigree in a prominent lineup spot.

Advantage: Tigers

Shortstop

Whether it’s Javier Báez (who cooled after an All-Star first half), Zach McKinstry or Trey Sweeney, the Tigers really struggled to get consistent offensive production from this position in the second half. And it’s the same story all year for the Guardians, who have employed Gabriel Arias (77 OPS+ entering Sunday) as their primary shortstop this season.

The difference is that, unlike the Tigers’ options, the strong-armed and rangy Arias graded out as a real positive defensively (plus-4 outs above average), and that clean play could make a real difference in this short series.

Advantage: Guardians

Third base

It’s McKinstry, Colt Keith and Andy Ibáñez rotating here for the Tigers, and you don’t need us to tell you none of them are on the level of José Ramírez, because few third basemen in MLB history are.

The 5-foot-8 Ramírez is the Guardians’ homegrown human dynamo, and in averaging more than 30 homers, 30 doubles and 30 steals in his 30s, it’s increasingly clear he’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

Advantage: Guardians

Left field

The Tigers’ Riley Greene and the Guardians’ Steven Kwan were both All-Stars each of the last two seasons, but they do it in very different ways.

Greene’s .487 slugging percentage as a left fielder over the last two seasons is the sixth best in MLB among qualifiers and way more thump than the 5-foot-8, 170-pound Kwan (.397) has provided. And though Kwan rated slightly better in on-base percentage (.347) in that span, Greene (.330) has been right behind him. Given that dynamic, you can make a strong argument to go with Greene over Kwan for the length of the regular season.

But this is the postseason, where the little things are big things. Kwan is an elite left fielder with an 8.6 percent strikeout rate. Greene, on the other hand, was in the 31st percentile in fielding run value while striking out in more than 30 percent of his plate appearances.

Kwan, who hit .524 vs. the Tigers’ in last year’s ALDS, has the October edge.

Advantage: Guardians

Center field

Multiple injured list stints have sullied the season for Parker Meadows, who was so instrumental offensively in the club’s late-season surge last year but has slashed .215/.291/.330 this year. That said, since his return from a quadriceps strain in early September, the 25-year-old Meadows has provided more impact than he had earlier in the year.

In a year in which incumbent Lane Thomas battled injury, the Guardians have rotated multiple people (predominantly, Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martínez) in the center field spot with little to show for it. Their minus-2.9 Baseball-Reference WAR from the position entering Sunday is the worst in MLB.

Advantage: Tigers

Right field

Second-year, switch-hitting outfielder Wenceel Pérez has seized the regular starts here (while also seeing time in center) and provided essentially league-average offense (104 OPS+ entering Sunday) and a bit more power than anticipated (.430 SLG) to go with his good defense.

This is another position where the Guardians’ various options combined to produce one of the lowest bWAR marks (minus-3.7) in MLB. You could still make an argument to give them the edge, if only because rookies C.J. Kayfus, George Valera and Johnathan Rodríguez provided some late-season lift. But we’ll go with Pérez, with a side of the power-hitting Kerry Carpenter, over those smaller samples.

Advantage: Tigers

Designated hitter

One of the biggest strengths of the Tigers’ roster is the ability to utilize the righty-mashing Kerry Carpenter (.257/.300/.512 vs. right-handers) and the lefty-killing Jahmai Jones (.288/.393/.577 slash vs. southpaws) in a powerful platoon here. Carpenter’s game-winning homer in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Guardians last year nearly swung that series.

The Guards have the aforementioned Valera and Manzardo as their primary options here at the moment. What they don’t have is David Fry, who also rose to the occasion in the ALDS last year but was smoked in the face by a Skubal fastball in the last week of the regular season and is going to be out a while.

Advantage: Tigers

Starting pitching

The Guardians shifted to a six-man rotation late in the year, and the results from the extra day of recovery were stunning. Their starters went 19 straight games allowing two or fewer runs, one shy of an MLB record. Gavin Williams (3.06 ERA, 135 ERA+) and Tanner Bibee (4.24, 98) front the group, while Joey Cantillo (3.21, 129) and Slade Cecconi (4.30, 96) are options for a third game.

If this were a five- or seven-game series, you might lean toward the Guards’ group, given the depth and the run it was on late in the regular season.

But this is a best-of-three. Since this round was instituted full-time in 2022, we’ve had 12 Wild Card Series, and only two that went to a third game. The importance of Game 1 simply cannot be overstated, which means the value of having an established No. 1 like Skubal (AL-best 2.21 ERA, 187 ERA+), who is likely to claim his second straight Cy Young Award, cannot be overstated, either. Though the Guardians won games he started twice in September, they know they’ll have their hands full trying to best him three times in three weeks.

The Tigers have Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize rested and available behind Skubal. But the presence of an ace among aces in such a short series is enough on its own to give them the edge.

Advantage: Tigers

Relief pitching

The Guardians had a historically great bullpen last season, then experienced what can only be described as expected regression from that extreme outlier of a ‘pen performance. Losing elite closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary paid leave in late July felt like the final blow to the club’s chances of advancing. But with Cade Smith (2.93 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) easily sliding into the closer role and Hunter Gaddis (3.11, 1.19), Erik Sabrowski (1.84, 1.19), Matt Festa (4.12, 1.08) and Jakob Junis (2.97, 1.23) among those bridging an effective gap to him, the ‘pen has emerged as a strength again.

The Tigers have had trouble summoning the same “pitching chaos” magic that fueled them late last season, when a trail of young relievers stepped up in big moment after big moment. That’s not to suggest they don’t have weapons back there. Closer Will Vest is elite at inducing ground balls and limiting hard contact. Rookie righty Troy Melton (151 ERA+) has joined A.J. Hinch’s circle of trust, alongside mainstay lefty Tyler Holton (1.04 WHIP). Hinch is one of the better tacticians in the game, but it remains to be seen if the Tigers can get on the kind of roll with their relief crew that we saw last year.

Advantage: Guardians

Prediction

This was the most abnormal division battle in MLB history. The Guardians ultimately prevailed, and that was a testament to them playing a cleaner game and not racking up the K’s at the plate in the big moments. Those are traits that will serve them well as these two clubs match wits again in this best-of-three. They lack power but might be the team built better for the postseason.

With that said, I find myself drawn to the law of averages here. It’s hard to win three series in three weeks against a talented team. If the Guardians beat Skubal three times in a short span and wind up advancing, they will have definitely done it the hard way. But it says here that Skubal will set the tone for the Tigers in Game 1, and, despite the devastation of their late-season collapse, Detroit will summon what it takes to win this series. (It’s going to take them three games, though.)

PADRES-CUBS NLWC POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

For the first time since 1984, somehow, the Cubs and Padres are set to square off in the National League playoffs. It hasn’t been quite that long since they’ve seen each other this season, but it might feel like it; while the two clubs split their six games in 2025, their entire head-to-head slate was wrapped up by April 16.

Needless to say, there’s not a whole lot you can take away from games that happened more than five months ago, not that head-to-head matchups tell you a whole lot about what’s going to happen in a playoff series, anyway.

NL Wild Card Game 1: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT/Noon PT on ABC

All we can do, then, is look at who’s here, who’s healthy, and who’s hot. Let’s see who has the edge, position by position.

Catcher

This is actually a lot closer than you’d think, because if you simply went by full-season Wins Above Replacement, you’d see “Cubs 7th, Padres 28th,” smile and move on. Big gap. Fair enough.

Of course, the Padres upgraded from Martín Maldonado (57 OPS+) to Freddy Fermin (76 OPS+) at the Deadline, and Carson Kelly hasn’t exactly kept up his “what if I hit like Barry Bonds” .360/.507/.840 (1.347 OPS) line from April. Since the Deadline, San Diego’s catchers have hit a little better than Chicago’s, but neither have been incredible. Chicago’s catchers are better on defense, even with Maldonado no longer in the picture for San Diego.

There’s not a ton of daylight here, because this isn’t a huge strength for either side. We like catcher defense, and Kelly has the highest offensive upside of any of the four likely backstops. Chicago gets the smallest of edges.

Advantage: Cubs

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First base

While Ryan O’Hearn has seen more time at first base lately for San Diego, that’s mostly because Xander Bogaerts’ absence has caused the infield to shift around, and with Bogaerts back in the lineup, it’s likely that Luis Arraez returns to first base. We all know where this is going: If you value making contact above all else, then Arraez is the best hitter alive. If you value what happens once that contact is made, then it’s not quite so rosy. It’s a personal, aesthetic choice. We can’t solve that right now.

Anyway: By Arraez’s own standards, this has been the weakest full season of his career. Not only does Michael Busch have 34 homers and a 150-ish-point OPS advantage over Arraez, he’s a rangier fielder, too. This isn’t a hard call here.

Advantage: Cubs

Second base

For Chicago, Nico Hoerner is having the same kind of season he has every single year, which is to say “slightly-above-average bat with 30-ish steals and elite-level defense.” It’s not flashy, but by at least one version of WAR, he’s been the most valuable overall second baseman in the game this year.

Meanwhile, Jake Cronenworth is having a pretty good season himself, rebounding from two just-OK seasons to post his best year since his All-Star 2022 season. But he’s surely not the defender that Hoerner is, and there’s not much of an argument that he’s a clearly superior hitter, either.

Advantage: Cubs

Shortstop

Assuming Bogaerts is at full strength after missing much of September with a foot injury, his presence resets the San Diego infield in a big way – they’re better off when the middle infield is not Arraez/Cronenworth, as it was for most of the time while he was unavailable. But Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson hit almost identically well in 2025, and they hit almost identically well in the second half, and how do you even try to split that apart?

Even the defense gets tricky, because while Swanson has the better reputation, and was better in 2024-’25, the 2025-only metrics say that Bogaerts took a big step forward. Given the reasonable question about whether Bogaerts is at 100% due to the foot, and Swanson’s long-time defensive excellence, and even the fact that Swanson’s underlying quality-of-contact in the second half was considerably better, we’ll lean Cubs here — but it’s about as close as it could be.

Advantage: Cubs

Third base

This one might be easier if we had any idea what to expect from Matt Shaw, who has had a very inconsistent rookie season, to say the least. At one point early in the season, he spent a month back in Triple-A. In June he was barely playable (.193/.247/.289); in August he slugged .547 with noticeably improved defense from earlier in the year. He got off to a brutally slow start in September (.170/.286/.191 through the 18th), but he’s been better in the final week.

It’s not that very likely future Hall of Famer Manny Machado hasn’t also had some major ups-and-downs, because he’s had a roller-coaster season himself. But overall, Machado had a superior year, and the track record is without question in his favor. Even with Shaw somewhat surprisingly holding a mild defensive edge, the difficulty in knowing what you’ll get from him at any given time tilts this toward the Padres — though by less than you’d think.

Advantage: Padres

Left field

One of the best moves any team made at the Deadline was San Diego’s acquisition of Ramón Laureano, who arrived with O’Hearn from Baltimore and solidified what had been one of the weakest left-field situations in the game. Unfortunately for the Padres, Laureano fractured a finger on Wednesday and will be unavailable for at least the Wild Card series. The obvious replacement is Gavin Sheets, who has had a generally solid season. However, with the Cubs likely to start multiple lefties in this series, it might end up being the inexperienced 29-year-old Bryce Johnson in the lineup at times.

The Cubs have no such concerns, because Ian Happ, like Hoerner, is having the exact same season he has every single year — which is to say, 20-something homers and offensive performance 20% above league average. They know what they have in left. San Diego, at the moment, does not.

Advantage: Cubs

Center field

It’s almost laughable how large a gap this would have been for the Cubs for much of the season, as Pete Crow-Armstrong put up the bulk of what would be a 30/30 season with elite defense — and was at least getting mentioned in early-season MVP talk. And then what happened, as they say. Well, what happened was one of the largest second-half dropoffs in recent memory, as a first-half .847 OPS has dropped to .634 in the second half, even leading to a break to “reset.”

On the other hand, Jackson Merrill hasn’t quite had the same impact as he did in his rookie season, thanks mostly to hamstring and ankle injuries as well as a concussion. But he’s been fantastic since his return, with a .961 OPS and seven homers in September; he actually has a Top 15 slugging percentage in MLB this month.

If that was just a hot streak from someone with no track record, we’d question it. (It’s not.) If Crow-Armstrong looked anything like he did in the first half, it wouldn’t matter either way. (He doesn’t.) Right now, as things stand, we’d take Merrill.

Advantage: Padres

Right field

This is more than a little tricky, because Kyle Tucker has missed almost all of September with a calf injury, and while he did end up returning to play DH in the final weekend, he didn’t pick up his glove, and it’s not clear he’s available to play the field at this point. That means the Cubs will likely play Seiya Suzuki in right; utilityman Willi Castro is also an option, though he’s done little since being acquired from Minnesota.

Suzuki is finishing off his fourth consecutive strong season, though it’s more complicated than that. While he got off to a fantastic start (.867 first-half OPS), he sputtered badly after that (.673 in the second half), and he’d been primarily the team’s DH for months before being pressed into regular outfield service in September. Since Fernando Tatis Jr. rates again as one of baseball’s best defensive right fielders and he outhit Suzuki by a ton in the second half, this isn’t a hard one — especially since Tatis’ weekend power display gives you confidence the illness that limited him in the final week won’t be a concern.

Advantage: Padres

Designated hitter

If you actually know who the Cubs will start here, you have an advantage over us. Presumably this will be Tucker … unless it’s Justin Turner … unless it’s Moisés Ballesteros … unless it’s Suzuki, because Tucker makes it back to right field. It’s not much clearer on the Padres side, though Laureano’s injury probably means this is Sheets (if Johnson is in left) or O’Hearn. That is itself a complication because they’re both lefty hitters, against some likely left-handed Cubs starters.

Long story short: If Tucker is healthy and if Tucker is here, he’s easily the best option of any of the players mentioned. It’s likely both sides do a fair bit of mix-and-matching here.

Advantage: Cubs

Starting rotation

It’s probably safe to say that for both clubs, this isn’t a particular strength, with a number of names who would be solid mid-rotation options on most contending teams, yet no one who you would view as A True Number One. It’s indisputable that the second-half Cubs rotation (3.48 ERA) has been better at run prevention than San Diego’s (4.28), but that matters less than you’d think now given that breakout rookie Cade Horton is going to miss the series due to injury.

That means that Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd are likely to start the first two games against Nick Pivetta and either Michael King or Dylan Cease. Pivetta is easily the best of these names this year — he might even get some love on the bottom end of Cy Young ballots — and while he’s not near the Skenes/Skubal tier of aces, he’s the best we’ll see here.

Ultimately, we’re going with the Padres simply because Horton, who was such a second-half phenomenon, is unavailable — and without him, we feel a lot less good about Imanaga, who led the Majors in homers allowed (and had a 6.51 September ERA), and Boyd, who took a massive step back in the second half. It’s a great example of October being about who you have now, not what regular season stats said you were.

Advantage: Padres

Bullpen

The Cubs bullpen, it’s important to note, has made a pretty massive in-season turnaround. As we detailed here recently, a group that was one of the weakest in the Majors at strikeout rate early on has transformed into one of the best — going from the fourth-weakest K% in the first half to the fourth-best in the second half. That’s a credit to Brad Keller, who has turned into a sneaky-excellent reliever, and a whole lot of turnover that’s brought in names like Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers.

It’s been so good, in fact, that we might take them over nearly any other postseason relief group. Of course, the “nearly any other” is doing a lot of work here, because San Diego already had an elite bullpen, and then they went out and added Mason Miller, who has merely struck out fifty-four percent of the batters he’s faced as a Padre. It does, admittedly, hurt that the injured Jason Adam won’t be available, but it’s not like they’re short on elite stuff between Miller, Jeremiah Estrada, Robert Suarez, Kyle Hart, and Adrian Morejon anyway.

The Cubs bullpen is really good, better than you think. The Padres bullpen is exactly as good as you think. It’s elite.

Advantage: Padres

Prediction

The biggest strength of the second-half Cubs was the massive improvement of their bullpen, but the Padres have an even stronger set of relievers, which negates that. We actually like the Cubs roster top-to-bottom better, because there’s a real power edge there, and if this series were happening in July, we’d probably lean Chicago. But given the recent struggles of Suzuki, Imanaga and Crow-Armstrong, plus the uncertain health status of Tucker and the absence of Horton, the timing here isn’t the best for Chicago. Give us the team with Mason Miller, basically.

Padres in three

GIANTS FIRE VETERAN MANAGER BOB MELVIN AFTER TWO YEARS AS BUSTER POSEY SEEKS ‘DIFFERENT VOICE’

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey will search for a fresh managerial voice to guide the San Francisco Giants, someone with an “obsessive” work ethic and attention to detail.

Manager Bob Melvin was fired Monday after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

Posey, San Francisco’s President of Baseball Operations, announced the decision. He had shown his confidence in Melvin by exercising the veteran manager’s contract option for the 2026 season on July 1.

“Just looking to find a different voice that can take us in a different direction,” Posey said.

Melvin said after Sunday’s 4-0 victory against Colorado to conclude his second season that he had received no assurances about managing in 2026.

“It is what it is,” he said, “we’ll see what the next day brings.”

The Giants finished 81-81 for one more victory than in Melvin’s first year. They haven’t reached the postseason since winning the NL West with a franchise-record 107 victories to edge the rival Dodgers by one game in 2021 under then-skipper Gabe Kapler.

Now, another change.

“It’s definitely not ideal but unfortunately we talked about it a lot what the standards are for the Giants and we have high standards,” Posey said. “And I hold myself to those same standards. I understand fully the position that I’m in now. My job and the team’s success is evaluated accordingly as well. You without a doubt hope that there can be consistency in these leadership positions. We’ve got to get back to a place where we’re getting in the playoffs, we’re making runs in playoffs. That’s what our fan base deserves, that’s what the city deserves.”

As Posey begins finalizing his list of candidates, one familiar name has come up as a possibility: the catcher’s former manager, Bruce Bochy. He has wrapped up his three-year contract with Texas but Posey noted, “I don’t know what his status is yet so I can’t speak on that.”

The 70-year-old Bochy managed the Giants for 13 seasons from 2007-2019, a run that featured every-other-year World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ’14.

Posey said there’s no timetable for making a hire — “I want to make sure we get it right” — nor suggested whether he would seek someone with prior managerial experience.

Players offered support for Melvin as the season ended.

“You know how I feel about BoMel, I loved him. He’s been my manager for I guess seven years,” said third baseman Matt Chapman, who also played for Melvin with Oakland. “I feel extremely grateful that I get to play for him and he’s the same guy every day. He’s been steady for us, he’s always honest with the players, he has our back. He’s done the best with what we’ve given him. The players, a lot of us didn’t play to probably our capabilities.”

The 63-year-old Melvin left the San Diego Padres to return home to the Bay Area and manage the Giants last year for the job he always dreamed of doing as a former catcher with the organization. This is his 22nd year as a major league manager.

Melvin has a 1,678-1,588 career regular-season managerial record. A three-time Manager of the Year who has won the award in both leagues, he has eight postseason appearances while guiding Arizona, Seattle, Oakland, San Diego and the Giants.

San Francisco finished 80-82 in Melvin’s first season last year after he replaced Kapler, who was fired with three days remaining in the 2023 season.

Melvin is a native of nearby Palo Alto, California. He attended the University of California-Berkeley and played for his hometown Giants from 1986-88.

This has been his dream job, one he thought about in each visit to Oracle Park as a visiting manager.

“It wasn’t enjoyable. I knew how much this job meant to Bob,” Posey said of their conversation.

The players certainly realized their skipper’s passion for being in a place that means so much to him.

While several Giants — including All-Star Logan Webb — said they don’t expect Posey to be satisfied with this disappointing year, that didn’t necessarily mean they expected a managerial change.

“He’s done a great job,” Webb said after Sunday’s start. “I know I said some things last time that I think got misconstrued. It had nothing to do with BoMel. He’s amazing at what he does. I think at the end of the day, it comes down to us being able to play better as players, and I think everyone in here will say the exact same thing. BoMel’s a great leader of men. It’s been amazing. I think BoMel is great.”

ROCKIES SIDESTEP WORST RECORD, SET OTHER DUBIOUS MARKS IN ONE OF WORST SEASONS IN MLB HISTORY

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies went down swinging in the ninth inning to end their unceremonious season, striking out three straight times Sunday in a loss where they didn’t score a run.

A fitting conclusion to a woeful, record-setting year.

By many metrics, this will go down as one of the most dreadful slogs in baseball history. Sure, they finished 43-119, which avoided becoming the worst team since baseball adopted a 162-game schedule in 1961, a mark that still belongs to the 2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121).

But that’s about all the infamy the Rockies could sidestep. Changes are sure to be forthcoming in an offseason directed by Walker Monfort, the son of owner Dick Monfort who was named executive vice president earlier this season. It could be a top-to-bottom overhaul after a third straight 100-loss season.

One of the most immediate decisions will be the future of interim manager Warren Schaeffer, who went 36-86 after taking over following the firing of Bud Black in May. General manager Bill Schmidt’s role may be in limbo, too. Schmidt became the fourth GM in franchise history in 2021 and has yet to see one of his teams make the postseason.

“The biggest thing, the most important thing, is that we learned we never want to be here again,” Schaeffer said. “That is blatantly obvious. If you gloss over that and say, ‘It’s going to be OK next year,’ that’s not good enough.

“For the men in that room, it’s the biggest lesson we can all learn — this isn’t good enough. We all need to get better. Everybody needs to get better moving forward.”

The numbers highlight the depth of the franchise’s on-field misery:

— Colorado’s 119 losses are the most in the NL since 120 by the 1962 New York Mets.

— The Rockies had a run differential of minus-424, the worst since 1900, surpassing the minus-349 of the 1932 Boston Red Sox. It’s also the most since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who were a minus-724, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

— Colorado was a majors-worst 18-63 on the road, which was a franchise record.

— The starting rotation finished with a 6.65 ERA, the highest mark since it became an official stat in both leagues in 1913.

“We had high hopes,” said starter and Denver native Kyle Freeland, whose 17 losses were the most in the majors this season. “Obviously, it flopped on us. We have to keep moving forward, continue to do the work.”

It didn’t help that slugger Kris Bryant was limited to 11 games this season as he dealt with a bothersome back. Bryant has played in only 170 games with Colorado because of injuries since signing a $182 million, seven-year contract before the 2022 season.

The Rockies received a breakout season from All-Star catcher in Hunter Goodman, who hit .278 with 31 homers and 91 RBIs. They have 2024 Gold Glove winners in Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle.

Colorado got a glimpse of some of its young prospects, too, like outfielders Zac Veen and Yanquiel Fernández, infielder Ryan Ritter and right-hander Chase Dollander all being called up.

The Rockies also drafted Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick this summer. His last name is well-known around the Mile High City thanks to his father, Matt, who helped ignite a magical late run in 2007 (nicknamed “Rocktober”) that paid off with the franchise’s only World Series appearance.

Since that time, they’ve had as many playoff appearances (three) as 100-loss seasons. Their 323 losses from 2023-25 is tied with Philadelphia (1940-42) for the fifth-most through a three-year span.

The Rockies finished 50 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West as they missed out on the postseason for a seventh straight year.

“We need to win differently in the West,” Schaeffer said. “These other teams are spending a bunch of money, and have all these huge names and power and OPS (on-base plus slugging) guys. We weren’t built like that this year. So we had to try win differently. It doesn’t mean we can’t win, but we just have to do it differently, commit to different things.”

Asked earlier this summer if a team sometimes needs to take a step back to go forward, Schmidt simply responded: “Sometimes you do. Sometimes you do.”

PIRATES TO KEEP DON KELLY AS MANAGER AFTER IMPROVEMENTS IN SECOND HALF

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are keeping Don Kelly as manager.

The club announced Monday that it had extended Kelly’s contract after the team recovered from a miserable opening six weeks of the season thanks in part to Kelly’s guidance.

Pittsburgh was 12-26 when it fired Derek Shelton on May 8 and promoted Kelly, who had served as the bench coach for five-plus seasons. While the Pirates never escaped last place in the NL Central following that nightmarish start, Pittsburgh did go 59-65 under Kelly, including a 32-33 mark after the All-Star break.

The 45-year-old Kelly is from Pittsburgh and played one of his nine big league seasons with the Pirates.

“Donnie is an elite communicator. He is deeply trusted by our players because he’s credible, consistent, and unafraid of tough conversations,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “His background as both a scout and a coach gives him a rare perspective: patience when it’s needed, and an unwavering belief in players’ ability to improve. Above all, he values people and winning. His ability to adjust, lead, and do the hard work makes him the right leader.”

Kelly said late in the season that he hoped he’d be retained, and believes Pittsburgh is “not as far off as some might think” from contending. The Pirates do have a promising young group of pitchers, led by reigning NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes, fellow 23-year-old Bubba Chandler, as well as Braxton Ashcraft (25), Mike Burrows (25) and Jared Jones (25), who missed the entire season after having Tommy John surgery.

The Pirates head into the offseason in need of a serious upgrade to a lineup that was easily the worst in baseball. Pittsburgh ranked last in the majors in runs, home runs and OPS and 28th out of 30 teams in batting average.

The club found itself in a similar position a year ago and opted to focus on overhauling some of the coaching staff rather than investing in proven major league talent. While Spencer Horwitz was solid after being acquired in a trade with Cleveland last winter and Tommy Pham recovered from a miserable start, the Pirates were never in a position to threaten to contend during a season that began with everyone from owner Bob Nutting to Cherington to Shelton saying it was time to win.

Kelly can at least exhale knowing he has the job for the long term and it appears that Cherington will be back for a seventh season. The general manager has come under heavy criticism for the inability to find productive major league hitters, though during his tenure Pittsburgh has put together one of the deepest pools of pitching prospects in the majors.

AVERAGE TIME OF 9-INNING GAME UP 2 MINUTES TO 2:38 IN 3RD YEAR OF PITCH CLOCK

NEW YORK (AP) — The average time of a nine-inning major league baseball game increased by 2 minutes this season to 2:38 in the third year of the pitch clock.

MLB’s average fell from 3:04 in 2022 to 2:40 the following year when the clock was instituted and decreased to 2:36 in 2024, its lowest since 1984’s 2:35.

The average game time passed 3 hours for the first time in 2016. It reached a record 3:10 in 2021 before the introduction of the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device helped bring it down to 3:04 in 2022.

Three nine-inning games lasted 3:30 or longer this year, down from 391 such games in 2021.

MANSOLINO IS A CANDIDATE, BUT HIS STATUS IS UNCERTAIN AS THE ORIOLES EYE THEIR NEXT MANAGER

BALTIMORE (AP) — Tony Mansolino remains in limbo as manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

Team president Mike Elias said Monday the Orioles would consider other options for their managerial position, but Mansolino — who was the interim manager for most of this season — would be a candidate. Both Mansolino and Elias took questions at a wrapup news conference after Baltimore sank to last place in the AL East following two straight postseason appearances.

Mansolino turned 43 on Sunday, when the Orioles finished their season with a 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees. He took over as interim manager when Brandon Hyde was fired on May 17 after a 15-28 start.

Baltimore went 60-59 under Mansolino to finish 75-87.

TWINS FIRE MANAGER ROCCO BALDELLI

After the team’s poorest showing in nearly a decade, the Minnesota Twins dismissed manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday.

Minnesota finished Baldelli’s seventh season at the helm with a record of 70-92 and finished fourth in the American League Central.

The Twins were 34-27 on June 4, but lost 10 of the next 12 games and plummeted to a 36-65 finish. They traded 10 players before the July 31 deadline, including All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa and closer Jhoan Duran.

The team had picked up Baldelli’s club option for 2026 during the summer, but Twins’ management felt it was time to change course.

“This game is ultimately measured by results, and over the past two seasons we did not reach the goals we set. I take personal responsibility for that,” Twins president, baseball and business operations Derek Falvey, said in a news release. “After discussions with ownership, we determined that this is the right moment for a change in voice and direction. This decision is not a reflection of Rocco’s effort or leadership. It reflects where we are as an organization and the belief that a different voice is needed to help us move forward.”

Baldelli, who turned 44 last Thursday, was a seven-year major league player with Tampa Bay (2003-04, 2006-08, 2010) and Boston (2009). He took over for Paul Molitor as manager in October 2018. He earned AL Manager of the Year honors in his initial campaign, leading the Twins to an 2019 AL Central title and 101-61 record. However, the New York Yankees eliminated Minnesota in three games in the AL Division Series.

They won the division in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and again in 2023. Minnesota snapped a string of six consecutive playoff series defeats as they knocked off Toronto in the 2023 AL wild-card series, but then fell, 3-1, to the Houston Astros in the ALDS.

Baldelli leaves the organization with the third-most wins in franchise history with a 527-505 (.511) ledger.

MLB ATTENDANCE RISES SLIGHTLY FOR 3RD STRAIGHT INCREASE, BUT AVERAGE DROPS WITH FEWER RAINOUTS

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s overall attendance increased for a third straight season for the first time since 2004-07, but the average dipped slightly because of fewer single-admission doubleheaders caused by weather postponements.

MLB drew 71.41 million fans for 2,423 gates in the regular season that ended Sunday for an average of 29,471. The total was up 0.1% from last year’s 71.35 million fans over 2,413 gates.

This year’s average of 29,471 was down 0.3% from last year’s 29,568, MLB said Monday.

Attendance was depressed by the moves of the Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays to minor league ballparks.

Playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, the A’s drew a major league-low home attendance of 768,464 for 81 games, an average of 9,487. That was down from a total of 922,286 and an average of 11,529 last year at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s are planning to have most home games in Sacramento through 2027 while a new stadium is being built in Las Vegas. They have scheduled a six-game homestand at the Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark next June.

Tampa Bay played home games this season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, because of damage caused last October by Hurricane Milton to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The Rays drew 786,750 for an average of 9,713, selling out 61 games. Last year, they drew 1,337,739 to the Trop, 28th and ahead of only the Miami Marlins and A’s.

They intend to return to the Trop next season.

Six teams topped 3 million, up from five last year but down from eight in 2023.

The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers reached 4 million for the first time at 4,012,470 for an average of 49,537, up from 3,941,251.

The New York Mets had the biggest increase following the offseason signing of Juan Soto, rising 855,271 to 3,184,570 for their highest total since Citi Field opened in 2009.

After reaching the playoffs last year for the first time since 2014, Detroit increased 555,147 to 2,413,442 for its highest total at Comerica Park since 2016.

St. Louis dropped 628,108 to 2,250,007. The Cardinals haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, when they drew 3,320,551.

Falling out of contention early this year, Baltimore drew 1,803,655 to Camden Yards, a drop of 477,474.

RANGERS MANAGER BRUCE BOCHY WILL NOT RETURN IN 2026

Less than two years after leading the Texas Rangers to a World Series championship, Bruce Bochy exited his job as manager in a mutual decision on Monday.

The club offered him a job as a front office adviser, but it was unclear if Bochy will accept.

The 70-year-old former catcher is the sixth-winningest manager in major league history with a 2,252-2,266 record over 28 years. He spent three years as the Rangers’ manager, compiling a 249-237 regular-season record and a lone postseason appearance in 2023 that led to a World Series crown.

“Bruce Bochy is one of the greatest managers in baseball history and he will forever hold a place in the hearts of Ranger fans after bringing home the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023,” Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said in a statement. “Boch brought class and respect to our club in his return to the dugout and we will always take pride in being part of his Hall of Fame career.

“We are grateful for everything he has given to the organization over the past few seasons and hopeful he can continue to impact the Rangers for many years to come.”

Bochy managed the Padres from 1995-2006, leading San Diego to the 1998 World Series. He was selected National League Manager of the Year in 1996.

Bochy then guided the Giants from 2007-2019, and he took San Francisco to World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

He is one of just six managers to have earned four World Series rings as a manager, and the other five are all in the Hall of Fame. Casey Stengel and Joe McCarthy each won seven titles, Connie Mack won five, and Joe Torre and Walter Alston are alongside Bochy with four apiece.

As a player, Bochy had a nine-year major league career with the Houston Astros (1978-80), the New York Mets (1982) and the Padres (1983-87). He hit .239 with a .298 on-base percentage, a .388 slugging percentage, 26 homers and 93 RBIs in 358 games.

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NFL NEWS

BRONCOS BREEZE PAST BENGALS IN PENALTY-FILLED BATTLE

DENVER — Bo Nix took advantage of an undisciplined, penalty-riddled Cincinnati defense, throwing for a career-high 326 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Denver Broncos past the Bengals 28-3 on Monday.

Nix finished 29 of 42 on the night as the Broncos (2-2) won for the second time in as many home game and outgained the Bengals 512-159 on the night. The Bengals (2-2) lost their second straight without injured quarterback Joe Burrow.

J.K. Dobbins finished with 101 yards on 16 carries, snapping the Broncos’ string of 37 games without a 100-yard rusher.

Cincinnati QB Jake Browning completed 14 of 25 passes for 125 yards and led an offense that was incapable of managing a first down for much of the first half and into the third quarter.

The Bengals went from the 14:08 mark of the second quarter to 6:11 remaining in the third without a first down. After their first drive ended with a 26-yard Evan McPherson field goal, the Bengals punted on their remaining eight possessions (excluding a kneel-down at the end of the first half).

It was another nightmare first half for Cincinnati, which trailed 21-3 at the half. The Bengals have been outscored 55-6 in the first of their last two blowout losses.

The Bengals appeared to show some fight when rookie Demetrius Knight picked off Nix in the end zone to stop a red zone chance for the Broncos on four-and-goal from the Cincinnati 1. But after the Bengals went three-and-out, the Broncos answered.

With Denver facing a third-and-10 from and its 33, the Bengals could not get to Nix, and the Denver quarterback connected on a 28-yard completion to Marvin Mims to the Cincinnati 39.

Four plays later, Nix found Courtland Sutton over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown with eight seconds to go in the half and a 21-3 lead at the half.

The sloppy Bengals were flagged for 11 penalties (eight accepted) for 50 yards in the first half. Tee Higgins had a 37-yard completion wiped out due to an illegal-formation call against right tackle Amarius Mims.

The Broncos were able to take full advantage of several Cincinnati mistakes, starting with a 24-yard punt by Ryan Rehkow that set up Denver’s first touchdown drive of 64 yards in nine plays. Nix ran 6 yards up the middle on a scramble for the score in the last minute of the opening quarter.

Marvin Mims Jr. added a 16-yard touchdown run as Denver piled up 305 yards in the first half, highlighted by Nix’s 17-of-26 success for 217 yards. Cincinnati had 94 total yards before halftime.

The Bengals ended up losing 65 yards on 11 penalties. The Broncos were flagged seven times for 72 yards.

TUA TAGOVAILOA, DOLPHINS DOWN JETS DESPITE TYREEK HILL’S INJURY

Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdown passes to Darren Waller and the Miami Dolphins are no longer winless after a 27-21 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Miami overcame the loss of standout receiver Tyreek Hill to a potentially serious left knee injury. De’Von Achane rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown and Jordyn Brooks racked up a season-best 18 tackles for the Dolphins (1-3).

Justin Fields completed 20 of 27 passes for 226 yards and rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown to lead the Jets (0-4). Garrett Wilson caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown and Breece Hall had 111 scrimmage yards (81 rushing, 30 receiving) for New York.

Hill was carted off the field with 13:21 left in the third quarter. The eight-time Pro Bowl selection made a 10-yard catch near the New York sideline, twisted his leg awkwardly when landing and immediately grabbed his knee.

The Dolphins said Hill was taken to a local hospital to undergo imaging, evaluation and observation. Hill had six catches for 67 yards.

Tagovailoa connected on 17 of 25 passes for 177 yards for Miami.

New York’s Braelon Allen (26 yards on four rushes) exited with a knee injury in the second quarter. Allen lost a fumble near the Miami goal line in the opening period.

The Jets never led but closed the gap to six with 1:49 remaining after Fields tossed a 23-yard scoring pass to Wilson and then ran in the two-point conversion.

Waller recovered the ensuing onside kick, and New York didn’t get the ball again until two seconds left, remaining winless under new coach Aaron Glenn.

Miami led 10-3 at halftime before Tagovailoa threw a 9-yard scoring pass to Waller with 11:33 left in the third quarter.

The Jets responded on the next possession. Fields was under pressure, reversed field, headed left and ran down the sideline for a 43-yard touchdown with 9:23 left in the third quarter.

Just over four minutes later, Achane scored on a 9-yard run to give the Dolphins a 24-10 lead.

Miami scored the first 10 points of the game with a 47-yard field goal by Riley Patterson in the first quarter, followed by Waller’s 4-yard catch from Tagovailoa on fourth down with 9:20 remaining in the second quarter. The touchdown finished a 96-yard drive after Allen’s costly fumble.

Allen looked as if he was going to score on a 6-yard run, but Jack Jones punched it out at the Miami 1 and Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered at the 4.

The Jets got on the board when Nick Folk kicked a career-best 58-yard field goal as time expired in the half.

NEW YORK GIANTS OWNER JOHN MARA SAYS HE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Giants owner John Mara announced Monday he was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Mara said in a statement released by the team that he has been following a treatment plan recommended by doctors. He did not disclose what form of cancer he has and asked for privacy on the matter.

“I’m feeling strong and optimistic, and I’m committed to seeing this through to a positive outcome,” Mara said. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by incredible support — personally, professionally and medically.”

Mara, 70, added that he expects to remain active with the team as president and CEO while being treated. He was at the Giants’ practice facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey, last week when coach Brian Daboll formally named rookie Jaxson Dart the starting quarterback.

The Mara family has owned the storied NFL franchise since its founding in 1925.

PACKERS HEAD INTO BYE WEEK SEEKING TO CORRECT COSTLY MISTAKES FROM THEIR PAST TWO GAMES

After they played as well as any team in the NFL through their first two games, the Green Bay Packers got a reality check the past two weeks.

Now they head into their bye week facing a crossroads after a 13-10 loss at Cleveland and a 40-40 tie at Dallas, causing them to fall behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.

“We can go home and put our heads down, and we are just blaming each other and point the finger,” said Micah Parsons, who made a potential touchdown-saving sack in overtime to highlight the former Cowboys’ pass rusher’s return to Dallas.

“Or we can be men and say, ‘This is where I’m coming from. This is where you are coming from. And how do we fix it?’ I think we have to be adults here. We have to be professionals. We have to find a way to be positive.”

There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Packers’ issues these past two Sundays.

The offense that struggled in Cleveland a week earlier was resurgent Sunday at Dallas. Green Bay scored on all five of its possessions after halftime.

But a defense that entered Sunday having given up the fewest points of any NFL team allowed Dallas to score touchdowns on five of its last seven drives, even though the Cowboys were missing two starting offensive linemen and four-time Pro Bowl receiver CeeDee Lamb because of injuries.

The Packers (2-1-1) hadn’t allowed as many as 40 points in a game since a 40-33 loss at Philadelphia in 2022.

“I take ownership,” Parsons said after the game. “Coach and them take ownership. But ownership is one thing, and doing something about it is another. Tomorrow, let’s all watch this film together as a team. Let’s break it down. Let’s talk about it. I think that’s the tough conversation that we have to have all together.”

The Packers will spend their bye week having those talks as they figure out how they can recapture the form they showed in their earlier victories over the Lions and Washington Commanders.

“There’s just a lot of little areas that if we clean them up and execute better, we’ll be the team we want to be,” quarterback Jordan Love said.

“I have no doubt. We’re still a really good team. But it comes down to Sundays, coming out here and performing, executing at a high level. Yeah, there’s some disappointment in these past two weeks. We’ve got some things to clean up and there’s a long season ahead of us.”

What’s working

One week after the Browns limited them to 81 yards on 31 carries, the Packers rushed for 164 yards on 35 attempts. … The Packers went 10 of 14 on third down and 1 of 1 on fourth down. … An offensive line missing two starters allowed only one sack, though it was a big one — a strip-sack that led to a Dallas touchdown just before halftime.

What needs help

The special teams breakdowns continued Sunday as an extra-point attempt got blocked and returned to the end zone. That three-point swing proved critical in a game that ended in a tie. … Green Bay’s poor clock management in overtime nearly prevented the Packers from attempting a tying field goal to end the game. There were about 22 seconds left when Emanuel Wilson was tackled for a 1-yard loss after making a catch. Green Bay snapped the ball with about 6 seconds left, and a single second remained after Love threw an incomplete pass to Matthew Golden in the end zone.

Stock up

Romeo Doubs had a career-high three touchdown catches. He has four touchdowns this season to match his 2024 season total. … Josh Jacobs rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns. … Brandon McManus kicked a tying 53-yard field goal at the end of regulation and a 34-yarder on the final play of the game. … Golden made a game-saving, 14-yard catch on fourth-and-6 late in the fourth quarter.

Stock down

LT Rasheed Walker appeared to get beaten on James Houston’s strip-sack late in the second quarter. … CB Carrington Valentine struggled in pass coverage.

Injuries

DT Devonte Wyatt left with a knee injury and CB Nate Hobbs was evaluated for a concussion. OT Zach Tom (quadriceps), G Aaron Banks (groin) and OT Anthony Belton (ankle) didn’t play.

Key number

6-0-1 — The Packers’ record at AT&T Stadium following Sunday’s tie. The Packers had won each of their first five meetings with the Cowboys at A&T Stadium. Their most recent Super Bowl victory also came in that stadium.

Next steps

The Packers don’t play again until an Oct. 12 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Then they head back on the road to face Arizona and Pittsburgh.

49ERS QB BROCK PURDY HURTING AGAIN, COULD MISS TNF VS. RAMS

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy’s return to the starting role might be brief.

Purdy re-injured his toe in San Francisco’s 26-21 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, leaving his availability up in the air on a short week, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday.

The 49ers (3-1) are set to visit the Los Angeles Rams (3-1) on Thursday night, a critical early test in the tightly packed NFC West.

Purdy played in the 26-21 defeat on Sunday afternoon and told reporters afterward that he felt fine. But Shanahan said Monday morning that Purdy had called him on Sunday night and said the injury, a form of turf toe, again was bothering him.

The quarterback is expected to be evaluated on Monday afternoon, Shanahan said.

“Hopefully, we’ll find out more later today, but any time guys are sore and hurting on a Monday, you usually don’t stress too much about it,” Shanahan said. “But anytime you have a Thursday game, it’s a totally different element. So, I’m concerned with anybody who’s not totally healthy at this moment, but we’ll have to get more information on that later today to really have a clue of what to speculate.”

Purdy was injured during the season-opening 17-13 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks. He passed for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The 25-year-old sat out wins over the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals to rest his foot.

His replacement, Mac Jones, sustained a knee sprain and was limited in practice last week. Purdy went from limited early in the week to being cleared to play against Jacksonville.

Purdy was 22-of-38 passing for 309 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and also lost a fumble. He said the toe wasn’t an issue, but Purdy acknowledged that his mechanics might have been off, resulting in a few high throws.

“I think just getting back out there and throwing and getting into a rhythm, being down two weeks, coming back and feeling out my body and everything, obviously how my toe feels,” he said.

“Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that,” he said of the toe injury’s impact. “But, obviously, I’m going to watch this film, look at my mechanics and be real with myself and try to fix that.”

Purdy is a combined 48 of 73 (65.8 percent) for 586 yards, four TDs and four interceptions with a 78.8 quarterback rating in his two games. For his career, he is a 67.5-percent passer, with 10,104 yards, 68 TDs and 31 picks in 42 regular-season games (38 starts) and a 24-14 record.

Shanahan also said that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall could miss the next game with an ailing right knee. He was hurt attempting to make a catch in bounds and left the game early on Sunday.

“I was testing out my knee,” Pearsall said. “I fell pretty hard on that play on the sideline, trying to keep my feet in bounds, and I fell pretty hard on my knee. I was just feeling pain and a little bit of instability. I wasn’t trying to mess with it.”

Shanahan does not think that Pearsall has a long-term injury from the initial evaluation but pointed to a possible sprain.

“They’re thinking more of a minor PCL or something like that is what our guess is, just landing on it hard,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully, it won’t be too bad. Obviously, a huge concern with the Thursday night game and stuff, but we’re not expecting it to be too bad.”

Pearsall, 25, has 20 receptions on 29 targets for 327 yards in starting all four games.

San Francisco wide receiver Jauan Jennings injured his ribs on Sunday in his return to the lineup from injury. He also will be further evaluated on Monday.

Jennings, 28, has played in three games this season — all starts — and has nine catches on 19 targets for 129 yards and one touchdown. He missed the Week 3 win over Arizona because of ankle and shoulder issues.

QB JOSH ALLEN LEADS BILLS TO 4-0 START, BUT CONCERNS LINGER AFTER CLOSE CALL IN WIN OVER SAINTS

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — High expectations have their price, leaving Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills unhappy, but relieved, following a close call against the winless New Orleans Saints.

“We want to go out there and score on every single drive,” Allen said. “Any time we stall or turn the ball over or punt for that matter, we feel like it’s a disappointment.”

Allen did enough with the 47th three-TD-or-better outing of his career in leading Buffalo to score 10 points in the final seven minutes of a 31-19 win on Sunday.

And the Bills defense held firm, holding the Saints to a field goal followed by two fourth down stops on their final three drives.

But it still begs the question of just how good these Bills are at 4-0?

Buffalo is in the driver’s seat in sitting alone atop the AFC and joining the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles as the NFL’s two remaining unbeaten teams.

The five-time defending AFC East champions already have a two-win edge on their division no matter the outcome of the New York Jets’ outing at Miami in a matchup of two 0-3 teams on Monday night. And the Bills can further build their division edge in preparing to host the New England Patriots (2-2) on Sunday night.

That said, a perfect record doesn’t reflect concerns that have cropped up over the opening month.

The Bills have benefitted from an easy schedule, with their first four opponents having a combined record of 1-13 entering Monday night. And that includes the underperforming Baltimore Ravens (1-3), a team the Bills beat by rallying from a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes of a 41-40 season-opening win.

Buffalo’s defense is still susceptible against the run, after allowing 189 yards against the Saints. Penalties became an issue on Sunday, with Buffalo flagged 11 times for 55 yards.

And the offense has endured notable lulls, highlighted in the second quarter on Sunday. After scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions, the Bills combined for minus-6 yards on their next three possessions, ending with two punts and Allen throwing his first interception of the season.

New Orleans failed to take advantage in being limited to a field goal. The rebuilding Saints have their issues under rookie coach Kellen Moore, but more established opponents could have fared better in similar circumstances.

“We didn’t play our best game, but we did enough to win,” linebacker Terrel Bernard said.

Laments aside, there were positives particularly on a defense missing two starters to injuries and two more regulars to suspensions.

Safety Cole Bishop had a leaping, one-handed interception of receiver Chris Olave’s pass on a trick play at the goal line. New Orleans was also limited to two field goals on four drives opening in Buffalo territory.

A week after allowing Miami to convert 10 of 15 third down opportunities, the Bills held the Saints to go 5 of 13, and 0 of 2 on fourth down.

Though the Bills failed to cover the more than two-touchdown spread, they’ve now scored 30 or more points in each of their first four games.

As this past weekend’s results showed, every NFL team has its flaws. The previously unbeaten Chargers lost to the winless Giants. Even the Eagles struggled in nearly squandering a 24-6 lead in a 31-25 win over Tampa Bay.

So just how good are the Bills?

“We’ll see,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I don’t think we really know that yet.”

What’s working

Home-field edge. Buffalo is one of four NFL teams to have won 14 straight home games and score 24 or more points each time. Only the 1997-98 Broncos and 2017-19 Patriots did so in 15 consecutive home outings.

What needs help

Third down offense. Buffalo finished 3 of 10 on third down and 0 of 1 on fourth down.

Stock up

Bishop. The second-year safety’s interception was the first of his career, and followed offseason questions as to whether he was ready to assume a starting role opposite Taylor Rapp.

Stock down

CB/Returner Brandon Codrington. The second-year player was inactive, and his time in Buffalo could be numbered with receivers Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir and running back Ty Johnson handling the return duties. The Bills face a roster crunch with rookie CB Hairston Maxwell (knee) eligible to be activated off IR as early as this week. Defensive lineman Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi have two games left to serve in their respective NFL suspensions.

Injuries

Punter Cameron Johnston’s status is being evaluated after being struck in his left leg in the fourth quarter.

Key number

8 — Consecutive games James Cook has scored a touchdown rushing to break the team record set three previous times.

Next steps

Close a three-game homestand by hosting New England. The Bills are 8-3 against the Patriots, including playoffs, since Tom Brady’s departure following the 2019 season.

LINEBACKER DEVIN LLOYD IS A DEFENSIVE CATALYST FOR THE JAGUARS’ SURPRISING START TO THE SEASON

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Devin Lloyd hasn’t enjoyed a month like this since his rookie season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker, the 27th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft who is in the final year of his contract, has three interceptions in four games and has been a defensive catalyst for the team’s best start since 2018.

Lloyd had a season-high eight tackles and two picks in a 26-21 victory at San Francisco on Sunday, the latest takeaway-fueled victory for the surprising Jaguars (3-1).

Jacksonville, which hosts defending AFC champion Kansas City (2-2) next Monday night, has notched three or more takeaways in every game this season. It’s the first time that’s happened in franchise history, and Lloyd has been a major contributor.

“I’m playing good football,” said Lloyd, who had a similar September in 2022 when he was named the AFC defensive rookie of the month. “I think as a team we’re all playing good football. Ultimately, I’m just focused on playing my best for the team so we can win. … We’re all playing off of each other.”

Jacksonville’s defense has been the team’s top storyline in September. The Jaguars rank fourth in the league in points allowed, giving up 18 a game, and have been stout at every level on that side of the ball. Takeaways have been critical to their success.

After recording nine total in 2024, the Jags have an NFL-leading 13 under first-year coordinator Anthony Campanile. His zone scheme allows defenders to keep their eyes on the ball, leading to turnovers on overthrows and tips.

“It’s in our DNA, man,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “That’s what we preach every day and that’s what we go out there and do. We do presentations. We practice taking the ball away. And when it comes to the game, it looks easy for the guys.”

Lloyd could be the biggest beneficiary. The Jaguars declined to pick up the fifth-year option in his rookie deal, so he’s playing for a payday — whether it’s in Jacksonville or in free agency. He spent training camp vying with Ventrell Miller for a starting spot, and the two shared snaps in the season opener.

But Lloyd has pulled away with his recent play. He intercepted a pass in Week 2, recovered a fumble in Week 3 and then delivered the best outing of his career against the 49ers.

“They come in bunches, so let’s keep them bunches coming,” linebacker Foye Oluokun said. “We could really do something special here.”

What’s working

Running back Travis Etienne has Jacksonville’s ground game humming. Etienne ran for 124 yards and a touchdown against the Niners, his third consecutive game with a score. He now has 394 yards rushing in four games and has been the most consistent part of first-year coach Liam Coen’s offense.

The Jaguars rank third in the league in rushing, averaging 144 yards a game, and are doing it with little help from quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It’s a credit to Jacksonville’s revamped line and Coen’s commitment to the rushing attack.

What needs help

The Jaguars rank last in the league with 38 penalties, including 12 for 90 yards against San Francisco. They’ve had several more flags declined this season, with many of those being pre-snap procedure issues. It’s an area Coen needs to clean up as the season continues.

Stock up

Arik Armstead’s sack/fumble in the fourth quarter essentially ended the game. It was huge for Armstead, who spent the first nine years of his career with the Niners, and provided more proof that his move from edge to defensive tackle has been one of Jacksonville’s best decisions of 2025. The 31-year-old Armstead has 2 1/2 sacks.

Stock down

Two-way rookie Travis Hunter logged a season-low 47 snaps, with just nine of those coming on defense. He did have Jacksonville’s longest reception, a leaping catch for 28 yards on a third-and-15 play that was part of an 89-yard touchdown drive.

Coen said playing Hunter so little was “just a personal decision that had to do with a few things that we’ll keep in-house for now.”

Injuries

DE Travon Walker (wrist), S Eric Murray (neck), RG Patrick Mekari (knee) and RT Anton Harrison (elbow) were scheduled for further evaluations Monday.

Key number

9 — Number of losses in “Monday Night Football” for Jacksonville, with all of them coming in their last 12 showings. Jacksonville hosts Kansas City on Monday night.

Next steps

Beating the Chiefs in prime time would be a huge boost for the rebuilding Jags.

MRI CONFIRMS GIANTS RECEIVER MALIK NABERS HAS A TORN ACL, COACH BRIAN DABOLL SAYS

NEW YORK (AP) — An MRI confirmed that New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers has a torn ACL in his right knee and is expected to miss the rest of the season, coach Brian Daboll said Monday.

“He’s one of our better players — I think one of the better players at his position in the league,” Daboll said. “We’ll have a tremendous amount of support for him, his family. It’s obviously a tough loss for our football team, but we’ll regroup and we’ll get the guys ready to play that are here.”

Nabers was carted off the field during the second quarter of the Giants’ home game against the Los Angeles Chargers after his right knee buckled when he was trying to make a catch. His departure put a damper on New York’s first win this season as rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for a touchdown and ran for another in his first NFL start.

“Obviously, prayers to him,” Dart said after the 21-18 victory. “Malik’s one of one. So when you have a guy like that on the field, you have all the confidence in the world that he can just be a dominant game-changer.”

There were big expectations for Nabers after he caught a single-season franchise record 109 passes in his rookie year, finishing with 1,204 yards and seven TD receptions. And that came with a revolving rotation of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito at QB.

STEELERS HAVEN’T ALWAYS LOOKED GOOD DURING THEIR 3-1 START. THEY ALSO DON’T CARE

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin isn’t much on aesthetics.

The Pittsburgh Steelers coach knows his team hasn’t played particularly well over the first month of the season.

The offense remains a work in progress behind Aaron Rodgers, who has played steadily if not spectacularly. The defense is banged up and uncharacteristically gettable as a result.

Yet as the team flew back across the Atlantic on Sunday night following a closer-than-it-had-to-be 24-21 victory over Minnesota in the first regular-season game in Dublin, Ireland, Pittsburgh found itself atop an AFC North that doesn’t look as formidable as it did four weeks ago.

Cincinnati will be without Joe Burrow indefinitely. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are reeling. Joe Flacco and the Cleveland Browns have yet to reach 20 points in a game.

So forgive Tomlin if he isn’t getting worked up over the fact that his first-place team hasn’t always looked the part.

“We’re 3-1, and that’s all that matters,” Tomlin said. “Would I like to be 4-0? Certainly. But we are what we are. I’ve learned not to kid myself. You are what your record says you are. So that’s what we are going into the bye, and I can take it.”

Tomlin talks frequently about the growth mindset that’s vital to the opening weeks of a given season. Teams don’t begin the season as finished products, particularly not ones that spent the spring and summer overhauling the roster the way the Steelers did.

What Tomlin wants to see above all else in September is progress, hopeful that the results will follow. And there were signs in front of the sea of twirling Terrible Towels at Croke Park that the club Tomlin, general manager Omar Khan and assistant general manager Andy Weidl assembled may be starting to figure things out.

DK Metcalf, held largely in check over the first three games, posted season highs in catches (five) and yards (126), including an 80-yard catch-and-run for a score that showcased the combination of strength and breakaway speed that attracted Pittsburgh to him in the first place.

The offensive line struggled to create running room over the first three games. The solution was to utilize reserve Spencer Anderson as a sixth lineman in certain packages and keep massive tight end Darnell Washington in to open up holes for Kenny Gainwell, who piled up a season-high 99 yards and scored twice against one of the league’s better defenses.

The defense continues to give up yards in chunks, but has also created the kind of “splash” that Tomlin so openly covets. A week after producing five turnovers in a road victory at New England, the Steelers followed it up by sacking Minnesota’s Carson Wentz six times and forcing him into a pair of interceptions.

“We’re getting there,” said defensive lineman Cam Heyward, who deflected a pass that turned into a pick for a third straight week. “We’re getting there. Week 4, we are not done, and we’ve got a lot of room to improve. I like the way we’re trending.”

It’s tempting coming out of a game in the Emerald Isle to say the Steelers have been blessed by a little bit of “luck of the Irish.”

Yet going two-plus decades without a losing season isn’t luck. Neither is being in the playoff chase far more often than not, even if the only place Pittsburgh consistently looks pretty is in the win column.

What’s working

Drafting linebackers from Wisconsin. The Steelers found a star in perennial All-Pro T.J. Watt near the end of the first round in 2017. In 2023, they used a fourth-round pick to select Nick Herbig, who led the Big Ten in sacks during his final year with the Badgers.

Early in his third season, Herbig appears ready to take flight. He’s been a force after missing the opener with a hamstring injury, racking up 2 1/2 sacks to go with an interception and eight quarterback hits while looking every bit the part of the next great outside linebacker for a franchise whose history is dotted with some of the best players ever at the position.

What needs help

The ability to protect a lead without drama. A week after letting an early 14-point lead evaporate against New England (though they eventually recovered), the Steelers made things way more interesting than was necessary late.

Stock up

Inside linebacker Peyton Wilson labeled himself “one of the best in the world” entering his training camp but spent the first three weeks looking far from it. Yet his No. 41 was regularly visible against the Vikings, nevermore so than when he chased down Minnesota’s Jordan Addison at the end of a long catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter. The tackle forced the Vikings to burn valuable time before scoring.

Stock down

The travel schedule. The Steelers didn’t leave for Dublin until late Thursday night and spent all of 2 1/2 days in Ireland. Shorter trips have become the norm now that international games have become more common, but perhaps there should have been an exception for the first regular-season game in Ireland, particularly considering the club’s close ties to the country.

Injuries

RB Jaylen Warren was a late scratch against the Vikings because of a knee injury. CB Joey Porter missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury. LB Alex Highsmith didn’t even make the trip overseas because of a sprained ankle. S Jalen Ramsey is dealing with a hamstring problem. WR Calvin Austin left early with a shoulder injury that could be serious.

Key number

91 — career completions of 50 yards or more by Rodgers, breaking a tie with Drew Brees for most in NFL history.

Next steps

Take the weekend off before heading into the brunt of their schedule, starting with a meeting with Cleveland at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 12.

FALCONS’ OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: HOW THEY TURNED IT AROUND AGAINST THE COMMANDERS

ATLANTA (AP) — It took exactly one drive for the Atlanta Falcons to exceed their offensive production from Week 3.

The Falcons bounced back from their anemic showing in a 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, gaining a season-high 435 yards in a 34-27 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. New kicker Parker Romo, who contributed to the shutout in Charlotte with two missed field goals, capped the opening possession with a 38-yard field goal and Atlanta was off and running.

The Falcons never trailed and evened their record to 2-2 heading into an early bye week. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was sharp throughout, and Bijan Robinson furthered his reputation as one of the league’s best running backs with a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage. The defense held a Commanders team missing quarterback Jayden Daniels and top receiver Terry McLaurin in check for most of the way.

“It puts us in a great mindset,” rookie edge Jalon Walker said. “My goal was to get the team a win and go into the bye week and feel confident. Now we get to roll into Monday night and face the Bills.”

What’s working

The Falcons made two changes after the disaster against the Panthers — they fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard and moved offensive coordinator Zac Robinson from the press box to the sideline on game day. It is hard to measure the impact of Hilliard’s dismissal, but Robinson’s move seemed to eliminate the issue of play calls getting in late to Penix. Coach Raheem Morris liked how Robinson could feel the flow of the game and have direct communication, and Penix said he liked talking to Robinson in person after a series.

“To be able to come to the sideline and to hear from him exactly what he’s seeing and the way he wants to set up the plays the next drive is awesome,” Penix said. “I feel like it was definitely a good thing for us.”

Penix had a career-high 313 passing yards and the Falcons were 6 for 12 on third down and 1 for 1 on fourth down.

What needs help

The Falcons’ kickoff coverage allowed Luke McCaffrey to average 33.2 yards on six returns, including a 58-yarder that went straight up the middle of the Falcons’ coverage. Washington did not start inside its own 29-yard-line after any kickoff until a holding call pushed it back to the 24-yard-line on the final drive of the game. McCaffrey’s 58-yard return led to a Commanders field goal.

Stock up

Wide receiver Drake London had his first 100-yard game of the season, hauling in eight passes on 10 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown. His previous season high was 55 yards.

When London caught a five-yard pass from Penix in the first quarter, it was Atlanta’s first passing touchdown to a wide receiver or tight end this season. London also made a nice catch on a crucial third-down conversion in the fourth quarter as the Falcons were driving with a seven-point lead that eventually led to a field goal.

“(A win like this) can mean the world to a lot of people,” London said. “It meant the world to me today.”

Stock down

Washington rushed for 6.7 yards per carry, which was the highest allowed by the Falcons through four games and would rank last in the NFL if carried over for the full season. Chris Rodriguez Jr. had a 48-yard gain in the first quarter when he ran through a tackle attempt by rookie safety Xavier Watts. Quarterback Marcus Mariota had a 20-yard scramble and Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt had a 16-yard carry.

Injuries

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who missed the season opener with a shoulder injury, left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. He had one catch for 15 yards. CB Natron Brooks suffered a concussion in the second quarter after returning a kickoff. He walked off under his own power but did not return.

Key stat

Robinson has 10 straight games with at least 90 yards from scrimmage, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.

Next steps

The Falcons are one of four teams that have a bye in Week 5, the earliest bye week of the season. They host the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 13, their first Monday night home game since 2018.

COMMANDERS ARE STILL WAITING FOR DANIELS AND MCLAURIN TO RETURN AND NEED TO FIX THEIR DEFENSE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Missing the injured Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin is hardly ideal for the Washington Commanders’ offense, of course, yet the most glaring issue at the moment is their defense.

Coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. have work to do this week as the Commanders (2-2) prepare to face quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) next Sunday following a 34-27 loss at the Atlanta Falcons.

“It’s very easy to beat a defense that you know isn’t out there focused and communicating the right way,” said cornerback Mike Sainristil, who did provide one highlight by intercepting Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for Washington’s first forced turnover of the season.

The Falcons (2-2) were coming off a 30-0 loss against the lowly Carolina Panthers — a performance Atlanta coach Raheem Morris said produced a “nasty, disgusting taste” — and Penix, running back Bijan Robinson and wideout Drake London looked like world-beaters against Washington, which is 0-2 on the road.

Penix went 20 of 26 for a career-best 313 yards passing with a pair of TDs. Robinson ran 17 times for 75 yards and caught four throws for 106 yards, including one that went for 69. London’s eight catches accounted for 110 yards and a score.

Robinson and London were the first running back and wideout teammates with 100 yards receiving apiece in any NFL game since November 2018.

In all, the Commanders allowed the Falcons to generate a season-high 435 yards.

“We’ve got to grow from it, man. That’s the message,” Quinn said. “We will get better. I’m certain of it.”

What’s working

The running game. Still using a committee of running backs, Washington gained 147 yards on 22 carries, an average of 6.7. Again, there was a huge play, this time a 48-yarder by Chris Rodriguez. He wound up with 59 yards on seven carries, while rookie seventh-round pick Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt ran for 47, quarterback Marcus Mariota — making his second consecutive start in place of Daniels — picked up 20 and three other players also had runs.

What needs work

The defense. Washington flopped on that side of the ball in just about every meaningful way. After leading the league in limiting opponents’ third-down conversions through Week 3, the Commanders allowed the Falcons to go 6 for 12. A week after getting five sacks, Washington managed just one. Atlanta had four plays that each went more than 20 yards, and a total of 15 that each gained more than 10. “The explosive plays, that was a big thing,” Quinn said. “And then not winning on third down enough.”

Stock up

WR Luke McCaffrey. Christian McCaffrey’s younger brother has a TD catch in two games in a row and he also accumulated 199 yards on kickoff returns Sunday, a single-game high in the NFL this season.

Stock down

CB Marshon Lattimore. Hard to point to one player on the defense after this game, but Lattimore continues to give up yards in chunks.

Injuries

The focus will remain on Daniels (knee) and McLaurin (quadriceps) until they return, but Washington is dealing with a lot of other injuries. DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (pectoral) left Sunday’s game; WR Noah Brown (groin, knee), TE John Bates (groin) and S Percy Butler (hip) all missed it. RB Austin Ekeler, DE Deatrich Wise, CB Jonathan Jones and S Will Harris are on injured reserve. Guard Sam Cosmi has been out all season after tearing a knee ligament in the playoffs; the team is waiting for him to be able to practice.

Key number

4 for 4 — PK Matt Gay’s success rate on field-goal attempts against Atlanta, making kicks from 41, 42, 43 and 52 yards. Gay now has made six straight field goals after going through a 1-for-4 patch that included a miss from 37 yards out. Quinn found the negative side to giving Gay that many opportunities on Sunday, though, saying: “Pleased Matt hit them, but I want to make sure (we) score some (more) touchdowns.”

Up next

The Commanders stay on the road and head out to California to face the Chargers, who are coming off their first loss of the season, 21-18 against rookie Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants. This starts a segment of the schedule in which Washington plays eight consecutive games that all start at times other than 1 p.m. Eastern.

EAGLES HAVE PLENTY OF UGLY PLAY, WORSE STATISTICS TO CLEAN UP EVEN AS SUPER BOWL CHAMPS SIT AT 4-0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber had one question as the National League home run champion addressed a jam-packed Phillies crowd that came to celebrate a division crown and get pumped for Red October.

“Are the Birds winning?” Schwarber asked, as Phillies fans cheered.

Was that a rhetorical question?

Of course the Birds were winning. That’s what the reigning Super Bowl champions do.

The Eagles won again — for the 20th time in their last 21 games to the delight of Schwarber and all Philadelphia sports fans — even as their road to victory in Tampa Bay that gave them a 4-0 start was one of the ugliest of late for one of four undefeated teams in the NFL.

Not good enough!

“You guys may look at the record,” Hurts said of the Philly media, “and be a hound for negativity, in some regard.”

Woof.

Let’s hear some criticism.

“When we’re playing bad, we’re really playing bad.”

Philly media, just calling the Eagles really bad? Try iced running back Saquon Barkley, who understands as well as anyone this team has yet to play anything close to a complete game.

For example, the Eagles did not complete a pass in the second half against Tampa Bay, the first team since the Raiders on Christmas 2023 against the Chiefs to win a game without doing so. The eight pass attempts without a completion were the second most in the second half in the NFL since 1991.

The Eagles led 24-6 at halftime and failed again to put away a team — albeit, one that traditionally has been a thorn in their side — in the second half, much as they did most of last season on their way to the Super Bowl.

“Don’t let good get in the way of great,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “It’s a challenge to not settle for good. It’s a challenge to be critical of yourselves, as players, as coaches, everybody, and say, ’How can we be greater than what we are?’”

In other words, the Eagles know they’re not playing their best. What are they going to do about it?

What’s working

Special teams. Special teams got the Eagles started with another scoring play a week after Jordan Davis blocked a field goal for a scoop and score to seal a win.

Cameron Lafu broke through the offensive line up the middle and blocked Riley Dixon’s punt, and Sydney Brown picked it up and returned it 35 yards for a 7-0 lead.

“I think what we do great on this team, and what other teams don’t do, our special teams guys have roles,” Brown said. “Everybody has a role throughout the week and it’s not like we (mess) around. I think everybody goes out there, they play hard, they understand what we need to do to be successful.”

Davis blocked Joshua Karty’s potential game-winning 44-yarder as time expired last week and returned it 61 yards to seal a 33-26 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

On the previous possession, Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter blocked Karty’s 36-yard try.

What needs help

Running game. Barkley, a 2,005-yard rusher a season ago, has failed to crack 100 yards in any of the first four games and was held to 43 against Tampa Bay. He has just 237 yards rushing and is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry.

He averaged 2.6 yards last week against the Rams and just 2.3 yards on Sunday. Consider, Barkley had 435 yards rushing and averaged 6.0 yards a carry through four games last season. Only once last season was he held to less than 50 yards rushing in a game.

Yes, the offensive line is banged up and teams are primed to stack the box against him, and they also have a year of film and learned some tricks on how to slow Barkley.

But Barkley’s numbers shouldn’t be this bad.

Barkley took the heat for his slow start, simply saying it was his job to “get more yards.”

“If it’s a 0-yard gain, make it a 3-yard gain,” he said. “If it’s a 3-yard gain, make it a 6-yard gain. I just got to do a better job of that.”

Stock up

Moro Ojomo clinched the win for the Eagles with a clutch sack late in the fourth quarter.

Stock down

Wide receivers. Sure, maybe it’s not all their fault. But the Eagles receivers have made Barkley’s production look like an All-Pro’s this season. A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith had just four combined catches for 36 yards.

Brown and Smith, each with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons on their resumes, have been nonfactors this season and the frustration has spilled over into (gasp!) social media.

Brown did not speak to reporters in Tampa Bay but did have time to post on social media. Brown wrote, “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders on be on your way.”

No, it wasn’t a passage from ” Inner Excellence. ” Rather, Brown quoted a Bible verse.

Injuries

Eagles: RT Lane Johnson (shoulder) left in the third quarter and DT Jalen Carter (shoulder) exited in the fourth.

Key number

10 — Philadelphia won its franchise record-tying 10th consecutive game (including playoffs) to improve to 4-0 for the eighth time in team history (also 1954, 1981, 1992, 1993, 2004, 2022 and 2023).

Next steps

Get the offense going for Sunday’s home game against Denver.

BROWNS WRS CEDRIC TILLMAN, DEANDRE CARTER OUT FOR WEEK 5

Cleveland Browns wide receivers Cedric Tillman and DeAndre Carter both could miss multiple weeks with injuries, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday.

Tillman, who has started all four games at wide receiver this season, is dealing with a hamstring injury, while Carter, the team’s primary return man, has a knee injury.

Both players are at least ruled out through Sunday’s game in England against the Minnesota Vikings, according to Stefanski.

Tillman, 25, has 11 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns this season. In three seasons with the Browns, he has 61 receptions for 669 yards and five TDs over 29 games (13 starts).

Carter, 32, has not played on offense this season. He has 11 kickoff returns for 274 yards, while also making six punt returns. In eight NFL seasons with seven different teams, he has 117 receptions for 1,331 yards and six TDs in 111 games (21 starts). He had a kickoff return for a touchdown in 2021 with the Washington Commanders.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

ILLINOIS, MINNESOTA, OHIO STATE AND OREGON EARN WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONORS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following Week 5 contests, the Big Ten Conference Football Players of the Week Presented by IFS.ai were announced Monday. Below are this week’s honorees:

Co-Offensive Players of the Week

Luke Altmyer, Illinois

QB – Sr. – Starkville, Miss. – Starkville

· Accounted for four touchdowns and 359 yards of offense in No. 23 Illinois’ 34-32 win against No. 21 USC, becoming the first player to have 300+ passing yards, a passing touchdown, a rushing, and a receiving touchdown in a Big Ten game in at least 30 years

· Finished with 328 passing yards and completed 20 of his 26 passes, while adding 28 yards on the ground

· First player to record a rushing, receiving, and passing touchdown in a Big Ten game since 2011 (Vincent Smith, Michigan vs. Minnesota)

· Engineered his national-leading sixth game-winning drive in the final minute or overtime over the last three seasons

· Last Illinois Offensive Player of the Week: Aidan Laughery (Dec. 2, 2024)

Dante Moore, Oregon

QB – So. – Detroit, Mich. – Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School

· Led No. 6 Oregon to a thrilling 30-24 win at No. 3 Penn State in double overtime, the program’s eighth win ever against a top-three opponent and first on the road since 2021

· Completed 29-of-39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 35 yards

· Threw two touchdown passes in overtime, including a 25-yard score in the second OT that proved to be the game winner

· In five games as Oregon’s starting quarterback, has completed 100-of-134 passes (74.6%) for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns with just one interception

· Last Oregon Offensive Player of the Week: Dillon Gabriel (Oct. 14, 2024)

Defensive Player of the Week

Caden Curry, Ohio State

DE – Sr. – Greenwood, Ind. – Center Grove

· Recorded personal bests of 11 tackles, nine solo tackles, five tackles-for-loss and three quarterback sacks as Ohio State limited the Huskies to 234 yards of total offense and six points

· Tied the school record with his five TFLs, a mark he now shares with the likes of Chase Young, Ryan Shazier, John Simon and Andy Katzenmoyer

· Ranks third nationally with 8.0 TFLs on the season and fourth nationally with 5.0 sacks

· He also leads Ohio State in tackles with 25

· Last Ohio State Defensive Player of the Week honoree: Cody Simon (Nov. 24, 2024)

Special Teams Player of the Week

David Olano, Illinois

K – Jr. – Naperville, Ill. – Naperville North

· Kicked a walk-off 41-yard field goal to give No. 23 Illinois a 34-32 win against No. 21 USC

· Made all six kicks, with two field goals (45, 41) and four extra points

· Made the third game-winning field goal in Illinois history kicked with the Illini trailing as time expired

· Last Illinois Special Teams Players of the Week: Hank Beatty (Sept. 1, 2025)

Freshman of the Week

Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

QB – Fayetteville, Ark. – Fayetteville

Completed 31-of-41 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota’s 31-28 win against Rutgers
Led Minnesota on a seven-play, 72-yard drive over the course of 3:05 to give Minnesota the lead with a four-yard touchdown pass to Javon Tracy
His 31 completions were tied for the fifth most in program history and his 41 attempts were the fourth-most since 1995 without an interception
Since 1995, no Minnesota quarterback has completed 31 passes, attempted 41 passes, thrown for 324 yards and thrown for three touchdowns
Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Koi Perich (Oct. 28, 2024)

MAC ANNOUNCES WEEK 5 FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

MAC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Tucker Gleason, Toledo, QB
Sr., Tampa, Fla. (Plant)
Tucker Gleason completed 16-of-19 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another in Toledo’s 45-3 win over Akron. Gleason, who completed 15-of-16 passes in the first half, set his career completion percentage record of 84.2%. He had a two-yard rushing TD and a season-long run of 35 yards.

MAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Cameron Hollobaugh, Ohio, LB
Gr., Warren, Ohio (Warren JFK)
Hollobaugh kicked off Ohio’s first conference match-up with a bang, scoring on the first drive of the game with a 71-yard pick six. In the second half, Hollobaugh’s forced fumble marked the defense’s first of the season. On the game, Hollobaugh recorded eight tackles– including three solo stops– one tackle for loss, one sack and two quarterback hurries.

MAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Palmer Domschke, Western Michigan, Kicker
R-Junior, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
Palmer Domschke went 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points in WMU’s 47-14 win over FCS Top-10 opponent Rhode Island. His first field goal was from 29 yards out to cut URI’s lead to 7-3 at 6:48 in the first quarter. He then connected from 41 and 49 yards late in the third quarter to push the lead to 41-7 and 44-7. His 49-yard field goal was a season long.

BIG 12 ANNOUNCES WEEKLY FOOTBALL HONOREES

Offensive Player of the Week:
Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor and Brendan Sorsby, QB, Cincinnati

Defensive Player of the Week:
Prince Dorbah, DL, Arizona State and Sione Fotu, LB, Houston

Special Teams Player of the Week:
Jesus Gomez, K, Arizona State and Stephen Rusnak, K, Cincinnati

Freshman of the Week:
Bear Bachmeier, QB, BYU

Offensive Line of the Week:
Cincinnati

Defensive Line of the Week:
Arizona State

IRVING, Texas – The Big 12 Conference announced its football award winners for Week Five, which included four players winning for the second time this season. The quarterback tandem of Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby (offensive) were honored as well as Arizona State’s Prince Dorbah and Houston’s Sione Fotu (defensive). Place kickers Jesus Gomez from ASU and Stephen Rusnak from UC earned awards (special team) as BYU’s Bear Bachmeier was named Freshman of the Week for a second time this season. The offensive line and defensive line awards were claimed by Cincinnati and Arizona State, respectively.

Robertson ranked in the top three nationally for the week with 393 passing yards and four touchdown passes in Baylor’s win in Stillwater. He connected with four different Bears in the endzone, giving the program its first game in a decade of four different receivers catching a touchdown. His performance also marked his fifth-straight game with at least three passing touchdowns, the longest streak by a Big 12 quarterback since Kyler Murray in 2018.

Earning a second weekly honor in three weeks, Sorsby threw for 388 yards and a pair of scores in addition to 52 yards on the ground in Cincinnati’s 37-34 win at Kansas in its Big 12 opener. His 440 yards of total offense were the second most by an FBS player in Week Five. Sorsby completed 18 passes for first downs on Saturday, which were the most by a Big 12 player this season. With 388 yards through the air, the Bearcat QB also tallied the second-highest passing day of his career in his 27^th start.

Dorbah gave Arizona State’s defense its top performance in the 27-24 win versus then-No. 24 TCU with four tackles for a loss, three sacks and forced a strip fumble of TCU quarterback Josh Hoover in the final two minutes. He became the first Big 12 player with four tackles for a loss in a Conference game since K-State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah in 2021. Dorbah was a big contributor in ASU’s 13 tackles for loss as a team, its most in a single game since 2018.

With a career-high 15 tackles in Friday’s victory at Oregon State, Fotu posted the most tackles in a game by a Houston linebacker since Austin Robinson in 2018. The junior from Salt Lake City was a catalyst of a defensive performance that held the Beavers to a 38% conversion rate on third and fourth downs. Fotu was also one of four Power Four players to tally 15 or more tackles last week.

Gomez picked up Big 12 honors for the second consecutive week with his pair of field goals and three extra points in ASU’s win versus then-No. 24 TCU. The senior nailed a game-winning field goal from 23 yards out with 1:14 remaining after making a 26-yarder in the third quarter. Gomez becomes just the fifth FBS player since 2015 to make game-winning field goals in back-to-back games and the first Big 12 player since Oklahoma State’s Ben Grogan in 2015.

Posting a perfect day 7-of-7 kicking in UC’s win at Kansas on Saturday, Rusnak made field goals from 24, 29 and 43 yards out. He has made all six of his field goal attempts this season as well as all 18 extra points. Rusnak is the only kicker in FBS who has not missed a field goal attempt since the beginning of the 2024 season, posting a perfect 17-of-17 mark.

Winning Big 12 Freshman of the Week for a second time in a month, BYU’s Bachmeier was efficient in a 24-21 victory at Colorado. He completed 70.4% of his 27 pass attempts for 179 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 98 yards in Boulder. Bachmeier’s 98 yards on the ground are the second most in a single game by a BYU freshman QB, only behind Taysom Hill versus Hawaii in 2012. The Murrieta, California native is one of 12 FBS starting quarterbacks without an interception thrown this season.

Cincinnati’s offensive line helped pave the way to 603 yards of total offense in the Bearcats’ 37-34 win at Kansas, which marked the third-most yards of offense in FBS for the week. The unit gave up one sack, its first of the season, as quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Sorsby, alongside running backs Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker, rushed for 215 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns in the victory.

With a defense that tallied six sacks and 13 tackles for a loss, the Arizona State defensive line was a key contributor to the Sun Devils’ 27-24 win over then-No. 24 TCU. Five of its six sacks were recorded by defensive linemen, as ASU also held the Horned Frogs to just 10 yards rushing for the game, nearly 175 yards below their average entering the week. Friday marked the fewest yards allowed on the ground by the Sun Devils’ defense since 2018.

WEEK 5 ACC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced its Football Players of the Week following standout performances in Week 5. Honorees were selected by a vote of a select media panel.

QUARTERBACK – Chandler Morris, Gr., QB, Virginia (Highland Park, Texas)

Was responsible for five touchdowns (3 rush, 2 pass), including the go-ahead score on a four-yard scramble in the second overtime of Virginia’s upset victory over No. 8 Florida State.
Was 26-for-35 and threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game.
Added 37 yards on the ground and became the first Cavalier quarterback since 2019 to rush for three touchdowns in a game.
Became just the third quarterback since 1995 with two passing TDs, three rushing TDs, and at least a 74 % completion percentage against a ranked team.
Has been responsible for 10 touchdowns in his last two games and ranks No. 1 in the ACC and No. 8 in FBS with 86 points responsible for.
Second straight ACC Quarterback of the Week honor.

RUNNING BACK & ROOKIE – Nate Sheppard, Fr., RB, Duke (Mandeville, Louisiana)

Made his first career start at Syracuse and rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
His 169 rushing yards are the fourth most by a Duke freshman in a game in program history and the most nationally by a freshman in a game this season.
Averaged 11.2 yards per rush, the highest by a Duke freshman (minimum 15 attempts) in a single game.
Rushed for two touchdowns at Syracuse to become one of 11 true freshmen in the country to rush for multiple scores in a game this season and just the second true freshman to do so against a Power Four opponent.
Finished the game with 201 all-purpose yards, which is tied for the fifth most by a Duke freshman in a game and the second most nationally by a freshman in a game this season.
Averaging 8.09 yards per carry this season, which is second in the ACC overall and the fifth-highest mark among freshmen, true or redshirt, nationally with at least 20 carries.

RECEIVER – Chris Bell, Sr., WR, Louisville (Yazoo City, Mississippi)

Led Louisville’s receivers with 135 yards on 10 receptions, including a 25-yard TD for his seventh career TD in the road win over Pitt.
Logged the third 100-yard receiving game of his career.
Was targeted 16 times in the ACC-opening win.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Brian Parker II, R-Jr., RT, Duke (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Started at right tackle and helped pave the way for Duke to reach 503 yards of total offense while rolling to a 38-3 victory at Syracuse.
Posted an 88.2 PFF offensive grade for Week 5, the highest among tackles nationally.
Recorded an 88.1 PFF run blocking grade, the highest among tackles nationally.
Helped Duke surpass 500 yards of total offense for a fifth consecutive game, the most for the program since the 2013 Chick-fil-A Bowl and the first four contests of the 2014 season.
Duke’s offense remained explosive at Syracuse, adding seven more plays of at least 20 yards, including four plays that went for at least 30 yards. The Blue Devils are up to sixth nationally in offensive plays of 20+ yards this season and third in plays of 30+ yards.
Helped to provide running lanes for true freshman Nate Sheppard to have a record-setting day with an 11.2 yards per carry average, the highest by a Duke rookie in program history.
Opened holes for three rushing touchdowns, including two by Sheppard.
Named to the Pro Football Focus (PFF) National Team of the Week for his efforts.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Mitchell Melton, Gr., DE, Virginia (Silver Springs, Maryland)

Recorded a career-high seven tackles from his defensive end position in Virginia’s thrilling double-overtime win over No. 8 Florida State.
Forced the first fumble of his career and recorded a team-best fourth tackle-for-loss this season.

LINEBACKER – T.J. Quinn, Sr., LB, Louisville (Valdosta, Georgia)

Recorded his first two interceptions of the season and the third of his career to go along with five tackles in the 34-27 win over Pitt.
His first interception set Louisville up for its go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
His second interception ended Pitt’s final drive, clinching the win with four seconds left in the contest.
Posted his first pass breakup and quarterback hurry of the season on the same 4th-and-7 play late in the fourth quarter.
His second ACC Linebacker of the Week honor this season.

DEFENSIVE BACK – Ja’son Prevard, Jr., DB, Virginia (Atlantic City, New Jersey)

Recorded two interceptions, including one on the final play of the game to seal Virginia’s 46-38 double-overtime victory over No. 8 Florida State.
His interception in the first quarter came on an incredibly athletic effort where he tipped the ball to himself while blitzing off the edge.
Added two tackles and a pass breakup to help Virginia to its first win over a top-10 opponent at home in 20 years.

SPECIALIST – John Love, R-Jr., PK, Virginia Tech (Spartanburg, South Carolina)

Connected on three field goals in a 23-21 road win over NC State.
Made the game-winner from 49 yards out.
Also made good on field goals of 39 and 32 yards and made both of his extra points.
9-of-10 in field goals and 10-of-10 in PATs this season.
Moved into eighth place on the all-time scoring list at Virginia Tech.

SEC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: SEPT. 29

OFFENSIVE

Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

Accounted for three total touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s 24-21 win at then-No. 5 Georgia.
Finished 24-of-38 passing for 276 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Spread the ball across eight different pass-catchers on the night and averaged 11.5 yards per completion.
Added four rushes for 12 yards and a score with his legs.
Converted a pair of key first downs while adding a two-yard rushing touchdown across his four carries.
Helped UA finish with 397 yards of total offense and 25 first downs against one the nation’s top defenses.
Played a key role in the Crimson Tide converting 13-of-19 third downs on the night, the most against UGA by any team in the last 30 seasons.

Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss

Accounted for 385 yards of total offense in leading Ole Miss past No. 4 LSU.
Completed 23-of-39 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown while adding 71 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Connected on his final five pass attempts, including a 20-yarder on fourth down with 1:46 remaining to seal the win.
First SEC player with 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in three straight games over the last 30 years.
Became the first Ole Miss QB to throw for 300 yards in each of his first three career starts since Jordan Ta’amu in 2017, and his 1,219 yards of total offense in his three starts are the most since Ta’amu (1,265).
Surpassed 4,000 passing yards in his overall career (4,288).

DEFENSIVE

Arion Carter, LB, Tennessee

Carter delivered a memorable performance as Tennessee outlasted Mississippi State, 41-34, on the road in overtime.
He finished with a career-best 17 tackles and provided the game-winning pass breakup in overtime on fourth down at the goal line.
Carter’s 17 tackles tied for the most by an FBS player in a game this season (Chisom – UCLA, Hinspeter – UMass).
Carter leads the SEC and is tied for second in among Power Four players with 49 tackles this year.
That total is 15 better than the next closest SEC player.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Brock Taylor, PK, Vanderbilt

Converted both field goals and was 6-of-6 on PATs in Vandy’s victory over Utah State.
Hit multiple field goals in a game for the first time this season.
46-yard field goal as time expired at the half gave the Dores a double-digit lead for good in the contest.
Has now made 16 field goals in a row dating back to Oct. 5, 2024.
Scored a season-best 12 points, one shy of his career high.
Posted fifth game with 10-plus points since the start of the 2024 campaign.
Recorded touchbacks on five of six kickoffs as well.
Helped lead the Commodores to their first 5-0 start since the 2008 season.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Patrick Kutas, OL, Ole Miss

Led an impressive Ole Miss offense in the victory over No. 4 LSU.
Directed a Rebel line that allowed zero sacks, marking the first time to do so against a top-five team since facing No. 1 LSU in 2019.
Helped amass 480 yards of total offense, the most allowed this season by the Tigers, who entered the game top-five in the SEC in total defense.
The Rebels maintained possession for 8:56 of the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Kadyn Proctor, LT, Alabama

Played every snap at left tackle against the fifth-ranked Bulldogs.
Graded out at a team-high 89 percent by the Crimson Tide coaching staff.
Did not allow a pressure or a sack on the night.
Helped keep Ty Simpson upright as the Tide offensive line did not allow a sack against the vaunted Georgia defense.
Added one reception/rush for an 11-yard gain and an Alabama first down, barreling over multiple Bulldog defenders along the way.
His catch set up the Crimson Tide’s final touchdown which would eventually prove the difference in the game.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Bryan Thomas Jr., EDGE, South Carolina

Logged a game-high and career-high seven tackles in the Gamecocks’ 35-13 win over Kentucky.
Credited with a career-high 2.0 sacks and matched his career high with 2.0 tackles for loss.
Added a quarterback hurry.
The Carolina defense held Kentucky to 13 points and 232 total yards of offense and just three points and 91 total yards after the first quarter.

Tyre West, DE, Tennessee

West finished with three tackles, two sacks for a loss of 11 yards and provided the key forced fumble that swung the momentum of the game as Tennessee outlasted Mississippi State, 41-34, in overtime.
With State driving looking to extend its lead in the fourth quarter, West strip sacked MSU QB Blake Shappen, and Joshua Josephs scooped it up and scored to tie the game.
West set a career high in sacks and added to Tennessee’s nation-leading total of 20 through five weeks.

FRESHMAN

Oscar Bird, P, Ole Miss

Played a key role in helping limit the LSU offense in the Rebels’ victory over the No. 4 Tigers.
Booted three 50-yard punts, including a long of 54.
Averaged 47.5 yards on a career-high four punts.
Pinned the Tigers inside their own 27-yardline in three of his four punts.

MW FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK – SEPT. 29

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Old Trapper Mountain West Football Players of the Week have been announced for Week 5. Hawai‘i quarterback Micah Alejado has been tabbed the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, while Boise State sophomore linebacker Boen Phelps was named MW Defensive Player of the Week and Hawai‘i senior placekicker Kansei Matsuzawa earned MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

The MW awards are the fifth and sixth for Alejado, the third for Matsuzawa and the first for Phelps.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER/FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
MICAH ALEJADO, HAWAI‘I
Redshirt Freshman, Quarterback, Las Vegas, Nevada/Bishop Gorman HS
• Went 35-for-47 for a season-high 457 yards and three touchdowns to lead Hawai‘i to a 44-35 road win over Air Force.
• Became the first quarterback in program history to throw for 450-plus yards twice within his first five career starts.
• Including his 6 rushing yards, his 463 yards of total offense are good for the third-highest single-game total in the FBS this season.
• Led the Rainbow Warriors to a season-best 535 yards of total offense and their most points in the Timmy Chang era.
• Threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jackson Harris, including a 74-yard strike in the fourth quarter to put Hawai‘i ahead 41-28.
• Was named one of the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 for Week 3.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BOEN PHELPS, BOISE STATE
Sophomore, Linebacker, Spokane, Washington/Freeman HS
• Had six tackles (three solo), a quarterback hurry and an interception return for a touchdown in Boise State’s 47-14 win over App State.
• Was the highest-graded linebacker and second-best defensive player in the FBS last week according to PFF (94.4).
• Helped the Broncos hold App State’s offense, which came in ranked third in the FBS in passing offense, to just 65 passing yards, including only 2 in the second half, and 184 total yards.
• Returned his first career interception 33 yards for a score in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KANSEI MATSUZAWA, HAWAI‘I
Senior, Placekicker, Tokyo, Japan/Hocking College
• Connected on three field goals as part of a 14-point afternoon in Hawai‘i’s 44-35 win at Air Force.
• Hit from 31, 39 and 25 yards to move to 16-for-16 on field goals this season.
• Set Hawai‘i and Mountain West records for consecutive made field goals to start a season.
• Dating back to last season, has converted 17 straight field-goal attempts, the second-longest streak in program history.

C-USA FB: SEPTEMBER 29 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

DALLAS – Conference USA announced Monday its weekly award winners for week four. The weekly awards are voted on by a panel of the league’s media.

Offensive Player of the Week – La’Vell Wright, WKU – Gr. – RB – Louisville, Ky.
Wright provided more late-game heroics for the second week in a row, this time scoring two second-half touchdowns to help lift the Hilltoppers (4-1, 2-0 CUSA) to a 27-22 victory at Missouri State on Saturday. He finished with a team-high 104 all-purpose yards, including 91 yards on 10 rushing attempts. After the Bears took a 16-10 lead early in the second half, Wright put the Hilltoppers back ahead with a two-yard touchdown run. Wright had touches on the last four plays and accounted for 29 yards of the 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The running back extended the lead with 1:16 to play in the third quarter when he took a direct snap 17 yards to the end zone to make it a 24-16 game.

Defensive Player of the Week – Caleb Offord, Kennesaw State – Sr. – DB – Southaven, Miss.
Offord helped anchor the backend of the Owls’ (3-2, 1-0 CUSA) secondary for nearly 40 minutes (38:59) as Kennesaw State won its third-straight game and CUSA opener against MTSU 24-16. He finished the game with five tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage, and three massive pass breakups. Offord covered the Blue Raiders’ top target on their final drive of the game and broke up two passes to seal the victory. He led all CUSA defensive players with 51 snaps in pass coverage and led the league in overall defensive PFF grade (82.1), as well as coverage grades in both man (81.9) and zone (75.6) coverage.

Special Teams Player of the Week – John Hoyet Chance, LA Tech – Fr. – P/K – Shreveport, La.
Chance set a new career high with a 68-yard punt, while averaging 49.17 yards on six punts in the Bulldogs’ (4-1, 2-0 CUSA) 30-11 win at UTEP. He had two punts travel 50 or more yards, two downed inside the 20, and two that were fair caught. Chance was a perfect 6-6 on touchbacks during kickoff opportunities.

Freshman of the Week – Alonzo Jackson Jr., LA Tech – R-Fr. – LB – Haynesville, La.
After losing All-CUSA linebacker Kolbe Fields to injury in the game, Jackson stepped up in a big way, registering a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown, six tackles, four solo stops, 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and one quarterback hurry. His interception return for a score marked the fifth defensive score of the season for LA Tech and sealed the 30-11 win over UTEP in the fourth quarter. He set career highs in tackles, TFLs, and pass breakups, while the interception and touchdown were the first of his career. Jackson had not recorded any tackles coming into the night, mostly seeing time on special teams during the first four games.

Offensive Lineman of the Week – Marshall Jackson, WKU – R-Sr. – LT – Brandenburg, Ky.
Jackson helped WKU put up 476 yards of offense in its 27-22 win at Missouri State on Saturday, with 317 yards through the air and 159 yards on the ground. It was the third time this season the Hilltoppers have thrown for over 300 yards in a game, and it was the second-highest rushing yardage in a game this season. Jackson, who played 74 snaps at left tackle, posted a 65.8 run blocking grade – the highest among WKU offensive linemen in the win. The Hilltoppers put up 128 yards rushing in the second half, including 92 in the fourth quarter, to close out the win. Jackson also posted an 87.1 pass blocking grade for the top passing offense in CUSA.

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

WEEK 5 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

IRVING, Texas – The American Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly football honors from Week 5 of the 2025 season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Greg Desrosiers Jr. • Sr. • RB • Memphis
Desrosiers rushed for a career-high 204 yards and three touchdowns (2, 90, 1) on 19 carries to lead Memphis to a 55-26 win at Florida Atlantic, keeping the Tigers unbeaten at 5-0 and extending the nation’s longest active winning streak to nine games. Desrosiers’ 204 yards were the most by an American player this season and marked only the second time this season that an FBS player surpassed 200 yards on the ground.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Santana Hopper • Jr. • DL • Tulane
Hopper registered six tackles, including 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss with two quarterback hurries, in Tulane’s 31-14 win at Tulsa in the Green Wave’s American Conference opener. Hopper’s four tackles for loss matches the most by an American player this season as Tulane limited the Golden Hurricane to just 92 rushing yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alec Clark • So. • P • Tulane
Clark was instrumental in the field position battle in Tulane’s 31-14 win at Tulsa as he averaged 44.5 yards on eight punts, pinning the Golden Hurricane inside the 11-yard line four times. Clark, who ranks fourth in the American in punting average (45.6) did not have a punt go for a touchback against Tulsa.

HONORABLE MENTION
DeMarco Ward • So. • DB • Memphis
Had nine tackles with a tackle for loss and a forced fumble in a 55-26 win at Florida Atlantic.

Blake Horvath • Sr. • QB • Navy
Rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns (8, 2) on 21 carries and completed 8 of 13 passes for 172 yards in a 21-13 win against Rice.

MarcAnthony Parker • So. • LB • Navy
Registered 13 tackles and two tackles for loss in a 21-13 win against Rice.

Caleb Hawkins • Fr. • RB • North Texas
Rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns (6, 27) and had two receptions for 78 yards and a 68-yard TD in a 36-22 win against South Alabama.

Javin Gordon • Fr. • RB • Tulane
Rushed for 78 yards and three touchdowns (12, 25, 4) in a 31-14 win at Tulsa.

AP TOP 25 EXTRA POINTS: ELLIOTT WOULD GO FROM HOT SEAT TO HOT COACH IF NO. 24 VIRGINIA KEEPS RISING

The vibe around Virginia football has never been more upbeat than at this moment in coach Tony Elliott’s four seasons in Charlottesville.

The Cavaliers are 4-1 for a second straight season and in a three-way tie for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference after Friday’s two-overtime win against what was a top-10 Florida State team. On Sunday, they appeared in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2019.

Sustained success has been fleeting for the program, so the No. 24 ranking and all the rest are worth celebrating.

At the center of it is Elliott, who has had far more lows than highs since he left his longtime assistant’s job at his alma mater of Clemson to take over the Cavaliers in 2022.

Three Virginia players died in a campus shooting late in his first season, a tragedy that changed his role from coach to counselor and prompted the cancelation of the final two games. A win over a top-10 North Carolina highlighted a three-win campaign in 2023. Last year’s 4-1 start was followed by losses in six of the last seven games.

Through three years, Elliott was 11-23 overall and 6-17 in ACC play and his name was prominent on hot-seat lists entering 2025.

“There’s been days I didn’t know how I was going to do it,” he said.

Virginia brought in a promising class of 22 high school recruits and a highly regarded group of 32 transfers headed by North Texas quarterback Chandler Morris. The Cavaliers are in the top 10 in scoring and total offense, and their defense is allowing opponents to convert just 25% of their third downs.

“Stay the course. Don’t deviate from the plan. Double down on what you believe in,” Elliott said of his mantra. “I came here because I believed Virginia can be one of the premier football programs in the country to go alongside being one of the premier academic schools, that everything associated with this university can just ooze with excellence.”

Virginia visits unbeaten Louisville on Saturday looking to keep stacking wins. The Cavaliers’ only loss was to North Carolina State in a designated nonconference game. A win over the Cardinals would make them 3-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2007.

“We wanted to be in the driver’s seat, and that’s all we did was keep ourselves in the driver’s seat,” Elliott said of the win over FSU. “So we have to keep two hands on the wheel, keep the seatbelt on, make sure we check the rearview mirror and make sure we’re awake so we don’t hit a pothole along the way.”

What, me worry?

Many saw Illinois’ 63-10 loss at Indiana as proof the Illini were overrated and on the verge of spiraling. Coach Bret Bielema said he certainly didn’t see it that way and the 34-32 bounce-back win over previously unbeaten Southern California was no surprise. It was expected.

“The part that really gave me satisfaction during the course of this week is that I know my roster better than anybody in the country,” said Bielema, whose team is ranked No. 22. “I know who they are, what they represent. I knew how they would respond. I saw them hurt. I felt myself hurting. But I knew we could respond and I thought we would play pretty well today.”

Time for a break

There might be no team in need of an open date more than No. 17 Georgia Tech.

The unbeaten Yellow Jackets (5-0) have played five straight weeks and have had three heart-pounding wins.

They overcame turnovers on their first three possessions of their opener to win 27-20 at Colorado on Haynes King’s late 45-yard touchdown run. It took a 55-yard field goal as time ran out to beat Clemson, 24-21. And they had to have an interception on Wake Forest’s 2-point try in overtime to pull out a 30-29 win.

Georgia Tech joins Iowa State, Mississippi and UNLV as the only Bowl Subdivision teams with three one-score wins, according to Sportradar.

“We’ve got to recharge and mentally get ourselves back ready to go,” coach Brent Key said. “Everybody thinks about the physical part but the mental grind starts to mount as the season goes on. … Everybody comes out of the gates sprinting. The last third of the season you see the finish line. This middle part, that’s the endurance phase.”

Next up is an Oct. 11 home game against Virginia Tech.

Extra points

Penn State coach James Franklin faced his 4-21 record against top-10 opponents head-on following his team’s 30-24 loss to Oregon in two overtimes. “I get that narrative. It’s really not a narrative; it’s factual. It’s the facts. I get it. I try to look at the entire picture and what we’ve been able to do here. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way to win those games. I totally get it. And I take ownership and I take responsibility.” … Alabama’s 24-21 win that ended Georgia’s 33-game home win streak makes the Bulldogs 49-2 at Sanford Stadium since 2019. … Ohio State has allowed just two touchdowns, and its average of 5.5 points allowed per game is best in the nation after a Week 5 since Georgia allowed 4.6 per game at this point in 2021.

DUCKS QB DANTE MOORE NEWEST HEISMAN FAVORITE

Five official weeks of the 2025 college football season have now produced a half dozen Heisman Trophy favorites.

The new leading candidate is Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, who rose to the top spot at most sportsbooks following the Ducks’ 30-24 win at Penn State on Saturday. Moore completed 29 of 39 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns while Oregon improved to 5-0, and he is now the +750 Heisman favorite at BetMGM and DraftKings, among other.

Moore began the season at +2000 but has benefited from a combination of injuries and subpar play from five other quarterbacks who have spent time at the top: Texas’ Arch Manning, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Oklahoma’s John Mateer and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

Moore’s rise thus far pales in comparison to that of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who opened as a +5500 longshot. A season-opening loss to Florida State was a further setback, but Simpson has impressed since. That includes throwing for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Saturday’s win at Georgia, after which Simpson vaulted to the No. 2 Heisman favorite at +900 with DraftKings.

All the shuffling among the marquee quarterbacks has also helped the campaign of Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He is now tied for the third-shortest odds at +1100 along with Beck and Mendoza.

Smith has racked up 396 yards and four touchdowns on 28 catches through five games. Mendoza briefly rose to the Heisman favorite perch last week, but slipped following a modest performance in a tight victory over Iowa.

HEISMAN TROPHY ODDS*
PLAYER, POS, TEAM, WEEK 5, CURRENT
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (+1000), (+750)
Carson Beck, QB, Miami (+1200), (+900)
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama (+2000), (+1000)
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (+1400), (+1000)
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana (+650), (+1300)
Joey Aguilar, QB, Tennessee (+1500), (+1300)
Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M (+1500), (+1500)
Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt, (+5000), (+1500)
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss (+1500)
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State (+1700), (+1700)
Arch Manning, QB, Texas (+2500), (+2000)
Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia (+1400), (+2000)
Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State (+4000), (+2000)
Jayden Maiava, QB, Southern Cal (+1600), (+2000)

Miami quarterback Carson Beck was idle over the weekend ahead of a critical game for his Heisman hopes at rival Florida State this Saturday. He currently owns the second shortest odds at BetMGM, where Smith and Simpson are both being offered at +1000 ahead of Mendoza and Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar at +1300.

Simpson was +2000 at the book just last week. In addition to the big win at Georgia hurting counterpart Gunner Stockton’s campaign, Simpson benefitted by LSU’s Nussmeier and Southern Cal’s Jayden Maiava suffering losses over the weekend.

One of the biggest risers this week was Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who rocketed from +5000 to +1500 after accounting for six touchdowns in a rout of Utah State. Also entering the conversation was Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who wasn’t even on BetMGM’s board at the outset. But he is now +1500 after orchestrating the 24-19 upset of LSU.

The constant fluctuation in the Heisman race before the calendar even his October stands to serve as a significant win for sportsbooks.

BetMGM reported that its four biggest liabilities in the market are Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Manning, Mateer and Sellers. Manning has still been backed by the most money (12 percent), followed by Nussmeier (8.8), Mateer (7.6) and Sellers (7.1). Love, who opened at +5000, is still on the outside of the conversation at +2500 while drawing 4.7 percent of the money.

The biggest current threat to the book is Smith, who has been backed by 6.9 percent of the money and 8.0 percent of the bets since opening at +1300.

___________

NBA NEWS

LEBRON’S FUTURE, KAWHI’S SITUATION AND TATUM’S HEALTH ALL PART OF THE QUESTIONS FOR NBA MEDIA DAY

Welcome back, NBA.

The phenomenon known as Media Day — when NBA teams pull on their uniforms, pose for photos and field questions from reporters on the eve of their first training camp practices of the season — happens on Monday for 25 of the league’s 30 teams. (Brooklyn, New York, New Orleans, Phoenix and Philadelphia all had Media Day last week and were allowed to start their camps early to prepare for overseas preseason games.)

Some of the story lines to watch on Monday:

Will LeBron give any hints?

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is going to break Vince Carter’s record and play in his 23rd NBA season, a longevity mark that probably isn’t going to be caught anytime soon — though it should be noted that the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul is going into his 21st season and Philadelphia’s Kyle Lowry is starting his 20th season.

Thus begins the annual watch: Is this the end for James?

He’ll be asked the question in some form on Monday, and whatever he says — yes, no or otherwise — will be big news. He’s not under contract for next season, and there will likely be speculation at times this season about whether he’ll finish this year with the Lakers or will he ask to be traded elsewhere.

It’s hard to envision that James — who has given no indications that he would want a “farewell tour” type of season — will commit to a definitive plan for his future.

And remember, it’s not like he’s got nothing left in the tank. The 40-year-old James (he turns 41 on Dec. 30) is still an elite-level player with numbers that baffle logic for a man his age. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season. Nobody over the age of 32, other than James, has ever done that in NBA history.

The Kawhi situation

What will Kawhi Leonard say? Probably not much, but this is certainly going to be a Media Day subplot.

The Clippers’ standout — along with his team, and team owner Steve Ballmer — are all part of an NBA investigation into whether salary cap rules were circumvented by Leonard entering into an endorsement deal with a former sponsor of the team.

The NBA has said it will not rush to any judgment in its probe of the matter and has hired outside counsel to figure it all out. The NBA opened its investigation earlier this month into whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser, LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year — broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre.

The Clippers have strongly denied that any rules were broken and said they welcomed the league’s investigation.

Is Jayson Tatum returning?

Injuries are a huge story entering this season. Eastern Conference champion Indiana will be without Tyrese Haliburton for the entirety of this season after he tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Portland has Damian Lillard back but isn’t sure when he can play after his own Achilles tear, and Dallas is waiting to see when Kyrie Irving’s surgically repaired ACL will be ready for his return to the floor.

And then there’s Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles during last season’s playoffs.

But the Boston star has been dropping hints in recent days that it might not be wise to rule him out for the season.

“I just want everybody to know I appreciate the love and support,” Tatum said in a YouTube video he posted over the weekend, one that included snippets of him going through what he said was his third on-court workout since the surgery. “It’s been a long journey but I’m working my tail off to get back, to get healthy for the love of the game obviously and then for the fans that support me and the team.”

What will the champs do?

Oklahoma City won the NBA title last season and brings back basically its entire rotation this season, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — the reigning scoring champion, MVP and NBA Finals MVP.

BetMGM Sportsbook says the Thunder are the heavy favorites (+250) to win the 2026 title as well. The big issue for the Thunder right now might be Jalen Williams’ offseason wrist surgery and whether he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season.

“It’s been well-documented that last season was a special year in our very, very brief organizational history,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said. “But the process of becoming a great team did not end last season. Every team in the league has something in front of them that is their passage to the next stage of their growth and development. The next step in front of us, in order to become a great team again, is the discipline and humility to turn the page.”

Wemby’s return

It’s expected that Victor Wembanyama will be fully ready to go to start the regular season for San Antonio, after his 2024-25 season was cut short in February by deep vein thrombosis in a shoulder.

Wembanyama has had a most interesting offseason: he went to a temple in China in June to study alongside monks, played soccer with kids during various vacation stops and recently asked Spurs fans to sign up for a new supporters’ section that will mimic how fans at European soccer and basketball games tend to act.

It’ll be the first time in three decades that the Spurs go to Media Day with someone other than Gregg Popovich as their head coach. Mitch Johnson — who coached the final 77 games last season after the now-retired Popovich suffered a stroke — had the interim title removed during the offseason and is now San Antonio’s full-fledged coach going into the year.

GRIZZLIES CENTER ZACH EDEY TO MISS 6-9 WEEKS WHILE RECOVERING FROM ANKLE SURGERY

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey could miss the first two months of the season while recovering from ankle surgery, the team said Friday.

Edey had surgery in early June to address laxity in his left ankle. He has been cleared to begin ramping up basketball activities and is expected to return to play in 6-9 weeks.

A two-time national player of the year at Purdue, Edey missed 12 games early last season because of a sprained left ankle. He went on to play in 66 games, making 55 starts, and averaged 9.2 points and a rookie-leading 8.3 rebounds. He was voted to the All-Rookie first team.

The Grizzlies provided other medical updates Friday ahead of training camp:

— Rookie guard Cedric Coward, the 11th-overall pick in this summer’s draft, is expected to be a full participant in camp following the completion of his left shoulder rehabilitation. He injured his shoulder early last season at Washington State.

— Center Jaren Jackson Jr., who underwent a procedure to repair turf toe in his right foot in early July, has been cleared to begin ramping up basketball activities. He is expected to return to play in 4-6 weeks.

— Forward Brandon Clarke will have an arthroscopic procedure to relieve knee synovitis in his right knee. The knee issue popped up during offseason training. Clarke had a procedure on his right knee in mid-March to repair a high-grade sprain to his posterior cruciate ligament.

WEMBY’S BACK. KYRIE AND TATUM WANT TO BE BACK. INJURIES WERE A TALKING POINT AT NBA MEDIA DAYS

Victor Wembanyama is back. Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum might be coming back. Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard don’t plan to play again until next season.

Injuries are already big NBA news this season, even before most camps even open.

Wembanyama, San Antonio’s All-Star center, is back and raring to go after being cleared this summer following a scare caused by deep vein thrombosis in one of his shoulders — which, at first, was considered a potentially career-threatening issue. Irving’s 2024-25 season ended with a torn ACL and he is recovering, albeit without a firm return-to-play timeline, while Tatum’s recovery from a torn Achilles has Boston fans dreaming of a return this season.

“It’s life-changing, spending so much time in hospitals and around doctors and hearing more bad news than I wish I heard,” Wembanyama said. “It is traumatic, but in the long run, I think it’s going to be very beneficial because even though I don’t wish it on nobody, it makes you understand lessons that nothing else could have made you understand.”

Wembanyama should be ready to go on opening night for the Spurs. Irving and Tatum will have to wait a while longer for their clearances — but seem to both be on the right path. And many of the top names who have been dealing with injury issues said they’re relying on one another at times to help get through the long road back to playing.

“We saw a few star players get hurt this year that meant a lot to their team,” Irving said. “We’re just always praying for each other, always picking up each other, always showing what our progress is. And I think all of us are trying to legitimately prove that we’re alien-like, and we can heal like Wolverine.”

He was referencing a Marvel character, one with exceptional healing powers. Tatum might be the frontrunner in the Wolverine standings.

Achilles tears typically can mean an athlete misses a full year or so; it’s not an exact science, but that’s a good guess more often than not. Haliburton isn’t playing this season after getting hurt in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June, and Lillard — back with Portland now — doesn’t expect to play after tearing his Achilles while playing with Milwaukee in last season’s playoffs.

“I don’t plan on it,” Lillard said. “I just want to be as healthy as I can possibly be and be 100% confident in it and be able to do all of the movements and everything that it takes to be on the NBA court. … At that point, whenever that point is, obviously I’ll have a decision to make.”

Tatum seems to be leaning the other way. Only five months removed from his Achilles tear in last season’s playoffs, he’s back on the floor already and going through some workouts. He won’t be in a game anytime soon, but he certainly sounds like he’s not ruling out the season.

“I think for me there’s been bright spots and getting back on the court and being able to participate in a basketball workout, it was definitely one of the more-bright spots of this journey,” Tatum said. “It just felt really good to be on the court and dribbling a basketball, going through a workout, just feeling like a basketball player again.”

Haliburton sees himself playing the role of unofficial assistant coach this season. The Indiana guard — who acknowledged that the process, at times, has been mentally trying — is recovering well but knew right away that getting hurt in late June wasn’t going to lead to playing basketball again in a regular season that stretches from October to April.

“I think whenever you don’t get to play, you get a new perspective on things,” Haliburton said. “I think there’s always time to learn and grow. And I think, for me, this year, not being able to play, I feel like I’m going to be able to see the game in a different way.”

There is a slew of not-season-threatening issues around the league as well. Miami’s Tyler Herro expects to miss at least the first month of the regular season after surgery to fix an issue affecting an ankle and foot. The Los Angeles Clippers will keep watchful eyes on Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring tear at EuroBasket) and Bradley Beal (right knee surgery in May), both of whom will participate in training camp. Jalen Williams of the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder is recovering from offseason wrist surgery.

“I got my work in, for sure,” Williams said. “Still got some ways to go with it. It forced me to be really creative, me and my trainers who I had in my camp. It’s hard to do the same drills over and over again especially when you’re in a cast. So, we got pretty creative as the summer progressed.”

As camps open, hope is everywhere. And dealing with an injury that ends one season only makes players appreciate the game more going forward, said Wembanyama, who channeled his frustrations into working out harder than ever this summer.

“What I’ve done this summer, it’s world-class,” Wembanyama said. “Even in the field of professional sports, I don’t think many people have trained the way we’ve trained the summer.”

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GOLF NEWS

GOLF GLANCE: PGA TOUR RETURNS TO CARD GRIND; LPGA HITS HAWAII

The PGA Tour returns to its regularly scheduled programming with the second event of its FedEx Fall series taking place in Mississippi this week, while the LPGA Tour is in Hawaii for the Lotte Championship.

PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Procore Championship (Scottie Scheffler)
THIS WEEK: Sanderson Farms Championship, Jackson, Miss., Oct. 2-5
Course: The Country Club of Jackson (Par 72, 7,461 Yards)
Purse: $6M (Winner: $1.08M)
Defending Champion: Kevin Yu
FedEx Cup Champion: Tommy Fleetwood
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Saturday: 4-7 p.m. ET; Sunday: 3:30-6:30 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday: 2-7 p.m.; Sunday: 2-6:30 p.m.
X: @Sanderson_Champ
NOTES: Only the top 100 players in the FedEx Cup standings following the seven fall events will secure fully exempt status for 2026. Those who began the fall series in the top 70 have already clinched their top-100 eligibility, with Nos. 51-70 still working to secure spots in the first two signature events of 2026. … Rasmus Hojgaard is the only player in the field who competed in last week’s Ryder Cup. He went 0-2-0 for the winning European team. His twin brother, Nicolai, is also in the field, as is European vice captain Francesco Molinari and United States assistant Brandt Snedeker. … Former Vanderbilt star Will Gordon is in the field as a sponsor exemption, as is 2025 NCAA individual champion Michael La Sasso and his Ole Miss teammate Kye Meeks. Other sponsor invites include 2017 event winner Ryan Armour, Ben Martin, Zac Blair and Matt NeSmith. … Sam Burns holds the tournament scoring record at the Country Club of Jackson, which he set with a 266 in 2021.
BEST BETS: Akshay Bhatia (+2000 at DraftKings) is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 34 and has three top-13 finishes in his past four starts. … Kevin Yu (+2200) is seeking to become the first player to win back-to-back Sanderson Farms Championships. … Min Woo Lee (+2500) has largely struggled since his win at the Texas Children’s Houston Open but is coming off a T5 at the Open de France. … Michael Thorbjornsen (+2800) is one of the game’s rising young stars and has three top-20s in his past six starts. … J.T. Poston (+3000) is a three-time PGA Tour winner and one of the most accomplished players in the field with 34 career top-10s. … Mackenzie Hughes (+3500) won this event in 2022 and is coming off a T7 at the Procore Championship.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Baycurrent Classic, Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 9-12

LPGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
THIS WEEK: Lotte Championship, Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, Oct. 1-4
Course: Hoakalei Country Club (Par 72, 6,566 Yards)
Purse: $3M (Winner: $450,000)
Defending Champion: A Lim Kim
Race to the CME Globe leader: Jeeno Thitikul
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV/Streaming: Wednesday-Saturday: 7-10 p.m. ET (All times Golf Channel)
X: @lpgalotte
NOTES: This is the 13th playing of the Lotte Championship and the final event before the Asia swing, with the tour returning to the mainland United States in November. … The 120-player field will be cut to the top 65 and ties after 36 holes. … The tournament moved from Ko Olina to Hoakalei in 2022. … Miyu Yamashita leads the Rookie of the Year standings by 32 points over Rio Takeda and by 295 points over Chisato Iwai.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Buick LPGA Shanghai, Oct. 9-12

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
LAST TOURNAMENT: Pure Insurance Championship (Doug Barron)
THIS WEEK: Constellation Furyk & Friends, Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 3-5
Course: Timuquana Country Club (Par 72, 7,005 Yards)
Purse: $2.1M (Winner: $315,000)
Defending Champion: Rocco Mediate
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Miguel Angel Jimenez
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday-Sunday: 6-9 p.m. ET (All times tape delayed on Golf Channel)
X: @ChampionsTour
NOTES: Only two events remain before the start of the three-tournament Charles Schwab Cub playoffs. … The field includes the top three players in the Charles Schwab Cup standings: Jimenez, Stewart Cink and Steven Alker. … Tournament host Jim Furyk was a vice captain for the United States at last week’s Ryder Cup.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: SAS Championship, Cary, N.C., Oct. 12

LIV GOLF LEAGUE
LAST TOURNAMENT: Team Championship (Legion XIII)
THIS WEEK: Season Complete
Season Winners: Individual: Jon Rahm; Team: Legion XIII
NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 5-7

‘ASHAMED’ TOM WATSON APOLOGIZES TO EUROPE FOR RYDER FANS

Tom Watson is United States golf royalty. And, along with Tiger Woods, he may be the most popular American golfer on both sides of the Atlantic.

Watson won eight major titles, five of them overseas at the Open Championship. He was awestruck of the play by the victorious Team Europe in the 2025 Ryder Cup, but disgusted by the behavior of some of the American fans in attendance.

On Monday, he posted an apology to the victors on X.

“I’d like to congratulate @RyderCupEurope on their victory. Your team play the first few days was sensational. More importantly, I’d like to apologize for the rude and mean-spirited behavior from our American crowd at Bethpage.

“As a former player, Captain and as an American, I am ashamed of what happened.”

Watson, 76, competed on four Ryder Cup teams and captained a pair. As a player, his teams won three of four competitions (1977, 1981, 1983) and tied one (1989). As captain, he led the winning American side in 1993 at The Belfry in England, but also suffered a setback in the 2014 matches in Scotland.

The European team was subjected to jeering and heckling throughout the matches, even while preparing to hit shots. Rory McIlroy was the prime target, and even his wife Erica was subjected to taunts and a beverage being hurled at her.

“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said Sunday after the matches had concluded. “… I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week.

“There was a lot of language that was unacceptable and abusive behavior.”

The United States staged a furious Sunday rally, cutting decisively into the Europeans’ 12-5 lead, but the visitors prevailed 15-13 to capture the Ryder Cup for third time in the last four meetings.

The 2027 Ryder Cup is set to be played in Limerick, Ireland on Sept. 17-19.

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+++TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++

INDIANA FEVER

GAME PREVIEW: FEVER, ACES CLASH ON TUESDAY NIGHT FOR FINALS BERTH

Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces (Game 5)
Tuesday, September 30
Michelob Ultra Arena | 9:30 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

Las Vegas Aces

Guard – Chelsea Gray
Guard – Jackie Young
Forward – Kierstan Bell
Forward – NaLyssa Smith
Center – A’ja Wilson

GAME PREVIEW:

It all comes down to this. The Fever and Aces will meet on Tuesday night in Las Vegas for a decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Semifinals. The winner will advance to face Phoenix in the WNBA Finals, while the loser’s season will come to an end.

The Fever forced a winner-take-all game thanks to a 90-83 win over the Aces in Game 4 on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Fever’s All-Stars came through when it mattered most in that victory, with Kelsey Mitchell scoring a team-high 25 points and Aliyah Boston having a monster performance with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists.

Indiana was the more aggressive team and was rewarded for that aggression in Game 4. The Fever shot 34 free throws to Las Vegas’ 11, though that disparity was exaggerated somewhat when the Aces fouled intentionally to prolong the game in the final minute.

Containing four-time A’ja Wilson will continue to be a major focus for the Fever on the defensive end. While she’s struggled with her shot at times in the series, Wilson was a force in Game 4, scoring 31 points on 14-of-24 shooting.

The Fever are trying to reach the WNBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since 2015. The Aces are going for their fourth Finals appearance in the last seven seasons.

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INDIANA FOOTBALL

FERNANDO MANIA: NEW FAVORITE EMERGES ATOP 2026 NFL DRAFT

While their Heisman Trophy hopes may have taken direct hits over the weekend, the fortunes of four quarterbacks continue to be on the rise when it comes to projecting the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the new favorite for the top pick in next year’s draft at FanDuel.

He is being offered at +300. The Cal transfer did throw an interception in a close win over unranked Iowa, but Mendoza also tossed a pair of touchdown passes and is completing 73 percent of his passes this season.

Mendoza has thrown for 1,208 yards and 16 touchdowns against the lone interception through five games. That has helped trim his odds of being the No. 1 overall pick next spring from +700 at the book just a week ago.

2026 NFL DRAFT NO. 1 PICK ODDS*
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana (+300)
LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina (+350)
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU (+460)
John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma (+1300)
Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami, Fla. (+1500)
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon (+1900)
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State (+2200)
Arch Manning, QB, Texas (+2500)
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama (+2500)
Jayden Maiava, QB, Southern Cal (+2700)
Carson Beck, QB, Miami, Fla. (+2700)
Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State (+2700)
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson (+3000)
*FanDuel

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, briefly the Heisman favorite earlier this season before suffering a concussion, is being offered at +350.

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is almost out of the Heisman conversation following LSU’s loss to Ole Miss on Saturday. More concerning has been his continued mediocre play. Nussmeier has thrown seven touchdowns and three interceptions while completing a career-best 67.3 percent of his passes, but has struggled to establish LSU’s vertical passing game on a consistent basis. He declined questions about his health as speculation about playing hurt popped up in recent weeks.

Still, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Lake Charles, La., native continues to intrigue NFL scouts looking for a traditional pocket passer. He remains +460 to go No. 1 overall, although that is down from +320 before being held under 200 passing yards by Ole Miss.

There is a significant dropoff to the fourth-shortest odds, currently owned by Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer. Another previous Heisman favorite who is now on the outside looking in while recovering from hand surgery, Mateer is +1300 at FanDuel in top draft pick futures.

The shortest odds for a non-quarterback belong to Miami (Fla.) pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. at +1500. Through four games, Bain has produced a pair of sacks along with four tackles for loss and an interception to help shorten his odds from +2000 last week. Bain is the only non-quarterback among the top 10.

Arch Manning, the favorite to go No. 1 overall before the season began, remains in the picture at +2500. However, there is growing speculation that he may return to college in 2026 given his significant struggles through the first month. He is just behind Oregon’s Dante Moore (+1900) and Penn State’s Drew Allar (+2200), who squared off in Oregon’s win at Penn State on Saturday.

Moore got the best of Allar, who threw an interception on the first play of Penn State’s second possession in overtime. Allar was +1300 last week and still offers an intriguing blend of size at 6-5, 235 along with mobility, but has struggled to impress in many of his biggest games with the Nittany Lions.

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INDIANA WRESTLING

INDIANA WRESTLING ANNOUNCES 2025-26 SCHEDULE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– The Indiana Wrestling program has announced the team’s schedule for the 2025-26 season.

The Hoosiers will compete in 15 dual matches and four invitationals or tournament events. For Indiana’s duals, there will be eight Big Ten matches and seven in the non-conference.

Indiana will hold their annual Intrasquad match (wrestle-offs) to unofficially start the 2025-26 campaign on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Wilkinson Hall.

The Hoosiers will officially open the regular season with a handful of events from Nov. 8-9. On the 8th, Indiana will compete in two duals against opponents that are still to be announced as part of the Journeymen Classic in Bethlehem, Pa. Also, on that day, a group of Hoosiers will head north to compete in the Michigan State Open. On the next day on the 9th, Indiana’s group competing in Bethlehem will enter in the tournament style portion of the Journeymen Classic.

Following that weekend, Indiana will have five consecutive duals on the docket. Matches against Columbia (Nov. 14), Central Michigan (Dec. 5) and Army (Dec. 13) will all be at home. The Columbia dual will be held at nearby Edgewood High School in Ellettsville while the Central Michigan and Army duals will be at Wilkinson Hall.

The duals against Oklahoma (Nov. 23) and Little Rock (Dec. 7) will be on the road.

Prior to Big Ten duals, Indiana will compete in the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Indiana will begin the Big Ten portion of their schedule with a road match at Ohio State (Jan. 11) before hosting Maryland (Jan. 18). The next weekend, Indiana will go to Penn State (Jan 23.) on Friday before hosting Michigan State (Jan. 25) on Sunday.

The latter half of the conference slate includes back-to-back road weekends at Illinois (Jan. 30) and Wisconsin (Feb. 7) before hosting Nebraska (Feb. 15) and Purdue (Feb. 20).

The last regular season competition will be a tournament as the Hoosiers are at the Last Chance Open in Fairfax, Va. (Feb. 22).

The Big Ten Championships will take place from March 7-8 in University Park, Pa. and the 2026 NCAA Championships will be held from March 19-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.

________________

PURDUE MEN’S GOLF

BOILERMAKERS IN 11TH AFTER OPENING DAY OF WINDON

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Purdue men’s golf team couldn’t generate any momentum on the opening day of the Windon Memorial Classic, sitting in 11th place after 36 holes at the Knollwood Club.

The Boilermakers posted a pair of identical rounds of 2-under par 286, to finish the opening day at 4-under par 572, good for 11th place out of 16 teams. Purdue is five shots behind eighth-place Michigan State (-9), four behind Ohio State (-8) and one back of Marquette (-5).

Illinois leads at 24-under par, while Notre Dame and Kansas are tied for second at 20-under par.

Purdue is eighth in the field in birdies with 36 (just five off the lead), but had just 105 pars, which ranked 13th in the tournament after the opening day. Unfortunately, Purdue was third in the field after 36 holes with 37 bogeys.

Supapon Amornchaichan leads Purdue in 28th place at 2-under par 142 (71-71).

Kentaro Nanayama had a nice bounceback effort in the second round, sitting in 33rd place at 1-under par 143 (75-68).

Andre Zhu is also tied for 33rd at 1-under par 143 (70-73).

Sam Easterbrook is 68th at 4-over par 148 (70-78), while Will Harvey is 75th at 5-over par 149 (75-74).

Purdue will be paired with USF and Minnesota in Tuesday’s final round and will tee off at 9:45 a.m. ET, off hole 10 at the Knollwood Club.

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PURDUE WOMEN’S GOLF

BROWN’S HOLE-IN-ONE HIGHLIGHTS 1ST DAY OF WINDY CITY

GOLF, Ill. – Another hole-in-one for Samantha Brown, her third competing as a Boilermaker, highlighted the first day of the Windy City Collegiate Classic for Purdue Women’s Golf. Brown’s 3-under 69 tied a career low and helped the Boilermakers post a 4-under 284 in the opening round, the team’s best round of the season.

Facing one of the most competitive fields in the country, the Boilermakers found themselves in fourth after the morning round. However, the afternoon round proved to be difficult as Purdue dropped back into ninth place (+8) with 18 holes to play.

After bogeys on two of her first three holes, Brown played the final 15 holes of her opening round bogey free. She made three birdies and an ace along the way, firing a 32 (-4) on the front side to secure her round in the 60s. Stepping up to the 135-yard par-3 seventh hole, her 16th hole of the day, Brown used a 9-iron to find the bottom of the cup. In just her second year of college golf, she made her third career hole-in-one in tournament action. The Westfield, Indiana, native added a 76 (+4) in the afternoon to sit tied for 23rd at 1-over and lead Purdue on the individual leaderboard.

Luana Valero was right behind Brown at 2-over following rounds of 72 (E) and 74 (+2). She finished her opening round strong, playing the final six holes 2-under without making a bogey to get the freshman back to even par and tie her best round as a Boilermaker.

Ashley Kim matched Valero with a 72 of her own in the opening round before settling for a 75 (+3) in the afternoon. The Arkansas State transfer enjoyed the front side, her final nine of both rounds, at Glen View Club. She carded a 34 (-2) in the first round to conclude an even-par round. After a difficult opening nine in the afternoon, Kim battled back with a bogey-free 32 (-4) on the front to contribute to the team’s second round total.

Ida Lindqvist shot 71 (-1) in the first round, besting her previous low as a Boilermaker by three strokes. The freshman made a team-high five birdies throughout her opening 18 holes to secure the first under-par round of her young collegiate career.

The Boilermakers wrap up the Windy City Collegiate Classic Tuesday morning, teeing off the back nine beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. Purdue is paired alongside Illinois (E) and Virginia (+1).

For updates throughout tomorrow’s final round, follow Purdue Women’s Golf on Twitter @PurdueWGolf.

BOILERMAKERS

T-23. Samantha Brown: 69-76—145 (+1)

T-28. Luana Valero: 72-74—146 (+2)

T-36. Ashley Kim: 72-75—147 (+3)

T-45. Lauren Timpf: 74-75—149 (+5)

T-49. Ida Lindqvist: 71-79—150 (+6)

*T-59. Ella Weber: 74-82—156 (+12)

*Competing as an individual

TEAM LEADERBOARD

1. Northwestern: 278-285—563 (-13)

2. SMU: 282-283—565 (-11)

3. Michigan State: 288-281—569 (-7)

4. Duke: 283-287—570 (-6)

5. UCLA: 288-285—573 (-3)

6. Iowa State: 293-281—574 (-2)

7. Illinois: 289-287—576 (E)

8. Virginia: 290-287—577 (+1)

9. Purdue: 284-300—584 (+8)

10. Columbia: 298-303—601 (+25)

11. Augusta: 307-297—604 (+28)

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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

CARR SELECTED TO DAVEY O’BRIEN GREAT 8

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Freshman quarterback CJ Carr has been selected to the Week 5 Davey O’Brien Great 8. As part of his selection, he is now a member of the award’s Midseason Watch List. The Davey O’Brien Award honors the nation’s top college quarterback.

Carr put on a show as he led the Irish to a 56-13 victory over Arkansas. Carr, who played just the first three quarters due to the lead, completed 22 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns as he quarterbacked the Irish offense to 641 total yards on the day. Carr was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week for his performance.

Carr’s 354 passing yards on the day were the most by an Irish quarterback since 2022. Carr passed for 294 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. The 294 passing yards in the first half for QB CJ Carr were the third-most in program history for the first half, and the most since 2008. His four first half passing touchdowns are tied for the second-most in Notre Dame history, just behind Ian Book’s five against Bowling Green on October 5, 2019.

Carr leads all freshmen nationally in yards per attempt (10.49 – fifth among all FBS players), yards per completion (15.37 – sixth among all FBS players), passing efficiency (181.1 – 10th among all FBS players), and passing yards per game (272.8 – 20th among all FBS players).

Notre Dame’s whopping 641 total yards of offense on the day were the most yards by an FBS team this weekend. Notre Dame’ 42 points scored in the first half were the most in a half by a non-SEC team visiting an SEC team.

Notre Dame’s 420 total yards in the first half were the most in a first half for Notre Dame since 2018, and the 42 points in the first half tie for the third-most in program history. The 641 total yards are the most for Notre Dame since 2017.

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NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER

MATCH 10 PREVIEW: HOPE

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame welcomes Hope College to Alumni Stadium for a non-conference contest at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 27. Admission to the match is free.

NOTRE DAME vs. HOPE
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Alumni Stadium
Admission: FREE
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Hope

THE HOPE SERIES

• The Irish and Dutch will meet for the first time in program history on Tuesday evening.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE

• The Irish have allowed just seven goals this season, one each against Michigan, Indiana, Omaha and two to Wright State and SMU.

• Notre Dame posted back-to-back shutouts against IU Indy and No. 14 Oregon State.

• The Irish have two clean sheets in ACC play, coming in wins over Pitt and No. 12 Louisville.

• Notre Dame allowed just two shots on target over the 90 minutes of play in the win over Pitt, frustrating the Panther’s attack.

• Blake Kelly made six saves, five coming in the second half, in the shutout over Louisville.

• The Irish enter Tuesday’s matchup ranked fourth in the ACC in goals allowed and 27th in the country in the statistical category (0.778).

BK THE GK

• Blake Kelly has gotten off to a great start to his sophomore season in goal for the Irish, posting four clean sheets and allowing just seven goals.

• The shot stopper ranks second in the ACC in saves per game with a mark of 3.56 per outing.

• The sophomore has posted a save percentage of .821 during the 2025 campaign, ranking second in the ACC.

• Kelly started 12 matches for the Irish in 2024 and became the first true freshman goalie to start the season opener in the last 30 years for the program.

STRIKE FORCE

• The starting striker tandem of Wyatt Borso and Luke Burton has found its form over the last couple of weeks, as the two have combined for five goals and an assist

• Borso ranks second on the team in goals with three, scoring in three of the last five matches.

• Burton has recorded a point in four of the last five matches, scoring in wins over Pitt and Omaha and picking up assists in victories over Louisville and Wright State.

SET-PIECE SUCCESS

• The Fighting Irish have scored seven goals off set pieces during the 2025 campaign.

• Three of the goals have come from free kicks, with Mitch Ferguson scoring a direct free kick and Diego Ochoa and Ferguson finishing from service into the box.

• The Irish have been even more lethal on corners, firing in four goals this season. Ferguson has scored twice while Luke Burton and Martin Von Thun have each recorded one.

BALANCED ATTACK

• Seven players have scored the 13 goals for the Irish this season, as Mitch Ferguson (4), Wyatt Borso (3) and Luke Burton (2) have each scored multiple times while Nolan Spicer, Sylvester Ren, Diego Ochoa and Martin Vont Thun each found the back of the net once.

• Ten returning Irish players registered at least one point in their Notre Dame career, as the team returns 54 points from last year.

• Nine players that scored a goal during the 2024 campaign are back on this year’s team.

• Junior Jack Flanagan is the top returning goal scorer on the 2025 squad after firing in a career-high four goals during his sophomore campaign.

2025 CAPTAINS

• Mitch Ferguson and Wyatt Lewis will serve as the captains for this year’s Fighting Irish team and Blake Kelly will take on the role of assistant captain.

• Ferguson has appeared in 59 games over his Notre Dame career, scoring four goals and adding seven assists from the center back position.

• Lewis enters his third season with the Fighting Irish and has three goals and four assists as a holding midfielder.

• Kelly started 12 matches as a freshman in 2024, posting a record of 4-3-5 while recording 26 saves.

THE CHAD RILEY ERA

• McFarland Family Head Men’s Soccer Coach Chad Riley is in his eighth season in charge of the Notre Dame men’s soccer program in 2025.

• Riley became the first head coach in program history to lead the Fighting Irish to two College Cup appearances, coming during the 2021 and 2023 seasons.

• Notre Dame has captured both an ACC regular season and tournament title under his direction, both firsts in program history.

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BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF

BULLDOGS IN SECOND WITH 18 HOLES REMAINING AT BUTLER FALL INVITATIONAL

The Butler women hold the No. 2 spot on the leaderboard after the first day hosting their Fall Invitational.

A balanced Butler effort has six Bulldogs among the Top 25 individually. Butler’s rounds of 290 and 291 has them 10 shots off the lead of Marian among the 14-team field. Marian utilized an afternoon even-par score of 280 to post an 11-over 571.

Ashley Freitas is pacing the Bulldogs as she is tied for fifth after a pair of one-over 71 rounds on the 6,040-yard Highland Country Club course. Cybil Stillson, Sophie McGinnis and Addi Kooi are each part of a tie for 13th at 146 (+6). Stillson utilized two birdies and 15 pars to card an opening-round 69. Kooi had the best Butler afternoon round at even-par 70.

Dayton’s Kylee Heidemann holds the 36-hole lead after rounds of 69 and 66 Monday. Her total of 135 (-5) has her six shots ahead of the field entering Tuesday.

A final 18 holes are scheduled for Tuesday with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Live scoring will be available with a link posted at ButlerSports.com.

This week marks the only home event on the 2025-26 schedule for the Bulldogs.

THE BUTLER WOMEN:

T5) Ashley Freitas (playing as an individual), 71-71—142 (+2)

T13) Cybil Stillson, 69-77—146 (+6)

T13) Sophie McGinnis, 72-74—146 (+6)

T13) Addi Kooi, 76-70—176 (+6)

17) Treva Dodd, 73-74—147 (+7)

T23) Kelli Scheck, 76-73—149 (+9)

T46) Samantha Von Rohr (playing as an individual), 74-79—153 (+13)

T46) Maddie Diedrich (playing as an individual), 77-76—153 (+13)

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BUTLER MEN’S GOLF

BULLDOGS TIED FOR THIRD AFTER OPENING DAY OF VIRTUES INTERCOLLEGIATE

The Bulldogs find themselves tied for third in the team standings after the first day of the 2025 Virtues Intercollegiate. Butler is in red numbers after the first 36 holes.

Butler opened the tournament with a morning round of five-under 283, which was second on the leaderboard after the first 18 holes. The Bulldogs followed that with an afternoon 291 (+3). Butler’s Monday total of two-under 574 is tied for third. Notre Dame (557) holds a 16-stroke lead entering Tuesday’s play. Butler is just one shot back of second-place Loyola (573) and the Bulldogs are tied with Western Kentucky for third among the 14-team field.

Derek Tabor, who earned BIG EAST Men’s Golfer of the Week honors last week, has continued his hot play. He is fourth individually at six-under 138 entering the final round. Tabor birdied six of his first eight holes Monday morning on his way to an opening-round 68 on the 7,243-yard Virtues Golf Course in Nashport, Ohio. He shot a two-under 70 in the afternoon.

Two other Bulldogs join Tabor in red numbers as freshman Marius Reiersen is seventh at three-under 141 and Logan Sutto is tied for 12th at 143 (-1).

Notre Dame’s Pavel Tsar (132; -12) holds a four-shot lead over his teammate Mike Qiu and Wright State’s Timmy Hollenbeck. Those are the only three players ahead of Tabor after 36 holes.

The final 18 holes are scheduled for Tuesday with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.

THE BUTLER MEN:

4) Derek Tabor, 68-70—138 (-6)

7) Marius Reiersen, 69-72—141 (-3)

T12) Logan Sutto, 71-72—143 (-1)

T20) Ethan Blomme (playing as an individual), 78-67—145 (+1)

T60) Will Horne, 76-77—153 (+9)

T64) Leo Zurovac, 75-79—154 (+10)

Live scoring is available with a link posted to ButlerSports.com.

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BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL CLAIMS PAIR OF MAC AWARDS

CLEVELAND – – For their play in Ball State women’s volleyball’s opening week of Mid-American Conference play, sophomore Carson Tyler was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week while junior Lindsey Greenand freshman Reese Axness claimed MAC Setter of the Week honors.

Tyler, who earns MAC offensive honors for the second time in her career, led all league players with a 5.00 kills-per-set average during the opening week of league play, helping guide the Cardinals to a perfect 2-0 record.

Tyler, who hit .321 for the week, smashed 18 kills and hit .485 in Thursday’s sweep at Buffalo and added 17 kills and a .216 rate of success in Friday’s four-set win at Akron. She also added 12 total digs, two aces and two total blocks, while ranking second among Ball State’s primary passers with a .981 reception percentage. She successfully passed 51 of the team-high 52 serves she faced.

Ball State’s setter duo of Green and Axness, who are first-time league honorees, helped the Cardinals offense lead the MAC with a .306 team attack percentage in the opening week of conference play. The effort included a .430 hitting mark at Buffalo, which is the best attack percentage in a match by a MAC team this season.

Green dished out 49 total assists for a 7.00 assists-per-set average, while serving up a team-high three aces and chipping in 14 total digs. She also collected a pair of kills in the sweep at Buffalo. Axness added out 37 total assists for a 5.29 assists-per-set average, while serving up a two aces and chipping in 14 total digs.

The Ball State women’s volleyball team returns to Worthen Arena Thursday for Community Night when it hosts Northern Illinois at 6 p.m. The night will feature $5 tickets for first responders and healthcare workers, along with special presentations throughout the match. The Cardinals will also host a post-match autograph session.

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BALL STATE FOOTBALL

CARDINALS READY FOR OPPORTUNITY AGAINST DEFENDING MAC CHAMPIONS

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State football opens Mid-American Conference play this weekend, hosting defending conference champion Ohio inside Scheumann Stadium. Head coach Mike Uremovich, as well as offensive veterans Qian Magwood and Kiael Kelly, met with the media Monday morning to preview the upcoming matchup.

Uremovich acknowledged Ohio’s skillset on both sides of the ball, crediting the job coordinators Scott Isphording and John Hauser have done to develop their players. Uremovich also expressed the eagerness to open conference play against the well-built Bobcats.

“They are the defending champions for a reason,” Uremovich said. “They consistently win. We’re excited for them to come here and to have a chance to compete against them at home.”

While discussing the offense’s growth and maturity from week one, Magwood stated that the contest against Ohio holds higher implications.

“It’s always good to get a win at home,” Magwood said. “With them being the defending MAC champions, it makes it a little bit bigger.”

For Kelly, Saturday’s matchup with Ohio serves as a preview of where the Cardinals want to be by the season’s end.

“I see it as a MAC championship game,” Kelly said. “This is one of the teams that we could see there, and it’s a chance to showcase what we’ve been working toward.”

The Cardinals open league action as they welcome Ohio Oct. 4, with kickoff scheduled for noon.

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INDIANA STATE VOLLEYBALL

ROBART EARNS FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK FOR SECOND-STRAIGHT WEEK

ST. LOUIS – Indiana State volleyball freshman Ava Robart has earned the Missouri Valley Freshman of the Week honors for the second-straight week, announced on Monday afternoon.

Robart averaged 3.71 kills per set (26 total), 2.00 digs per set, and 4.29 points per set as the Sycamores went 1-1 in MVC play. The rookie opened the weekend with a match-high 16 kills against Illinois State while chipping in five digs and three blocks. The next night, Robart used a 10-kill, nine-dig outing against Belmont to help the Trees beat the Bruins, adding a pair of assists and two service aces.

Weekly Honors

September 1 – Hadley Hardersen – Freshman of the Week

September 22 – Ava Robart – Freshman of the Week

September 29 – Ava Robart – Freshman of the Week

Up Next

Indiana State begins a four-match road slate, beginning Friday, October 3 at Southern Illinois with a 7 p.m. ET start time.

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL

MASTODON WVB MAKES QUICK TRIP TO IU INDY FOR #HLVB MATCH

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball team will make a trip down I-69 to visit IU Indianapolis for a match at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 30).

Game Day Information
Who: IU Indianapolis Jaguars
When: Tuesday, September 30 – 7 PM
Where: Indianapolis, Ind. | The Jungle
Live Stats: Link
Watch: Link
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.

Know Your Foe

IU Indy is 6-8 and 0-2 in Horizon League play. The Jaguars are on a three-match losing streak with road trips to Purdue and Wright State (2). The Jaguars took a set off the Raiders in the rematch. Morgan Ostrowski is averaging 2.30 kills per set with a .368 hitting percentage. Grace Purichia is dishing out 10.13 assists per set, which leads the Horizon League.

Series History

Purdue Fort Wayne leads the 50-match series 36-24, with the Mastodons owning a seven-match winning streak over the Jaguars. Last year, the Mastodons won in Indianapolis 3-1. Riley Rosneck had 10 kills in that contest.

League Leader

In Horizon League play, Riley Rosneck has the best kills (5.75) and points per set (6.00) marks in the league.

So Good I Can’t Barrett

Becky Barrett has the most digs in the Horizon League with 36 digs in two league matches.

She Means Business

Haiden Means is dishing out 10.75 assists per set in Horizon League play, the second-most in the HL.

When Life Gives You Plemons

Mya Plemons has a .329 career hitting percentage, the second-best in program history and the best in the rally scoring era.

Last Time Out

Purdue Fort Wayne went 0-2 against Robert Morris, dropping a pair of four-set matches.

Next Time Up

The Mastodons will host Green Bay for a pair of Horizon League matches this weekend (Oct. 3-4) in the Gates Sports Center.

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EVANSVILLE MEN’S GOLF

OPENING DAY COMPLETE AT VIRTUES INTERCOLLEGIATE

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – With two rounds complete at the Virtues Intercollegiate Daniil Romashkin leads the University of Evansville men’s golf team.

Opening Day Results

Romashkin opened the tournament with a 6-over 78 before rebounding to shoot a 1-under 71 in the second round. He is tied for the 40^th position with a 149. Completing the day two strokes behind Romashkin was the duo of Chris O’Donnell and Luke Price. Both carded the exact same score in each round beginning the day with a 76 before recording scores of 75 in the second 18. They are tied for 52^nd.

Omar Khalid made the highest jump for the Purple Aces. Following a score of 82 in the first round, Khalid improved by nine strokes to complete the second 18 with a 1-over 73. Sitting at 11-over, Khalid is tied for 67^th. Jamison Ousley wrapped up the day two behind Khalid. He opened play with an 81 before totaling a 76 in round two. He is tied for 71^st entering Tuesday’s final round.

Notre Dame’s Pavel Tsar paces the individual leaderboard. Identical rounds at 6-under have him four in front of a second-place tie heading into the last 18 holes. The Fighting Irish hold the team lead at 19-under-par. Loyola is in second sitting at 3-under with Western Kentucky and Butler tied for third. Evansville is 29-over in 11^th place.

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EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S GOLF

PETROVA EARNS TOP FIVE FINISH AT FIGHTING IRISH CLASSIC

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Completing her two rounds at 5-over, Kate Petrova tied for fourth place to lead the University of Evansville women’s golf team at the Fighting Irish Classic on Sunday.

Results

Petrova opened play with a 6-over 78 before finishing the second 18 holes with an even 72. Her 150 tied her for the fourth position at The Warren GCS at Notre Dame. Notre Dame swept the top two individual positions with Alexsandra Lapple and Jordan Levitt earning a 1-2 finish. Lapple completed the 36 holes at 3-under while Levitt was two shots behind.

Jane Grankina was second for the Purple Aces. After shooting an 8-over 80 in the first round, Grankina lowered her score by three strokes in the final round. Her score of 157 tied her for 16^th. Completing the tournament with a 161 was Louise Standtke. She started the day with an 86 before making a huge leap in the second round. Standtke lowered her score by 11 strokes to finish with a 75. She tied for 26^th.

Scores of 84 and 88 saw Trinity Dubbs finish in 48^th with a 172 while Haley Hughes came in 49^th with a 175. Her rounds checked in at 88 and 87.

Evansville took 7^th place in the final team standings with a 639. UE was one behind Oakland for 6^th place and finished four behind Purdue Fort Wayne. The Fighting Irish took the team championship by 24 strokes. UND registered a 2-round tally of 583 to defeat runner-up Youngstown State.

The ladies return to the course next weekend at the Coyote Creek Classic on Peoria, Ill.

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VALPO MEN’S GOLF

MEN’S GOLF ENJOYS SEASON-BEST ROUND ON DAY 1 IN TEXAS

Sophomore Rodrigo Garcia Teruel (Puebla, Mexico / Modern Academy) led the way for the Valparaiso University men’s golf team, helping the Beacons to their best round of the young season so far on Monday’s opening day of the Bayou City Collegiate, hosted by Rice at the par-72, 7184-yard Westwood Golf Club in a warm and sunny Houston, Texas.

How It Happened

Garcia Teruel holds the team lead through 36 holes with a score of 145. His day was highlighted by a 70 in Round 2, including an eagle on the 542-yard, par-5 18th hole. He sits 21st on the player leaderboard. Garcia Teruel, who turned in the best round by a Beacon this season and his career best round, hit par or better on 16 of 18 holes including birdie or better on four holes.

Redshirt junior Ryan Somerville (Aurora, Ontario / Aurora) had a solid day with a 147, good for t-33. He turned in a 73 in Round 1 and 74 in Round 2. The highlight of his performance came on the 18th hole in Round 1, when he turned in one of the team’s two eagles on that hole.

Two more Beacons enjoyed rounds of par or better on Monday. Sophomore Rob Politza (Lemont, Ill. / Lemont Township) had a 72 in Round 2, while freshman Charlie Davenport (Clarendon Hills, Ill. / Benet Academy) had a 71 in Round 1.

As a team, Valpo turned in a 295 in Round 1 before a season-best 291 in Round 2. The Beacons are seventh of 14 on the team leaderboard at 586.

Host Rice leads with a team score of 560, while Houston’s Grant Doggett is shooting 133 (-11) to possess the top spot on the player leaderboard.

Thoughts from Head Coach Dave Gring

“In both of our rounds today, we had very poor starts to the round, playing the first six holes 11 over in the first round and 16 over in the second round. We were starting on the toughest part of the golf course, but we needed to manage those holes and have much better shot execution from all five players. The guys stayed resilient and bounced back in the middle of the first round and the last six holes of the second round to finish strong. The birdie production was pretty balanced across the five guys, but we still left a lot of scoring opportunities on the course. Tomorrow, we will need to play the middle of the back nine better and improve the speed of our putting to get our scores under par.”

“In the first round, Charlie and Ryan had six birdies and an eagle between them to lead our team. Rodrigo added six birdies in the first round, along with three birdies and an eagle in the second round. Rob had a terrific front nine in the second round, posting four birdies for us. We had seven double bogeys in today’s rounds in scores that counted for our team, and we will need to clean that up tomorrow. We have a good plan in place for tomorrow and we will look forward to better shot execution to wrap up the tournament.”

Up Next

The third and final round will take place on Tuesday. A link to live scoring via Clippd can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.

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VALPO VOLLEYBALL

PICKETT, HICKEY EARN MVC WEEKLY HONORS

After a strong opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play, the Valpo volleyball team had a pair of players recognized with weekly awards from the conference office. Sophomore Jessica Pickett (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) was named the MVC Player of the Week, while senior Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) was tabbed the MVC Defensive Player of the Week.

Pickett stood out in the middle on both sides of the net, hitting .391 with 2.88 kills/set and a team-best 1.50 blocks/set over the pair of matches and ranking among the Valley’s top-10 for the week in blocks/set, points/set and hitting percentage. She opened the weekend by hitting .500 with 11 kills — just one off her career best — and six blocks in the win over Drake, and followed the next night against UNI with a team-best 12 kills to match her career high, as well as six blocks.

Hickey was steady as over for the Beacons in the back row over the pair of matches, averaging 6.25 digs/set — best among MVC players for the weekend — and committing just one serve reception error on 45 attempts. She registered a match-best 27 digs, as well as seven assists, in the Friday win over Drake before tying for match-high honors with 23 digs Saturday versus UNI.

The defense of Hickey and Pickett was a big part of the Beacons’ defensive success in the opening weekend of conference play. Valpo held Drake to .087 hitting on Friday evening and then limited UNI to .101 hitting on Saturday — the Panthers’ lowest hitting percentage against a conference foe since March 2021. Valpo also became the first MVC program to tie or win the total points battle in a match with UNI since Drake in the 2022 MVC title match.

Hickey’s honor was her second of the season, the sixth Defensive Player of the Week accolade of her career and her seventh weekly award overall from the conference office. Pickett’s award was the first conference weekly award of her collegiate career.

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UINDY MEN’S TENNIS

AYLLON PRADO CAPTURES ITA REGIONAL SINGLES TITLE AGAINST GAGGIOFATTO

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In an all-UIndy final, fourth-seeded Asier Ayllon Prado defeated Tadeo Gaggiofatto 6-3, 6-7 (7-5), 6-1 in the ITA Regional singles draw. The winning effort booked Ayllon Prado a ticket to the ITA National Cup for a chance to compete for a national title.

Ayllon Prado is the first Greyhound to win an ITA Regional Championship since Dario Huber in 2019. This is also the 16th Regional Championship under head coach Malik Tabet’s tutelage.

INS AND OUTS

Gaggiofatto and Ayllon Prado meet in the finals after securing semifinal wins earlier this morning. Ayllon Prado toppled Ferris State’s Kevin Kovacs, the tournament’s #2 seed, with a 7-3 win in the first set tiebreaker, and a dominant 6-2 win in the second.

Gaggiofatto entered the semifinal match against the top seed Denys Zamaraiev with four straight wins against seeded opponents. Gaggiofatto got an early break in first, and took home a 6-3 win. Using the momentum from the first set, Gaggiofatto dismantled Zamaraiev in the second, with a 6-1 win.

In the all-Hound final showdown, Ayllon Prado struck first with a 6-3 win in the first set. The second set was a tight affair, ultimately going to a tiebreak. Gaggiofatto made the most of a mini-break when it mattered most, taking the second-set breaker 7-5. In the deciding third set, Ayllon Prado found an early service break and didn’t look back, capturing the crown with a 6-1 victory.

After winning the singles championship, Ayllon Prado paired with Jovan Matovic to compete in the doubles semifinal. The pair fell 8-4 to Bora Bakici and Patricio Sepulveda of Grand Valley.

In the Flight B Singles draw, Vladislav Gorbatenko advanced to the finals after defeating Rockhurst’s Alexi Khamrotau 6-3, 7-6 (7-4). Gorbatenko was narrowly edged out in the finals by Wayne State’s Ben Hill, falling 6-4, 4-6, 10-5.

Gorbatenko also competed with Zaid Shelbaya in the Flight-B doubles semifinal, where the duo was bested by Northwood’s Andrey Pikulin and Finn Buschmaas 6-8.

UP NEXT

Ayllon Prado will represent the Hounds at the ITA Cup for a chance to win a national title in singles against the field of regional champions in Rome, Ga., on Oct 11, 2025.

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UINDY MEN’S SOCCER

SANCHEZ GARNERS GLVC MEN’S SOCCER WEEKLY AWARD

INDIANAPOLIS – UIndy junior midfielder Alvaro Sanchez has been selected as the Great Lakes Valley Conference/Athletic Solutions Offensive Player of the Week in men’s soccer, it was announced by the league office Monday.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Alvaro Sanchez, #23 Indianapolis

Jr. | MF | Maros, Spain

Major: Exercise Science

Team Results: 3-0 W at William Jewell (9/26) | 2-2 T at Rockhurst (9/28)

Scored two goals and two assists over two contests for a total of six points

Scored one and assisted the other two in the Greyhounds win over William Jewell

Took 12 shots with seven on goal in 129 minutes

Earns first career Offensive Player of the Week Award

Last Greyhounds’ Offensive Player of the Week: Jakob David (10/14/24)

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UINDY FOOTBALL

GREYHOUNDS BREAK INTO COACHES’ TOP 20

WACO, Texas – Fresh off a rivalry win at Truman State University last weekend, the UIndy football team moved up three spots to No. 19 in the AFCA DII Coaches Poll. The Greyhounds delivered a 30-20 victory versus Truman Saturday, leaping to their highest position in the coaches poll so far this season.

The Greyhounds remains the lone GLVC school in the rankings and one of seven Super Region 3 teams in the top 25. UIndy also appeared in the D2Football.com media poll, coming in at No. 18.

AFCA DIVISION II COACHES POLL

RK	SCHOOL (1st-place votes)	REC	PTS	PREV
1.	Ferris St. (31)	4-0	775	1
2.	Harding	4-0	744	2
3.	West Florida	4-0	709	3
4.	Kutztown	4-0	676	5
5.	Angelo St.	4-0	648	6
6.	California (Pa.)	4-0	582	8
7.	Western Colorado	4-0	576	7
8.	Augustana (S.D.)	5-0	533	9
9.	UT-Permian Basin	4-0	503	11
10.	Grand Valley St.	2-1	474	10
11.	West Alabama	5-0	418	13
12.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	4-1	414	12
13.	Minnesota-Duluth	5-0	394	16
14.	Slippery Rock	3-1	390	4
15.	Minnesota St.	4-1	353	14
16.	Central Washington	3-1	317	17
17.	Pittsburg St.	3-2	293	18
18.	Virginia Union	3-1	217	21
19.	UIndy	4-1	215	22
20.	Delta St.	4-1	178	23
21.	Findlay	4-0	161	25
22.	Carson-Newman	3-1	97	NR
23.	Frostburg St.	4-0	75	NR
24.	Northwest Missouri St.	4-1	74	NR
25.	UNC Pembroke	4-1	66	NR

Others Receiving Votes: Central Oklahoma, 30; Wingate, 26; Ashland, 25; Johnson C. Smith, 19; Charleston, 16; Nebraska-Kearney, 15; Indiana (Pa.), 11; Fort Hays St., 10; Walsh, 9; Colorado School of Mines, 8; Edward Waters, 7; Clarion, 4; Southern Arkansas, 4; Catawba, 2; Henderson St., 2; Upper Iowa, 2; Albany St., 1; Benedict, 1; Lenoir-Rhyne, 1.

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MARIAN FOOTBALL

MARIAN FOOTBALL CLIMBS TO NO. 14 IN NAIA TOP-25 POLL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Coming off their 52-42 shootout win against Indiana Wesleyan, the Marian football team was the biggest winner in the Netting Professionals NAIA Top-25 Coaches’ Poll on Monday, as the Knights gained five spots in moving to No. 14 in the NAIA.

The top-four teams remained in check following Saturday’s action, with Grand View, Keiser, Benedictine, and Morningside holding spots 1-4. Marian’s win over then No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan dropped the Wildcats from fifth to No. 16 in the new poll, with Montana Tech replacing IWU in the top five.

The Knights’ new ranking of No. 14 marks them as the highest-ranked team in the Mid-States Football Association. Indiana Wesleyan is ranked 16th, while Olivet Nazarene, Taylor, and St. Francis (Ind.) are all receiving votes.

Marian’s win on Saturday was their first victory against a top-25 opponent since their victory over then-No. 24 St. Francis (Ill.) in last year’s regular season finale. Marian’s victory is the first in program history in which an opponent gained 500 yards of offense and scored 40 or more points.

No. 14 Marian will travel to Madonna this Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. showdown with the Crusaders in Livonia, Michigan.

POLK NOTCHES SECOND CAREER MSFA MIDWEST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

INDIANAPOLIS – For the second time this season, Marian’s senior quarterback, Tristan Polk has been named as the MSFA Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week. Polk’s honor comes after his efforts in engineering Marian’s come-from-behind victory against Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday.

Marian’s quarterback dialed up his clutch gene on Saturday, leading the Knights’ comeback against Indiana Wesleyan as the Knights won the shootout 52-42. Polk accounted for 261 passing yards and another 63 rushing yards in the win, totaling four combined touchdowns on the afternoon. The quarterback had touchdown passes of 51, 74, and 5 yards in the victory, and with 45 seconds left, executed a 29-yard quarterback draw to score the go-ahead touchdown in the win over IWU.

Polk’s comeback drive was his fourth game-winning or game-tying touchdown drive in the last five minutes of regulation in his two-year career as the starting Marian quarterback. The effort Saturday was his first comeback drive of the season, breaking the plane with 45 seconds to play to give the Knights a then 45-42 advantage.

Polk and the Knights travel to Michigan this weekend for their second road trip of the season, as Marian travels to Madonna for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.

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MARIAN MEN’S SOCCER

NUNES EARNS HIS FIRST CL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR

JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the league’s top individual performances from September 22 through 28. Sports Information Directors from the league institutions nominate student-athletes for the awards and vote on each week’s winners.

For the first time in his career at Marian, Gustavo Nunes was named the Crossroads League Offensive Player of the Week. Nunes scored once in each of No. 15 Marian’s contests last week, posting one goal and one assist in a 3-0 win over Huntington, before scoring MU’s lone goal in a draw with Goshen. The junior forward finished the week with two goals, one assist and five points for the Knights.

Marian will be back in action on Wednesday, October 1st as they travel up to Mount Vernon to take on the Cougars at 5 PM.

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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. 30

1904 — Doc White of the Chicago White Sox pitched his fifth shutout in eighteen days, a 4-0 win over the New York Yankees.

1915 — The Boston Red Sox clinched the American League pennant when St. Louis beat Detroit 8-2, giving Boston a 2 1/2-game margin.

1916 — New York’s Rube Benton pitched a 4-0 one-hitter over the Boston Braves to give the Giants their record 26th straight win in the first game of a doubleheader.

1927 — Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run of the season in the eighth inning off Tom Zachary to lead the New York Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Senators.

1934 — Dizzy Dean beat the Cincinnati Reds, 9-0, for his 30th victory of the year as the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL pennant.

1934 — New York’s Babe Ruth played his final game as a Yankee, going 0 for 3 with a walk, in a 5-3 loss to the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium.

1945 — Hank Greenberg’s grand slam in the top of the ninth inning gave the Detroit Tigers a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Browns and the American League pennant on the last day of the season.

1947 — In the first televised World Series, the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 5-3, in the opening game.

1951 — Jackie Robinson homered in the 14th inning to give the Brooklyn Dodgers a 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, tying the New York Giants for first place in the National League and forcing a playoff.

1962 — Willie Mays homered to give the San Francisco Giants a 2-1 victory over the Houston Colt 45s in the season’s final day. That, coupled with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, forced a playoff for the NL pennant.

1972 — Roberto Clemente doubled off Jon Matlack during Pittsburgh’s 5-0 victory over the New York Mets. The hit was the 3,000th and last for the Pirates star, who was killed in a plane crash during the offseason.

1984 — California’s Mike Witt tossed 97 pitches in a perfect game against the Texas Rangers, winning 1-0.

1988 — Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays lost a no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth for the second consecutive start and finished with a 4-0 one-hitter over the Baltimore Orioles.

1992 — George Brett became the 18th player to get 3,000 hits in the Kansas City Royals’ 4-0 win over the California Angels at Anaheim. Brett went 4-for-5 and got the milestone with a single in the seventh off rookie reliever Tim Fortugno.

2007 — The New York Mets missed the playoffs when Tom Glavine was tagged for seven runs during the first inning of a season-ending 8-1 loss to Florida. No major league team had owned a lead of seven games or more with 17 to play and failed to finish in first place. New York, which had that margin on Sept. 12, matched the largest lead blown in September.

2014 — The Kansas City Royals overcame a 7-3 lead to force extra innings and outlasted Oakland 9-8 in 12 innings in the AL Wild Card playoff. This was the first wild card game to go extra innings.

2017 — Detroit’s Andrew Romine became the fifth player in baseball history to play all nine positions in one game, helping the Tigers to a 3-2 win over Minnesota.

2022 — Pinch-hitting for Luis Torrens with two outs in the 9th, Cal Raleigh blasts a 406-foot homer against Domingo Acevedo to give Seattle a 2-1 win over Oakland and clinch a postseason spot for the first time since 2001 – the longest active drought in the majors.

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Oct. 1

1903 — The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-3 in the first World Series game. Jimmy Sebring hit the first series home run. Deacon Phillippe was the winning pitcher and Cy Young the loser.

1932 — Babe Ruth, as legend has it, called his home run against Chicago’s Charlie Root in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the World Series, won by the New York Yankees 7-5 at Wrigley Field. Ruth and Lou Gehrig each hit two homers for the Yankees.

1946 — For the first time in major league history, a playoff series to determine a league’s championship was played between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Cardinals won the first game 4-2, with Howie Pollet holding the Dodgers to two hits — a homer and RBI single by Howie Schultz.

1950 — The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL pennant with a 4-1 10-inning victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers on the season’s last day. Dick Sisler’s three-run homer off Don Newcombe in the top of the 10th inning came after outfielder Richie Ashburn saved the game in the ninth.

1961 — Roger Maris hit his 61st home run against Tracy Stallard of the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The homer eclipsed Babe Ruth’s 34-year-old single-season home run record. The Yankees won 1-0.

1967 — The Boston Red Sox won the American League pennant with a 5-3 win over the Twins on the final day of the season. Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski went 4-for-4 and finished with 44 home runs, 121 RBIs and a .326 average to win the Triple Crown.

1973 — The New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 6-1 to win the National League East. It was the first game of a scheduled make-up doubleheader at Wrigley Field, a day after the regular season ended. The Mets, 11 1/2 games behind and in last place on Aug. 5, won their 82nd game, the lowest number of victories to win a title.

1978 — The Cleveland Indians beat the New York Yankees 9-2 on the last day of the season to force a one-game playoff between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox won their eighth straight game with a 5-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

1988 — Tony Gwynn went 2-for-3 to raise his league-leading batting average to .313 but hurt his hand in a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros. Gwynn is the first NL batting champion to win the title with an average below .320. The previous low was Larry Doyle’s .320 in 1915.

2000 — Detroit’s Shane Halter became the fourth major leaguer to play all nine positions in a game. He capped his adventure by scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Tigers over Minnesota 12-11.

2004 — Ichiro Suzuki set the major league record for hits in a season. He broke George Sisler’s 84-year-old mark with two early singles, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 8-3. Sisler set the hits record of 257 in 1920 with the St. Louis Browns over a 154-game schedule. Suzuki broke it in the Mariners’ 160th game.

2007 — Matt Holliday and the Colorado Rockies scored on Jamey Carroll’s shallow fly, capping a three-run rally in the 13th inning against Trevor Hoffman. He led the Rockies past the San Diego Padres 9-8 in a tiebreaker for the NL wild card.

2018 — Lorenzo Cain hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning, Christian Yelich had three more hits, sending the Milwaukee Brewers to their first NL Central title since 2011 by downing the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in a tiebreaker game. Yelich won the NL batting title with a .326 average. He fell one home run and one RBI short of what would’ve been the NL’s first Triple Crown since Joe Medwick in 1937.

2022 — The Dodgers become only the third team in the history of the National League (and seventh in the majors) to win 110 games in a season with a 6 – 4 win over the Rockies. Only the 1906 Cubs and 1909 Pirates have preceded them in the senior circuit.

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Oct. 2

1908 — Addie Joss of the Cleveland Indians pitched a perfect game, defeating the Chicago White Sox, 1-0.

1916 — Grover Alexander pitched a 2-0 three-hitter against the Boston Braves for his 16th shutout and 33rd victory of the season.

1920 — The only tripleheader in this century was played, with the Cincinnati Reds defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first two games. The Pirates won the nightcap, which was called after six innings because of darkness.

1938 — Bob Feller struck out 18 Detroit Tigers to set a single-game record that stood until Steve Carlton broke it in 1969.

1968 — Bob Gibson set a World Series record by striking out 17 Detroit Tigers in Game 1.

1978 — In a one-game playoff for the AL East title, Bucky Dent hit a three-run homer off Mike Torrez to lead the New York Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

1986 — Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets became the first pitcher in baseball to strike out 200 batters in each of his first three seasons as he fanned seven en route to an 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1991 — The Toronto Blue Jays clinched the American League East title and became the first team in sports history to draw four million fans in one season.

1995 — The Seattle Mariners, behind Randy Johnson’s three-hitter, beat California 9-1 in a one-game playoff for the AL West title.

2001 — Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cube, becomes the first player in MLB history to total 60 home runs in three seasons.

2005 — Roy Oswalt got his 20th win to lead the Houston Astros over the Chicago Cubs 6-4, clinching the NL wild-card berth and capping a historic comeback. Houston started the season 15-30 and became the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to make the postseason after falling 15 games under .500.

2009 — B.J. Upton became the first player in Tampa Bay history to hit for the cycle. He went 5 for 5 with a career-high six RBIs in a 13-4 win over the New York Yankees.

2013 — Tampa Bay posted another must-have win on the road, beating the Cleveland Indians 4-0 in the AL wild-card game. The Rays playing in their third city over four days advanced to the best-of-five division series.

2016 — Baltimore’s Matt Wieters homered from both sides of the plate and Kevin Gausman gave the Orioles a clutch pitching performance to beat the New York Yankees 5-2 and snag a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season.

2018 — Tony Wolters hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the 13th inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in an epic NL wild-card game.

+++TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY+++

Sept. 30

1916 — The Boston Braves snap the 26-game winning streak of the New York Giants with an 8-3 victory in the second game of a doubleheader.

1927 — Babe Ruth hits his 60th home run of the season in the eighth inning off Tom Zachary to lead the New York Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Senators.

1939 — Fordham participates in the world’s first televised American football game. In front of the sport’s first live TV audience, the Rams defeats Waynesburg College, 34-7.

1972 — Roberto Clemente hits a double against New York Mets left-hander Jon Matlack during Pittsburgh’s 5-0 victory at Three Rivers Stadium. The hit is the 3,000th and last for the Pirates’ star, who dies in a plane crash during the offseason.

1984 — The Los Angeles Rams set an NFL record with three safeties in a 33-12 victory over the New York Giants. Two of the safeties are on blocked punts in the end zone.

1992 — George Brett becomes the 18th player to get 3,000 hits in the Kansas City Royals’ 4-0 win over the California Angels.

1995 — Prairie View A&M sets the college football record for consecutive losses with a 64-0 loss to Grambling State. It is the team’s 51st straight defeat, an NCAA record for any level.

2007 — Osi Umenyiora has six of the New York Giants’ NFL record-tying 12 sacks in a 16-3 victory over Philadelphia.

2007 — Detroit scores an NFL-record, 34 points in the fourth quarter of a 37-27 victory over Chicago. The Lions combine with Bears for 48 points — also a league record.

2007 — Brett Favre passes Dan Marino to become the NFL leader in career touchdown passes, throwing Nos. 421 and 422 in Green Bay’s 23-16 victory over Minnesota.

2007 — Germany defeats Brazil 2-0 in the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Shanghai, China.

2012 — New England beats Buffalo 52-28 to become the first team since the 1950 New York Giants (48 points) to score at least 45 second-half points in a game in which it trailed at halftime (14-7). The Patriots become the second team in NFL history with a 300-yard passer (Tom Brady, 340 Yards), two 100-yard rushers (Brandon Bolden, 137 and Steven Ridley, 106) and two 100-yard receivers (Wes Welker, 129 and Rob Gronkowski, 104). The only other team to accomplish the feat was the 2008 Packers on December 28.

2015 — The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agrees that the NCAA’s use of college athletes’ names, images and likenesses in video games and TV broadcasts violate antitrust laws but strikes down a plan to allow schools to pay players up to $5,000.

2017 — Troy’s defense forces four turnovers and the surging Trojans upset No. 25 LSU 24-21. Troy is the first team from outside the Southeastern Conference to win in LSU’s Death Valley since UAB in 2000.

2017 — Detroit’s Andrew Romine becomes the fifth player in baseball history to play all nine positions in one game, helping the Tigers to a 3-2 win over Minnesota.

2018 — The Ryder Cup is won by Europe 17½-10½ at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines, France. The home team secures the victory when Phil Mickelson knocks one in the water at the par-3 16th hole, conceding his match to Francesco Molinari right on the tee box. Molinari becomes the first European player to go 5-0 in the competition since the current format was adapted in 1979. Tiger Woods loses all four of his matches, capped by a 2-and-1 loss to 23-year-old Jon Rahm of Spain, the youngest player in the event.

2018 — Brittney Griner scores 15 points to help the United States beat Australia 73-56 and win the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

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Oct. 1

1903 — The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Pilgrims 7-3 in the first World Series game. Jimmy Sebring hits the first Series homer, Deacon Phillippe is the winning pitcher and Cy Young the loser.

1932 — Babe Ruth made his legendary “call” as he points to center field before hitting a home run into the Wrigley Field bleachers in the 5th inning of Game 3 of the World Series. Yankees go on to win, 7-5.

1945 — World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis is discharged from US army after being awarded the Legion of Merit.

1961 — Roger Maris hits his 61st home run of the season, against Tracy Stallard of the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The blow gives New York a 1-0 victory and eclipses Babe Ruth’s 34-year-old single-season home run record.

1967 — Richard Petty continues phenomenal NASCAR winning streak by taking the Wilkes 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway; unprecedented 10th consecutive victory.

1975 — In the “Thrilla in Manila,” Muhammad Ali beats Joe Frazier in 14 rounds to retain his world heavyweight title.

1977 — 75,646 fans come to the Meadowlands to see soccer great Pele play his farewell game. Pele plays the first half with the New York Cosmos and the second half with his former team, Santos of Brazil.

1988 — Flamboyant American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner wins her third gold medal of the Seoul Olympics anchoring the victorious US 4 x 100m relay team.

1988 — Steffi Graf beats Gabriela Sabatini 6-3, 6-3 to win the women’s singles tennis gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; clinches first and only Golden Slam in history (Grand Slam & Olympics).

1993 — In his first World Boxing Council heavyweight title defense Lennox Lewis beats fellow Londoner Frank Bruno by TKO in 7 at the National Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

1997 — Kevin Garnett agrees to terms with the Minnesota Timberwolves on the richest long-term contract in professional sports history, a six-year deal worth more than $125 million.

1999 — In a blockbuster NBA trade, the Houston Rockets move All Star forward Scottie Pippen to Portland Trail Blazers for Kelvin Cato, Stacey Augmon, Walt Williams, Carlos Rogers, Ed Gray and Brian Shaw.

2000 — NBA stars Ray Allen and Vince Carter each score 13 points as the U.S. beats France 85-75 to win the men’s basketball gold medal at the Sydney Olympics.

2000 — United States wins the most medals (97), and the most gold medals (40) in Summer Olympics held in Sydney, Australia.

2004 — Ichiro Suzuki sets the major league record for hits in a season, breaking George Sisler’s 84-year-old mark with a pair of early singles as the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 8-3. Sisler set the hits record of 257 in 1920 with the St. Louis Browns over a 154-game schedule. Suzuki breaks it in the Mariners’ 160th game of the year.

2006 — Tiger Woods matches his longest PGA Tour winning streak of six at the American Express Championship. Woods finishes with a 4-under 67 for an eight-shot victory. It’s also his eighth victory of the year, making him the first player in PGA Tour history to win at least eight times in three seasons.

2011 — Tyler Wilson throws for a school-record 510 yards and Jarius Wright catches 13 passes for a school-record 281 yards as Arkansas turns an 18-point halftime deficit into a 42-38 victory over Texas A&M.

2017 — Frankie Dettori wins an unprecedented fifth Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as Enable caps a memorable season. Enable, the 10-11 favorite, leads for most of Europe’s richest horse race to claim her fifth consecutive victory after wins in the Epsom Oaks, the Irish Oaks, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks. The filly wins by 2 1/2 lengths over Cloth Of Stars.

2017 — Houston’s Deshaun Watson becomes the first rookie to throw four touchdowns and run for another one, since Fran Tarkenton in 1961 and tied an NFL record for most TDs by a rookie quarterback in Houston’s 57-14 victory.

2017 — Todd Gurley scores the go-ahead touchdown on a 53-yard catch-and-run, and Greg Zuerlein kicks a career-high seven field goals to lead the Los Angeles Rams to a 35-30 win over Dallas.

2017 — Former NFL star O.J. Simpson is released from Nevada’s Lovelock Prison after less than 9 years of detention of his 33 year sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping.

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Oct. 2

1906 — Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns KOs American challenger ‘Fireman’ Jim Flynn in 15 rounds to retain his title in Los Angeles, California.

1950 — Jim Hardy throws six touchdown passes, including five to Bob Shaw, as the Chicago Cardinals pound the Baltimore Colts 55-13.

1969 — Seattle Pilots’ last game in Seattle; crash to 98th season loss, 3-1 to Oakland in front of just 5,473; move to Milwaukee as the Brewers next season.

1970 — Fourteen members of the Wichita State football team are killed in a plane crash in the Rocky Mountains.

1980 — Larry Holmes registers a technical knockout in the 11th round against Muhammad Ali to win the world heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

1983 — The Green Bay Packers score 49 points in the first half, including 35 in the second quarter, in a 55-14 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

1988 — Future world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis, representing Canada, wins super-heavyweight gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; beats American Riddick Bowe by 2nd round TKO.

1991 — Steffi Graf becomes the youngest woman to win 500 matches as a professional when she beats Petra Langrova of Czechoslovakia 6-0, 6-1 in the Leipzig International Tournament.

1993 — In the first all-British world heavyweight title fight, Lennox Lewis retains his WBC heavyweight title with a seven-round knockout of Frank Bruno in Cardiff, Wales.

1993 — California rallies from a 30-0 deficit to beat Oregon 42-41. Dave Barr throws three second-half touchdowns, including a 26-yarder to Iheanyi Uwaezuoke with 1:17 left in the game.

1994 — North Carolina’s 92-game winning streak in women’s soccer ends with a scoreless tie in overtime against Notre Dame.

1994 — Don Shula’s Miami Dolphins beat son Dave’s Cincinnati Bengals 23-7 in the first meeting between father and son coaches in professional sports.

2001 — Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in major league history with three 60-homer seasons, but the Reds hold on for a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Sosa’s solo shot comes in the first inning.

2004 — Rice and San Jose State play in the highest-scoring regulation game in Division I-A history, with the Spartans winning 70-63. The 133 points surpass the total from Middle Tennessee’s 70-58 victory over Idaho on Oct. 6, 2001. The schools combine for 19 touchdowns to break the Division I-A record of 18.

2004 — Jeff Kent becomes all-time home run leader for MLB 2nd basemen when he hits 2 in Astros’ 9-3 win v Rockies; 302 overall HR to break Ryne Sandberg’s major league record established in 1997.

2004 — Montreal Expos earn the last win in the franchise’s MLB history, beating New York Mets, 6 – 3 at Shea Stadium; Brad Wilkerson hits the Expos’ final home run in 9th inning, his 32nd of the year.

2006 — Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is given a five-game suspension — the longest for on-field behavior in NFL history — for stomping on Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode’s head and kicking him in the face.

2009 — Ninth-grader Alexis Thompson shoots a 3-under 69 for a share of the lead with top-ranked Lorena Ochoa and three others after the second round of the Navistar LPGA Classic.

2011 — Dallas has its largest lead blown in a loss in franchise history, frittering away a 24-point third-quarter cushion in a 34-30 loss to Detroit. The Lions turned a 20-point halftime deficit into an overtime win at Minnesota the previous week.

2016 — The United States win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008. Ryan Moore two-putts on No. 18 for a 1-up victory over Lee Westwood, giving the Americans a 15-10 lead that seals the win over Europe. The 17-11 victory over Europe is their biggest rout in 35 years at the Ryder Cup.

2016 — Atlanta’s Matt Ryan passes for 503 yards and four touchdowns, while wide receiver Julio Jones has 12 catches for 300 yards and a touchdown in Atlanta’s 48-33 win over Carolina.

2016 — Veteran broadcaster Vin Scully called his final LA Dodgers game after a record 67 MLB Seasons.

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+++TV SPORTS+++

(ALL TIMES EASTERN)
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND/OR BLACKOUTS
Tuesday, Sept. 30

MLB BASEBALL

1 p.m.

ESPN — A.L. Wild Card: Detroit at Cleveland, Game 1

3 p.m.

ABC — N.L. Wild Card: San Diego at Chicago Cubs, Game 1

6 p.m.

ESPN — A.L. Wild Card: Boston at N.Y. Yankees, Game 1

9 p.m.

ESPN — N.L. Wild Card: Cincinnati at L.A. Dodgers, Game 1

NHL HOCKEY

8 p.m.

TNT — Preseason: Vegas at Colorado

TRUTV — Preseason: Vegas at Colorado

SOCCER (MEN’S)

2:55 p.m.

CBSSN — UEFA Champions League: Pafos FC vs. Bayern Munich, Kolossi, Cyprus

3:45 p.m.

FS2 — 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Stage: Panama vs. Ukraine, Group B, Valparaiso, Chile

6:45 p.m.

FS2 — 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Stage: South Korea vs. Paraguay, Group B, Valparaiso, Chile

6:55 p.m.

FS1 — 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Stage: Chile vs. Japan, Group A, Nunoa, Chile

TENNIS

5 a.m.

TENNIS — Tokyo-ATP Final; Beijing-WTA Round of 16

6 a.m.

TENNIS — Tokyo-ATP Final; Beijing-WTA Round of 16

Midnight

TENNIS — Beijing-ATP Final, WTA Round of 16; Shanghai-ATP 1st Round

6 a.m. (Wednesday)

TENNIS — Beijing-ATP Final, WTA Round of 16; Shanghai-ATP 1st Round

WNBA BASKETBALL

9:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — Playoffs: Indiana at Las Vegas, Semifinal – Game 5

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2025

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