THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY OCTOBER 24, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

+++++++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL+++++++

SECTIONAL WEEK 1

SECTIONAL 14

#8 WHITELAND (7-2) AT SEYMOUR (2-7)

__________________________________________________________

SECTIONAL 17

HANOVER CENTRAL (4-5) AT LOWELL (7-2)

HIGHLAND (2-7) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (3-6)

KANKAKEE VALLEY (1-8) AT GARY WEST (4-4)

NEW PRAIRIE (3-6) AT HOBART (7-2)

SECTIONAL 18

PLYMOUTH (3-6) AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (2-7)

#4 MISHAWAKA (8-1) AT NORTHWOOD (5-4)

WAWASEE (1-8) AT NORTHRIDGE (2-7)

SOUTH BEND RILEY (4-5) AT #11 SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (8-1)

SECTIONAL 19

FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-9) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (2-7)

NEW HAVEN (2-7) AT #1 EAST NOBLE (9-0)

COLUMBIA CITY (5-4) AT #12 DEKALB (7-2)

#6 FORT WAYNE DWENGER (7-2) AT #8 LEO (7-2)

SECTIONAL 20

LEBANON (7-2) AT CULVER ACADEMY (3-6)

MUNCIE CENTRAL (5-4) AT MARION (2-7)

HUNTINGTON NORTH (4-5) AT LOGANSPORT (6-3)

SECTIONAL 21

BEECH GROVE (6-3) AT RICHMOND (3-6)

#5 PENDLETON HEIGHTS (8-1) AT MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (0-9)

NEW CASTLE (2-7) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (5-4)

SECTIONAL 22

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (4-5) AT DANVILLE (5-4)

#7 INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (6-3) AT #10 NORTHVIEW (8-1)

#3 INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (7-2) AT MOORESVILLE (5-4)

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (8-1) AT BREBEUF JESUIT (2-7)

SECTIONAL 23

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (6-3) AT JENNINGS COUNTY (2-7)

CONNERSVILLE (4-5) AT SHELBYVILLE (4-5)

MARTINSVILLE (3-6) AT GREENWOOD (2-7)

SILVER CREEK (3-6) AT CHARLESTOWN (7-2)

SECTIONAL 24

EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-8) AT EVANSVILLE REITZ (6-3)

#2 HERITAGE HILLS (8-1) AT WASHINGTON (4-5)

JASPER (7-2) AT BOONVILLE (4-5)

EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-9) AT EVANSVILLE HARRISON (2-7)

_____________________________________________________________

SECTIONAL 25

JOHN GLENN (2-7) AT CALUMET (5-4)

MISHAWAKA MARIAN (2-7) AT RIVER FOREST (4-5)

#17 GRIFFITH (8-1) AT HAMMOND NOLL (2-7)

#5 KNOX (9-0) AT JIMTOWN (2-7)

SECTIONAL 26

GARRETT (4-5) AT FAIRFIELD (3-6)

WOODLAN (2-7) AT LAKELAND (5-4)

#7 TIPPECANOE VALLEY (7-2) AT ANGOLA (4-5)

FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (1-8) AT #14 WEST NOBLE (7-2)

SECTIONAL 27

NORTHWESTERN (4-5) AT PERU (2-7)

#10 MACONAQUAH (8-1) AT #9 TWIN LAKES (7-2)

WEST LAFAYETTE (3-6) AT #18 WESTERN (6-3)

FRANKTON (1-8) AT BENTON CENTRAL (0-9)

SECTIONAL 28

#6 MISSISSINEWA (8-1) AT OAK HILL (5-4)

JAY COUNTY (3-6) AT BELLMONT (0-9)

NORWELL (1-8) AT HERITAGE (5-4)

FORT WAYNE LUERS (4-5) AT DELTA (3-6)

SECTIONAL 29

#3 CASCADE (9-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (3-5)

#8 TRI-WEST (6-3) AT WEST VIGO (0-9)

SPEEDWAY (1-8) AT CRAWFORDSVILLE (4-5)

#16 GUERIN CATHOLIC (5-4) AT HAMILTON HEIGHTS (4-5)

SECTIONAL 30

FRANKLIN COUNTY (7-2) AT BATESVILLE (3-6)

GREENSBURG (2-7) AT PURDUE ENGLEWOOD (6-3)

RUSHVILLE (2-7) AT SOUTH DEARBORN (4-5)

SECTIONAL 31

OWEN VALLEY (2-7) AT MADISON (1-8)

CORYDON CENTRAL (3-6) AT NORTH HARRISON (3-6)

EDGEWOOD (5-3) AT #12 SCOTTSBURG (7-2)

SECTIONAL 32

#2 GIBSON SOUTHERN (8-1) AT VINCENNES LINCOLN (3-6)

MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (6-3) AT SOUTHRIDGE (5-4)

EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (4-5) AT PRINCETON (3-6)

____________________________________________________________

SECTIONAL 33

#11 WHEELER (7-1) AT LAKE STATION (6-3)

#14 RENSSELAER CENTRAL (7-2) AT BOONE GROVE (4-4)

BREMEN (5-4) AT WHITING (2-7)

SECTIONAL 34

DELPHI (3-6) AT SOUTHMONT (8-1)

NORTH PUTNAM (4-5) AT WESTERN BOONE (5-4)

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (2-7) AT SEEGER (8-1)

LEWIS CASS (6-3) AT NORTH MONTGOMERY (1-8)

SECTIONAL 35

PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-9) AT MANCHESTER (6-3)

WHITKO (1-8) AT EASTSIDE (7-2)

CENTRAL NOBLE (1-8) AT #1 ADAMS CENTRAL (9-0)

#8 BLUFFTON (8-1) AT CHURUBUSCO (7-2)

SECTIONAL 36

#5 EASTBROOK (9-0) AT #14 ALEXANDRIA (7-2)

#10 ROCHESTER (8-1) AT ELWOOD (3-6)

#13 EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (8-1) AT BLACKFORD (0-9)

WABASH (2-7) AT TIPTON (5-4)

SECTIONAL 37

#6 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (8-1) AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN (2-7)

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (5-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (3-6)

MONROVIA (3-6) AT INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (5-4)

SECTIONAL 38

NORTHEASTERN (8-1) AT SHENANDOAH (6-3)

#7 TRITON CENTRAL (8-1) AT CENTERVILLE (7-2)

#3 LAPEL (9-0) AT WINCHESTER (8-1)

EASTERN HANCOCK (5-4) AT UNION COUNTY (1-8)

SECTIONAL 39

SULLIVAN (6-3) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (3-6)

PIKE CENTRAL (0-9) AT NORTH POSEY (6-3)

GREENCASTLE (4-5) AT BROWN COUNTY (2-7)

MITCHELL (1-8) AT #8 LINTON (6-3)

SECTIONAL 40

CRAWFORD COUNTY (4-5) AT CLARKSVILLE (4-5)

SALEM (4-5) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (6-2)

#2 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (9-0) AT TELL CITY (5-4)

EASTERN (PEKIN) (1-8) AT PAOLI (7-2)

____________________________________________________________

SECTIONAL 41

LAVILLE (5-4) AT CULVER (3-6)

#5 NORTH JUDSON (7-2) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-9)

#11 WEST CENTRAL (8-1) AT SOUTH NEWTON (3-6)

NORTH NEWTON (5-4) AT BOWMAN ACADEMY (5-4)

SECTIONAL 42

#3 FRONTIER (9-0) AT TRI-COUNTY (1-8)

#3 PIONEER (8-1) AT CASTON (3-6)

#12 CARROLL (FLORA) (5-3) AT WINAMAC (2-7)

NORTH WHITE (2-7) AT TAYLOR (5-3)

SECTIONAL 43

NORTH MIAMI (6-3) AT NORTHFIELD (2-7)

SOUTHERN WELLS (2-7) AT TRITON (6-3)

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (2-7) AT FREMONT (6-3)

SECTIONAL 44

UNION CITY (2-7) AT HAGERSTOWN (3-6)

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-9) AT MONROE CENTRAL (4-5)

MADISON-GRANT (5-4) AT #10 SOUTH ADAMS (6-3)

WES-DEL (5-3) AT TRI (5-4)

SECTIONAL 45

ATTICA (2-7) AT #2 #6 SOUTH PUTNAM (7-2)

PARKE HERITAGE (5-4) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (5-4)

COVINGTON (5-4) AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (6-3)

RIVERTON PARKE (9-0) AT NORTH VERMILLION (0-9)

SECTIONAL 46

CLINTON CENTRAL (3-5) AT CLOVERDALE (5-4)

SECTIONAL 47

SOUTH DECATUR (3-5) AT EASTERN GREENE (1-8)

WEST WASHINGTON (5-4) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (5-4)

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (2-7) AT #8 NORTH DECATUR (6-2)

SECTIONAL 48

FOREST PARK (3-6) AT #1 SPRINGS VALLEY (9-0)

#4 PROVIDENCE (6-2) AT NORTH KNOX (3-6)

#9 NORTH DAVIESS (8-1) AT PERRY CENTRAL (0-9)

SOUTH SPENCER (2-7) AT TECUMSEH (5-4)

________________________________________________________________

+++++INDIANA FOOTBALL SECTIONAL CHANCES+++++

(BASED ON RATINGS, DRAW AND HOME FIELD)

SECTIONAL 1: CROWN POINT 66.16%

SECTIONAL 2: FW CARROLL 60.27%

SECTIONAL 3: CARMEL 74.56%

SECTIONAL 4: FISHERS 56.80%

SECTIONAL 5: BROWNSBURG 72.32%

SECTIONAL 6: DECATUR CENTRAL 52.60%

SECTIONAL 7: WARREN CENTRAL 86.49%

SECTIONAL 8: CENTER GROVE 69.49%

SECTIONAL 9: MERRILLVILLE 75.74%

SECTIONAL 10: MICHIGAN CITY 37.83%

SECTIONAL 11: CONCORD 41.04%

SECTIONAL 12: LAFAYETTE JEFF 78.29%

SECTIONAL 13: NEW PALESTINE 57.83%

SECTIONAL 14: EAST CENTRAL 60.23%

SECTIONAL 15: BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 49.92%

SECTIONAL 16: FLOYD CENTRAL 52.68%

SECTIONAL 17: HOBART 45.73%, LOWELL 44.79%

SECTIONAL 18: MISHAWAKA 39.95%

SECTIONAL 19: EAST NOBLE 46.50%

SECTIONAL 20: LEBANON 58.21%

SECTIONAL 21: PENDLETON HEIGHTS 49.26%

SECTIONAL 22: BISHOP CHATARD 52.63%

SECTIONAL 23: BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 43.03%

SECTIONAL 24: HERITAGE HILLS 76.91%

SECTIONAL 25: KNOX 61.43%

SECTIONAL 26: TIPPECANOE VALLEY 32.73%

SECTIONAL 27: WESTERN 47.55%

SECTIONAL 28: MISSISSINEWA 36.21%

SECTIONAL 29: CASCADE 54.70%

SECTIONAL 30: LAWRENCEBURG 73.02%

SECTIONAL 31: INDIAN CREEK 78.47%

SECTIONAL 32: GIBSON SOUTHERN 62.93%

SECTIONAL 33: ANDREAN 64.31%

SECTIONAL 34: SOUTHMONT 35.31%

SECTIONAL 35: ADAMS CENTRAL 48.81%

SECTIONAL 36: EASTERN GREENTOWN 28.79

SECTIONAL 37: INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 49.62

SECTIONAL 38: LAPEL 41.83%

SECTIONAL 39: LINTON 63.60%

SECTIONAL 40: BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 82.38%

SECTIONAL 41: NORTH JUDSON 44.27%

SECTIONAL 42: PIONEER 37.03%

SECTIONAL 43: NORTH MIAMI 41.36%

SECTIONAL 44: SOUTH ADAMS 44.58%

SECTIONAL 45: SOUTH PUTNAM 53.59%

SECTIONAL 46: CLOVERDALE 44.04%

SECTIONAL 47: NORTH DECATUR 53.35%

SECTIONAL 48: NORTH DAVIESS 34.24%

___________________________________________________________________________

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

REGIONALS

NORTH

LAPORTE

1 PM CT | CLASS 3A | MISHAWAKA MARIAN VS HAMMOND BISHOP NOLL

4 PM CT | CLASS 4A | CHESTERTON VS CROWN POINT

CULVER COMMUNITY

4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | SOUTH ADAMS VS BOONE GROVE

7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | PENN VS WARSAW

NORTHWOOD

1 PM ET | CLASS 2A | LAKELAND VS JIMTOWN

4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | NORTHWOOD VS HANOVER CENTRAL

HOMESTEAD TICKETS

4 PM ET | CLASS 1A | TRITON VS FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY

7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) VS HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)

SOUTHWOOD

1 PM ET | CLASS 2A | SOUTHWOOD VS WAPAHANI

4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | WEST LAFAYETTE VS FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER

NORWELL

4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | HAMILTON HEIGHTS VS NORWELL

7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | BELLMONT VS WESTFIELD

TWIN LAKES

1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | SOUTH NEWTON VS MARQUETTE CATHOLIC

4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | SHERIDAN VS BENTON CENTRAL

ELWOOD COMMUNITY

4 PM ET | CLASS 1A | ROSSVILLE VS NORTHFIELD

7 PM ET | CLASS 1A | MONROE CENTRAL VS FAITH CHRISTIAN

SOUTH

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL

4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | RONCALLI VS INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL

7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | CENTER GROVE VS YORKTOWN

CASCADE

4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | TRI-WEST HENDRICKS VS NORTHVIEW

7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | LAWRENCE NORTH VS PLAINFIELD

MONROVIA

1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN VS INTERNATIONAL OF INDIANA

4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | GREENCASTLE VS COVENANT CHRISTIAN

BLOOMINGTON NORTH

4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | GREENSBURG VS JASPER

7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | CASTLE VS BLOOMINGTON SOUTH

LOOGOOTEE

1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | LOOGOOTEE VS SHAKAMAK

4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | TECUMSEH VS BARR-REEVE

MITCHELL

1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | SPRINGS VALLEY VS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF INDIANA

4 PM ET | CLASS 3A | BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL VS HERITAGE HILLS

MORRISTOWN

1 PM ET | CLASS 1A | NORTH DECATUR VS TRINITY LUTHERAN

4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | TRITON CENTRAL VS NORTHEASTERN

CHARLESTOWN

4 PM ET | CLASS 2A | SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) VS EASTERN (PEKIN)

7 PM ET | CLASS 4A | FLOYD CENTRAL VS FRANKLIN COMMUNITY

______________________________________________________

+++++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS/GIRLS SOCCER+++++

SEMI-STATE

_______________________________________________________

+++++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY +++++

REGIONALS OCTOBER 25

1. NEW PRAIRIE | 10:30 AM CT | RESULTS | TICKETS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: HIGHLAND, CHESTERTON, NEW PRAIRIE, GOSHEN, RENSSELAER CENTRAL

2. NEW HAVEN (@ HUNTINGTON UNIVERSITY) | 10:30 AM ET | RESULTS | TICKETS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: MANCHESTER, WEST NOBLE, NEW HAVEN, DELTA, MARION

3. BROWNSBURG | 10:30 AM ET | RESULTS | TICKETS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: LOGANSPORT, HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE), NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS), TERRE HAUTE NORTH VIGO, BEN DAVIS

4. SHELBYVILLE (BLUE RIVER PARK) | 10:30 AM ET | RESULTS | TICKETS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: NOBLESVILLE, MT. VERNON (FORTVILLE), RUSHVILLE CONSOLIDATED, SHELBYVILLE, SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER)

5. EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (ANGEL MOUNDS) | 10:30 AM CT | RESULTS | TICKETS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: BROWN COUNTY, BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE, CRAWFORD COUNTY, JASPER, EVANSVILLE MATER DEI

________________________________________________________

+++++MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL+++++

WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, OCT. 24
LAD VS. TOR, GAME 1 — 8 P.M. (FOX/FOX DEPORTES)

SATURDAY, OCT. 25
LAD VS. TOR, GAME 2 — 8 P.M. (FOX/FOX DEPORTES)

MONDAY, OCT. 27
TOR VS. LAD, GAME 3 — 8 P.M. (FOX/FOX DEPORTES)

TUESDAY, OCT. 28
TOR VS. LAD, GAME 4 — 8 P.M. (FOX/FOX DEPORTES)

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29
TOR VS. LAD, GAME 5^ — 8 P.M. (FOX/FOX DEPORTES)

FRIDAY, OCT. 31
LAD VS. TOR, GAME 6^ — 8 P.M. (FOX/FOX DEPORTES)

SATURDAY, NOV. 1
LAD VS. TOR, GAME 7^ — 8 P.M. (FOX/FOX DEPORTES)

^(IF NECESSARY)

_____________________________________________________________

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 9 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, OCT. 23

SOUTH ALABAMA 38 GEORGIA STATE 31

FRIDAY, OCT. 24

7 P.M. | NORTH TEXAS AT CHARLOTTE | ESPN2

7:30 P.M. | CAL AT VIRGINIA TECH | ESPN

10 P.M. | BOISE STATE AT NEVADA | CBSSN

SATURDAY, OCT. 25

12 P.M. | UCLA AT NO. 2 INDIANA | FOX

12 P.M. | NO. 8 OLE MISS AT NO. 13 OKLAHOMA | ABC

12 P.M. | SYRACUSE AT NO. 7 GEORGIA TECH | ESPN

12 P.M. | NO. 16 VIRGINIA AT NORTH CAROLINA | ACC NETWORK

12 P.M. | NO. 18 SOUTH FLORIDA AT MEMPHIS | ESPN2

12 P.M. | RUTGERS AT PURDUE | BIG TEN NETWORK

12 P.M. | SMU AT WAKE FOREST | THE CW NETWORK

12 P.M. | KANSAS STATE AT KANSAS | TNT

12 P.M. | APPALACHIAN STATE AT OLD DOMINION | ESPNU

12 P.M. | BOWLING GREEN AT KENT STATE | ESPN+

12 P.M. | OHIO AT EASTERN MICHIGAN | CBSSN

12:45 P.M. | AUBURN AT ARKANSAS | SEC NETWORK

1 P.M. | AKRON AT BUFFALO | ESPN+

3 P.M. | UCONN AT RICE | ESPN+

3 P.M. | UTAH STATE AT NEW MEXICO

3:30 P.M. | NO. 4 ALABAMA AT SOUTH CAROLINA | ABC

3:30 P.M. | NO. 11 BYU AT IOWA STATE | FOX

3:30 P.M. | TOLEDO AT WASHINGTON STATE | THE CW NETWORK

3:30 P.M. | NC STATE AT PITT | ACC NETWORK

3:30 P.M. | UL MONROE AT SOUTHERN MISS | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT NAVY | CBSSN

3:30 P.M. | TEMPLE AT TULSA | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | BALL STATE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | ESPN+

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

3:30 P.M. | WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MIAMI (OHIO) | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | NO. 23 ILLINOIS AT WASHINGTON | BIG TEN NETWORK

3:30 P.M. | NO. 15 MISSOURI AT NO. 10 VANDERBILT | ESPN

4 P.M. | OKLAHOMA STATE AT NO. 14 TEXAS TECH | ESPNU

4 P.M. | BAYLOR AT NO. 21 CINCINNATI | ESPN2

4 P.M. | WISCONSIN AT NO. 6 OREGON | FS1

4:15 P.M. | NO. 22 TEXAS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | SECN

6 P.M. | TCU AT WEST VIRGINIA | ESPN+

7 P.M. | STANFORD AT NO. 9 MIAMI (FLA.) | ESPN

7 P.M. | GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT ARKANSAS STATE | ESPN+

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

7:30 P.M. | NO. 3 TEXAS A&M AT NO. 20 LSU | ABC

7:30 P.M. | BOSTON COLLEGE AT NO. 19 LOUISVILLE | ACC NETWORK

7:30 P.M. | COLORADO STATE AT WYOMING | CBSSN

7:30 P.M. | NO. 25 MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN STATE | NBC

7:45 P.M. | NO. 17 TENNESSEE AT KENTUCKY | SEC NETWORK

8 P.M. | HOUSTON AT NO. 24 ARIZONA STATE | ESPN2

10:15 P.M. | COLORADO AT UTAH | ESPN

NORTHWESTERN AT NEBRASKA

MINNESOTA AT IOWA

SAN DIEGO STATE AT FRESNO STATE | FS1

______________________________________________________________

++++++++NFL SCHEDULE++++++++

WEEK 8 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, OCT. 23

LA CHARGERS 37 MINNESOTA 10

SUNDAY, OCT. 26

NY JETS AT CINCINNATI, 1 P.M. (CBS)

CHICAGO AT BALTIMORE

MIAMI AT ATLANTA, 1 P.M. (CBS)

CLEVELAND AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M. (FOX)

NY GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA, 1 P.M. (FOX)

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

SAN FRANCISCO AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M. (FOX)

TAMPA BAY AT NEW ORLEANS, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)

TENNESSEE AT INDIANAPOLIS, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)

DALLAS AT DENVER, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)

GREEN BAY AT PITTSBURGH, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)

MONDAY, OCT. 27

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

BYES: ARIZONA, DETROIT, JACKSONVILLE, LA RAMS, LAS VEGAS, SEATTLE

_______________________________________________________________

++++++++NBA SCOREBOARD++++++++

OKLAHOMA CITY 141 INDIANA 135 2OT

GOLDEN STATE 137 DENVER 131 OT

_______________________________________________________________

++++++++NHL SCOREBOARD++++++++

CHICAGO 3 TAMPA BAY 2

OTTAWA 2 PHILADELPHIA 1

PITTSBURGH 5 FLORIDA 3

SAN JOSE 6 NY RANGERS 5 OT

NY ISLANDERS 7 DETROIT 2

ANAHEIM 7 BOSTON 5

UTAH 7 ST. LOUIS 4

NASHVILLE 2 VANCOUVER 1

SEATTLE 3 WINNIPEG 0

LOS ANGELES 3 DALLAS 2 OT

CAROLINA 5 COLORADO 4

EDMONTON 6 MONTRÉAL 5

_______________________________________________________________

+++++++MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER+++++++

2025 MLS PLAYOFF GLANCE

ALL TIMES EDT

FIRST ROUND – BEST OF 3 (X-IF NECESSARY)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PHILADELPHIA VS. CHICAGO

SUNDAY, OCT. 26: CHICAGO AT PHILADELPHIA, 5:30 P.M.

SATURDAY, NOV. 1: PHILADELPHIA AT CHICAGO 5:30 P.M.

X-SATURDAY, NOV. 8: CHICAGO AT PHILADELPHIA, TBD

CINCINNATI VS. COLUMBUS

MONDAY, OCT. 27: COLUMBUS AT CINCINNATI, 6:45 P.M.

SUNDAY, NOV. 2: CINCINNATI AT COLUMBUS, 6:30 P.M.

X-SATURDAY, NOV. 8: COLUMBUS AT CINCINNATI, TBD

MIAMI VS. NASHVILLE

FRIDAY, OCT. 24: NASHVILLE AT MIAMI, 8 P.M.

SATURDAY, NOV. 1: MIAMI AT NASHVILLE, 7:30 P.M.

X-SATURDAY, NOV. 8: NASHVILLE AT MIAMI, TBD

CHARLOTTE VS. NEW YORK CITY

TUESDAY, OCT. 28: NEW YORK CITY AT CHARLOTTE, 6:45 P.M.

SATURDAY, NOV. 1: CHARLOTTE AT NEW YORK CITY, 3:30 P.M.

X-FRIDAY, NOV. 7: NEW YORK CITY AT CHARLOTTE, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SAN DIEGO VS. PORTLAND

SUNDAY, OCT. 26: PORTLAND AT SAN DIEGO, 9:30 P.M.

SATURDAY, NOV. 1: SAN DIEGO AT PORTLAND 9:30 P.M.

X-SUNDAY, NOV. 9: PORTLAND AT SAN DIEGO, TBD

VANCOUVER VS. DALLAS

SATURDAY, OCT. 26: DALLAS AT VANCOUVER, 7:30 P.M.

SATURDAY, NOV. 1: VANCOUVER AT DALLAS, 9:30 P.M.

X-FRIDAY, NOV. 7: DALLAS AT VANCOUVER, TBD

MINNESOTA VS. SEATTLE

MONDAY, OCT. 27: SEATTLE AT MINNESOTA, 9 P.M.

MONDAY, NOV. 3: MINNESOTA AT SEATTLE, 10:30 P.M.

X-SATURDAY, NOV. 8: SEATTLE AT MINNESOTA, TBD

LOS ANGELES FC VS. AUSTIN

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29: AUSTIN AT LOS ANGELES FC, 10:30 P.M.

SUNDAY, NOV. 2: LOS ANGELES FC AT AUSTIN, 8:30 P.M.

X-SATURDAY, NOV. 8: AUSTIN AT LOS ANGELES FC, TBD

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

NOV. 22 – NOV. 23

EASTERN CONFERENCE: TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE: TBD

CONFERENCE FINAL

NOV. 29 – NOV. 30

SEMIFINAL WINNERS, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP

SATURDAY, DEC. 6: CONFERENCE FINAL WINNERS, 2:30 P.M.

______________________________________________________________

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

++++++++NBA NEWS++++++++

NBA HEAD COACH AND PLAYER CHARGED IN SPRAWLING SPORTS BETTING AND MAFIA-BACKED POKER SCHEMES

NEW YORK (AP) — The head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and a player for the Miami Heat were arrested Thursday along with more than 30 other people in two cases alleging sprawling criminal schemes to rake in millions by rigging sports bets and poker games involving Mafia families, authorities said.

Portland coach Chauncey Billups was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons that were backed by La Cosa Nostra organized crime families. Heat guard Terry Rozier is accused in a separate scheme to concoct fraudulent bets by exploiting insider information about NBA athletes.

The indictments unsealed in New York create a massive cloud for the NBA — which opened its season this week — and show how certain types of wagers are vulnerable to massive fraud in the growing, multi-billion-dollar legal sports-betting industry. Joseph Nocella, the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”

“My message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended,” Nocella said. “Your luck has run out.”

Billups and Rozier expected to make their first court appearances

Both men face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges and were expected to make initial court appearances later Thursday. Also charged is former NBA assistant coach and player Damon Jones, who is accused of participating in both schemes.

“The fraud is mind boggling,” FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters. “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation.”

The alleged fraud, however, paled in comparison to the riches the athletes earned on the court. Billups, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year, had about $106 million in career earnings over his 17-year career. Rozier made about $160 million in his stops in Boston, Miami and Charlotte.

Billups and Rozier have been placed on leave from their teams, according to the NBA, which said it is cooperating with authorities.

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said in a statement.

A message seeking comment was left Thursday morning with Billups. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, said in a statement that his client is “not a gambler” and “looks forward to winning this fight.” Trusty said the FBI had previously said his client was not a target in the probe.

But at 6 a.m. “they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel,” Trusty said. ”It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self-surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case.”

Messages were left Thursday at a phone number and email address listed in public records for Jones.

Mafia families profited off gambling scheme, officials say

The poker scheme cheated at least $7 million out of unsuspecting gamblers who were lured into rigged games with the chance to compete against former professional basketball players like Billups and Jones. The games were fixed using sophisticated cheating technology, such as altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table to read the cards of unsuspecting players, authorities allege.

The scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to court papers. Members of those families, in turn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.

Prosecutors asked a judge to detain Mafia members implicated in the case, as well as the ringleaders of the poker scheme. Prosecutors are arguing for releasing Billups and Jones but with “substantial bail conditions,” including a prohibition on any form of gambling and travel restrictions.

Athletes accused of leaving games early

In the sports betting scheme, Rozier and other defendants are accused of accessing private information from NBA players or coaches that could impact a player’s performance and giving that information to others so they could place wagers. Players sometimes altered their performance or took themselves out of games early to rig prop bets — a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistical number, such as whether the player will finish over or under a certain total of points, rebounds or assists, according to the indictment.

In one instance, Rozier, while playing for the Charlotte Hornets in 2023, told people he was planning to leave the game early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars, authorities say. That game against the New Orleans Pelicans raised eyebrows at the time. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return to the game after the first quarter, with many turning to social media to say that something “shady” had happened regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

The indictments contain the descriptions of several unnamed NBA players whose injury status and availability for certain games were the source of betting activity. Those players are not accused of any wrongdoing, and there is no indication that they would have even known what was being said about their status for those games.

Those players include LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard. Their identities are clear based on a review of corresponding injury reports surrounding games mentioned in the indictment. The indictments show that certain defendants shared information about the availability of those players in a game on March 24, 2023, involving the Portland Trail Blazers, and two games in 2023 and 2024 involving the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA had investigated Rozier previously. He was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic on Wednesday in Orlando, Florida, in the season opener for both teams, though he did not play in the game.

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER (55) LEADS THUNDER TO 2OT WIN IN FINALS REMATCH

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 55 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 141-135 double-overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals on Thursday in Indianapolis.

The Thunder played just one overtime game in the 2024-25 regular season, but have played consecutive double-overtime games to begin this season.

Oklahoma City opened its title defense with a double-overtime victory over Houston on Tuesday.

With 22.5 seconds left in double overtime, Obi Toppin looked like he’d come up with a steal on the inbounds play after his layup cut the deficit to four. But officials had granted Oklahoma City a timeout, keeping the ball in the Thunder’s possession.

Gilgeous-Alexander then hit a pair of free throws on the next possession to help Oklahoma City put the game away.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished 15 of 31 from the floor and 23 of 26 from the free-throw line.

Ajay Mitchell added a career-high 26 points off the bench in the win, including five key points in the first overtime.

Benedict Mathurin led the Pacers, who were playing their first game of the season, with 36 points and added 11 rebounds, but fouled out early in the second overtime.

Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard also fouled out for the Pacers.

Pascal Siakam chipped in 32 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists for Indiana.

The Pacers scored the first five points of overtime to match their largest lead of the game.

Oklahoma City responded with a five-point burst to tie it on Mitchell’s three-point play with 1:46 remaining.

The Thunder led by two when Mathurin tied it with a layup with 12.6 seconds left to help force double overtime.

With just less than 13 seconds remaining in regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander headed to the free-throw line with a chance to put the Thunder up three, but he missed his second free throw to give the Pacers a chance to tie it without needing a 3.

Moments later, Siakam, who had missed a 3-pointer badly on Indiana’s previous possession, this time drained a 21-foot pull-up jumper over Chet Holmgren to tie it with 6.8 seconds remaining.

Gilgeous-Alexander missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

Oklahoma City made 9 of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter, but both misses were by Gilgeous-Alexander in the final 3:10, allowing the Pacers to stay in the game.

STEPH CURRY (42), WARRIORS TOP AARON GORDON (50), NUGGETS IN OT

Stephen Curry extended the game with a late 3-pointer, then teamed with Al Horford and Jimmy Butler III to connect from beyond the arc in overtime, allowing the Golden State Warriors to overcome Aaron Gordon’s career performance on Thursday night in a 137-131 win over the Denver Nuggets in San Francisco.

Playing two days after opening the season with a road win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors trailed 125-123 in the extra session before going on a 12-2 run ignited by a Horford 3-pointer and capped by Curry’s layup with 23.9 seconds left.

Curry finished with a team-high 42 points, eight shy of Gordon’s career-best 50, which were mostly the product of 10-for-11 accuracy on 3-pointers.

Nikola Jokic complemented Gordon with his third straight triple-double in an opener, registering 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Jokic also tied Oscar Robertson with his fourth triple-double in a season opener.

The overtime followed a dramatic regulation finish, which included a tiebreaking 3-pointer by Gordon, his 10th of the game, with 26 seconds remaining. That shot was followed 4.1 seconds later by a Curry 34-footer that drew Golden State even.

Jokic, who assured himself of a triple-double with a 10th assist on Gordon’s 3-pointer, had a chance to send the Nuggets home with a regulation win, but misfired on a short-range runner shortly before the horn.

Gordon’s 50 points were nine more than his previous high of 41 set in 2017. His 10 3-pointers also were a career best, missing by one J.R. Smith’s all-time Nuggets record set in 2009. Gordon also equaled Terry Rozier’s mark of 10 threes in a season opener.

A two-time California state prep champion at Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose, Gordon also took aim at the NBA record for most 3-pointers without a miss by making his first eight, but missed his ninth attempt in the third quarter. The NBA single-game record is 9-for-9, done four times, including twice by Ben Gordon.

But in the end, the Warriors were able to overcome Gordon’s 17-for-21 shooting and Denver’s 53.7% overall accuracy with balanced scoring, with six teammates joining Curry in double figures. Golden State 50.5% from the field.

Butler finished with 21, while Jonathan Kuminga added 14, Draymond Green and Horford 13 each and Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield 11 apiece. Green also found time for eight rebounds and eight assists.

Jamal Murray notched a double-double with 25 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who led by as many as 14 in the first half as Gordon made all seven of his 3-point attempts en route to a 25-point half. Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in with 10 points.

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+++++++++MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS++++++++

ROOKIE TREY YESAVAGE TO START WORLD SERIES OPENER FOR BLUE JAYS, JUST HIS 7TH BIG LEAGUE GAME

TORONTO (AP) — Rookie Trey Yesavage will start Friday night’s World Series opener for the Toronto Blue Jays against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Blake Snell, giving the 22-year-old more postseason starts than career regular-season outings.

Yesavage, who debuted on Sept. 15, will be making his fourth postseason start.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday he wasn’t ready to announce his Game 2 starter from among Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber.

Selected 20th overall in last year’s amateur draft from East Carolina University, Yesavage began the season at Class A Dunedin, was promoted to High-A Vancouver on May 20, Double-A New Hampshire on June 12 and Triple-A Buffalo on Aug. 12.

He was 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three starts in September, striking out 16 in 14 innings, helped by a devastating splitter, with seven walks.

Yesavage beat the New York Yankees with 5 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings in Game 2 of the Division Series as he struck out 11, lost Game 2 of the AL Championship Series when he allowed five runs in four innings, then won Game 6 of the ALCS on Sunday when he gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Gausman threw 19 pitches in relief in Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday against Seattle, three days after he tossed 91 pitches in his Game 5 start.

“It made sense to hold Kevin for a day,” Schneider said, not committing to Gausman for Game 2 on Saturday or Game 3 on Monday at Dodger Stadium.

BO BICHETTE COULD BE ACTIVATED BY THE BLUE JAYS FOR THEIR WORLD SERIES OPENER VS. THE DODGERS

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays may activate shortstop Bo Bichette for the World Series against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers after the two-time All-Star made strides in recovering from a sprained left knee that has sidelined him for 1 1/2 months.

Bichette, a two-time AL hits leader, hasn’t played since he sprained his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells.

“After our workout today there’ll be a lot more understanding of where I stand,” Bichette said Thursday, a day ahead of the opener. “I’m just trying to do everything I can to be ready for whatever I’m physically capable of doing.”

Bichette was second in the major leagues to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge with a .311 batting average, hitting 18 homers with 94 RBIs in 139 games.

Toronto manager John Schneider wouldn’t give a hint toward his decision.

“Neither one is a slam dunk,” he said. “I can say that we’re close on probably one way or another, but just need to kind of see how today goes.”

Bichette could be at shortstop, designated hitter or second base, a position he last played in 2019 in the minor leagues.

“We’re kind of coming right down to the wire with it,” Schneider said. “I could see all three of those things happening, to be honest with you. Just kind of have to talk to him after the workout today, see how comfortable he felt doing everything and make the best decision.”

Bichette, 27, is eligible for free agency following the World Series.

DODGERS-BLUE JAYS POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

(MLB.COM RELEASE)

Fascinating contrasts characterize this Fall Classic that begins Friday night at Rogers Centre.

The Dodgers? The World Series seemed their fait accompli at the start of the season. They won it last year, as you might remember, then only got stronger in the offseason. Now they’re looking for their franchise’s ninth title overall.

It’s a different story for the Blue Jays. Their franchise has gone back-to-back, but that was way back in 1992-93, before most members of their active roster were born. And coming off 2024’s last-place finish in the AL East amid an era of unmet expectations, they weren’t widely counted as a World Series contender. Yet here they are, looking to dethrone a defending champ with much more experience on this stage.

The contrasts extend to the manner in which these two clubs claimed their place in the postseason’s pinnacle. The Dodgers swept the Brewers in nice and tidy fashion and will have had a week off by the time Game 1 arrives, while the Blue Jays went the distance against the Mariners in a seven-game thriller of an ALCS.

These are the contrasting narratives that set the scene for this fascinating Fall Classic.

But enough about narratives. How do these clubs match up on the field?

Let’s take a look, position by position!

Catcher

Between his 111 OPS+ (or 11% better than league average) and his excellent blocking and framing, Alejandro Kirk was a worthy All-Star for the Blue Jays this year. And he’s had five extra-base hits in the postseason, where his high-contact skillset can be an asset on the sport’s biggest stage.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith’s terrific season (152 OPS+) was thrown off-track by a foul tip that caused a hairline fracture in his right hand on Sept. 3. He missed the Wild Card Series before returning and struggling at the plate in the Division Series (.421 OPS). But Smith looked more like his old self in the LCS round, going 6-for-15 with two walks and three runs. And he said the hand is no longer bothering him in games. So that’s a nice development for the defending champs and a reason to give him the edge here.

Advantage: Dodgers

First base

Freddie Freeman, who has Canadian roots, will have an opportunity to become the first player to win consecutive MVPs in the Fall Classic. His performance last year was one for the ages, beginning with that epic game-winning grand slam in Game 1. This year, Freeman’s performance in the postseason hasn’t been as dynamic. He’s batting .231 with a homer and four doubles. Uncharacteristically, he’s struck out 11 times in 39 at-bats so far. But in two previous World Series appearances, Freeman has hit .310 (13-for-42) with six homers and 17 RBIs in 11 games, so we’ll see if he can continue to add accolades to that potential future Hall of Fame plaque.

But this is Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s postseason. It’s not just that, in the course of amassing six home runs, he’s put up the third-best postseason OPS (1.440) of any player in history with at least 40 plate appearances (trailing only Barry Bonds’ 1.559 mark from 2002 and Carlos Beltrán’s 1.557 mark from 2004). It’s that he’s done it while striking out only three times. The combo of contact and power is completely absurd and validation of the Blue Jays’ $500 million commitment to their franchise face earlier this year.

Advantage: Blue Jays

Second base

Tommy Edman isn’t coming off an NLCS MVP performance for the Dodgers like he was a year ago, but he did contribute to the sweep of the Brewers with five hits, including a double, in the four games. Still, no one’s going to point to second base as one of the great strengths of this loaded L.A. lineup. The Dodgers got a .239/.293/.357 slash from the position this season, with Edman, Miguel Rojas and Hyeseong Kim getting the bulk of the starts at the keystone.

For the Blue Jays, the absence of Bo Bichette in the ALDS and ALCS forced Andrés Giménez to man shortstop while the second-base starts have gone to Ernie Clement and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Clement starred in the ALDS against the Yankees (9-for-14 with a homer and a double), then primarily played third in the ALCS against the Mariners while Kiner-Falefa came through (5-for-15 with two doubles). So who are we to knock what’s working?

Advantage: Blue Jays

Shortstop

Maybe it’s not as nuts as what Shohei Ohtani does as a pitcher and hitter, but it’s still pretty nuts that Mookie Betts, a likely sure-fire Hall of Famer and one of the best right-field gloves most of us have ever seen, switched to shortstop in his 30s and has become above average there, too. It’s not as easy as he makes it look. And after an iffy start to the season offensively, Betts has a more Mookie-like .825 OPS since the start of August. He was, however, held to just two hits in 15 at-bats by Brewers pitching in the NLCS.

There was hope Bichette would join the Blue Jays for the ALCS round, but his left knee sprain continued to bother him. Following the ALCS, Bichette pronounced himself ready to contribute to the World Series cause, though it would seem doubtful he’d see much, if any, time at short. His defensive replacement, Giménez, is one of the game’s most gifted middle infielders. And after only hitting seven homers with a .598 OPS in the regular season, Giménez shockingly swatted two big blasts in the ALCS. But when your competition in this exercise is a future Hall of Famer, well, you know how that goes.

Advantage: Dodgers

Third base

Third base is another area where the Blue Jays mix and match based on matchups, with Addison Barger and Clement getting the bulk of the starts. Barger had a 21-homer, 32-double season and has kept rolling along with a pair of each in October. Clement’s versatility is his calling card, and he’s met the moment offensively in this postseason by going 18-for-42 with a homer, three doubles and a triple.

Max Muncy started wearing glasses earlier this season and wound up with a typically terrific offensive year (136 OPS+, or 36% better than league average). He’s been more pitchable of late, batting just .161 (10-for-62) since the start of September, including a 1-for-12 showing in the last round, and the Dodgers do have Kiké Hernández and Rojas as options here to spell him against certain lefties.

Though the Barger/Clement combo is a lot stronger than the casual fan might realize, we already kinda/sorta attributed Clement’s October clout to second base and will give Muncy and his long track record the benefit of the doubt here.

Advantage: Dodgers

Left field

Though midseason trade acquisition Alex Call is also an option for the Dodgers in left, they settled into a rhythm in the NLCS with Kiké Hernández making all the starts here. His next game will be his 86th postseason game in a Dodgers uniform, matching Justin Turner’s franchise record. The 2025 regular season was not his best (72 OPS+), but Hernández has shown a knack for stepping up in this setting. He has a .306/.375/.417 slash line in 40 plate appearances thus far this postseason.

As for the Blue Jays, Anthony Santander’s bad back, which led to his removal from the ALCS roster and makes him unavailable for the World Series, forced Nathan Lukes over from right field to left. Lukes was a league-average bat with 12 homers and 19 doubles in the regular season, and he’s had a nice postseason with three doubles. But this is another spot where we’ll defer to the more accomplished player, because, to use a very technical baseball term, it just seems like Kiké is always doing stuff in October.

Advantage: Dodgers

Center field

Though the 24-year-old Andy Pages showed growth in his second season with the Dodgers, the Cuba native’s biggest contribution to this postseason was the comebacker he hit to the pitcher’s mound that caused the Phillies’ Orion Kerkering to break. All told, Pages is just 3-for-35 through the first three rounds. Justin Dean serves as the Dodgers’ late-game defensive replacement here.

Daulton Varsho’s two homers and three doubles in the ALDS went a long way toward taking down the rival Yankees. And with 12 homers, 35 RBIs and an .861 OPS in August and September after battling injuries in the first half, this has been his best season as a Blue Jay. He’s also a speedy and rangy defender in center field.

Advantage: Blue Jays

Right field

Teoscar Hernández has caused a lot of agita in Dodgers land with his defensive play in right field, and his confused baserunning helped cause that wild Brewers double play in Game 1 of the NLCS. But there’s no denying the potency of his bat. He drove in four runs in the World Series last year, including the game-tying double in the Game 5 clincher in the Bronx. This year, he’s 11-for-41 with four homers in the postseason, including a game-tying blast in Game 2 of the NLCS.

With Santander out of the mix, it was primarily Barger getting the starts in right field for the Blue Jays in the ALCS, with Toronto then going with Lukes in right and Myles Straw in left for defensive purposes in the late innings. What remains to be seen, as of this writing, is if Bichette is rostered, in which case George Springer would likely play in right — something he’s done very little of in the last couple months.

The above is pretty complicated. But considering Hernández has had a down year offensively overall and could pose a defensive problem in a big spot, let’s give the Blue Jays’ overall ability to piece together a path to productivity some love here.

Advantage: Blue Jays

Designated hitter

George Springer had amassed a pretty amazing October resumé in his time with the Astros, and now Blue Jays fans are getting their taste of the Springer Show. He had three doubles and three homers in the ALCS, including the epic go-ahead blast in Game 7. He also played through pain after getting plunked in the right kneecap by a fastball in Game 5. Springer’s 23 postseason homers are tied with Kyle Schwarber for third-most in MLB history, trailing only Manny Ramirez (29) and former teammate Jose Altuve (27). And as mentioned above, Bichette (129 OPS+ in the regular season) could return to action in the World Series, possibly as a DH, which would only deepen the Blue Jays’ offensive capabilities.

But of course, the Dodgers’ DH just hit three homers in their NLCS clincher. (He was also the starting pitcher, which is, you know, unusual.) Ohtani had faced scrutiny about his postseason performance, but now you look up and he’s got a .967 OPS with five homers and seven walks through 10 games this year. After dislocating his left shoulder in Game 2 of the World Series last year, Fall Classic clout is pretty much the last mountain for Ohtani to climb in his career.

Advantage: Dodgers

Starting pitching

Toronto’s rotation outpitched the more-heralded staff from Seattle in the ALCS. Shane Bieber proved a worthy Trade Deadline acquisition, despite still recovering from Tommy John surgery at the time of the trade. Max Scherzer fought off Father Time (and his own manager). Kevin Gausman was nails, and rookie Trey Yesavage (who will start Game 1), in only his sixth MLB start, notched the victory that forced a Game 7. It was an impressive display.

Alas, the Blue Jays — and any other team in postseason history — would have a hard time getting the edge over what the Dodgers have going on right now.

Dodgers starters are 7-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 81 strikeouts this postseason. That’s on pace to be the lowest in a single postseason all-time (minimum 10 games pitched) and it includes a 0.52 ERA in their last five games. The Dodgers are 9-0 in this postseason when their starter goes at least five innings. Their starters have eight games with at least eight strikeouts, two shy of the 2001 Diamondbacks’ postseason record.

Last year, the Dodgers won the World Series with very little of a rotation to speak of. This year, the rotation of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani is firing on every cylinder.

Advantage: Dodgers

Relief pitching

The bullpen is definitely the Dodgers’ most vulnerable area, though that didn’t make a difference in an NLCS in which their relievers combined for two earned runs allowed in 7 1/3 innings. It helps, of course, that the L.A. starters are so consistently working deep into games. Should that change, then Dave Roberts’ relatively tiny circle of trust could become a big factor in how this Series shakes out.

Because Blake Treinen (7.36 ERA in seven appearances this postseason) is not the force he once was, things get dicey for Roberts in high-leverage moments. His best hope is that rookie Roki Sasaki, who was shaky in Game 1 of the NLCS but nonetheless has allowed just one run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts in his first eight postseason innings, keeps dealing.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen is also considered a potential Achilles’ heel. Their relievers have a 5.52 ERA in 11 games this postseason. But setup man Louis Varland did hold the Mariners to a .160 average against in the ALCS, and closer Jeff Hoffman has tamed his homer trouble from the regular season and been terrific in October (1.23 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings).

Let’s face it: The bullpen is not the strength of either club. Sasaki is the most electric relief arm on either team right now, so we’ll give L.A. the edge here. But he’s also very young and still very green, so we’ll see.

Advantage: Dodgers

Prediction

The Dodgers sleepwalked their way to 93 wins before finally flipping the switch in mid-September and turning on Championship Mode. They’ve won nine of their 10 postseason games, outscoring their opponents 46-28. It seems silly to pick against them, especially given the way their starters are throwing the ball.

While the Blue Jays are battle-tested, they might also prove battle-weary after all the stress it took to get to this point. I’ll root against that and hope for another seven-game thriller like what we saw in the ALCS. And the Dodgers’ bullpen might make it so.

But going into the World Series, I think the Dodgers will roll in five.

WEGNER IS WORLD SERIES UMPIRE CREW CHIEF. HAMARI, JOHNSON, LITTLE, TUMPANE MAKE FALL CLASSIC DEBUTS

TORONTO (AP) — Mark Wegner will be the World Series umpire crew chief for the first time, joined by Jordan Baker, Adam Hamari, Adrian Johnson, Will Little, Alan Porter and John Tumpane for the matchup between the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.

Hamari, Johnson, Little and Tumpane will be making their World Series debuts as part of the crew Major League Baseball announced Thursday.

Wegner, a 53-year-old who umpired his first big league game in 1998, also worked the Series in 2013 and 2017, when he was behind the plate for the Houston Astros’ Game 7 win over the Dodgers. Porter, 47, will be working his third Series after 2019 and 2022, and Baker, 43, his second following 2022.

Little will be behind the plate for Friday’s opener in Toronto, with Wegner at first base, Tumpane at second, Porter at third, Hamari in left left, Baker in right and Johnson the reserve.

Johnson will work the plate in Game 2 and be followed by Wegner, Tumpane, Porter, Hamari and Baker.

Porter will be the crew chief in Game 2, when Wegner is the reserve.

Johnson, 50, debuted in 2006, Porter and the 42-year-old Tumpane in 2010 and Baker in 2012. Little, 41, worked his first game on June 24, 2013, one day before Hamari, 42.

Porter had the third-highest accuracy on balls and strikes in the major leagues this year at 95.46%, according to umpscorecards.com, trailing only Edwin Jiménez (96.18%) and Mark Ripperger (95.48%). Wegner was at 94.78% and among the World Series crew was followed by Hamari (94.77%), Little (94.72%), Tumpane (94.25%), Baker (93.91%) and Johnson (93.41%).

Dan Iassogna and Jeremie Rehak will be the video review umpires at the replay operations center in the commissioner’s office in New York.

Eight of the nine umpires worked in the Division Series and Iassogna was a crew chief in the Wild Card Series.

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+++++++++COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS++++++++

WISCONSIN BADGERS TAKE 5-GAME LOSING STREAK INTO GAME WITH NO. 6 OREGON

Perhaps a change of scenery will be good for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Or maybe not.

The Badgers have lost their last two, both at home, by a combined score of 71-0 heading into Saturday’s daunting game against No. 6 Oregon at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are four-touchdown favorites.

“We’re very disappointed in where we are — the way in which we played and our ability to not just score points, but be as competitive as we need to be and want to be and expect to be,” coach Luke Fickell said. “I know how everybody feels, I live it every single day of every minute. And I know guys in that locker room do the same thing. But we’ve got to find ways to continue to push ourselves forward, move forward, find ways to continue to get better.”

Wisconsin has fallen 37-0 to Iowa and 34-0 to No. 1 Ohio State over the last two weeks. It’s the first time since 1977 that the Badgers have gone scoreless in consecutive games.

Overall, Wisconsin (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) has lost five straight after opening the season with a pair of wins.

The Ducks (6-1, 3-1) got back on track after a 30-20 loss at home to Indiana two weeks ago with a 56-10 rout of Rutgers last Saturday.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning sympathizes with Fickell and the Badgers.

“They’ve been just kind of unfortunate, some bad luck on some plays, but you see a team that’s capable of having a lot of success,” Lanning said. “They’re really well-coached. I’ve got a lot of respect for coach Fickell and the job they do. They stress you in a couple of different ways. It’ll be a good challenge for our team, so excited for this matchup and a chance for our guys to go compete.”

The Ducks need only look back to last season, when Wisconsin gave them trouble at Camp Randall. Oregon, ranked No. 1 at the time, trailed 13-6 heading into the fourth quarter but rallied for a 16-13 win.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Badgers after Saturday. They head home to host Washington before going on the road to face second-ranked and undefeated Indiana. Then it’s back home for No. 23 Illinois.

Hot seat

While there was plenty of speculation regarding Fickell’s future at Wisconsin, athletic director Chris McIntosh was standing by his coach.

McIntosh issued a statement to fans on Monday following the loss to Ohio State.

“Coach Fickell sees the potential in what this team can be, as do I, and he shares the same disappointment and frustration. Our student-athletes continue to stand and fight with character and pride as they battle through this moment of adversity, and they deserve all our support,” wrote McIntosh.

Grateful Ducks

Oregon is celebrating its connection to the Grateful Dead with uniforms that feature tie-dye green and yellow numbers on black jerseys. A similar tie-dye “O” is on the team’s helmets, along with dancing ducks to mimic the band’s signature dancing bears.

The Dead performed at Oregon’s EMU Ballroom in 1968, their first show in Eugene. The band went on to play at Autzen Stadium 10 times between 1974 and 1994 and made several other appearances in Eugene.

“When you start to dig into the history of the Grateful Dead playing over 20 shows here, their involvement with the university, how it created revenue, obviously an innovative, think-outside-the-box group, and what they were able to do here in the Eugene community is pretty cool,” Lanning said.

But Lanning’s not a Deadhead, by any stretch.

“I’m going to have to spend some time to listen to them,” he said at his weekly press conference. “I haven’t done a good job of that yet. Maybe I can turn that on during my late drive home tonight.”

NO. 7 GEORGIA TECH PUTS UNBEATEN RECORD ON THE LINE AGAINST SCUFFLING SYRACUSE

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech will start the second half of its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule in the league’s pole position, carrying a perfect record into Saturday’s game against Syracuse.

The No. 7 Yellow Jackets (7-0, 4-0) are back at home after a 27-18 win at Duke, and momentum around the program is surging. For coach Brent Key, his focus is on the task at hand.

Georgia Tech has its highest AP poll ranking since 2009 and its first 7-0 start since 1966. A victory over Syracuse (3-4, 1-3) would secure Georgia Tech’s first eight-win season since 2016 and the sixth 8-0 start in program history. The game is homecoming for the Yellow Jackets.

“Homecoming, all that stuff, that’s for the fans,” Key said. “It has nothing to do with the football game, it has nothing to do with the team we play, the game we’re going to play. It’s another opportunity for us to go out and compete against another really good opponent.”

Haynes King’s rushing attack

Despite the win at Duke, Georgia Tech’s two-headed rushing attack of Jamal Haynes and Malachi Hosley both struggled. Their combined total of 52 yards was their second lowest of the season, but quarterback Haynes King picked up the slack.

King rushed for 120 yards, including a game-clinching 28-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes remaining.

“The guys up front do a heck of a job of getting us started,” King said. “Covering people up, and allowing us to do what we do best.”

Syracuse QB struggles

Syracuse has lost three consecutive games since starting quarterback Steve Angeli suffered a torn left Achilles tendon.

Backup Rickie Collins has played the majority of the snaps since Angeli’s injury. Syracuse coach Fran Brown turned to Luke Carney in the third quarter last week after Collins threw two early interceptions. He went back to Collins after two drives, and he threw a third interception in a 30-13 loss to Pitt.

Brown said he plans to stay the course under center.

“I’m going to always put the best player in the football game,” Brown said Monday. “At the moment, unless we go out to practice and things just drastically shift, Rickie gives us that best opportunity.”

Georgia Tech defense bends but doesn’t break

Georgia Tech’s defense made two critical goal-line stands at Duke. Omar Daniels returned a fumble 95 yards for a touchdown on a second-and-goal play in the first quarter, and the defense stopped the Blue Devils on three consecutive plays from the 1-yard-line to force a field goal in the third quarter.

“Some of the stops happened as far back as you can possibly go,” Key said. “We did a great job in the tight red area and on the goal line.”

Brown seeks another statement win

Despite the current losing streak, Syracuse is 4-2 under Brown against ranked opponents. The first of those victories came the last time these teams met, when the Orange beat the then-No. 23 Yellow Jackets last season.

“It’s a great opportunity for the players, myself, the fan base, for everybody to compete against a really good football team,” Brown said. “I’m excited to play against them.”

Key also acknowledged the danger the Orange pose.

“This is a good football team,” he said. “You can’t look at the record. They’ve had some misfortune with injuries on both sides of the football to very key players. That’s a tough situation to be in.”

NO. 3 TEXAS A&M AIMS TO END DECADES-LONG DROUGHT AT NO. 20 LSU’S DEATH VALLEY

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Unbeaten and third-ranked Texas A&M has a chance this week to break a long cycle of losing at LSU.

The Aggies (7-0, 4-0 SEC) are off to their best start since 1994, which also happens to be the last time they won at Tiger Stadium. If they can beat No. 20 LSU (5-2, 2-2) on Saturday night, it’ll be another first-in-a-long-time accomplishment this season under second-year coach Mike Elko.

“We can’t just keep saying we want to be something. We’re actually at some point going to have to go out and do it,” Elko said. “That was going to require us winning on the road, winning SEC games on the road, beating top-10 teams.”

Texas A&M beat a top-10 ranked team on the road for the first time since 2014 when the Aggies outlasted then-No. 8 Notre Dame, 41-40, on Sept. 13. Last week’s 45-42 victory at Arkansas marked the Aggies’ first SEC road win since the 2021 season, snapping a 10-game streak.

“It’s just good to see the program continuing to move in the right direction,” Elko said.

The Aggies’ losing streak at Tiger Stadium stands at six games, all played since the A&M joined the SEC in 2012.

In hindsight, beating the Fighting Irish last month might have been more difficult than what awaits the Aggies in Death Valley.

Notre Dame is now ranked 12th in the AP Top 25 poll, thanks to a five-game winning streak. LSU is coming off its second loss in three games, falling at Vanderbilt last week for the first time since 1990.

That loss left LSU fans ranting on the radio and social media about fourth-year coach Brian Kelly, whose team was widely seen as a College Football Playoff contender after spending big on player transfers and welcoming back senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

“I recognize everybody’s angst. My meal doesn’t taste good. I’m not in a great mood,” Kelly said. “The guys are angry and they’re frustrated. We’ve got to turn that into allowing them to go and play this game fast and free and physical — and do that when it matters most.”

If LSU wants to salvage dwindling hopes of being one of 12 teams in the CFP, winning this weekend could be the springboard the Tigers need.

“We have a great opportunity this weekend in Tiger Stadium to play the No. 3 team in the country,” Kelly said. “We believe we can win.”

Defense on notice

Elko was not pleased with his team’s defensive performance against Arkansas. The Aggies allowed 268 yards rushing and 527 total yards, both season highs.

So, for the first time all season, he did not name any defensive players of the week.

“If we don’t fix our own issues, we won’t stop anybody,” Elko said. “That was the message that was delivered very clearly to our defense.”

Safety Dalton Brooks was asked how the defense received Elko’s message.

“It wasn’t a bad reaction by anybody,” he said. “We knew what we did. We knew how the game went. It wasn’t our best game.”

Banged-up Bengals

It was unclear this week whether LSU preseason All-America linebacker Whit Weeks would be available to play against a potent A&M attack led by dynamic QB Marcel Reed.

Weeks, who missed last week’s loss at Vanderbilt with an ankle injury, was listed as doubtful in a midweek injury report.

Reed also might not have to contend with LSU defensive tackle Bernard Gooden, who was listed as questionable with a shoulder injury that also sidelined him last week.

Edge rusher Jimari Butler (ankle), who also sat out at Vanderbilt, is probable this week.

Meanwhile, LSU left tackle Tyree Adams is expected to miss his first game this season after starting the first seven.

Kelly said he expected DJ Chester, who filled in for Adams at Vanderbilt, to start this week.

Chester is “our most experienced guy,” Kelly said. “I have confidence that he can go out there and do the job.”

Taking over

Rueben Owens II had 14 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as Texas A&M’s primary ball carrier last week after Le’Veon Moss sustained an ankle injury against Florida that sidelined him indefinitely.

Owens, who had touchdown runs of 12 and 14 yards in the second half against Arkansas, has 396 yards rushing and three touchdowns this season.

“He’s getting more and more comfortable with what we’re asking him to do in the run game with the run lines and the run angles,” Elko said. “You saw him have a big pickup in pass protection on Saturday. I just think he continues to develop every week and to be more of more of a complete back.”

REPORTS: TEXAS TECH TO START QB WILL HAMMOND VS. OK STATE

Backup quarterback Will Hammond will make his second straight start for No. 14 Texas Tech on Saturday against visiting Oklahoma State, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

Behren Morton still is recovering from a knee injury but would be available in an emergency role for the Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) against the Cowboys (1-6, 0-4), according to On3.

Hammond completed 22 of 37 passes for 167 yards with two touchdowns and an interception last Saturday as Texas Tech suffered its first loss of the season, 26-22, to Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. Hammond also led the team with 47 rushing yards and a score.

The Red Raiders are averaging 517.9 yards of offense per game, third in the nation, but were held to just 276 against the Sun Devils.

Morton originally hurt his knee in the Aug. 30 season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He aggravated the injury in the Oct. 11 win against Kansas.

For the season, Morton has completed 68.4% of his passes for 1,501 yards with 13 TDs and three interceptions in six starts. Hammond is at 63.8% for 578 yards with six scores and three picks in seven games.

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++++++++NFL NEWS++++++++

JUSTIN HERBERT (3 TDS), CHARGERS OVERWHELM SKIDDING VIKINGS

Justin Herbert threw three touchdowns and Kimani Vidal ran for 117 yards and his first career rushing touchdown as the Los Angeles Chargers pounded the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 on Thursday night in Inglewood, Calif.

The Chargers (5-3), who had lost three of their last four games, held a gaudy 419-164 yardage advantage and went the whole game without punting.

Herbert completed 18 of 25 passes for 227 yards with an interception. Ladd McConkey led the Chargers with six catches for 88 yards while Oronde Gadsden II had 77 yards on five receptions, both catching touchdowns.

Carson Wentz, making his fifth straight start in place of J.J. McCarthy, was 15-of-27 passing for 144 yards, a touchdown and a pick for Minnesota. He was sacked five times and hit eight times, with two sacks and three hits coming from Justin Eboigbe.

The Vikings (3-4) got running back Aaron Jones Sr. back off injured reserve, but managed just 34 rushing yards as a team and lost for the third time in four games.

The Chargers opened up a 24-3 lead after the opening second-half possession by scoring on four of their first five possessions. The only one they didn’t score was on a missed field goal by Cameron Dicker, his first of the season after a 15-for-15 start.

It appeared the Vikings scored first on a 17-yard Isaiah Rodgers interception that he returned for a touchdown four minutes into the game. However, it was ruled an incompletion after review.

Twelve plays later, the Chargers capped off a 14-play drive that took over half of the first quarter with an 8-yard touchdown from Herbert to Gadsden.

Los Angeles made it 14-0 on its next possession, with Vidal scoring from 3 yards out with 13:08 left in the first half. Vidal, stepping into a starting role with Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton back out, posted his second 100-yard performance in the last three games.

Minnesota got on the board on the ensuing possession with a 54-yard Will Reichard field goal, but the Chargers extended their lead shortly before half. A 27-yard scoring pass from Herbert to McConkey capped off a 94-yard drive to make it 21-3 at the half.

After Dicker hit a 43-yard field goal to extend the lead, the Vikings finally reached the end zone when Wentz found Jordan Addison for a 4-yard TD to cut the deficit to 24-10 with 4:36 left in the third.

Once again, the Chargers responded as Herbert threw his third touchdown, a 6-yarder to Tre Harris, with 12:42 left in regulation.

The Vikings have allowed eight touchdown passes the last three games after giving up just three in their first four games.

Dicker closed the scoring with two fourth-quarter field goals.

BEARS DEFENSE SHOULD BE PUT TO THE TEST BY DERRICK HENRY AND BALTIMORE’S RUNNING GAME

Chicago (4-2) at Baltimore (1-5)

Sunday 1 p.m. EDT, CBS.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 6 1/2.

Against the spread: Bears 4-2; Ravens 1-5.

Series record: Bears lead 4-3.

Last meeting: Ravens beat Bears 16-13 on Nov. 21, 2021, at Chicago.

Last week: Bears beat Saints 26-14; Ravens were off.

Bears offense: overall (12), rush (8), pass (14), scoring (10)

Bears defense: overall (25), rush (28), pass (17), scoring (25)

Ravens offense: overall (22), rush (10), pass (28), scoring (16)

Ravens defense: overall (30), rush (26), pass (28), scoring (32)

Turnover differential: Bears plus-11; Ravens minus-7.

Bears player to watch

QB Caleb Williams. The Bears need more from their quarterback after the running game and defense bailed him out last week. Williams had his worst game of the season, setting season lows for yards (172), completion rate (57.7 percent) and passer rating (61.7). It was a big step back after he helped Chicago squeeze out 25-24 wins at both Las Vegas and Washington.

Ravens player to watch

LB Roquan Smith. He transformed Baltimore’s defense when he was traded from Chicago to the Ravens in 2022. And when he missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, the middle of the defense was in rough shape. Smith was able to practice this week.

Key matchup

Chicago’s defense vs. Baltimore’s running game. Whether Lamar Jackson (hamstring) plays or not, he might not be at completely full strength, so look for the Ravens to try to get Derrick Henry going. Although the Bears have won four straight, their defense isn’t as strong as some of the other teams Baltimore has faced.

Key injuries

Bears: DT Grady Jarrett (knee) has missed the past three games. … CB Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) and TE Cole Kmet (back) left against New Orleans. … K Cairo Santos (right thigh) sat out the past two games, with Jake Moody filling in for him.

Ravens: With Jackson (hamstring) back, although limited, Baltimore had all its top players practice at some point this week.

Series notes

Four of the teams’ seven meetings have been decided by four points or fewer, including a pair of overtime games Chicago won in 2013 and 2017. … The Ravens won the most recent meeting four years ago, when Tyler Huntley played in place of Jackson.

Stats and stuff

The Bears have won four straight for the first time since the 2018 NFC North championship team closed the regular season on a four-game run. Chicago also won five straight late that season. … The Bears were 4-2 last season before going on a 10-game losing streak and firing former coach Matt Eberflus along the way. … Chicago leads the NFL with 16 takeaways — 15 in the past four games — and 11 interceptions. … The Bears rank sixth in the NFL with 454 penalty yards after getting flagged 19 times for 176 yards over the past two games. … Chicago is tied for 21st in red zone efficiency (50%) after scoring just two touchdowns on six trips inside the 20 last week. … Chicago had a season-best four sacks last week. … The Bears ran for by far a season high of 222 yards against New Orleans. … In the past two games, RB D’Andre Swift has delivered two of his best performances in two seasons with the Bears. He has run for 232 yards and a touchdown in that span to go with 81 yards receiving and a TD catch. … Baltimore is 14-3 in games immediately following its bye week under John Harbaugh. … The Ravens have an NFL-best four rushing touchdowns of at least 20 yards. … Baltimore’s Mark Andrews needs 74 yards receiving to become the team’s career leader. Derrick Mason holds the record with 5,777. … Henry needs 138 yards rushing to reach 12,000. … The Ravens have scored in 376 consecutive games, the NFL’s longest active streak without being shut out. But they managed only three points in their most recent game against the Los Angeles Rams. … Only four teams since the merger have made the playoffs after starting 1-5, which the Ravens are now trying to do. … Baltimore has lost 11 of its past 13 games when Jackson didn’t play. … Henry is tied with Walter Payton for fifth on the career list with 110 rushing touchdowns.

Fantasy tip

Henry has had some quiet games this season, but he surpassed 100 yards rushing against the Rams and seems like a good option for a productive day against this Chicago defense.

CAN THE COWBOYS BEAT THE BRONCOS AFTER SEVEN STRAIGHT LOSSES TO DENVER?

Dallas (3-3-1) at Denver (5-2)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Broncos by 3 1/2.

Against the spread: Dallas 4-3, Broncos 2-4-1.

Series record: Broncos lead 9-5.

Last meeting: Broncos beat Cowboys 30-16 on Nov. 7, 2021, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Last week: Cowboys beat Washington Commanders 44-22; Broncos beat New York Giants 33-32.

Cowboys offense: overall (1), rush (13), pass (2), scoring (2).

Cowboys defense: overall (32), rush (30), pass (32), scoring (32).

Broncos offense: overall (11), rush (6), pass (T-15), scoring (17).

Broncos defense: overall (3), rush (9), pass (6), scoring (4).

Turnover differential: Cowboys even, Broncos minus-2.

Cowboys player to watch

RB Javonte Williams faces the team that drafted him early in the second round four years ago and moved on from him two years after a knee injury that derailed a promising start. He is enjoying a resurgence under first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer, who is calling the offensive plays. Williams is second in the NFL with 592 yards rushing and tied for third with six rushing touchdowns entering Week 8.

Broncos player to watch

QB Bo Nix has been plagued by slow starts all season but he’s been money in the fourth quarter and never more so than last weekend when he became the first QB in NFL history with multiple touchdown throws and TD runs in a fourth quarter. His two TD throws and two TD runs helped Denver beat the Giants 33-32 after entering the fourth quarter down 19-0 and trailing 26-8 with just over five minutes remaining.

Key matchup

Williams vs. Denver’s run defense, which is one of the league’s best.

Key injuries

Cowboys: A steady flow of losing players to injuries early in the season continues to reverse itself. Center Cooper Beebe appears on track to return after missing five games with a foot injury. That’s after WR CeeDee Lamb and rookie RT Tyler Booker came back last week against Washington after each missed three games with a high ankle sprain. S Juanyeh Thomas, who was inactive against the Commanders because of symptoms from a migraine, was a limited participant in the first practice of the week. Same with DT Kenny Clark, who injured an elbow last week.

Broncos: Denver has a relatively healthy roster, although inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who had six tackles in 21 snaps last week in his Broncos debut after recovering from a quadriceps injury, was suspended for this game after berating an official after Sunday’s comeback against the Giants. … Pass rusher Jonah Elliss (shoulder) returned to practice this week and RT Mike McGlinchey was a full participant after injuring an ankle and foot Sunday against the Giants.

Series notes

The Cowboys have a seven-game losing streak against the Broncos, tied for the second longest in club history. A loss would tie the franchise’s worst skid, an eight-gamer against NFC East rival Philadelphia from 1987-91. The Cowboys haven’t beaten the Broncos since 1995. The Cowboys prevailed in the biggest game ever between the teams, beating Denver 27-17 in Super Bowl 12 following the 1977 season.

Stats and stuff

Dallas has four consecutive games with at least one takeaway and no turnovers, the longest such streak in club history. … The Cowboys are trying to get over .500 for the first time this season. … If Dak Prescott throws at least three touchdown passes without an interception, he will join Russell Wilson (Seattle, 2015) as the only QBs to do that in five consecutive games. … WR George Pickens and TE Jake Ferguson are tied with Rams WR Davante Adams for second in the NFL with six TD catches. Ferguson has a four-game TD streak, while Pickens just had a five-game scoring streak stopped. … Ferguson can join Jason Witten (2010) as the club’s only tight ends with five-game TD streaks. … Lamb has at least 100 yards receiving in all three full games he has played this season. He has had at least five catches in 14 consecutive road games. … K Brandon Aubrey set an NFL record last week with his fifth field goal of at least 60 yards (61). There’s plenty of talk about him and long kicks in his first game in Denver’s high altitude. One of Aubrey’s kicks is a 65-yarder, 1 yard shy of Justin Tucker’s NFL record. … CB DaRon Bland had his sixth career interception return for a touchdown against the Commanders. He’s halfway to Hall of Famer Rod Woodson’s NFL record. Bland’s first five came during the 2023 season, an NFL record. … The Broncos are coming off a 33-point fourth quarter and a 33-32 win over the New York Giants in one of the most improbable comebacks in league history. … Nix had two TD runs and two TD passes in the fourth quarter as Denver overcame a 19-0 deficit to start the fourth quarter and a 26-8 deficit with under six minutes remaining. … Nix joins Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes as the only QBs in the league with 40 TD throws and five TD runs since 2024. … The Broncos are 5-2 for the first time in nine seasons. … Denver has the league’s longest home winning streak at eight games. … The Broncos lead the league with 34 sacks. WT Marvin Mims Jr. had a season-high 85 receiving yards last week. … LB Nik Bonitto leads the AFC with eight sacks. … ILB Justin Strnad had his first career interception last week.

Fantasy tip

Javonte Williams returns to a familiar stadium Sunday. With seven total touchdowns, Williams joins Herschel Walker and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Hayes as the only players with that many in their first seven games with the Cowboys.

CHIEFS COULD BE WITHOUT STARTING LEFT SIDE OF OFFENSIVE LINE AGAINST THE COMMANDERS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs could be without the starting left side of their offensive line when they play the Washington Commanders on Monday night, with left guard Trey Smith dealing with back spasms and tackle Josh Simmons handling a family issue.

Smith began having trouble during last week’s win over the Raiders, forcing Mike Caliendo into the lineup. It appears that the veteran backup will start against Washington, which has the league’s 27th-ranked defense and is 25th against the pass this season.

“We’ve always looked at Mike as a starter. I think all the guys do,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said Thursday. “Everybody has confidence when he comes in, we can pick up and go. That’s how I feel about him, speaking for the gang here.”

Smith has emerged as one of the premier guards in the NFL, and the Chiefs paid him that way this past offseason, giving him a four-year, $94 million extension in July. Caliendo started three games and appeared in all 17 last season.

Simmons has been absent since shortly before the Chiefs’ win over the Lions a couple of weeks ago. Jaylon Moore, who signed a two-year, $30 million contract in free agency, stepped into the lineup on short notice and played admirably, despite getting very little sleep — his wife, Sidney, had given birth to a daughter, Selah, the night before the game.

Moore also played last week against Las Vegas, helping the Kansas City offense roll in a 31-0 rout.

“He’s done a great job. He’s been ready. He comes to work every single day,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.

It remains unclear when Simmons, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick, will be back with the team. They are off next week, and the fact that they have not placed him on the non-football injury list means there is hope that Simmons returns sooner than later.

“My update for you with Josh would just be there’s communication,” Reid said. “I’m not going to get into all of it. Everything is positive. It’s not a negative situation. He’s taking care of family.”

In other injury news, Reid said running back Kareem Hunt would miss practice Thursday because of a bruised bone on his knee. Hunt has been especially good in short-yardage situations this season, and his absence would leave the Chiefs with Isiah Pacheco and rookie Brashard Smith in the backfield against the Commanders.

Smith carried 14 times for 39 yards against the Raiders. Most of that work came in the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs were trying to run out the clock, and Las Vegas was stacking the line of scrimmage because of it.

“He’s done a nice job of picking it up. That position, you have to know the pass game, the run game, and then you have to have the protections,” Reid said. “As many protections as we have, he has hung right in there and done a good job. We’ve been able to give him a little bit more each week. We’re moving him all over the place. I wouldn’t see that part changing.”

REPORT: VIKINGS TO ACTIVATE RB AARON JONES OFF IR

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is expected to be activated from injured reserve prior to the team’s game against the host Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, ESPN reported.

Jones is listed as questionable to play on Thursday after missing the Vikings’ last four games due to a hamstring injury.

Jones, 30, had 13 carries for 46 yards and three receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown in two games this season. He was injured in Minnesota’s 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 14.

Jordan Mason, 26, has fared well in his absence, rushing for 282 yards and four touchdowns over the last four games.

Jones started all 17 regular-season games in his first season in Minnesota in 2024 and rushed 255 times for 1,138 yards – both career highs — and five TDs. He also caught 51 passes for 408 yards and two scores.

A Pro Bowl selection in 2020, Jones has rushed for 7,124 yards and 50 TDs and caught 326 passes for 2,528 yards and 21 scores in 116 regular-season games (104 starts) for the Green Bay Packers (2017-23) and Vikings. He has 559 rushing yards and seven TDs, and 214 receiving yards and one score in eight playoff games (all starts).

Jones was selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of UTEP.

PATRIOTS LOOK TO EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 5 AGAINST STRUGGLING BROWNS

Cleveland (2-5) at New England (5-2)

Sunday 1 p.m. EDT, FOX

BetMGM NFL Odds: Patriots by 7

Against the spread: Browns 3-4; Patriots 5-2.

Series record: Patriots lead 14-13

Last meeting: Patriots beat Browns 38-15 in Cleveland on Oct. 16, 2022.

Last week: Browns beat Miami 31-6 at home. Patriots beat Tennessee 31-13 on the road.

Browns offense: overall (30), rush (28), pass (30), scoring (30).

Browns defense: overall (1), rush (4), pass (3), scoring (13t).

Patriots offense: overall (15), rush (21t), pass (8), scoring (8).

Patriots defense: overall (10), rush (2), pass (24), scoring (5).

Turnover differential: Patriots plus-2; Browns even.

Browns player to watch

RB Quinshon Judkins is leading NFL rookies with 467 rushing yards and has four carries of at least 30 yards. The second-round pick also has at least 70 scrimmage yards in five of the six games he has played. He scored three touchdowns last week against Miami, making him the first Browns rookie to accomplish that since Travis Prentice in 2000. Judkins is averaging 4.1 yards after contact per carry, which is third among players with at least 50 carries. He will be facing a Patriots defense that is allowing only 2.5 yards after contact per carry on designed runs, third fewest in the league.

Patriots player to watch

QB Drake Maye has at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of at least 100 in each of his past six starts. If he does it again this week, Maye would become the second player under the age of 24 and fifth player in NFL history to have at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-plus in seven consecutive games. He would join Aaron Rodgers (12 consecutive games in 2011 and eight in 2020), Tom Brady (eight in 2007), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (eight in 2004) and Patrick Mahomes (seven in 2018 at age 23).

Key matchup

Browns DE Myles Garrett vs. Patriots LT Will Campbell. Campbell, a rookie selected fourth overall in April’s draft, is projected to line up opposite Garrett, who has been aligned on the right edge on 82.9% of his snaps according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Garrett has generated 13 quick pressures (allowed in under 2.5 seconds), tied for fifth most in NFL. Campbell has allowed a team-high 27 pressures on 253 pass blocks. Of those, 11 have been quick pressures.

Key injuries

Browns: OT Jack Conklin should return after being inactive last week because of a concussion. … DT Adin Huntington (concussion) and WR Jerry Jeudy (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. … TE David Njoku remains day to day after missing last week’s game with a knee injury.

Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (ankle), WR Stefon Diggs (chest) and DT Khyiris Tonga (knee) were all limited in Wednesday’s practice. RT Morgan Moses and DT Christian Barmore also were limited for non-injury related reasons.

Series notes

New England has won five straight and 10 of the past 12 since 1999. The Browns haven’t won in five trips to the Patriots’ current home since it opened in 2002 and have a seven-game skid in Foxborough.

Stats and stuff

New England coach Mike Vrabel was on Cleveland’s staff last season as a coaching and personnel consultant. … Cleveland has an 11-game road losing streak and has not won away from home since Week 2 of last season against Jacksonville. … QB Dillon Gabriel is the sixth quarterback in the Super Bowl era with at least 100 pass attempts and no interceptions in his first three starts. … TE Harold Fannin is the team’s leading receiver with 32 catches and is second among NFL rookies in receptions and yards (290). … TE David Njoku needs 5 yards to reach 4,000. … G Joel Bitonio has started 168 games, the most by a Cleveland player since the team returned in 1999. … The Browns have not allowed a 300-yard passer in 35 straight games, the longest active streak in the league. … DE Myles Garrett is tied for the second in the league with 10 tackles for loss. … LB Carson Schwesinger’s 55 tackles lead NFL rookies. … CB Denzel Ward is one of three active players with 100 passes defensed. … CB Tyson Campbell had an interception return for a touchdown last week and is tied for second in the league with 10 passes defensed. … The Patriots enter on a four-game win streak. A fifth straight victory would their longest since winning seven in a row during the 2021 season. … New England is second in the NFL against the run, allowing 77.1 rushing yards per game. … The Patriots are the only team in the NFL this season to not alllow 50 yards to a running back through the first seven games. The longest such streak since the 1970 merger is 10 games by Tampa Bay in 2020. Tennessee had a streak of eight games in 2021. … Diggs enters the game with 896 receptions and needs four more to become the 29th player in NFL history 900 for his career. He is fifth among all active players in receptions, behind Travis Kelce (1,035), Keenan Allen (1,018), DeAndre Hopkins (993) and Devante Adams (988).

Fantasy tip

Thought he’s facing a test from the Browns secondary, start Maye if you have him. He has thrown for at least two touchdown passes in five games this season, including five TDs over the past two games.

EAGLES FACE GIANTS AGAIN, LOOKING TO GET EVEN FOR WEEK 6 LOSS

New York Giants (2-5) at Philadelphia (5-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m., EDT, Fox

BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 7 1/2

Against the Spread: Giants 4-3; Eagles 4-3

Series record: Eagles lead 93-88-2

Last meeting: Giants defeated the Eagles 34-17 in Week 6 at home

Last week: Giants lost to Broncos 33-32; Eagles beat Vikings 28-22.

Giants offense: overall (17), rush (11), pass (18), scoring (T-18).

Giants defense: overall (29), rush (25), pass (26), scoring (23).

Eagles offense: overall (26), rush (30), pass (22), scoring (14).

Eagles defense: overall (23), rush (22), pass (19), scoring (20).

Turnover differential: Giants minus-4; Eagles plus-4.

Giants player to watch

QB Jaxson Dart. The rookie has been electrifying at times, including when he threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the Giants’ Week 6 win over Philadelphia. In four starts, Dart is 71 of 118 for 791 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions, including a costly one in the collapse at Denver.

Eagles player to watch

DE Brandon Graham. A fan favorite, Graham came out of retirement this week to help the Eagles’ banged-up pass rush. A first-round pick in 2010, Graham is third in club history with 76 1/2 sacks. The 37-year-old, who has played his entire career of 206 games with the Eagles, also brings intangibles to the club with his infectious positive attitude.

Key matchup

Eagles defense vs. Giants rookie RB Cam Skattebo. Skattebo dominated the Eagles in Week 6, racking up a career-high 98 yards on 19 rushes and three TDs. His 587 scrimmage yards tops all rookies. Philadelphia’s defensive line is banged up because of injuries and retirement, as Nolan Smith Jr. and Ogbo Okoronkwo are on injured reserve and Za’Darius Smith unexpectedly retired prior to last week’s game against Minnesota. Graham could help provide some depth up front if he is active. The Eagles are allowing 127.9 yards on the ground per game, ranking 22nd in the NFL.

Key injuries

Giants: S Jevon Holland (knee) left early in last week’s loss to Denver, and LB Brian Burns (hip) was seen limping off the field but has said he would play. Neither Holland nor Burns practiced on Wednesday. CB Paulson Adebo (knee) and LB Chauncey Golston (neck) also sat out Wednesday’s session. K Graham Gano (groin) returned to practice on Wednesday after getting injured in Week 3. Coach Brian Daboll said on Wednesday that Gano would kick versus the Eagles if healthy.

Eagles: Cam Jurgens (knee), Adoree’ Jackson (concussion), LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (concussion) and LB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring)all were injured in last week’s win at Minnesota and sat out Wednesday’s practice. WR A.J. Brown (hamstring) also was sidelined for Wednesday’s practice.

Series notes

The rivals will be meeting for the 184th time in a series that began with a 56-0 New York victory on Oct. 15, 1933. … Philadelphia had won six of seven meetings until losing at the Meadowlands earlier this month. … Eagles RB Saquon Barkley is playing the Giants at his new home stadium for the first time. He sat out the regular-season finale in 2024 to rest for the playoffs.

Stats and stuff

After a historic, fourth-quarter meltdown against the Broncos last week when they blew a 26-8 lead with less than six minutes remaining before losing 33-32, the Giants released K Jude McAtamney. He missed a pair of extra points, including one in the fourth quarter. … WR Wan’Dale Robinson had six catches for 84 yards and a TD against the Eagles in Week 6 and tops the Giants with 446 yards receiving. … Burns is tied for the league lead in sacks with nine. … CB Cor’Dale Flott picked off Eagles QB Jalen Hurts on Oct. 9. … Barkley ran for more than 2,000 yards last season but has yet to get on track. The former Giants standout has rushed for 369 yards on 113 carries, an average of 3.3 yards a carry, after gaining 44 yards on 18 carries against Minnesota. … The Eagles are 30th in rushing offense, averaging 88.1 yards. … Philadelphia is 28-6 at home since 2022, which is tied for Kansas City for the second-best winning rate over that time span. … Philadelphia heads into its bye week after the Giants game, followed by a Monday night game at the Packers on Nov. 10. … Hurts became the third player in franchise history to finish with a perfect passer rating in a game, with a 158.3 last week against Minnesota to join Donovan McNabb (2007) and Nick Foles (2013) as the only Eagles QBs to reach a perfect mark. Hurts has 16 total touchdowns, 11 of which have come through the air.

Fantasy tip

DeVonta Smith had a career-high 183 receiving yards against the Vikings, including a 79-yard scoring strike, and leads the Eagles with 504 yards receiving this season. He’ll be going against one of the league’s worst defenses, which allows 376.0 yards per game, including 245.3 passing.

CHIEFS LOOK TO EXTEND DOMINANCE OVER COMMANDERS AS MARIOTA STEPS IN FOR INJURED DANIELS

Washington (3-4) at Kansas City (4-3)

Monday 8:15 p.m. EDT, ABC/ESPN.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 12 1/2.

Against the spread: Commanders 3-4; Chiefs 4-3.

Series record: Chiefs lead 10-1.

Last meeting: Chiefs beat Commanders 31-13 on Oct. 17, 2021, in Washington.

Last week: Commanders lost to Cowboys 44-22; Chiefs beat Raiders 31-0.

Commanders offense: overall (13), rush (21), pass (25), scoring (9)

Commanders defense: overall (27), rush (10), pass (25), scoring (21)

Chiefs offense: overall (5), rush (12), pass (6), scoring (6)

Chiefs defense: overall (5), rush (15), pass (4), scoring (3)

Turnover differential: Commanders minus-5; Chiefs plus-5.

Commanders player to watch

QB Jayden Daniels is dealing with a hamstring injury that he sustained last week against Dallas, which means Marcus Mariota is in line to start. He just 4 of 10 for 63 yards with an interception while getting sacked twice once he entered the game against the Cowboys. Mariota is 1-2 in three career games against Kansas City.

Chiefs player to watch

WR Rashee Rice had a big return last week from his six-game suspension, and the season-ending ACL injury he sustained last year. He caught a team-best seven passes for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a rout of the Raiders.

Key matchup

The Washington defensive line against the Kansas City offensive line. The Chiefs are dealing with injuries and absences up front, and the Commanders need to take advantage of it. If they can’t produce pressure on QB Patrick Mahomes, they could be in for a similarly long day to Las Vegas experienced a week ago.

Key injuries

Commanders: Daniels left last week’s loss in the third quarter with an injured right hamstring, and an MRI exam showed it was nothing significant and shouldn’t be a long-term issue. Also unclear early in the week was whether injured WRs Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) or Deebo Samuel (heel) will play Monday night. DE Dorance Armstrong, who leads the team with 5 1/2 sacks, is out for the season after hurting his knee against Dallas. He’s the third Commanders defensive end to go on IR in 2025.

Chiefs: RB Kareem Hunt missed practice early in the week with a bone bruise on his knee. LG Trey Smith is unlikely to play against the Commanders after leaving last week’s game against Las Vegas with back spasms.

Series notes

The Chiefs have won the past eight games with Washington and 10 of 11 overall. Their only loss came on Sept. 18, 1983, when the then-Redskins beat them in Washington. The now-Commanders have lost all four of their games at Arrowhead Stadium along with a 1971 matchup at old Municipal Stadium in Kansas City.

Stats and stuff

Washington is 1-3 in road games. … Daniels’ streak of at least 200 yards passing and one touchdown throw in his first four games this season ended against Dallas. When he left with an injured hamstring in the third quarter, Daniels was 12 for 22 for 156 yards with one TD. He also ran for a score. … Washington has just three takeaways this season; the Jets are the only club to create fewer with one. … After turning the ball over three times through Week 5, Washington has committed five turnovers in its past two games: three fumbles and two interceptions. … DL Daron Payne and DE Jacob Martin combined last week to get Washington’s first safety since Payne had one against Philadelphia in 2022. … Also against Dallas, Payne became the first NFL defensive lineman with three or more passes defended in a game’s opening half since 2012. … WR Robbie Chosen, signed off the practice squad last week because of all of the injuries at his position, had four catches for 36 yards. He hadn’t caught an NFL pass, or even appeared in an NFL game, since September 2024 with Miami. … Zach Ertz’s four TD catches are tied for the second most by a tight end this season. … WR Luke McCaffrey’s 209 kickoff return yards — on eight returns — in Week 7 were the third most in a game in Washington history. … Kansas City has won three of its past four games. … The Chiefs are coming off a 31-0 win over the Raiders, their first shutout since Oct. 23, 2011, also against the Raiders. … Andy Reid and Mahomes have 93 wins, the most by a coach-QB duo in Chiefs history. Hank Stram and Len Dawson had 92 together. … Kansas City has scored at least 28 points in four consecutive games. … Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has caught a pass in 181 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL. … WR Tyquan Thornton has six catches of at least 25 yards, tied for fourth most in the NFL this season.

Fantasy tip

It is hard to parse out who in the Kansas City wide receiver group to start each week, given there is only one ball to go around. Rice had two TD receptions last week and is a good choice to score at least once every game because of the way he operates in short-yardage situations. Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown are capable of big downfield plays, but they have less dependable touchdown upside. Travis Kelce remains a must-start tight end.

TERRY MCLAURIN AND DEEBO SAMUEL RETURN TO PRACTICE FOR THE COMMANDERS

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel returned to practice for the Washington Commanders on Thursday, but coach Dan Quinn confirmed that quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

McLaurin sat out the past four games after hurting his quadriceps muscle on a catch in Week 3, while Samuel missed Sunday’s 44-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys with a heel problem that had bothered him for a while but hadn’t prevented him from playing until now.

Until this prolonged absence, McLaurin had appeared in 72 consecutive regular-season games for the Commanders; he hadn’t missed one since late in the 2020 season. McLaurin, who turned 30 in September, has topped 1,000 yards receiving for each of the past five seasons. Last season, he accumulated 87 catches for 1,096 yards with 13 TDs and added another three scores in the postseason.

He missed training camp in 2025 while negotiating a new deal and eventually signed a three-year extension worth up to $96 million. McLaurin has 10 catches for 149 yards and no touchdowns this season.

In Samuel’s first year with Washington, he leads the club with 34 catches and 315 yards receiving. He has caught three TD passes and run for another score.

With both of them sidelined, and Noah Brown on injured reserve with groin and knee issues, Daniels was without his three top wideouts against Dallas.

Daniels then hurt his right hamstring and left the game in the third quarter, replaced by Marcus Mariota. While Quinn said after an MRI exam on Monday that Daniels’ injury was not significant and would not keep him out for the long term, the coach wasn’t sure at the time whether last season’s AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year would be available to play at Kansas City on Monday night.

With Daniels now set to sit out a third game this season — he was dealing with a bad left knee earlier — Mariota will get the start again. Washington went 1-1 in Mariota’s earlier two starts.

Quinn said he wanted Daniels to be able to focus on rehabilitating the hamstring and not to worry about spending any time at practice this week, with the goal of being ready to return to action in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks. After that, Washington faces the Detroit Lions.

The Commanders are 3-4 and have lost two games in a row. The Chiefs are 4-3.

HOUSTON’S RYANS FACES FORMER BOSS SAN FRANCISCO’S SHANAHAN FOR 1ST TIME WHEN TEXANS HOST NINERS

San Francisco (5-2) at Houston (2-4)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FOX.

BetMGM line: 49ers by 1 ½.

Against the spread: 49ers 4-3, Texans 2-4.

Series record: 49ers lead 4-1.

Last meeting: 49ers beat Texans 23-7 on Jan. 2, 2022, in California.

Last week: 49ers beat Falcons 20-10; Texans lost to Seahawks 27-19.

49ers offense: overall (6), rush (25), pass (1), scoring (T23)

49ers defense: overall (14), rush (13), pass (18), scoring (7)

Texans offense: overall (23), rush (18), pass (23), scoring (21)

Texans defense: overall (4), rush (10), pass (5), scoring (1)

Turnover differential: 49ers minus-5; Texans plus-4

49ers player to watch

RB Christian McCaffrey had 201 yards from scrimmage last week and leads the NFL with 981 yards from scrimmage on the season entering Week 8. He has had at least 100 in every game and can be the first RB to do that in the first eight games of a season since David Johnson in 2016. McCaffrey has 465 yards rushing and 515 yards receiving this season. The only other player with at least 450 of each in the first seven games of a season was Marshall Faulk in 2000, when he went on to win AP MVP.

Texans player to watch

DE Will Anderson had five tackles and a strip-sack that he pounced on for a touchdown against the Seahawks. The third-year player, who won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, has 33 tackles for losses in 35 games and has 5 ½ sacks combined in his past six home games.

Key matchup

Houston’s pass defense against Mac Jones and San Francisco’s top-ranked passing game. The Texans rank fifth in the NFL by allowing just 179 yards passing a game and their seven interceptions are tied for sixth entering Week 8. Jones, who will likely start again Sunday with Brock Purdy still dealing with an injury, has been strong in five games filling in for him to help the 49ers average an NFL-best 271.3 yards passing a game. Jones has won four of his five starts this season, but he has thrown three interceptions with no touchdowns in the past two games combined.

Key injuries

49ers: Purdy (toe) could miss his fourth straight game and sixth this season. … WR Ricky Pearsall (knee), DE Bryce Huff (hamstring), C Jake Brendel (hamstring) and DL Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) all could be out this week. … CB Deommodore Lenoir (quadriceps) is questionable this week.

Texans: Star receiver Nico Collins could miss the game after sustaining a concussion Monday night. … WR Christian Kirk’s status is uncertain after he missed Monday’s game with a hamstring injury.

Series notes

San Francisco has won the past three games in the series. … Houston’s only win in the series came in a 24-21 victory in 2009. … The first game in the series came on Jan. 1, 2006, when the 49ers got a 20-17 win in overtime.

Stats and stuff

Houston coach DeMeco Ryans worked as an assistant on San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan’s staff from 2017-22. … San Francisco had a season-high 174 yards rushing last week after being held to fewer than 85 in each of the previous five games. … Jones leads the NFL with 280.8 yards passing per game. … TE George Kittle had no catches last week in his return from a hamstring injury, marking his first time without a reception in 127 games in the regular season and playoffs. … McCaffrey leads the NFL with 52 first downs rushing and receiving. … K Eddy Pineiro is 17 for 17 on FGs for the most consecutive makes to begin a career with the 49ers. … San Francisco has an NFL-record 14 straight games without intercepting a pass, covering 442 straight attempts. … Texans QB C.J. Stroud has thrown three touchdown passes without an interception in two home games this season. He has had at least one touchdown pass in 18 of his 19 home games. … Rookie RB Woody Marks had his second career touchdown reception last week. … Rookie WR Jaylin Noel had a season-high 77 yards receiving last week. … TE Dalton Schultz led the team with nine receptions for a season-high 98 yards last week. He had a touchdown reception in his only career game against San Francisco in 2020 while with the Cowboys. … DE Danielle Hunter has had two sacks in both home games this season and has 12 sacks and 15 tackles for losses in 10 home games with the Texans since last season. … DE Denico Autry had a sack in his season debut last week. … LB Azeez Al-Shaair had 191 tackles, including 11 tackles for losses from 2019-22 with San Francisco. … CB Derek Stingley Jr. had an interception last week. He has 22 passes defensed and nine interceptions in 20 home games. … CB Kamari Lassiter set career highs with 10 tackles and three tackles for losses last week. … S Jalen Pitre, who leads the Texans with three interceptions, had a season-high nine tackles against Seattle. … S Calen Bullock had his first interception of the season on Monday night.

Fantasy tip

McCaffrey is always a good fantasy bet with his ability to rack up points in both the run and pass game.

AARON RODGERS WILL TAKE ON HIS FORMER TEAM FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN THE STEELERS HOST THE PACKERS

Green Bay (4-1-1) at Pittsburgh (4-2)

Sunday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, NBC

BetMGM line: Packers by 3.

Against the spread: Packers 2-4; Steelers 3-3

Series record: Packers lead 20-17.

Last meeting: Steelers beat Packers 23-19 on Nov. 12, 2023.

Last week: Packers beat Cardinals 27-23; Steelers lost to Bengals 33-31.

Packers offense: overall (14), rush (15), pass (12), scoring (7)

Packers defense: overall (6), rush (2), pass (15), scoring (10)

Steelers offense: overall (25), rush (26), pass (19), scoring (11)

Steelers defense: overall (19), rush (17), pass (31), scoring (28)

Turnover differential: Packers even. Steelers plus-5.

Packers player to watch

Aaron Rodgers’ first matchup with the Packers after winning four MVPs and a Super Bowl title in Green Bay naturally will put a spotlight on QB Jordan Love, the guy who was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft to eventually take over for him. After waiting behind Rodgers for three years, Love has led Green Bay to playoff berths in each of his first two seasons as the Packers’ starting quarterback. He has completed 69.3% of his passes for 1,438 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions this season.

Steelers player to watch

QB Aaron Rodgers. He spent his first 18 seasons in Green Bay, where he won four MVP awards and led the Packers to their fourth Super Bowl title before making way for current Green Bay starter Jordan Love. The 41-year-old Rodgers is hardly playing like someone in his 21st season in the league. He has 14 touchdown passes through six games, putting him on pace to break Pittsburgh’s single-season touchdown pass mark of 34 set by Ben Roethlisberger in 2018.

Key matchup

Steelers LT Broderick Jones against Packers DE Micah Parsons. Jones, in his first season as the full-time left tackle, took a significant step forward in his development a couple of weeks ago when he helped hold Cleveland star Myles Garrett without a sack. The challenge may be even tougher against Parsons, who appears to be finding his groove after being traded to Green Bay from Dallas on the eve of the regular season. Parsons sacked Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett three times last week in the Packers’ comeback victory.

Key injuries

Packers: DT Devonte Wyatt (knee) and K Brandon McManus (quadriceps) have missed two straight games. DE Lukas Van Ness (foot) didn’t play against Arizona. WR Christian Watson is practicing again as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but he still hasn’t made his season debut. WR Jayden Reed (foot/shoulder) will miss a fifth straight game.

Steelers: WR Calvin Austin III is expected to return after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. S Miles Killebrew, Pittsburgh’s longtime special teams captain, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered in a victory over Cleveland on Oct. 12.

Series notes

The Packers are seeking to win at Pittsburgh for the first time since a 20-12 triumph way back in 1970. The Packers have lost in each of their past six visits to Pittsburgh (in 1980, 1986, 1998, 2009, 2017 and 2023). Green Bay’s road losing streak in this series doesn’t include the Packers’ 31-25 neutral site Super Bowl victory over the Steelers on Feb. 6, 2011, at Arlington, Texas. Rodgers was Green Bay’s quarterback in that game. … The previous time these two teams meet, Jaylen Warren rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers won 23-19 in Pittsburgh. Love threw for 289 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in that game. … The Steelers have won three of their past four and six of their past eight overall matchups with the Packers.

Stats and stuff

The Packers are unbeaten in their past three games and can strengthen their tenuous hold on first place in the NFC North with a victory. The Steelers are atop the AFC North but are smarting after being lit up by Joe Flacco and Cincinnati in a prime-time loss to the Bengals. … Love has a 121.1 passer rating in Sunday night games. The only quarterback who has a better career Sunday night passer rating with at least 100 pass attempts since 2000 is Drew Brees. … The Packers are 20-10 against AFC teams during Matt LaFleur’s coaching tenure. The only NFC team with a better record against AFC teams during that stretch is Seattle (21-10). … The Packers are averaging an NFL-leading 5.82 yards per pass attempt. That represents Green Bay’s highest average through the first six games of a season since 2000. … The Packers are coming off a six-sack performance at Arizona. … RB Josh Jacobs has scored two touchdowns in three straight games. He’s the first Packer to have multiple touchdown runs in three straight games within the same season since Jim Taylor did it in 1961. Jacobs has eight touchdown runs this season to rank second in the NFL entering Week 8 to Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, who has 10. … Parsons and Packers DE Rashan Gary each have 5 1/2 sacks this season, putting them in a tie for sixth place in the NFL entering Week 8. The only other teammates who each have at least five sacks this season are Denver’s Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. … According to Next Gen Stats, Parsons has an NFL-leading 41 quarterback pressures entering Week 8. … Packers CB Keisean Nixon has 10 passes defensed, putting him in a tie for second in the league to Cincinnati’s D.J. Turner (13). … Packers K Lucas Havrisik kicked the longest field goal in franchise history — a 61-yarder — while filling in for the injured McManus against Arizona. Havrisik is 3 of 3 on field-goal attempts in the two games he has played this season. … As bad as the Steelers have been in road games on Thursdays, where they have dropped 10 of 11, they’ve been nearly as good at home on Sunday nights. Pittsburgh is 56-20 at home on Sunday nights, and its .757 winning percentage under the lights is best in the NFL since the AFL-NFL merger. … The Steelers have also been solid the week following a Thursday night appearance. Pittsburgh is 19-10 on nine days’ rest, including a pair of home wins against the Packers in 2017 and 2023. … Pittsburgh will be wearing throwback jerseys meant to evoke the club’s inaugural team in 1933. The Steelers will don gold helmets and jerseys replete with black stripes and a patch featuring Pittsburgh’s city crest. The Steelers are 24-8 when wearing alternate uniforms since 2007. … Rodgers can become the fifth quarterback to beat all 32 NFL teams with a victory, joining Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. … Steelers RB Jaylen Warren is coming off a season-high 127 yards rushing but could find the going more difficult against the NFL’s second-ranked run defense. … Longtime Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward will play in his 218th regular-season game, moving past Hines Ward and into third place on the club’s career list behind Ben Roethlisberger (249) and Hall of Fame center Mike Webster (220).

Fantasy tip

There’s a decent chance that Rodgers will borrow a page from his Favre, who had his own “revenge game” against the Packers in 2009 when he was playing for Minnesota. Favre threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns in a Vikings win. Rodgers could very well do the same against a Packers defense that has produced just two interceptions through six games.

LOSING MIKE EVANS THE PLAYER AND THE LEADER IS A CRUSHING BLOW FOR THE BUCCANEERS

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The image of Mike Evans down on the turf, knocked out and motionless was jarring for teammates, coaches and fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

His impressive streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons is going to end because of the broken clavicle he sustained Monday night in a loss at Detroit.

Evans also got a concussion on the same play, trying to make a leaping grab like the ones he’s made throughout a remarkable career.

Rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka knelt over Evans in prayer. Others did the same on the field, on their couches at home, wherever they were watching the game.

Once the severity of Evans’ injury became known, it was clear he would not extend his unprecedented streak. No other player has started their career with 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards receiving. Only Jerry Rice had 11 straight at any point.

But the biggest concern, of course, is for Evans the person. He’s beloved in the locker room and community.

“When any one of the guys goes down, it’s a problem. The fact that it’s such a decorated guy, there’s more to it, but he would tell you the same — we all feel the same way when somebody goes down,” coach Todd Bowles said. “It’s crushing considering what he’s done for the team, what he’s done for the league, what he’s done, period. That’s hard to swallow when you see somebody that works that hard and goes through all that and has all those accolades go down when he just came back. That was just part of it.”

Evans is a four-time NFL Walter Payton Man of The Year nominee for the work he does along with his wife, Ashli, through their foundation, which empowers youth, encourages education and stands against domestic violence.

Fans immediately began donating to the Mike Evans Family Foundation after the game. More than 800 people gave $16,000 in the 36 hours after he got hurt.

“He does everything,” Bowles said. “He does a lot for this city.”

It’s been difficult for Evans to process the latest setback, but the team hopes he can recover to return for a playoff run. The Buccaneers are 5-2 and going for a fifth straight NFC South title.

“The combination of things between the (clavicle) and the head, he is going through it a little bit right now, but he will be all right,” Baker Mayfield said. “He is as tough as they come, especially mentally. He is made for it, but we know it is a long season. He is going to heal up and hopefully be there for the end of the year and playoff push.”

Evans missed three games with a hamstring injury before returning to play against the Lions. The 32-year-old, six-time Pro Bowl pick is a leader among a talented receiving corps that’s been decimated by injuries. Veteran Chris Godwin returned in Week 4 after missing 11 months following ankle surgery only to go down with a fibula injury after playing two games. Jalen McMillan hasn’t played since the preseason because of a neck injury.

“We are going to have to find ways to fill the shoes that (he left),” Mayfield said. “It takes everybody at that point because it is Mike Evans.”

Egbuka, who is dealing with a hamstring injury of his own, is having a spectacular rookie season. He leads all rookie receivers in receiving yards (527), receiving touchdowns (five) and receptions (31). Tez Johnson, a seventh-round draft pick, has scored a touchdown in consecutive games. Kameron Johnson’s first NFL catch was a TD two weeks ago. Veteran Sterling Shepard is clutch. Ryan Miller had a TD reception in Week 2.

“Devastated to see Mike go down,” Tez Johnson said. “He is a leader in the room. We know we are all going to stand behind him, praying for him and his family during this time because this is a hard time for him. He had a lot at stake for this season and a lot that he wanted to accomplish. As his teammates, we are going to continue lift him up and move forward and just play, keeping him in mind every time.”

Evans is scheduled to become a free agent after the season and he had talked about the possibility of retirement before his injury. Now, his future is uncertain except for a bronze bust and gold jacket from the Pro Football Hall of Fame down the road.

49ERS REDISCOVER OFFENSIVE IDENTITY WITH DOMINANT GROUND GAME

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers finally got back to their offensive identity.

A team that built its success on a strong running game had been forced into becoming one of the most pass-reliant teams for much of the first six weeks as Christian McCaffrey and the ground attack struggled to get going.

That’s what made the victory last week over Atlanta so gratifying as the Niners (5-2) ran the ball 39 times and gained 174 yards on the ground in a 20-10 win that looked far more typical.

Now the task will be repeating that formula in the coming weeks, starting with a game Sunday against the Houston Texans.

“When it comes to establishing your identity, you have to do that every week,” McCaffrey said Wednesday. “It’s not something where you just have it and you’re good to go the rest of the year. It’s a mindset that has to happen all the time.”

That mindset hadn’t been producing results on the ground for the first six games.

McCaffrey averaged only 3.1 yards per carry in that span — more than 2 yards below his average in 2023 when he won AP Offensive Player of the Year — and the Niners ranked last in the league in yards per carry (3.1) and third worst in yards rushing per game (82.2).

That led to some talk about whether the 29-year-old McCaffrey had lost a step and would ever get back to that 2023 form after an injury riddled 2024 campaign.

“The talk doesn’t make me upset,” he said. “I get it. I’m equally frustrated. I don’t want to have whatever the yards per carry are. I want to be able to score every time I touch it. Trust me, whenever things don’t go well, nobody’s more frustrated than me. I might not always show it, but I’m my biggest critic and slow to compliment myself.”

There was plenty to praise from the win over the Falcons as the run blocking was much better thanks in part to the return of tight end George Kittle and McCaffrey was delivering the big plays that had been lacking.

He has seven carries of at least 10 yards — one more than his total from the first six games combined — and 129 yards overall on the ground for his biggest output since he had 145 against Seattle in Week 14 of the 2023 season.

“When we’re not running the ball well, no one’s happy around here, especially Christian,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Getting back to that form was important to Shanahan, even through the team had won four of the first six games thanks in part to a passing attack that led the league in yards.

Repeating that the rest of the season will be important is the Niners are going to have success.

“That’s always the best way to do it to me, just running it down someone’s throat and controlling it on the other side,” Shanahan said. “But, you definitely to win consistently, you have to be able to beat people that way. That was the first time we did it this year, which I think was a good feeling for us because if you can’t win that way, it’s a matter of time before it catches up with you.”

________________________________________________________________

+++++++++NHL NEWS+++++++++

NHL ROUNDUP: SHARKS TOP RANGERS IN OT TO POST FIRST WIN

Will Smith scored 1:38 into overtime as the San Jose Sharks ended their season-opening six-game losing streak with a wild 6-5 victory over the host New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Macklin Celebrini recorded his second career hat trick and also assisted on both of Smith’s goals, tying his career high with a five-point night. Adam Gaudette also scored on a wide-open look in front of the net 1:58 into the contest for the Sharks, who were 0-4-2 in the losing streak.

Taylor Raddysh notched his second career hat trick, but it was not enough as the Rangers dropped to 0-4-1 at home this season. Mika Zibanejad and Juuso Parssinen also scored for the Rangers, who lost for the fifth time in six games and fell to 11-0-3 in their past 14 meetings with the Sharks.

New York matched a team record by losing its first five home games of the season. The Rangers also lost their first five home contests of the 1943-44 season.

Blackhawks 3, Lightning 2

Ryan Donato scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 54 seconds left, and visiting Chicago finally solved Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in a win over the Lightning.

After tallying in his fourth straight game in the second period, Donato put in the game-winner off a long rebound following a shot by Frank Nazar, who was sprung by Teuvo Teravainen on his second assist. It was Donato’s fifth tally of the season. Nazar had a goal and an assist as Chicago moved to 4-0-1 in its past five games.

In dropping to 0-3-0 at home, the Lightning got a goal and an assist from Ryan McDonagh and a goal from Jake Guentzel. Nikita Kucherov had two assists to give him 999 career points.

Ducks 7, Bruins 5

Mikael Granlund had two goals and three assists for his first career five-point game, leading visiting Anaheim past slumping Boston.

The Ducks scored four goals in a back-and-forth third period. Troy Terry and Jacob Trouba each had a goal and an assist, while Cutter Gauthier, Drew Helleson and Sam Colangelo also scored in Anaheim’s second consecutive win. Nikita Nesterenko logged four assists, and Petr Mrazek made 36 saves.

Morgan Geekie scored twice, David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist and Mason Lohrei and Casey Mittelstadt also lit the lamp for the Bruins, who have lost six straight.

Penguins 5, Panthers 3

Sidney Crosby posted two goals and one assist to lead Pittsburgh to its fourth straight win, a victory over Florida in Sunrise, Fla.

The Penguins, who have won their past three road games, also got a goal and an assist from Rickard Rakell plus a goal apiece from Ben Kindel and Connor Dewar. Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin added two assists each, and Tristan Jarry made 34 saves.

The Panthers, the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions, lost for the first time at home this season (3-1-0) but are 1-5-0 in their past six games overall. Brad Marchand scored twice, Sam Reinhart added a goal and Mackie Samoskevich notched two primary assists. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 11 saves.

Islanders 7, Red Wings 2

Emil Heineman recorded his first career two-goal game for surging New York, which authored its most resounding win since the 2023-24 season by routing visiting Detroit.

Tony DeAngelo, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Mathew Barzal and Simon Holmstrom also scored for the Islanders, who have won four straight following a season-opening three-game losing streak. The margin of victory was the largest for New York since a 6-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on March 10, 2024.

Dylan Larkin and Jonathan Berggren scored for the Red Wings, who lost both ends of a road back-to-back following a five-game winning streak.

Mammoth 7, Blues 4

Logan Cooley produced three goals and an assist as visiting Utah defeated St. Louis for its fifth straight victory.

Clayton Keller posted two goals and an assist, Nick Schmaltz amassed a goal and two assists, and Ian Cole also scored for the Mammoth. Dylan Guenther and JJ Peterka each earned three assists, Mikhail Sergachev had two assists, and Karel Vejmelka made 16 saves for Utah.

Pius Suter, Pavel Buchnevich, Nathan Walker and Philip Broberg scored for the Blues, who went 1-2-1 on their four-game homestand. Blues goaltender Joel Hofer allowed three goals on just six shots in 7:57 before Jordan Binnington relieved him. Binnington stopped 15 of the 18 shots he faced.

Kraken 3, Jets 0

Joey Daccord stopped 32 shots and Jaden Schwartz posted a three-point night as visiting Seattle halted Winnipeg’s five-game winning streak.

Schwartz scored in the second period, and he and Jordan Eberle produced late empty-net goals as the Kraken halted a two-game skid and closed a 2-2-2 road trip.

Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves as the Jets suffered only their second loss of the season after dropping their opener.

Kings 3, Stars 2 (OT)

Adrian Kempe scored the overtime winner in a second consecutive game as visiting Los Angeles edged Dallas.

Corey Perry and Cody Ceci also scored while Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves for the Kings, who have won back-to-back games to open a five-game road trip.

Wyatt Johnston scored and added an assist while Jason Robertson also scored for the Stars, who have dropped four consecutive contests (0-3-1). Roope Hintz had a pair of helpers and Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots.

Hurricanes 5, Avalanche 4 (SO)

Frederik Andersen made 44 saves through regulation and overtime, then added three more in the shootout as Carolina beat Colorado in Denver.

Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist and scored the lone goal in the shootout. Eric Robinson, Sebastian Aho and Logan Stankoven also scored for the Hurricanes, who spoiled throwback night for Colorado. The Avalanche donned the Quebec Nordiques blue and the Hurricanes sported white Hartford Whalers sweaters.

Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, Parker Kelly and Martin Necas also had goals and Trent Miner turned away 20 shots in relief of Scott Wedgewood for Colorado.

Senators 2, Flyers 1

Olle Lycksell scored the go-ahead goal early in the second period against his former team, fueling host Ottawa to a victory over Philadelphia.

Like Lycksell, Michael Amadio also scored his first goal of the season to help the Senators snap a two-game losing streak. It was just the second win for Ottawa in the last seven games.

Linus Ullmark overcame Tyson Foerster’s goal 29 seconds into the game to make 22 saves. Ullmark highlighted his night by denying Matvei Michkov on a point-blank chance late in the first. Dan Vladar turned aside 31 shots for the Flyers, whose modest two-game winning streak came to a halt as they fell to 0-2-1 on the road this season.

Predators 2, Canucks 1

Cole Smith’s goal early in the third period broke a tie and host Nashville hung on for a win over Vancouver.

Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators, who snapped their four-game losing streak (0-3-1). Juuse Saros stopped 21 shots, including Brock Boeser’s tip attempt with about 1:40 left.

Max Sasson got the goal for the Canucks, who lost their second in a row after winning the first three of a five-game road trip. Thatcher Demko made 33 saves.

Oilers 6, Canadiens 5

Vasily Podkolzin roofed a backhand shot from the front of the crease with 1:09 remaining as Edmonton rallied from a 5-3 third-period deficit to defeat visiting Montreal.

It was the first goal of the season for Podkolzin, who also had an assist. Connor McDavid had three assists, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist and David Tomasek, Adam Henrique, Andrew Mangiapane and Leon Draisaitl also scored for Edmonton. Darnell Nurse and Jake Walman each added two assists.

Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook each scored two goals, Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen each had two assists and Josh Anderson also scored a goal for Montreal, which lost for just the second time in eight games. Sam Montembeault finished with 23 saves.

_______________________________________________________________________

+++++++++MLS SOCCER+++++++++

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER ANNOUNCES 2025 AWARD FINALISTS

Major League Soccer announced the finalists for its 2025 year-end awards on Thursday.

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, who won last year’s Landon Donovan MLS MVP and whose three-year contract extension through 2028 was announced Thursday, is one of five finalists for the award again along with Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC), Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC), Evander (FC Cincinnati) and Sam Surridge (Nashville SC).

Messi led MLS in goals (29) and assists (19) this season. The other four finalists round out the top five goal-scorers, but Dreyer and Evander are the only two that are also in the top five for assists.

The three finalists for Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year are the Philadelphia Union’s Bradley Carnell, Vancouver Whitecaps’ Jesper Sorensen and San Diego’s Mikey Varas.

Dreyer, who signed with expansion side San Diego and had 19 goals and 19 assists to lead the squad to the top seed in the Western Conference, is also one of three finalists for MLS Newcomer of the Year, alongside Son Heung-Min (LAFC) and Philip Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire).

The MLS Young Player of the Year finalists (born on or after Jan. 1, 2003) are Orlando City’s Alex Freeman, Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna and the Seattle Sounders’ Obed Vargas.

The three finalists for MLS Defender of the Year are a pair of Philadelphia teammates in Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner as well as Tristan Blackmon of Vancouver.

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year finalists are Matt Freese of New York City FC, Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United) and Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver), who led the league with 13 clean sheets.

The finalists for MLS Comeback Player of the Year are Houston Dynamo’s Lawrence Ennali, Nick Hagglund of Cincinnati and Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea.

Finally, the three finalists for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honors an MLS player who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community during the 2025 season, are Ryan Hollingshead (LAFC), Luna (RSL) and Brad Stuver (Austin FC).

The winners for these awards will be announced throughout the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, which began Wednesday night with Chicago beating Orlando and Portland beating Salt Lake in the wild-card matches.

MLS Goal of the Year and Save of the Year will be decided by an online vote and announced on Oct. 27.

The MLS Best XI will also be revealed at a later date.

___________________________________________________________

+++++++++GOLF NEWS+++++++++

DAVID LIPSKY PART OF 4-WAY TIE FOR BANK OF UTAH LEAD

David Lipsky eagled his final hole and found himself part of a four-way tie for the lead when play was suspended due to darkness at the Bank of Utah Championship on Thursday in Ivins, Utah.

Lipsky posted a 6-under-par 65, as did Sweden’s Jesper Svensson and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen. Austin Cook was 6 under through 13 holes when play was halted at 6:47 p.m. local time. The round will resume Friday morning.

The tournament at Black Desert Resort is in its second season as part of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall schedule. Players who finish the fall inside the top 100 are guaranteed full tour cards for the 2026 season.

That means Thursday’s strong start is good news for Lipsky, who entered the week No. 99 in the standings, as well as Svensson (No. 115), Olesen (No. 116) and Cook (No. 204).

Lipsky, 37, has won on the European and Asian tours but not yet on the PGA Tour.

At the par-5, 610-yard finishing hole Thursday, his second shot traveled 292 yards and settled less than 9 feet from the pin, allowing him to sweep in an eagle putt to close a round with five birdies and one bogey.

Svensson was bogey-free, while Olesen birdied five of his last seven holes after beginning his round on the course’s back nine.

One stroke off the pace, a seven-way tie featured former PGA Tour winners Cameron Champ, Nick Dunlap and Ryan Gerard at 5-under-par 66.

Sahith Theegala, working his way back from a neck injury that disrupted his summer, opened his tournament with a 3-under 68, as did Australia’s Jason Day.

Matt McCarty, the tournament’s inaugural champion, shot a 2-under 69 Thursday.

KAPALUA’S PLANTATION COURSE OPENING, BUT NOT IN CONDITION TO HOST THE SENTRY

The day after the PGA Tour announced the cancellation of The Sentry, the Plantation Course at Kapalua on Maui, Hawaii announced it will re-open for play next month.

Drought conditions impacting the course led the PGA Tour to announce on Sept. 16 that its traditional season-opening event would not be played at the Plantation Course. And on Wednesday, the tour announced the event had been officially canceled after being unable to find a suitable replacement site.

Kapalua Golf General Manager Alex Nakajima later announced that the Plantation Course will re-open for guests to play on Monday, Nov. 10 following a two-month closure.

“We are deeply grateful for our agronomy team and the work they have done to bring the course back,” Nakajima said in a news release. “As a key contributor to the Maui economy, reopening the Plantation Course means a lot for our community and the 300-plus employees who work at the course and restaurants. We look forward to welcoming guests back to Kapalua Golf’s Plantation Course beginning on Nov. 10.”

Troon Golf, which manages Kapalua, distributed images showing the improvement of the course’s condition since that Sept. 16 announcement. However, the turf health and course conditions have not improved enough to meet PGA Tour standards. That includes the need to restore the greens on hole Nos. 1 and 8, meaning only 16 holes will be available to play for the immediate future.

Kapalua Golf’s Bay Course also remains closed until further notice.

The public can begin scheduling November tee times on the Plantation Course beginning at 7:30 local time on Oct. 23 at a promotional re-opening rate of $399, a discount from the typical seasonal rate of $469. A $50 golf shop credit will be included due to the two holes not yet ready for play.

No replacement course was available, leading the Tour to revise its schedule and open the 2026 season with the Sony Open in Honolulu — played at Waialae Country Club — from Jan. 15-18.

“Since it first became a possibility that the PGA Tour would not be able to play at The Plantation Course at Kapalua due to the ongoing drought conditions on Maui, we worked closely with our partners at Sentry to assess options for contesting The Sentry in 2026,” PGA Tour Chief Competitions Officer Tyler Dennis said Wednesday. “While it is unfortunate to arrive at this decision, we are appreciative of the collaboration and dedication from Sentry Insurance, a tremendous partner of ours.”

Recent drone footage of the area showed the extent of the unwatered Plantation Course, contrasted from its usual brilliant bursts of green and blue to the current shades of tan and yellow.

A star-studded field is the norm at The Sentry. It was scheduled to include the top 50 in the 2025 FedEx Cup final standings and all winners from the previous season. Previous Sentry winners exempt only through that victory are now added to the RBC Heritage field.

Drought conditions prompted restrictions on all irrigation and required restoration efforts for many surfaces on the popular and scenic Plantation Course. Recent improvement led to officials modifying the restrictions to “Tier 2,” which allows the course “60 percent” irrigation.

__________________________________________________________________

++++++INDIANA SPORTS NEWS AND RELEASES++++++

+++++++++COLTS FOOTBALL+++++++++

COLTS CHASING 4TH STRAIGHT WIN AND ANOTHER SWEEP OF TITANS IN HOPES OF KEEPING LEAGUE’S BEST RECORD

Tennessee (1-6) at Indianapolis (6-1)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Colts by 14

Against the spread: Titans 2-5; Colts 5-2

Series record: Colts lead 40-22.

Last meeting: Colts beat Titans 41-20 in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 21.

Last week: Titans lost to Patriots 31-13; Colts beat Chargers 38-24.

Titans offense: overall (32), rush (31), pass (31), scoring (32).

Titans defense: overall (24), rush (29), pass (14), scoring (28).

Colts offense: overall (2), rush (7), pass (5), scoring (1).

Colts defense: overall (22), rush (6), pass (29), scoring (T-8).

Turnover differential: Titans minus-3; Colts plus-7.

Titans player to watch

QB Cam Ward. The rookie has shown progress each of the past two weeks after struggling to complete 50% of his throws the previous two games. Still, he’s thrown an interception in five straight games — a streak that started against the Colts. And this week he faces the first rematch of his NFL career, which provides a measuring stick for how much he’s learned over the first half of the season.

Colts players to watch

DTs DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Last week, Buckner had a big game with five tackles and two sacks. Stewart added an interception. If they play that well again, it could be a long day for the league’s worst offense and might indicate Indy’s defense is ready to take a big jump.

Key matchup

RB Jonathan Taylor vs. Titans run defense. Taylor has been handling opposing defenses, good or bad, all season. This is one of the league’s worst. In the first meeting with Tennessee, Taylor ran 17 times for 102 yards, had three catches for another 16 yards produced the first of his franchise-record three games with three TD runs this season. If the Titans don’t him slow down Sunday, Round 2 could be a repeat.

Key injuries

Titans: WR Calvin Ridley (hamstring) has missed most of the past two games and still isn’t practicing. CB L’Jarius Sneed (quadricep) was placed on injured reserve Thursday. DT Jeffery Simmons is week to week with an injured hamstring. OLB Arden Key (quadricep) has missed two straight games.

Colts: Defensive linemen Samson Ebukam (knee) and Tyquan Lewis (groin) did not practice Wednesday and their status may not be determined until closer to game time. WR Josh Downs is still trying to be cleared through the concussion protocol. Pro Bowl CB Kenny Moore II (strained Achilles tendon) returned last week after missing three games but was held out of Wednesday’s workout.

Series notes

Indy has won five straight in the series and is seeking a third straight season sweep. The Colts have 13 sweeps, compared with four for the Titans, since the AFC South was created in 2002. … Tennessee won the previous five matchups, from November 2020 through October 2022. … Indy QB Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023, has two wins against the Titans. It’s the only team he’s beaten multiple times. … Tennessee won the first playoff game ever played in Indianapolis 19-16 in January 2000. It’s the only postseason meeting between the franchises. … Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning played college football at Tennessee before playing his first 13 seasons with the Colts.

Stats and stuff

Tennessee is playing its fourth road game in five weeks with interim coach Mike McCoy calling the shots for the second straight game. … Ward is coming off his best game with a 73.5% completion rate and a 92.2 passer rating. He threw for 255 yards last week. … Rookie WR Chimere Dike caught four passes for 70 yards, all in the first quarter last week. It was the most yards receiving by a Titans rookie in a first quarter since Justin McCareins had 70 against Tampa Bay on Oct. 14, 2001. … Dike also leads the NFL with 1,025 all-purpose yards including a league-high 816 yards on kickoff returns. … The Titans had a season-high four sacks last week. … LB Cedric Gray has had four straight games with at least 10 tackles. … Indy has won three straight for the second time this season, holds a two-game lead in the AFC South and has a league-best six wins entering Week 8. … Indy’s plus-92 point differential and three wins by 20 or more points are both league highs. … Taylor needs two TDs to pass Hall of Fame WR Raymond Berry (68) for No. 5 on the franchise list and three rushing scores to leapfrog Hall of Fame RB Lenny Moore (63) and tie Hall of Fame RB Edgerrin James (64) for the franchise record. … Tyler Warren needs three receptions and 83 yards to post the third-highest totals by a rookie TE in franchise history (35 catches, John Mackey, 1963; 521 yards, Dwayne Allen, 2012). … QB Daniel Jones is tied with New England’s Drake Maye for the most games with ratings topping 100 this season (six). They are also the only players to throw for 200 or more yards in all seven games this season. … WR Michael Pittman Jr. has caught a TD pass in four of Indy’s past five games. … Indy’s defense is allowing 90.3 yards rushing per game and has three red zone takeaways, tied for the most in the NFL. … DE Laiatu Latu has two interceptions this season, a league high among defensive linemen. … The Colts have punted a league-low 12 times this season. Baltimore (17) has the second-fewest punts.

Fantasy tip

Keep playing Taylor. He leads the NFL in rushing scores and overall TDs (11), is third in the NFL in scrimmage yards (892) and has a favorable matchup. Plus, if the Colts are playing with the lead, they’ll continue to give him the ball.

____________________________________________________________

+++++++++INDIANA PACERS++++++++++

GAME REWIND: PACERS 135, THUNDER 141 (2OT)

The Indiana Pacers hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday in a familiar rematch as the Pacers opened their 2025-26 season. The matchup was tightly contested through the first half as Indiana trailed 54-47 at the break, but persevered to tie it at 113 by the end of regulation. They fell to the Thunder in double overtime, 141-135.

Mathurin struck first for Indiana, but not until a full minute ticked off the game clock. Pascal Siakam shot the ball well early, and he and Mathurin led Indiana in scoring for much of the first quarter. Siakam finished the period with 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting, and Mathurin added five points of his own.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remained an unstoppable threat for the Thunder as he amassed 10 points through the first frame, shooting 2-for-3 from the field. Thunder defensive specialist Luguentz Dort collected two quick fouls and watched the majority of the first quarter from the Oklahoma City bench.

Taelon Peter made his official NBA debut four minutes into the game as he relieved Andrew Nembhard. The rookie guard didn’t record any stats in his initial seven minutes.

Aaron Nesmith’s three-quarters court heave was on line to drop into the bucket as time expired, but hit off the front of the rim instead. Indiana still led after one, 25-22.

The Pacers hit a lull from deep as the first quarter progressed and it continued into the second. At the 7:00 minute mark of the second, Indiana had attempted 26 shots, and 13 of those were from long range. They hit just three of those 13 attempts.

Ben Sheppard ended the drought with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 39 midway through the second.

A flurry of turnovers and fouls down the stretch of the half gave the Thunder juice for a run of scoring, but Indiana kept on their heels.

Siakam remained a steady source of offense for the Blue and Gold, scoring 14 points in the half. Gilgeous-Alexander produced a game-high 21 for Oklahoma City. Neither team was particularly efficient from deep – Indiana shot 22 percent from 3-point range, and Oklahoma City shot 28 percent. The Thunder’s 43 percent from the floor outdid Indiana’s 36 percent, however, as rebounding and turnover numbers were similar for each club.

Siakam picked up where he left off in the second half. He opened the scoring with a layup through a foul, and converted the free throw for a three-point play out of the break.

Sheppard got the second half start for the injured Nembhard – a sore left shoulder held him out of the second half – and immediately impacted the game. Sheppard created two steals for the Pacers, and finished one with a dunk.

The 3-pointers started falling in the third, and pumped renewed energy into Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Jarace Walker hit a stepback trey to tie the game at 68, and Mathurin finished through contact to put Indiana up one point with under four minutes in the third quarter.

Peter didn’t record any first half stats, but his first NBA basket dropped to the sound of a raucous Fieldhouse crowd. He hit a corner 3-pointer that put the Pacers up four, and got a proper Indiana thank-you from Pacers fans in the building.

The Thunder closed the quarter strong, and the Pacers entered the final frame down three points, 81-78.

The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth slugfest. As Indiana made a push, Oklahoma City made a play. Nesmith tied the game at 85 with a late-clock turnaround shot, but Isaiah Hartenstein found Chet Holmgren for a flush. Mathurin drew a foul on the other end, but Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down a 3-pointer. Siakam responded with his own deep shot, giving him 22 points on the evening.

Siakam was most potent in the highest-intensity moments – he hit shot after shot down the stretch, responding to the Thunder’s runs and delivering buckets when Indiana had exhausted all other options.

Mathurin’s scoring was also elite – the fourth-year guard was lethal in transition, knifing his way to the paint. He shot 17 free throws in the contest, and recorded the second-highest scoring game of his career with 36 points.

Nesmith fouled out of the game with just under six minutes to play. His night was finished with five points and seven rebounds.

Less than 30 seconds remained on the game clock as Siakam lined up a 3-pointer for the lead. Oklahoma City led Indiana, 112-111, but Siakam’s jumper missed badly and the Pacers were forced to foul to stop the clock. Gilgeous-Alexander split the free throws, setting up another opportunity for the Pacers to tie or take the lead, and they had nearly 12 seconds to do so.

Siakam’s redemption arrived – he took the inbounds pass from Mathurin, faked out Holmgren, and knocked down the tying jump shot with 6.5 seconds to play. Gilgeous-Alexander’s response on the other end was short, and the game was knotted at 113 to end regulation.

Overtime with the Pacers marked the second overtime game for the Thunder in three days. They took the Houston Rockets to double overtime on Tuesday before travelling to Indianapolis. That fatigue showed in the overtime period – the Pacers were able to catch Oklahoma City in more fouls, grab more offensive rebounds, and force the Thunder to take tough shots.

Despite that, Oklahoma City persevered. The Pacers started the first overtime period strong, but dwindled later on due to miscues and defensive lapses. Mathurin drove down the lane and dropped in a floater to send the game into a second overtime period.

Gilgeous-Alexander got Mathurin to bite on a shot fake, and Mathurin collected his sixth foul early in the second overtime. Sheppard earned his sixth foul later, and joined him on the bench. With three players disqualified due to fouls, the Pacers closed out the game with a Siakam, Peter, Walker, Obi Toppin, and Johnny Furphy lineup.

The Thunder bested the Pacers down the stretch, 141-135. Gilgeous-Alexander was the heartbeat of the Oklahoma City offense, pouring in a career-high 55 points. Mathurin led the Pacers with his 36 points and 11 rebounds, and Siakam followed with 32 points and 15 rebounds.

The Pacers return to action on Saturday, October 25, as they travel to Memphis for a matchup with the Grizzlies.

Inside the Numbers

Indiana kept the rebound margin close – the Pacers gathered 55 rebounds to the Thunder’s 60.

The Pacers recorded 21 assists on 46 made baskets.

The Pacers collected 11 offensive rebounds and generated 18 second-chance points off those rebounds.

Indiana scored 23 fastbreak points to Oklahoma City’s 13.

The Pacers recorded five double-digit scorers – Bennedict Mathurin (36), Pascal Siakam (32), Obi Toppin (20), Ben Sheppard (15), and Jarace Walker (13).

You Can Quote Me On That

“He’s taking the toughest matchup on the planet at one end, and at the other end, he’s putting the ball in the basket. And so you can see the growth. You know, the reads are getting better and better.” – coach Rick Carlisle on Bennedict Mathurin’s growth

“This group is, you know, it’s grit. And grit is what our makeup is going to have to be this year. There are going to be a lot of challenges, and we’ve just got to be willing to take on these challenges on a long term basis…We’re just going to have to have an attitude of loving the challenge of how difficult the NBA is when you’re not whole.” – Carlisle on Pacers’ attitude this season

“Everybody’s ready to step up. Everybody wants to go out there and fight. I think that’s the identity of our team, you know, just going out there and playing relentless, playing fearless…Tonight was great. It was a great learning experience.” – Mathurin on Pacers’ identity

“I think being able to both attack the paint, create, I think just understanding each other’s angles a little bit better, how we can screen off of each other…I love his aggressiveness, the fact that he can get to the paint, is strong, and was making shots also. So I think that combination with me being able to get to the pocket…I think it could be a good combination.” – Pascal Siakam on actions with Mathurin

“I think our defense has got to be more scrappy. I thought we did a decent job tonight, just didn’t finish a lot of the possessions because we fouled. But it’s going to take this for us to win games, and I think we’ve got to understand that. And what’s going to make us special is being able to do that every single night. I think a lot of teams say they want to do it, but you know, you have to do it every single night. And for us to be successful, we have to do that.” – Siakam on Pacers’ defense

“He’s growing…I think he’s doing a great job of just reading the game and just playing. Just being aggressive and knowing when to make the right play. I think that’s all it is. And I think he’s been doing that well, and he played well tonight for us, and I think he’s going to be a big part of what we do as a team.” – Siakam on Mathurin’s growth

Stat of the Night

Bennedict Mathurin recorded the second-highest scoring game of his career with 36 points on 47 percent shooting. He also had 11 rebounds and an assist in the effort.

Noteworthy

Andrew Nembhard did not return to the game following halftime. He was ruled out with a left shoulder injury.

Thursday evening’s matchup was rookie Taelon Peter’s official NBA debut. He finished with three points and an assist.

The matchup marked the 10th meeting between the Pacers and the Thunder in the calendar year of 2025.

Up Next

The Pacers travel to Memphis to tip off a three-game road trip against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 8:00 PM ET.

Tickets

The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks for an NBA Cup game on Friday, Oct. 31 at 7:00 PM ET.

________________________________________________________________________

++++++++++INDY FUEL++++++++++

FUEL HOST CYCLONES FOR HOCKTOBER FEST

FISHERS– The Fuel will host the Cincinnati Cyclones for the first time this season on Saturday night. They look for their first win after back-to-back losses to Fort Wayne and Toledo last weekend. Cincinnati took a 5-3 loss against the Wheeling Nailers last week in their first game. They play the Komets on Friday before coming to Indy.

LAST TIME OUT

The last time these two teams met was last year on March 21, 2025 when the Fuel took a 3-1 win over Cincinnati. Kevin Lombardi was the first goalscorer for the Fuel in that game. Jordan Martin also had an assist that game. Those two will return to the ice for this battle against Cincy.

FAMILIAR FACES

There has been a lot of movement in the Central division this offseason. Current Fuel forward Lee Lapid played 93 games for the Cyclones from 2022 to 2024, where he had 69 points and helped the Cyclones to the playoffs in 2023. Last year, he was with the Kalamazoo Wings, also in the Central division. Sahil Panwar already faced his former team in a preseason game as he played fifteen games for the Bloomington Bison last season.

FIRST PRO WEEK

A lot of Fuel players saw big firsts this last weekend. Goaltender Owen Flores had his first professional start and earned one of the top saves of the week from the ECHL for a save made against the Toledo Walleye on Saturday. Brett Moravec had the lone goal for the Fuel in that game and it was his first pro goal as well.

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+++++++++INDIANA FOOTBALL+++++++++

CURT CIGNETTI WANTS NO. 2 INDIANA TO FOCUS ON UCLA’S RECENT SUCCESS INSTEAD OF EARLY WOES

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti understands UCLA has a losing record. He still sees the Bruins as an unbeaten team.

No, it’s not because of some old coaching cliche about going 1-0 or it’s the most important game because it’s the next game. Cignetti views it through the reality of today’s new college football environment.

Since firing coach DeShaun Foster and changing offensive and defensive coordinators in September, the Bruins have looked like a different team in posting three straight wins under interim coach Tim Skipper. So Cignetti is tossing out the book — and the game tape — from those first four losses and asking his second-ranked Hoosiers to study only the last three contests.

“We’re playing a 3-0 football team that’s undefeated,,” Cignetti said, fully aware UCLA is actually 3-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten. “They’re starting fast, outscoring people in the first half 58-17. Averaging 33 points a game. Defense, a lot of different personnel packages, really try to keep you off balance, really impressed with what they do. I mean we’re playing we’re a 3-0 football team at home this Saturday.”

Sure, it’s been a dramatic turnaround though the Bruins have come against a reeling Penn State team before it made a midseason coaching change and Michigan State and Maryland, which are a combined 1-7 in league play.

Now comes UCLA’s most daunting challenge.

Indiana (7-0, 4-0) is trying to protect the highest ranking in school history for the second straight week as it tries to extend a school record 13-game home winning in front of another sold out crowd on national television as they seek a second straight playoff bid.

In an odd twist, Cignetti’s Hoosiers entered the national discussion after a 42-13 victory over Foster’s Bruins in Week 3 last season, a matchup of two first-year coaches.

This season, Indiana ranks fourth nationally in scoring (43.9 points) and scoring defense (11.6), leads the FBS with 24 TD passes and has the nation’s most efficient quarterback in the country, Fernando Mendoza (191.01).

That, Skipper said, shows up on every tape he’s seen and explains why the Hoosiers still are unbeaten.

“I started watching film on them (Sunday), and I’m still trying to identify weaknesses,” he said Monday. “It’s crazy how disciplined they are. Coach Cignetti does a great job with those guys. They are very, very disciplined in all three phases, like they’re not giving up explosive plays and they’re having a ton of explosive plays.”

What’s changed?

The biggest difference for UCLA between the coaches has been the success of the ground game. Before Skipper took over, the Bruins averaged 122.0 yards per game. Over the last four, they’ve averaged 207.8 yards and held the ball for more than 33 minutes.

They’ve topped the 200-yard mark in two of the three wins, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava rushing for 128 yards and three scores in the victory over Penn State. Last week, UCLA rushed for 193 yards. They may need to lean more heavily on the run this week after Iamaleava injured his right knee late in last week’s game.

“We’ve identified our style of play and what we want to be,” Skipper said. “Now we’ve got to back it up every single day and in every single game. We have to back it up to play the way we’re supposed to play.”

Skipper said a decision on Iamaleava’s status would be made later this week.

Inside info

While the offense has changed since UCLA parted ways with coordinator Tino Sunseri after just four games, Cignetti did not say whether he would seek any insights from Sunseri this week.

Cignetti gave Sunseri his first big coaching break, naming him James Madison’s quarterbacks coach in 2021. Sunseri then followed Cignetti to Indiana, where he served as offensive coordinator. He was the only coach to leave Indiana after the greatest season in school history.

Home, sweet, home

Mendoza has had a spectacular season since transferring from California to Indiana, and he’s been nearly flawless on his new home turf.

In his first five games in Bloomington, he’s completed 78.8% of his throws (100 of 127) for 1,307 yards, 18 touchdowns, no interceptions and two rushing TDs while being sacked three times. He faced UCLA once previously, leading Cal to a 30-19 victory in 2023 when he was 19 of 30 with 178 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.

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+++++++++INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER+++++++++

NO. 12 HOOSIERS READY FOR TOP 15 MATCHUP AT MARYLAND

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Unbeaten in four ranked matchups this season, Indiana men’s soccer (11-3-1, 4-3-0 B1G), takes on another Top 25 test Friday (Oct. 24) night at No. 4 Maryland (9-0-3, 5-0-2 B1G).

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Ludwig Field, and fans can watch the match on the Big Ten Network.

KICKING OFF

• Jerry Yeagley set the standard for Big Ten soccer coaches with a career .821 winning percentage, but the two manning the sidelines Friday night are the next best. Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley and Sasho Cirovski each have a .692 winning percentage during their time with their respective Big Ten schools, ranking Nos. 2 and 3 behind the elder Yeagley.

• Following that theme, the teams are fairly even coming into Friday’s matchup. The NCAA DI Men’s Soccer Committee ranked Indiana at No. 5 and Maryland at No. 6 in its Top 16 ranking, a projection of national seeds for the NCAA Tournament, announced last Friday.

• Indiana has won its last four games, scoring 18 goals while holding opponents to four. Senior forward Palmer Ault bolstered his MAC Hermann Trophy candidacy in that time, recording six goals, five assists and 17 points over that stretch. Ault is the NCAA leader in points (36) and ranks No. 2 in goals (14).

ABOUT THE TERRAPINS

• Maryland remains unbeaten through 12 games and sits No. 2 in the Big Ten with 17 points from a 5-0-2 conference record. The Terrapins have won their last three, all in conference play, while outscoring those opponents 8-0.

• Head coach Sasho Cirovski leads the Terps in his 33rd season, sporting a 447-178-75 record during his time in College Park, and a 473-109-81 career mark over 35 seasons as a head coach.

• Sophomore forward Stephane Njike leads Maryland in assists (4) and points (14). Njike and senior forward Sadam Masereka each have a team-high five goals.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since it joined the Big Ten Conference in 2014, Maryland has challenged IU as the second-winningest program in the conference in that span, by percentage (.728 to .606).

• In that stretch, Indiana boasts a 56-15-19 league record, has totaled 187 points in conference regular season play and has won nine Big Ten Championships. Maryland ranks second in all three categories with a 45-26-19 mark, 154 points and six titles.

• Head-to-head, Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski has a one-game advantage on IU’s Todd Yeagley. Since 2014, the Terps have six victories to Indiana’s five, and six more matches have ended in a draw or penalty shootout.

• In 2023, Samuel Sarver scored an 83rd-minute winner in College Park to give IU its fourth consecutive victory during a run to the Big Ten regular season title. Alex Barger also scored in the 2-1 result. Maryland won the 2024 meeting, 1-0, in a result that took two days to decide after inclement weather the first night.

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++++++++++NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER+++++++++

ENGLE’S HAT TRICK POWERS #1 IRISH PAST VIRGINIA TECH, 5-0

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-0-1, 8-0) defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies (4-10-3, 0-8-1) in a 5-0 shutout road win on Thursday evening.

Sophomore forward Izzy Engle led the way with her first hat trick of the season, her second hat trick of her career. Engle also recorded an assist for an impressive 7 points on the night. She leads the ACC with 16 goals and is averaging 1.14 goals per game this season.

Sophomore Annabelle Chukwu also continued her incredible form, scoring her 11th goal of the season. Junior Morgan Roy also got on the score sheet with her third goal of the 2025 campaign.

The Notre Dame defense recorded its sixth clean sheet of the season, as Sonoma Kasica and Jackie Holloman combined for five saves in the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Chukwu would strike first for Notre Dame as Engle found her fellow sophomore forward in the left side of the box. Chukwu’s shifty footwork allowed her to get the shot off, finding the back of the net in the bottom right corner for a 1-0 advantage in the 16th minute.

In the 23rd minute, Engle beat a pair of defenders as she got the shot off inside the area with a quick toe poke from the outside of her right foot that snuck by the outstretched Hokies’ goalkeeper to extend the Irish lead to 2-0.

Shortly after, Chukwu would draw a penalty in the box as Engle converted on the penalty kick for a first half brace in the 24th minute. Engle is now 3-3 on penalty kicks this season.

Leading 3-0 heading into the second half, the Irish weren’t done. Engle would go on to cap off her hat trick in the 61st minute as Codd found her on a cross into the box and the sophomore scored on a sliding finish.

Roy capped off the scoring firing in the final goal of the evening as she dribbled her way from the midfield to the top of the box and unleashed a shot with her right foot, finding the back of the net in the bottom left corner in the 66th minute.

The Irish went on to secure the shutout win by a final score of 5-0 for their sixth shutout of the season.

UP NEXT

The No. 1 Irish are back in action on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2:00 p.m. at Wake Forest. The match will air on ACCNX.

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+++++++++NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL+++++++++

DEPAUL VISITS PURCELL PAVILION FOR FINAL IRISH TUNE-UP

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – An old rival and memories renewed – Notre Dame men’s basketball welcomes DePaul to Purcell Pavilion on Friday night in its final preseason exhibition tune-up. The Fighting Irish and Blue Demons will tip off at 6 p.m. ET. The exhibition will not be streamed so come out and get your first glance at the 2025-26 Irish. If you can’t make it, listen to Conor Clingen on the call on 960 WSBT-AM.

A POSITIVE EARLY SHOWING

Basketball was officially back last Friday night in the historical Hinkle Fieldhouse as two Indiana staples, Notre Dame and Butler battled it out on the hardwood floor in a preseason exhibition. The Fighting Irish never trailed and led by as much as 16. Thirteen total Irish saw time on the floor and four finished in double figures. The Irish ultimately took it 77-76.

If the stats officially counted, sophomore guard Cole Certa would have tied his career high of 12 points and set a new personal best for three-pointers made with four. Junior guard Markus Burton tied him for the team high with 12 points as well.

Sophomore guard Sir Mohammed would have netted his second career double-digit scoring game as he finished with 10 points. He converted 2-of-3 from deep.

Freshman Brady Koehler also shone with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Fellow freshman, Jalen Haralson, impressed with seven points and team highs in rebounds (6) and assists (4).

FINAL EXHIBITION – DEPAUL

Notre Dame will get one final preseason tune-up, but this time at home, when DePaul visits Purcell Pavilion on October 24. There’s been 106 total games against one another on the hardwood, with the Irish up in the series 62-44. The last time the Blue Demons took the trip down I-90 to South Bend was back on Nov. 24, 2018 – a 95-70 Irish victory.

DePaul is led by senior guard CJ Gunn, who earned Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team honors. He becomes the first Blue Demon to earn preseason All-Conference honors since Charlie Moore in 2020.

Gunn returns as DePaul’s leading scorer from the 2024-25 season after averaging 12.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor. He also led the team in steals with 43 on the season while totallng 21 games across the season in double-digit scoring.

Overall, DePaul returns five players from its roster a year ago plus 11 newcomers. Last season, the Blue Demons increased their win total by over 10 games, finishing with a 14-20 (4-16 BIG EAST) record. Among the newcomers is Tulane transfer, Kaleb Banks, who earned All-Conference honors in the AAC last season after averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds. Other newcomers include transfers Brandon Maclin (Radford), Jeremy Lorenz (Wofford), Khaman Maker (St. John’s) and RJ Smith (Colorado). Additionally, DePaul brought in two freshmen – Kruz McClure and Isaiah Medina – as well as a pair of international recruits in Ilija Milijašević and Fabián Flores.

CORE NUCLEUS INTACT

For Notre Dame and Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry, retention and player development has been key. For the second consecutive year, the Fighting Irish return the highest scoring by percentage of any ACC school.

Leading those returners is one of the best backcourt duos in the ACC – junior guards Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberry. Approaching their third year together on the court, the duo combined for a league best 35.3 ppg.

KNOW THE NAME – MARKUS BURTON

If you don’t know the name Markus Burton, you should. The 6-0 junior guard, who is playing in front of his home town, recorded a sensational sophomore season and is poised to have an even bigger junior campaign.

Burton averaged 21.3 ppg last year, which ranks third nationally amongst returners.

1. PJ Haggerty, Kansas State – 21.7

2. Jaron Pierre Jr., SMU – 21.6

3. Markus Burton, ND – 21.3

4. Terrence Brown, Utah – 20.6

5. Nick Martinelli, NW – 20.5

The last Irish player to average 20+ points in a season was Luke Harangody (21.8 ppg) in the 2009-10 season.

Burton continued to write his name in different areas of the record book, alongside the all-time Irish greats. Here’s one for example – Burton joined David Rivers as the only Irish players to average 20+ points and 3+ assists in a season. He averaged a team best 3.0 apg last season.

He averaged 23.5 ppg in conference play which led all ACC players. His 423 points in ACC play broke the program record he set his freshman season. He now boasts 722 career ACC points which already ranks him fifth all-time at ND.

Furthermore, Burton finished last year as one of the hottest shooters in the country. Over his last four games of the regular season – 31.5 ppg on 46.9 percent shooting, 11-22 (.500) from three & 39-46 (.848) from the line.

MASTER OF THE MIDRANGE

Burton is most dangerous attacking the basket and utilizing his quickness. He shot 46.9 percent from two-point range overall. More specifically he was 44.6 percent from the midrange and 46.4 percent from the paint.

Burton’s true shooting percentage climbed to 54.8 percent and his turnover rate dropped to 14.7 percent.

And more likely than not, Burton will get fouled attacking the basket and last season he was the team’s best free-throw shooter. He converted 84.8 percent from the stripe, which ranked 6th in the ACC. He drew 5.3 fouls per 40 minutes.

If that wasn’t enough, Burton improved from beyond the arc from year one to year two. He went from a 30.0 percent shooter from three as a freshman to 37.5 percent as a sophomore. In ACC play, Burton converted 40.2 percent from deep.

BRAEDEN, YEAR ‘3’

Braeden’s sophomore campaign was shortened by seven games with a lower-abdomen injury, but he certainly showed the world that he added to his game. He averaged 14.0 ppg, which was up from his freshman year’s 10.2. He also shot 41.3 percent from the floor, which also marked an improvement.

The 6-4 guard connected on 2.8 threes per game on a .369 clip – both ranked third in the ACC. In ACC play, he knocked down 40.0 percent from deep which ranked fifth. Shrewsberry’s sweet spot? He converted 45.5 percent from corner threes (15-for-33).

Furthermore, Braeden shot 48.7 percent from two-point range. Specifically, he shot 43.2 percent from the midrange and 44.9 percent from the paint.

Like Burton, Shrewsberry ended on an extreme high note. He totaled 49 points over the last three games before his injury.

He netted 16 points at BC, 12 points vs Louisville and a team high 21 points vs. SMU. Braeden averaged 16.3 ppg over that three-game span on 16-39 shooting (.410), plus 11-24 from beyond the arc (.458).

BIG PRESENCE INSIDE WITH THE ADDITION OF TOWT

The nation’s top rebounder from last year transferred to South Bend and will be paired with a top-5 scorer in the country in Markus Burton. Transferring in from Northern Arizona, Carson Towt led the nation with 12.4 rebounds per game last season. Notre Dame is the only school in the country to have players on the top-10 returning scorers and rebounders list.

Towt was a 2025 Second Team All-Big Sky selection and a unanimous Big Sky All-Defensive Team member.

Towt set a Big Sky conference single-season rebounding record, grabbing 423 rebounds across 34 games. The 423 rebounds also led the country.

The 6-8 forward averaged a nation’s best 8.9 defensive rebounds per game and 3.5 offensive boards per game – latter ranked 14th nationally.

Towt broke a 63-year record reeling in a career 1,044 rebounds. He also amassed 1,199 career points.

Last season, Towt averaged 13.4 points per game and produced 20 double-doubles which ranked sixth in the nation. He shot .569 overall from the field which ranked second in the Big Sky and 26th nationally

CLUTCH GENE

Burton added the clutch gene to his arsenal after recording a career high 43 points in the 4OT win over Cal at the end of the regular season. The Mishawaka native dropped 21 points in the overtime periods in which he was 6-9 from the field and 4-4 from three. Burton’s 43 points were

the most by an Irish player in an ACC game

most by an ND player of any game since Adrian Dantley recorded 49 against Air Force on Feb. 10, 1975

most by any ACC player in any game this year

A PROGRAM OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

In the first note, we mentioned that Coach Shrews maintained his core nucleus, spearheaded by Markus and Braeden. In this section, we look at the other returners.

6-6 guard Sir Mohammed was slowed as a freshman as he worked through a lower-body injury. He ultimately played in 23 games, with eight starts, and shot 51.1 percent from two.

6-11 forward Garrett Sundra shot 53.3 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from two in 21 games. He was 8-of-20 (.400) from three-point range.

6-5 guard Cole Certa recorded a few clutch moments down the stretch of last season. In a 76-72 win over Pitt, Certa recorded all 12 of his points in the 2nd half but it all stemmed from a 125-second period in which he drained 3 triples. Then, down one with 18 seconds left vs. Stanford, Certa drained a corner three right in front his bench for the eventual 56-54 win.

Rounding out the returners are senior forward Kebba Njie and junior guard Logan Imes. Njie is the only player on the current roster to play four years under Coach Shrewsberry (freshman year at Penn State). Last season, Njie shot a career best 55.5 percent from the floor. Imes played in 26 games and shot 46.4 percent from two.

HIGHEST RATED ND RECRUIT CLASS IN MODERN HISTORY TAKES THE FLOOR

When Micah Shrewsberry became the Glenn & Stacey Murphy Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Head Coach he told fans to jump on now because the train was taking off. Said recruiting train built massive momentum that materialized in Notre Dame’s highest-rated recruiting class in the modern era.

The class was ranked fourth in the nation by 247Sports, fifth by ESPN, fifth by Rivals and sixth by ON3. It’s also the top-rated class in the state of Indiana; second overall in the ACC.

The class is comprised of Tommy Ahneman, Ryder Frost, Brady Koehler and Jalen Haralson – the latter (at the time of his signing) was the highest rated recruit for Notre Dame in the modern era.

Haralson became the 20th McDonald’s All-American in program history and the first of the Shrews Era.

Frost was on Paul Biancardi’s 2025 top shot-makers list. In 2024, he led the UA summer circuit in three-point percentage, converting 45.2 percent.

Koehler was a 2025 AP Indiana Boys Basketball All-State First Team selection. He attended Coach Shrews’ high school and averaged 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals.

Ahneman was the top-ranked prospect in the state of Minnesota and led Cretin-Derham to a Class 4A Station runner-up finish as a senior. He averaged 16.3 points and 10.6 rebounds.

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+++++++++NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER+++++++++

MATCH 16 PREVIEW: BOSTON COLLEGE

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame travels east to take on Boston College at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 24 at Newton Field in an ACC matchup. The contest will air on ACCNX.

NOTRE DAME vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
Location: Newton, Massachusetts | Newton Field
Stream: ACCNX
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDMenSoccer
Game Notes: vs. Boston College

THE BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES

• The Irish and Eagles will meet on the pitch for the 19th time on Friday evening.

• Notre Dame leads Boston College in the all-time series at 11-4-3.

• The Irish are 3-2-2 against the Eagles when playing at Boston College.

• The two sides last played at Alumni Stadium last season, with the two sides playing to a 1-1 standstill on Oct. 19.

• Notre Dame is unbeaten in the last six matchups against Boston College, posting a record of 4-0-2 over that span.

• The Irish have allowed multiple goals in just two matches in the series against BC.

INSTANT IMPACT

• The freshman class has already made its presence felt on the Notre Dame roster, as the group has produced 23 points off seven goals and nine assists this season.

• Luke Burton has led the way from the striker position with three goals and three assists while making nine starts up top for the Irish.

• Ren Sylvester has found his form with two goals and two assists

• Alex Rosin has made seven starts at left back and has proved capable of going forward in attack with two goals and three assists.

• Karson Baquero has played in six matches as a midfielder, recording an assist in the win over Green Bay.

SET-PIECE SUCCESS

• The Fighting Irish have scored 11 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 eight goals this season. Ferguson, Burton and Rosin have each scored twice while Wyatt Borso and Martin Von Thun have each recorded one.

BK THE GK

• Blake Kelly has been a mainstay in goal for the Irish during his sophomore season, posting four clean sheets.

• The shot stopper ranks second in the ACC in saves per game with a mark of 3.53 per outing.

• 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 continued to gel over the course of the season, as the two have combined for eight goals and three assists.

• Borso leads the team in goals with five, scoring in five on the season which is a career high.

• Burton has recorded a point in six of the last 10 matches, scoring in wins over Pitt, Omaha and Hope and picking up assists against Louisville, Wright State, Hope and NIU.

BALANCED ATTACK

• Eleven players have scored the 23 goals for the Irish this season, as Wyatt Borso (5), Mitch Ferguson (4), Luke Burton (3), Nolan Spicer (2), Alex Rosin (2) and Ren Sylvester (2) have each scored multiple times while Jack Flanagan, Stevie Dunphy, KK Baffour and 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.

• 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 65 games over his Notre Dame career, scoring seven goals and adding eight 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.

BRANDON AUBREY – NFL PHENOM

• Dallas Cowboys kicker and Notre Dame men’s soccer alum Brandon Aubrey has become one of the best kickers in the NFL in just three short seasons.

• The kicker was an All-American center back for the Irish before being drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLS Draft by Toronto FC.

• Aubrey was named First-Team All-Pro and an NFC Pro Bowler after his rookie season in 2023.

• The Irish alum has set the record for most 60+ yard field goals made in a career with five, despite only being in his third season in the league.

• Aubrey is 15-for-15 on field goal attempts this season and 91-for-100 in his career, including an astounding mark of 29-for-32 on attempts of 50+ yards.

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+++++++++BUTLER VOLLEYBALL++++++++++

BUTLER SET TO HOST SETON HALL AND ST. JOHN’S AT HINKLE THIS WEEKEND

After spending last weekend on the road, Butler will return to Hinkle Fieldhouse to host Seton Hall and St. John’s this weekend.

Friday, Oct, 24- Butler will take on Seton Hall at 7 p.m. Watch Live Stats Tickets
Saturday, Oct, 25- Butler and St. John’s will square off at 5 p.m. Watch Live Stats Tickets

Butler So Far

Halfway through the conference play schedule the Dawgs are 9-12 overall and 2-6 in BIG EAST play. Last weekend Butler went 1-1, earning a win over DePaul in Chicago and falling to Marquette in Milwaukee.

Bulldog Bites

Butler is 6-3 in home matches.

Alaleh Tolliver is third in the conference in total kills (286) and fourth in the BIG EAST in kills per set (3.86).

Tolliver is fourth in the conference in points per set (4.47).

Kaylee Finnegan ranks fourth in the conference in assists per set (9.21)

Finnegan was named BIG EAST setter of the week on Sept. 2 after she posted 128 assists over the course of three matches.

Lauren Evans is third in the conference in digs (4.23).

Elise Ward has tallied 209 kills and is averaging 2.82 per set.

Zoe McDonald leads the team in blocks (74).

Potential Milestone For Coach Shondell

Butler head coach Kyle Shondell currently has 99 career wins as a women’s volleyball head coach. He has won 29 matches at Butler, with the remaining 70 coming during his previous stops at Rock Valley College and Huntington University.

A win in either match this weekend would mark Shondell’s 100th career victory.

Scouting Seton Hall

Seton Hall will enter Friday night’s match against Butler with a 6-13 overall record and 0-8 in Big East play.

The Pirates are led offensively by Sadie Reich, who leads the team with 3.56 kills per set. Gwen Alder and Emilee Fuller split time as the team’s setters. Alder leads the team in assists with 262, while Fuller has contributed 232. Defensively, Rylee Nelson leads the team in digs, averaging 3.76 per set.

Last season, Butler beat Seton Hall in both meetings. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 15-7.

Scouting St. John’s

St. John’s will head into the weekend with a 6-15 overall record and 2-6 in conference play. Their conference wins came against Providence and Seton Hall.

Martina Capponcelli sets up most of the offense for the Johnnies, recording 416 assists so far this season. Erin Jones leads the team in kills, averaging 3.16 per set, and has also tallied 190 digs, second on the team. Rashanny Solano Smith leads St. John’s defensively with 3.78 digs per set.

Butler dropped both matches against St. John’s last season. The all-time series is tied at 11-11.

Up Next

Butler will welcome Georgetown and Villanova to Hinkle Fieldhouse next weekend. The Bulldogs will play the Hoyas on Friday night, Oct. 31, and Villanova on Saturday night, Nov. 1.

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++++++++++IU INDY VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

VOLLEYBALL WELCOMES GOLDEN GRIZZLIES TO THE JUNGLE

INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy volleyball team will host the Oakland Golden Grizzlies for back-to-back matches on Friday, October 24 at 6:00 PM and Saturday, October 25 at 2:00 PM inside the Jungle. Heading into the match, the Jaguars are 11-10 overall with a 5-4 Horizon League mark.

Senior Morgan Ostrowski leads the Horizon League in hitting percentage with a mark of .370. Ostrowski also sits at eighth in blocks with 73 and an average of .90 per set. Freshman Jillian Tippmann sits at ninth with a hitting percentage of .269 as well as fourth in kills with 272 and a 3.68 average per set. Junior Grace Purichia leads the Horizon League in assists with 884 and an average of 10.91 per set.

The Grizzlies are coming into the Jungle with a 5-16 overall record with a 5-4 Horizon League mark. This past weekend they fell against Horizon League opponent Green Bay. As a team the Grizzlies are ranked sixth with an average of .183. Freshman Ellen Zapp sits at sixth in service aces with an average of .31 per set. Senior Lyse Bates sits at seventh in digs with 299 and an average of 3.83 per set.

The Jaguars and Golden Grizzlies are set for a 6:00 PM first serve on Friday, October 24 followed by a 2:00 PM start on Saturday, October 25. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ and tickets are available for purchase online.

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++++++++++IU INDY SWIMMING+++++++++

IU INDY SWIM AND DIVE HEADS TO CHICAGO FOR SATURDAY DUEL

INDIANAPOLIS- The IU Indy swim and dive team will travel to Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 11:00 AM to take on the Flames of UIC.

The Jags last weekend dominated the competition, defeating Evansville, Southern Indiana and Valparaiso, and with those victories, three Jaguars were awarded Horizon League Athlete of the Week awards.

Sophomore Addy Hirsbrunner earned her second Swimmer of the Week award of the year with two individual wins and a relay win. She took first place in the 500 free and secured the top spot in the 400 IM, also contributing to the team’s win in the 400 medley relay.

Graduate student Alaina Heyde earned her first Diver of the Week award this season, sweeping the women’s diving competition. She took first in the 1-meter and finished first in the 3-meter. Senior Sebastian Otero earned his fourth Diver of the Week this season after sweeping the men’s diving events. He earned first in the one-meter and first in the 3-meter. Otero has now earned 22 Diver of the Week awards.

For UIC, sophomore Georgina Bell was awarded MVC Women’s Swimmer of the Week for her four wins in the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 200 freestyle relay and the 400 medley relay. She ranks in the top five in the Missouri Valley Conference in the 100 and 200 backstroke.

The IU Indy men’s and women’s teams each have earned six wins on the season and aim to make it seven this weekend. Saturday’s meet will start at 11:00 AM inside the Flames Natatorium.

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++++++++++BALL STATE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

MVB ANNOUNCES 2026 SCHEDULE

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State men’s volleyball interim head coach Mike Iandolo has unveiled the program’s schedule for the upcoming 2026 season. The campaign consists of 26 matches, including 15 home dates at Worthen Arena.

“I’m really pumped about this year’s schedule,” Iandolo stated. “We’ve put together a challenging non-conference slate that will test us early and prepare us for the grind of MIVA play.”

The Cardinals begin the new campaign at home, hosting Trine University Jan. 3 with a start time of 5 p.m. Ball State remains at home the following weekend for back-to-back dates versus Missouri S&T Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. and NJIT Jan. 10 at 5 p.m.

“What is truly exciting is having more home matches than away,” Iandolo said. “There’s nothing like playing in front of our home crowd – our fans bring incredible energy and make Worthen one of the toughest places to play in the country.”

Ball State opens road play Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. when the team faces 2025 national championship runner-up UCLA in Phoenix, Ariz. as part of the First Point Collegiate Challenge Tournament held at the Phoenix Convention Center. The Cardinals then meet Stanford the following day, Jan. 18 at 4 p.m., also as part of the tournament.

Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association action begins for Ball State Feb. 5 when it hosts Queens at 7 p.m. The regular season wraps up against defending MIVA tournament champions Loyola Chicago April 11 at 4 p.m. inside Worthen Arena.

The 2026 MIVA tournament opens with quarterfinals April 18 on the number one seed’s home court.

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++++++++++BALL STATE SWIMMING+++++++++

WOMEN’S S&D TO START MAC COMPETITION AT TOLEDO SATURDAY

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State women’s swimming and diving program head to the UT Student Recreation Center Saturday, Oct. 25, to open conference dual competition against Toledo. Events this weekend are scheduled to begin at noon.

The women placed first out of 10 teams at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiates to open their 2025-26 season Oct. 11. Ball State claimed eight event wins, and 22 individual podium finishes, led by Payton Kelly and Anna Keen who saw two individual victories each.

Both of Kelly’s finishing times in the 50 (22.52) and 100 (49.18) freestyles currently top the Mid-American Conference.

The two women joined Haley Sakbun and freshman Kiley Zoeller to earn first in the 200 freestyle relay (1:32.70) and teamed with Lauren Fecher and freshman Addie Beasley to claim first in the 200 medley relay (1:41.26). Freshmen Reagan Graves and Ella Sears, along with Sakbun and Natalie Marshall took first in the 500 Freestyle relay (4:01.62).

Freshman Aubrey Simmons claimed the first individual event win of her collegiate career, placing first in the 100 butterfly (56.17).

Ball State last saw the Rockets in dual action in their final home meet of the 2023-24 campaign, coming out on top 182-117. The women took the top spot in 13 of 16 total events, with four different Cardinals securing two individual event wins that afternoon.

Toledo enters Saturday with an unblemished start to their season, claiming victories over Illinois State and Eastern Michigan (Oct. 11).

Fans can follow the action during Saturday’s events via Meet Mobile.

IN THE MAC RANKINGS

In the latest NCAA Division I Top Time Rankings as compiled by CollegeSwimming.com, the Cardinals have 14 student-athletes ranked in scoring position in their respective events heading into Saturday’s competition at home.

Women’s Swimmers Currently Ranked in the MAC Top 16

50 Freestyle: 1st – Payton Kelly (22.52) / 3rd – Anna Keen (23.03)

100 Freestyle: 1st – Payton Kelly (49.18) / 16th – Reagan Graves (51.83)

200 Freestyle: 2nd – Reagan Graves (1:50.95) / 8th – Addy Czarnecki (1:52.99) / 10th – Milagros Amione (1:52.69) / 11th – Magdalena Lechowska (1:53.83)

500 Freestyle: N/A

1000 Freestyle: N/A

1650 Freestyle: N/A

100 Backstroke: 6th – Ava Butterfield (55.27) / 10th – Aubrey Simmons (56.17) / 12th – Lauren Fecher (56.42)

200 Backstroke: N/A

100 Breaststroke: 2nd – Anna Keen (1:03.21) / 5th – Maya McDonald (1:03.48) / 6th – Addie Beasley (1:03.57) / 11th – Julia Ofman (1:04.54)

200 Breaststroke: N/A

100 Butterfly: 10th – Aubrey Simmons (56.17) / 12th – Alexa Von Holtz (56.53) / 14th – Savannah Farlee (57.37)

200 Butterfly: N/A

200 IM: N/A

400 IM: N/A

200 Freestyle Relay: N/A

400 Freestyle Relay: N/A

800 Freestyle Relay: N/A

200 Medley Relay: 2nd – Ball State (1:41.26)

400 Medley Relay: N/A

FROM THE DIVING BOARDS:

Graduate Grace Walker currently leads the Cardinals on both the 1M board (269.70) while junior Leelah Fettig leads on the 3M board (225.10).

Ball State Divers Top Results in 2024-25

Grace Walker (Gr.) – 269.70* on 1M

Leelah Fettig (So.) – 226.35 on 1M / 225.10 on 3M

Eeva-Liisa Gibson (Fr.) – 185.55 on 1M / 189.10 on 3M

Ava Pavich (Jr.) – 157.50 on 1M / 121.55 on 3M

Ella Penny (Jr.) – 153.90 on 1M

NCAA Zone Diving Qualifying Marks: 265 on 1M / 280 on 3M

EVENT WINNERS:

As a squad, the Cardinals have chalked up five individual event wins and three relay victories so far this season.

2025-26 Women’s Individual Event Winners (3)

2 – Payton Kelly (Sr.)

Oct. 11 at Indiana Intercollegiates: 50 Freestyle (22.52) / 100 Freestyle (49.18)

2 – Anna Keen (So.)

Oct. 11 at Indiana Intercollegiates: 100 Individual Medley (55.90) / 100 Breaststroke (1:03.21)

1 – Aubrey Simmons (Fr.)

Oct. 11 at Indiana Intercollegiates: 100 Butterfly (56.17)

2025-26 Women’s Relay Winners (3)

1 – 200 Medley Relay

Oct. 11 at Indiana Intercollegiates: Fecher, Beasley, Keen, Kelly (1:41.26)

1 – 500 Freestyle Relay

Oct. 11 at Indiana Intercollegiates: Graves, Sakbun, Marshall, Sears (4:01.62)

1 – 200 Freestyle Relay

Oct. 11 at Indiana Intercollegiates: Keen, Kelly, Sakbun, Zoeller (1:32.70)

_____________________________________________________________

+++++++++BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

VOLLEYBALL SET TO HOST OHIO FOR DIG PINK & CHIRP OR TREAT

THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women’s volleyball team returns to Worthen Arena for the next three matches, starting with a weekend series versus Ohio … The Cardinals and Bobcats are set to square off at 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.

THIS WEEK’S PROMOTIONS: Friday’s match will be the Cardinals’ annual Dig Pink with the first 200 fans in attendance receiving a FREE PINK STRESS BALL to support breast cancer awareness … Saturday will be the Cardinals annual Chirp-or-Treat match … Young fans can come dressed in their costumes and enjoy a little pre-Halloween FUN starting at 3 p.m. with candy being handed out on the concourse by our other sports teams and spirit squads courtesy of Ball State SAAC … Prizes will be awarded for the best kids Halloween costume between sets two and three.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans unable to attend this weekend’s matches in person have several ways to follow the #MACtion … Both contests will be broadcast live on ESPN+ … Live stats will be available courtesy of Ball State athletics … Updates from the matches will also be provided on the team’s X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.

MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATION: Ball State women’s volleyball team received 102 points in the league’s annual coaches’ poll, trailing only defending regular season champion Bowling Green (119) … With coaches unable to vote for their own teams, BGSU earned 10 of the 12 votes to win the MAC regular season title, with the Cardinals claiming the other two … The Falcons were also selected as the favorite to win the MAC Volleyball Championship with 10 votes, while Buffalo and Central Michigan each garnered one vote.

PRESEASON HONORS: In addition to the team rankings, the MAC announced its annual Preseason All-MAC Team … Representing Ball State are sophomore outside Carson Tyler and sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter … Tyler was named the 2024 MAC and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year after ranking first on the team and seventh in the league with a 3.34 kills-per-set average last season … Ledbetter earned a nod on the 2024 MAC All-Freshman team after leading the squad and ranking 10th in the MAC with a 3.68 digs-per-set average.

BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters Friday’s match versus Ohio with a 1047-666-2 (.611) all-time record in women’s volleyball … Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 … All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 MAC West Division Championships, 10 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles … Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons … BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 328-103 (.761) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 244-62 (.797) ledger versus league foes … Overall, no MAC opponent owns a winning record inside Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals have at least a .630 winning percentage against all league schools on its current home floor … Up next in Worthen will be Ohio (Oct. 24-25) who is 7-13 (.350) all-time in the building.

BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a perfect 9-0 record in MAC play this season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 468-225 (.675) all-time MAC mark … Western Michigan is second on the list, five matches behind the Cardinals at 463-230 (.668), while this week’s opponent Ohio is sixth based on winning percentage at 397-294 (.575).

MORE ABOUT THE 9-0 START TO #MACtion: The 2025 season marks the sixth time in program history the Cardinals have won at least its first nine MAC matches of the year … The last time was in 2023 when Ball State got off to a 9-0 start, on its way to a 15-3 league finish … The Cardinals have boasted two perfect MAC seasons, going 18-0 in 1993 and 17-0 in 1994 … BSU also won the first 10 matches of the 1997 campaign and the first nine matches in 2000.

SCOUTING BALL STATE:

• The Cardinals enter the weekend with a 13-8 overall record, including a perfect 9-0 mark in Mid-American Conference play … The lone remaining undefeated team in #MACtion, Ball State earned a pair of road wins at Bowling Green last week, with a 3-2 victory Thursday and a 3-0 win Friday.

• Thanks to its sweep at BGSU last week, the Cardinals climbed six spots in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings, coming in at 45 this week after ranking 77th in the initial rankings and 51st last week … Ball State is the highest ranked MAC team, with Toledo coming in second at 80.

• Ball State enters the week as one of the nation’s top terminating teams, ranking third nationally with 1,159 total kills … Only Valparaiso (1,217) and Towson (1,200) have more kills than the Cardinals … 369 of Ball State’s kills, which is second nationally, have come from the arm of sophomore outside Carson Tyler who also ranks first in the MAC and 29th nationally with a 4.34 kills-per-set average.

• In addition, the Cardinals lead the MAC and rank 37th nationally with a .259 team attack percentage … Junior middle Camryn Wise is first in the league and 56th nationally with a .375 rate of success, while junior setter Lindsey Green ranks 89th nationally with 633 total assists and owns a 7.54 assists-per-set average.

SCOUTING OHIO:

• The Bobcats enter the week with a 7-14 overall record, including a 5-4 mark in MAC play … Last week, Ohio earned 3-2 and 3-1 wins over Eastern Michigan to run its current winning streak to five matches which is the second-longest active win streak in the league behind Ball State’s nine straight match wins.

• Ohio ranks seventh in the MAC in the NCAA RPI Rankings at 203, climbing 49 spots from 252 since the start of its current five-match winning streak … Ohio’s best wins so far this season were back-to-back victories over Miami who is currently ranked 187th.

• The Bobcats enter the week as one of the nation’s top serving teams, ranking second in the MAC and 51st nationally at 1.75 aces per set … Mady Long ranks second in the MAC and 60th nationally at 0.43 aces per set, while Bryn Janke is third in the league and 90th nationally at 0.41 … Ohio has served up 142 total aces which is 26th nationally.

• At 2.88 kills per set, Bailey Blair leads a quartet of Bobcats averaging at least 2.25 for the season … She has a team-high 233 kills and has reached double figures in each of Ohio’s last four matches … Kendall Hickey leads the OU backcourt at 2.76 digs per set.

• The Cardinals currently hold a 44-21 lead in the all-time series versus Ohio including three straight wins … Last season, Ball State earned a hard-fought 3-2 (19-25, 25-16, 25-12, 23-25, 15-11) victory in Athens … The Cardinals hold a 20-8 advantage over the Bobcats in matches played in Muncie, including four straight wins … Ohio, which is 7-13 all-time in Worthen Arena, has not won in Muncie since a 3-2 (25-11, 16-25, 20-25, 32-30, 15-11) victory on Oct. 15, 2016.

BALL STATE QUICK HITS:

• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler has been one of the nation’s top attackers so far this season, ranking second nationally with 369 kills for a MAC-best 4.34 kills-per-set average … She has reached double-digit kills in 20 matches so far this season, including a career-high 29 kills versus Toledo (Oct. 10), 28 kills versus Cincinnati (Sept. 18), 26 kills versus James Madison (Sept. 14) and 21 kills at UConn (Sept. 5) … Last season, Tyler averaged 3.34 kills per set to become the first player in program history to earn AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year accolades.

• With double-digit kills in 20 matches this season, Carson Tyler has raised her career total to 42 matches … She needs one more match in double figures to break into the top 20 in program history at 43 … In addition, Tyler is one of just nine players in program history to register 20-or-more kills in at least 10 career matches, with last Thursday’s match at Bowling Green being her 12th.

• A six-rotation player, Carson Tyler is currently second on the squad with 217 digs … She has recorded kill/dig double-doubles in 12 matches this season, with her latest coming in last Thursday’s 3-2 win at Bowling Green … Tyler registered a career-high 19 digs in the win at Marquette (Sept. 12) and collected 18 versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31) and James Madison (Sept. 14) … Tyler also leads Ball State’s primary passers with a .966 reception percentage, successfully passing 453 of the 469 serves she has faced … Tyler also led the Cardinals’ primary passers with a .963 reception percentage last season by successfully passing 650 of the team-high 675 serves she faced.

• Graduate outside Noelle VanOort has made quite an impact playing for the Cardinals, smashing 259 total kills, collecting 170 digs and hitting .230 (259-90-735) … A member of the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team, VanOort has tallied double digit kills in 16 of BSU’s 21 matches, including a season-high 20 kills twice … Throw in 97 matches with double-figure kills during her four-year career at Indiana Tech and VanOort has been credited with at least 10 kills in 113 collegiate matches … She has also raised her collegiate total to 11 matches with 20+ kills, including a 20/20 effort Nov. 5, 2022, with 23 kills and 25 digs versus Siena Heights.

• Noelle VanOort has been just as solid on defense through the first eight weeks, earning double-digit digs seven times, including a season-high 23 vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) … The effort has raised her career total to 97 matches with double-digit digs, including her 90 at Indiana Tech … It also helped her raise her collegiate kill/dig double-double total to 74, including six with Ball State and 68 with the Warriors.

• Prior to arriving at Ball State, Noelle VanOort finished her four-year playing career at Indiana Tech (2021-24) as a two-time NAIA Third Team All-American … Her 1,724 career kills ranked second in program history, while her 1,648 career digs were sixth … She also set the program standard with 282 career service aces … She has continued to find success in her first five weeks playing for the Cardinals and enters the week with 1983 kills, 1828 digs and 293 aces over her collegiate career.

• With 20 kills each in the Aug. 31 match versus Cal Poly, Noelle VanOort and Carson Tyler became the first Ball State duo to record 20-or-more kills in the same match since the 2007 season … Brittany May and Julie Breivogel were the last players to do so with 21 and 20 kills, respectively, in an Oct. 5, 2027 match versus Western Michigan.

• Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter paces the Ball State defense with 334 digs and a 3.93 digs-per-set average this season … Both marks currently rank third among MAC defenders … Ledbetter has recorded double-digit digs in 19 of BSU’s 21 matches, upping her career total to 42 … The effort includes a career-high tying 27 digs versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 20) and 26 digs in the season-opener versus St. Thomas (Aug. 29).

• Sophie Ledbetter earned her first collegiate double-double versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), handing out 10 assists to go along with her 14 digs.

• Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness have combined to lead the Ball State offense to a .259 attack percentage this season which is first in the MAC and 37th nationally … The mark includes a .279 rate of success over the team’s nine MAC matches … Green, who dished out a career-high 51 assists twice this season, currently ranks eighth in the MAC with a 7.54 assists-per-set average, with her 633 total assists ranking 89th nationally … She also leads the squad with 26 service aces … Axness, meanwhile, enters the week with a 4.43 assists-per-set average and has served up 11 aces.

• Junior middle Gwen Crull has turned up the offensive heat over the last five weeks, reaching double-digit kills for the first six times in her collegiate career … Her best match came at Miami (Oct. 7), when she smashed a career-high 13 kills and hit .522 (13-1-23) … She has also collected 12 kills on two occasions; vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) and at Akron (Sept. 26) … During Ball State’s current nine-match winning streak, Crull is second on the squad with a .395 (74-14-152) attack percentage, which ranks fifth in the MAC during the span … She also leads the squad with a 0.87 blocks-per-set average this season, including a team-high 12 solo blocks.

• Junior middle Camryn Wise enters the week leading the Mid-American Conference with a .375 attack percentage … She has hit .300-or-better in 15 of the team’s 21 matches, paced by a .579 (12-1-19) rate of success at Marquette (Sept. 12) … Looking at just league matches, Wise’s mark jumps up to .415 with just seven errors on 130 swings, to go along with 61 kills … Wise has hit at least .385 in seven MAC outings, starting with a .545 (6-0-11) effort at Buffalo (Sept. 25).

• Sophomore Tiffany Snook is starting to find her grove on the right side, ranking third on the squad in league play with 75 kills and a 2.27 kills-per-set average … The effort included a career-high 17 kills and a .433 (17-4-30) attack percentage versus Toledo (Oct. 10) … She also secured 11 kills at Akron (Sept. 26) and has registered at least six kills in eight of Ball State’s nine league matches.

• Roster Update: Senior opposite Madison Buckley and redshirt junior outside attacker Aniya Kennedy will both miss the 2025 season as medical redshirts … Buckley was a 2024 First Team All-MAC selection after ranking second on the team in total blocks (90.0) and third in total kills (276) last season … Kennedy, the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection, ranked second on the squad with 279 kills last season and chipped in 43 total blocks.

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+++++++++INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER++++++++

SYCAMORES EARN 1–0 ROAD VICTORY AT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Indiana State continued its strong conference form with a 1–0 victory over Southern Illinois on Sunday afternoon at the Lew Hartzog Track & Field Complex. Lina Fasquelle’s first-half goal proved to be the difference as the Sycamores secured their third shutout in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Indiana State started strong, creating pressure in the attacking third with a pair of corners inside the opening ten minutes. The breakthrough came at 18:59, when Lina Fasquelle buried a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner off an assist from Isabella Berta, giving ISU a 1–0 lead. The Sycamores kept the momentum, with Berta forcing a save in the 23rd minute and Brooklyn Woods testing goalkeeper Reagan Miller later in the half.

Defensively, Indiana State held strong throughout the second period. Delaney Timmons recorded three saves on the afternoon, including key stops in the 28th and 79th minutes, as ISU’s back line of Riley Mathews, Quinn Urquhart, and Mackenzie Mills blocked multiple attempts and cleared a series of late corner kicks.

Indiana State finished with eleven total shots and four on goal, while limiting Southern Illinois to just one attempt on target. The clean sheet marked the Sycamores’ fifth of the season and extended their unbeaten streak in MVC play.

How They Scored

18:59 – Indiana State 1–0: Lina Fasquelle scored with a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner, assisted by Isabella Berta.

News & Notes

Fasquelle scored her third goal of the 2025 season.

Berta recorded her fourth assist of the season.

The Sycamores improved to 3-1-3 in conference play.

Up Next

Indiana State returns home to Memorial Stadium on Sunday, October 26, to host Illinois State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.

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++++++++++INDIANA STATE SWIMMING+++++++++

SYCAMORES HEAD TO EVANSVILLE FOR WEEKEND TRI-MEET

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State swimming and diving continues its road schedule this week as the Sycamores head to Evansville, Ind. on Saturday, October 25, for a tri-meet against both Evansville and Southern Indiana inside the Deaconess Aquatic Center. Events are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET with results available on MeetMobile.

“Saturday is an opportunity for us to compete in the pool where the MVC Championship Meet will be held,” head coach Josh Christensen said. “With back-to-back meet weeks, we’ll look to continue sharpening our racing skills and take some steps forward from where we were last weekend.”

Saturday Event Schedule

200 Medley Relay, 1000 Free, 200 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 200 Fly, 50 Free, 3M Diving, 100 Free, 200 Back, 200 Breast, 500 Free, 100 Fly, 1M Diving, 200 IM, 200 Free Relay

The Sycamores head into their second meet of the 2025-26 regular season as Indiana State comes off a strong start following this past weekend’s two-day dual meet against Missouri State. The Sycamores topped the host Bears, 192.5-160.5, at the Hammons Student Center Pool in their first competition of the season.

Indiana State claimed 11 of the 19 event wins over the two-day event, highlighted by Claire Parsons’ four wins in the pool, while Jecza Lopez claimed both the 1M and 3M diving titles to propel the Sycamores to the win. Sara Keefe, Ali Pearson, and Haley Halsall also claimed individual event wins, while the Sycamores took the 200 Freestyle Relay and 200 Medley Relay wins.

Parsons was dominant once again in her signature events as the junior swimmer claimed both the 200-yard and 500-yard titles, while pulling away from the field in the 1000-yard Freestyle (10:16.50) to win by 11 seconds over teammate Grace Cummings. The Terre Haute native followed up by winning the 200-yard Backstroke event in 2:04.91 after a brief rest from her 1000-yard title to claim back-to-back wins in consecutive swims.

Lopez began her Missouri Valley title defense in style over the two springboard events as the junior diver earned her spot for the 2026 NCAA Zone C qualifiers in both the 3M and 1M Springboard events. Lopez scored 290.40 in the 3M event and followed up with a 285.1 in the 1M in becoming the first Sycamore to qualify for both boards at the NCAA Zones for the first time in program history.

Keefe (100 Backstroke), Pearson (200 Breaststroke), and Halsall (200 Fly) also recorded their first wins of the regular season in the pool as Indiana State continued to showcase their overall depth in the water. Additional top finishers included Gemma Dilks (200 & 400 IM), Addison Johnson (100 Fly), Kalli Agapios (50 Free), and Erin Cummins (100 Free).

The Deaconess Aquatic Center will be home to the 2026 Missouri Valley Championships as the Valley returns to Evansville for the first time since the 2024 championship meet. Indiana State finished second overall at the meet highlighted by 14 Sycamores earning All-Conference recognition, while Claire Parsons was recognized as the MVC Freshman of the Year.

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++++++++++PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

MASTODON WBB HANDLES MANCHESTER IN EXHIBITION

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Five Mastodons scored in double-figures on Thursday (Oct. 23) as the Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team beat Manchester 92-30 in an exhibition contest.

Purdue Fort Wayne welcomed students from Fort Wayne Community Schools for a crowd of 873 for its annual Fitness Day.

With nine newcomers on the Purdue Fort Wayne roster, it was the first official time the Mastodons took the Arnie Ball Court for the 2025-26 season. Alana Nelson led the team in scoring with 15 points. She was joined in double-digits by Ella Riggs (12), Hillary Offing (10), Nika Lokica (10) and Rylee Bess (10).

The Mastodons racked up 22 assists compared to 10 turnovers. Bess had seven assists, a team-high. She paced the ‘Dons to a 52.1 (38-of-73) field goal percentage and a 65.1 percent clip inside the arc.

Purdue Fort Wayne never trailed in the contest. The Mastodons’ biggest run in the game was a 14-0 push over the last four minutes of the first quarter. Destiny Macharia and Bess each had a 3-pointer, Lokica had a pair of layups, Lili Krasovec had a layup, then Riggs had a mid-range jumper to put the ‘Dons up 25-9.

Avery Wagner was a threat defensively, finishing with eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals while adding six points and two assists.

Manchester had double-digit scoring from Hannah Holmes and Abigail Rosenkrans.

Since the game was an exhibition, both teams stayed 0-0. The Mastodons will open the regular season with a trip to West Virginia on November 3.

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++++++++++PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

‘DONS VISIT FIRST-PLACE NORTHERN KENTUCKY FOR #HLVB SERIES

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball team will make the trip to Northern Kentucky for a pair of Horizon League volleyball matches.

Game Day Information
Who: Northern Kentucky Norse
When: Friday-Saturday, October 24-25
Where: Highland Heights, Ky. | Regents Hall
Live Stats: Link
Watch: None
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

Northern Kentucky is 12-8 and 8-1 in Horizon League play, which is currently good for first place in the league standings. The Norse won their last four matches against Milwaukee and Robert Morris. Allison Risley is the offensive leader of the Norse, averaging 3.08 kills per set on a .207 hitting percentage. Abby Pickard is dishing out 10.12 assists per set, the second-most in the HL.

Series History

NKU narrowly leads the series 26-25, but the Mastodons won both matches last season. Riley Rosneck had 15 kills in the second match last year.

League Leader

Riley Rosneck has the best kills (4.07) and points per set (4.46) marks in the Horizon League this season.

So Good I Can’t Barrett

Becky Barrett had a career-high 31 digs against Cleveland State on October 17, which is the second-most in a league match this season.

That’s My(a) Middle

Mya Plemons has 82 blocks this season, which is second in the Horizon League and is a top-80 mark nationally.

When Life Gives You Plemons

Mya Plemons has a .338 career hitting percentage, the second-best in program history and the best in the rally scoring era. Her .347 hitting percentage this season is the second-best for a season-long mark in the rally scoring era.

Last Time Out

Cleveland State won two matches against Purdue Fort Wayne, the first in five sets, the second in three.

Next Time Up

Purdue Fort Wayne will return home for a midweek contest against IU Indy on Tuesday (Oct. 28).

___________________________________________________________

++++++++++EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S SOCCER++++++++++

LABERGE AND ROBINSON SCORE, LAMMERS POSTS SHUTOUT TO POWER ACES TO BIG WIN

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – In a crucial match for the MVC Tournament picture, Brielle LaBerge (Cumming, Ga./Forsyth Central) and Brooklyn Robinson (West Haven, Utah/Fremont) scored two goals in the span of two minutes to power the University of Evansville women’s soccer team to a crucial 2-0 win over Northern Iowa on Thursday afternoon.

Allie Lammers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) had a big day in goal for the Aces, making a career-high seven saves to post her fifth clean sheet of the season. The five shutouts are the most in a single season by an Aces keeper since Myia Danek in 2023.

UNI controlled play in the first half, putting up 10 shots, but Lammers made four saves to keep the match scoreless heading into the break.

The Purple Aces’ attack got rolling in the second half, with LaBerge creating a scoring chance in the 56th minute. The sophomore put a long range shot off the crossbar, but the loose ball was corralled by the Aces in the box and a shot deflected off the hand of a Panthers’ defender to earn a penalty kick. LaBerge stepped to the penalty spot and snuck a shot under the UNI keeper for her first collegiate goal, giving the Aces a 1-0 lead.

Two minutes later, the Aces generated another chance when Ella McAndrew (Greendale, Ind./Lawrenceburg) collected a ball just outside the top of the box. From there, McAndrew passed to Robinson, who struck a right-footed laser over a leaping keeper and into the back of the net. The goal was her third of the season, doubling the Evansville advantage.

From there, Lammers and the Evansville defense held strong to maintain the shutout. Lammers made three saves in the final ten minutes, including a diving stop in the 89th minute to put a bow on a career day.

“This was a great team win,” said Head Coach Chris Pfau. “What has been impressive with this group and why I love this team so much is that they have every right to frustated after Murray State, they’re on the road, didn’t play the best, and they come back on the road again and I think the reason we win that game is because of how close everybody is.”

“This is a team that had to stick together, we had some injuries and moved some people around, and everybody stepped up in a big way.”

“To get a 2-0 win on the road is great, it keeps us in the mix of things and speaks volumes to the way this team is going and the character of our players. I’m very impressed – good result for us.”

With the win, Evansville moves to 7-5-2 overall and 3-3-1 in MVC play, sitting in a tie for second place in the conference standings entering tonight’s MVC action with seven points. UE remains in Iowa on Sunday, taking on league-leading Drake. Kick-off is set for 2 PM.

_________________________________________________________

++++++++++EVANSVILLE VOLLEYBALL++++++++

VOLLEYBALL TRAVELS TO BELMONT AND MURRAY STATE

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Two road matches are on tap this weekend when the University of Evansville volleyball team travels to Belmont and Murray State. UE faces the Bruins at 6 p.m. Friday before taking on the Racers on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Recapping the Weekend

– On Oct. 14 UE recorded a 3-1 victory at Indiana State as Hinsley Everett reset her career mark with 24 kills while Chloe Cline finished the contest with 10

– Evansville welcomed UNI on Saturday with the Panthers winning by a 3-0 final

– Everett paced the squad with 11 kills

Top Mark in the MVC

– Finishing the road match at Indiana State with 24 kills, Hinsley Everett reset her career mark while helping UE secure the win

– Her tally is tied for the most by an MVC player this season

– Her previous high of 17 kills came against MTSU and her total tied for the most by a UE player this season

losing in on the top ten

– Ainoah Cruz continues to move up the national digs rankings as her season average of 5.08 per set is 12th in the NCAA and remains second in the MVC

– Cruz eclipsed the 1,000-dig mark earlier this season against UAB and is on the cusp of moving into the top 10 in program history

Scouting the Opposition

– Belmont stands at 13-5 overall and is 4-4 in conference play

– The Bruins lost both road matches at UIC and Valparaiso last weekend

– Brooke Gilleland paces the team with 3.51 kills per set

– Murray State enters the weekend at 3-14 overall and 1-7 in the Valley

– Ella Vogel holds the team lead with 3.65 kills per game

_______________________________________________________________

++++++++++SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

USI VOLLEYBALL HOSTS SENIOR DAY SERIES AGAINST SIUE

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is set to host an Ohio Valley Conference battle against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in Liberty Arena this Friday and Saturday.

Friday’s match, played at 6 p.m., will feature celebrations for USI’s Graduate Students. USI will celebrate Senior Day for four seniors, Bianca Anderson, Keira Moore, Jordan Troutman, and Mariah Minor, following Saturday’s match, played at 2 p.m.

Admission to both games and all USI Volleyball home games this season will be free, courtesy of ProRehab. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ for subscribers.

The Screaming Eagles are coming off a two-game win streak against the University of Arkansas-Little Rock last weekend. After the Little Rock sweep, USI remains undefeated at home against OVC opponents and sits in the fifth spot in conference standings.

Freshman Aysa Thomas continued her consistent performance leading the offense. She dished out 88 assists, 33 digs, and six kills in the Little Rock series. She set for 53 assists in the second win of the series, tying her career high.

Anderson connected on 27 kills with Thomas to lead the team in kills. She was followed closely by junior Ashby Willis, who tallied 23 kills over the two games.

Freshmen Carley Wright and Ava Carpenter both made an impact at the net, tallying double-digit kills. Carpenter came off the bench midway through the second game to swing momentum for the Eagles. She recorded a career-high 10 kills to help the Eagles get the win.

The Eagles’ back court stayed consistent in both games, tallying 164 digs for 18.22 digs per set. Led by libero Audrey Small, who picked up 51 digs over the two games, averaging 5.67 digs per set. After the series, the Screaming Eagles rank first in the NCAA for team digs per set with 17.96.

Scouting the Opponent:

The Cougars, who sit just one spot above USI in OVC standings, are 6-3 in their conference record, and 11-9 overall. SIUE is coming off a series sweep at the University of Tennessee-Martin, winning both matches in four sets. This week’s matches mark the 32nd time the two schools have met. SIUE leads the series history 21-10. The Cougars have taken the last three matches, the Eagles’ last win on 10/6/23 in four sets.

Leading the Cougar offense this season has been sophomore Sophie Robinson, who has tallied 236 kills, averaging 2.95 per set. Senior libero Olivia Hogan has recorded over 300 digs this season, averaging 3.88 per set. Head Coach Kendall Paulus is in her ninth season at the helm, 15th year with the SIUE team, with a record of 111-129.

To stay updated on USI’s Senior Day celebration weekend in Liberty Arena, fans can follow USI Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, and X for game coverage, as well as online at usiscreamingeagles.com.

_____________________________________________________________

++++++++++VALPO WOMEN’S SOCCER+++++++++

BEACONS PICK UP WIN OVER BELMONT

The Valpo soccer team picked up a key three points in the MVC standings Thursday night at Brown Field, as a goal in the 12th minute from Molly O’Rear (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) and a season-high 10 saves by Kate Sheridan (Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) helped the Beacons earn a 1-0 win over Belmont.

How It Happened

With just the second shot in the game for either side, the Beacons took the lead in the 12th minute. A move which started near their own goal line ended up with Martha Goddard (London, England/Alleyns School) carrying the ball down the right touchline and squaring back into the center of the park about 15 yards from the endline. Her pass was behind two other Valpo attackers, but ended up perfectly positioned for an oncoming O’Rear, whose left-footed shot from just inside 20 yards found its way to the upper-left corner to give the Beacons a 1-0 lead.

That proved to be the only goal of the first half despite the two sides combining for nine shots on frame in the opening 45 minutes, as the Beacons carried the 1-0 edge into halftime.

Valpo absorbed the Bruins’ numerous attempts at the equalizer through a desperate second half, as Belmont fired nine second-half shots, seven of which were on goal. But Sheridan was up to the task, stopping all seven efforts — highlighted by an 88th-minute save which saw her sprawl out to her right and push a shot destined for the far corner out of harm’s way with her right hand.

Inside the Match

Thursday’s three points moved Valpo into a tie for seventh in the MVC standings. The top six teams in the final standing make the Valley tournament this year.

O’Rear’s goal was her fifth of the season, three of which have come in MVC play. The senior owns nine career goals.

Goddard now leads the Beacons this year with four assists, the most by a Valpo freshman since Keegan Maris tallied four helpers as a rookie in 2017.

Sheridan’s top save with inside of three minutes to play was the highlight of a 10-save night for the senior as she earned her third clean sheet of the season. The 10 stops were a season high and her second-highest total of her career.

Emma Paraskos (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) made her first career start Thursday. She is the 18th different field player to start a match for Valpo this season.

Belmont ended the night with a 15-11 edge in shots, including a 10-6 advantage in shots on goal. The Bruins also held an 8-5 edge in corner kicks.

Thoughts From Coach Marovich

“I thought tonight was a performance by our team which really showed their love to grind and to compete to earn a huge three points.”

“Kate Jeffery really started it for us in the back line — she played with purpose and with a real desire to lead our group. That just fed all the way through the team, and it showed in our performance.”

“We had a lot we did well in the first half and got a great goal from Molly. Then in the second half, you have to find a way to get the result across the line, and that’s what we did. In those big moments, you have to step up, and Kate Sheridan did so with her big save late,”

“We’ll enjoy this result tonight, and then move on and start looking towards Sunday’s match tomorrow.”

Next Up

Valpo (4-7-4, 1-3-3 MVC) closes out its 2025 home slate Sunday afternoon as it hosts Murray State at 1 p.m. It is the Beacons’ Senior Day, with O’Rear, Sheridan, Kennedy Hill (Austin, Texas/St. Michael’s Catholic Academy) and Hannah Gabriel (Northville, Mich./Northville) being honored prior to the match.

________________________________________________________

+++++++++UINDY WRESTLING+++++++++

UINDY SELECTED TO FINISH THIRD IN GLVC PRESEASON POLL

INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy wrestling team was voted to finish third in the 2026 GLVC preseason coaches’ poll, the league office announced on Thursday.

The preseason poll is determined by the league’s head coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own team.

No. 3 Indianapolis

Received one first-place vote and 17 total points.
Tied for second in GLVC standings last season.
Finished fourth at Super Regional IV and 11th at NCAA Championship last year.
Coached by Jason Warthan, who enters his 17th season after a 4-6 overall and 3-2 GLVC record in 2024-25.
Return Second Team All-GLVC honoree in the 285-lb class, Cale Gray.

The complete poll and voting results can be found below.

Place	School	Points (1st-place votes)
1.	McKendree	25 (5)
2.	Upper Iowa	19
3.	UIndy	17 (1)
4.	Maryville	15
5.	Drury	9
6.	Quincy	5

__________________________________________________________________

++++++++++MARIAN FOOTBALL+++++++++

GAMEDAY GUIDE: NO. 8 MARIAN TRAVELS TO NO. 19 OLIVET NAZARENE IN WEEK 8 CLASH

INDIANAPOLIS – Coming off the program’s first-ever shutout in the Franciscan Bowl, the Marian football team hits the road to close out the month of October with a contest at Olivet Nazarene. The top-25 matchup kicks off on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET from Bourbonnais, Illinois.

THE SERIES

Marian has owned the series against Olivet Nazarene, holding an all-time record of 8-0 in the series. Marian won last year’s meeting 45-40, improving to 6-0 all-time under head coach Ted Karras Jr. The weekend’s game against the Tigers will be the first played in Bourbonnais, Illinois, since 2017. Marian won the last matchup played in the Tigers’ den 40-21. This year’s game is the second-ever meeting between the two foes as members of the MSFA Midwest League.

Keagan La Belle scored three touchdowns in last year’s win, and Tristan Polk ran for two scores while throwing for another to Jake Reichard. The Tigers threatened Marian late with 19 fourth-quarter points, however, Olivet Nazarene was unable to claim the lead as Dwight Lewis III recovered an onside kick in the final minute. Polk threw for a career-high 347 yards in the win last season, with La Belle rushing for another 125 more. Reichard logged 249 receiving yards in the win.

LAST TIME OUT

Marian dominated their last opponent, routing the Saint Francis Cougars 49-0 in the Franciscan Bowl. It was the first-ever shutout in the rivalry against the Cougars, and was marked by a rushing attack that scored seven rushing touchdowns and a defense that created five turnovers.

LA BELLE CHASING HISTORY

Keagan La Belle has been on a scoring rampage this season, with last week proving no different as the senior ran for four touchdowns in the win over Saint Francis. La Belle as scored 13 rushing touchdowns this year and 14 scores overall, and trails Tevin Lake for the single-season rushing touchdown record by five scores. Lake scored 18 rushing touchdowns twice in his career, holding the career mark. Six scores over the final four games of the regular season would give La Belle the new mark. Additionally, six scores would tie La Belle with Charles Salary for the second-most rushing touchdowns in program history.

The senior back has a program record with a rushing touchdown in 13 consecutive games. Krishawn Hogan holds the overall Marian record with a touchdown scored in 20 consecutive games, a feat accomplished between 2014 and 2016. Hogan scored 44 times in his run, while La Belle has 30 touchdowns in his scoring streak.

SCORING LEADERS AT WORK

Marian and Olivet Nazarene are two of the top-scoring teams in the NAIA this season. Marian enters the week fifth in the NAIA in scoring with 46.6 points per game, while Olivet Nazarene is averaging 45.7 points per game. The Tigers have played one less game than the Knights this season, having scored 39 total touchdowns. Marian has scored 45 touchdowns in their seven games played.

MID-STATES LEADERS

Christian Dhue-Ried of Olivet Nazarene is the MSFA Midwest League’s second-leading passer, entering the week with 253 yards passing per game and 15 touchdowns. Marian’s Tristan Polk is fourth in the conference in passing with 210 yards per game, and third in total touchdowns with 18 scores on the season. La Belle is the conference’s leading scorer and rusher, and Jake Reichard is fourth in receiving yards per game and tied for first in touchdowns. Cade Houseman is fifth in the league in tackles per game, while Deon Pettiford and Isaiah Street are tied for second in sacks. Logan Carrington is the NAIA leader in interceptions this season with six.

WATCH AND FOLLOW ALONG

Those fans unable to attend Saturday’s game can watch live through the Olivet Nazarene Tiger Network, listed above. The Knights’ broadcast duo of Scott McCauley and Zach Graves will be calling an audio-only broadcast of the game live from Bourbonnais, streamed live through the ISC Sports Network. Fans can also find live statistics at marianstats.com. Live updates of the game will be posted periodically on the official Marian Athletics Twitter/X page, @MUKnights, along with the team page of @MarianUFootball.

FOOTBALL WEATHER

October has brought traditional football weather in the air, as temperatures at kickoff on Saturday are projected to be in the mid-50’s during the game.

TICKETS

Tickets are available now online, and can also be purchased at the gate on Saturday. General admission pricing is $10 for adults, and $7 for youths and seniors 65 or older.

Marian and Olivet Nazarene square off at 1:00 p.m. ET in Bourbonnais, Illinois.

____________________________________________________________

+++++++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

_______________________________________________________________________

+++SPORTS EXTRA+++

+++TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY+++

Oct. 24

1943 — The Green Bay Packers grab nine interceptions, seven off Frank Sinkwich, in a 27-6 victory over the Detroit Lions.

1948 — Chicago’s Bill Blackburn returns two interceptions for touchdowns to highlight a 35-point third quarter as the Cardinals beat the Boston Yanks 49-27.

1959 — Wilt Chamberlain plays in his first NBA game with the Philadelphia Warriors. Chamberlain plays his entire career — 1,045 consecutive games — without a disqualification.

1965 — Fran Tarkenton of the Minnesota Vikings passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns in a thrilling 42-41 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

1976 — The New York Marathon is run through the streets of the five boroughs for the first time. Bill Rodgers wins the race in 2:10:10, beating Olympic gold and silver medalist Frank Shorter. Miki Gorman wins the women’s division in 2:39:11, the 70th-fastest time over all.

1992 — The Toronto Blue Jays take baseball’s championship outside the United States for the first time, beating the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in 11 innings in Game 6 of the World Series.

1998 — Ricky Williams of Texas becomes the leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with 428 career points, scoring two touchdowns in a 30-20 victory over Baylor.

2003 — Se Ri Pak becomes the first woman to make the two-round cut in a men’s golf tournament since Babe Zaharias in 1945. Pak shoots a 2-over 74 on the Korean tour for a 2-over 146 halfway through the $250,000 SBS Super Tournament. Pak finishes tied for 29th place.

2008 — Make it 9-for-9 for the unstoppable Zenyatta. The 4-year-old filly, ridden by Mike Smith, stays perfect in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita, roaring from last to first around the turn to win the race.

2010 — Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall ties an NFL single-game record with four interceptions, including a 92-yard interception-return touchdown, in the Redskins’ 17-14 win at Chicago.

2012 — Pablo Sandoval becomes the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game to lead the San Francisco Giants over the Detroit Tigers 8-3 in the series opener.

2013 — A majority-female officiating crew works a college football game in an apparent first. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference bills it as the first time it’s happened in an NCAA game. Head linesman Yvonda Lewis, line judge Tangela Mitchell, field judge Sebrina Brunson and back judge Krystle Apellaniz are part of the seven-person crew for the Division II game between Miles and Lane. Miles wins 38-26.

2015 — Montreal beats the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 to extend their season-opening winning streak to nine games. The Candiens break the NHL record for most consecutive regulation wins to begin a season, set by Buffalo in 1975-76.

2015 — Lance Austin returns a blocked field goal 78 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game, giving Georgia Tech a stunning 22-16 upset of No. 9 Florida State.

2021 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 600 touchdowns in a 38-3 win over the Chicago Bears.

____________________________________________________________________________

+++TV SPORTS+++

(ALL TIMES EASTERN)
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND/OR BLACKOUTS
Friday, Oct. 24

AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (WOMEN’S)

4:30 a.m.

FS2 — AFL: Port Adelaide at Adelaide

Midnight

FS2 — AFL: Hawthorn at Essendon

2 a.m. (Saturday)

FS2 — AFL: Richmond at Fremantle

4 a.m. (Saturday)

FS2 — Melbourne at Brisbane

AUTO RACING

2:05 p.m.

FS2 — NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: Practice, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

3:10 p.m.

FS2 — NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: Qualifying, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

2:25 p.m.

ESPNU — Formula 1: Practice, Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City

5:55 p.m.

ESPNEWS — Formula 1: Practice, Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City

6 p.m.

FS1 — NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series: The Slim Jim 200, Playoffs – Round of 8, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

2:55 a.m. (Saturday)

FS1 — FIM MotoGP: The Malaysia Grand Prix – Sprint Race, Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

6 p.m.

SECN — TBA

7:30 p.m.

ACCN — TBA

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY

4 p.m.

BTN — Michigan at Northwestern

6 p.m.

ACCN — Syracuse at Boston College

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

6 p.m.

ESPNU — Columbia at Dartmouth

7 p.m.

ESPN2 — North Texas at Charlotte

7:30 p.m.

ESPN — California at Virginia Tech

10 p.m.

CBSSN — Boise St. at Nevada

10:30 p.m.

ESPN2 — Montana at Sacramento St.

COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)

8 p.m.

BTN — Indiana at Maryland

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

6 p.m.

BTN — Minnesota at Indiana

8 p.m.

SECN — Texas at Mississippi

9 p.m.

ESPNU — Kansas City at Kansas St.

10 p.m.

BTN — Wisconsin at Washington

GOLF

5 a.m.

ESPN2 — Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship: Second Round, Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

7:30 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Genesis Championship, Second Round, Woo Jeong Hills CC, Cheonan, South Korea (Taped)

2 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Simmons Bank Championship, First Round, Pleasant Valley Coluntry Club, Little Rock, Ark.

5 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The Bank of Utah Championship, Second Round, Black Desert Resort, Ivins, Utah

10 p.m.

GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, Third Round, New Korea Country Club, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

4 a.m. (Saturday)

ESPN2 — Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship: Third Round, Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

HORSE RACING

1 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

4 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

8 p.m.

FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

MLB BASEBALL

TBA

FOX — World Series: TBD, Game 1

NBA BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Boston at New York

10 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Minnesota at L.A. Lakers

SOCCER (MEN’S)

3 p.m.

USA — English Premier League: West Ham United at Leeds United

_____

Saturday, Oct. 25

AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (WOMEN’S)

4 a.m.

FS2 — Melbourne at Brisbane

AUTO RACING

1:25 p.m.

ESPNEWS — Formula 1: Practice, Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City

4:30 p.m.

TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Practice, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

4:55 p.m.

ESPNEWS — Formula 1: Qualifying, Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City

5:40 p.m.

TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

7:30 p.m.

CW — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Race at Martinsville, Playoffs – Round of 8, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

1:55 a.m. (Sunday)

FS1 — FIM MotoGP: The Malaysia Grand Prix, Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Noon

ABC — Mississippi at Oklahoma

ACCN — Virginia at North Carolina

BTN — Rutgers at Purdue

CBSSN — Ohio at E. Michigan

CW — SMU at Wake Forest

ESPN — TBA

ESPN2 — TBA

ESPNU — Appalachian St. Old Dominion

FOX — TBA

FS1 — TBA

TNT — Kansas St. at Kansas

TRUTV — Kansas St. at Kansas

12:45 p.m.

SECN — Auburn at Arkansas

3:30 p.m.

ABC — Alabama at South Carolina

ACCN — NC State at Pittsburgh

CBS — TBA

CBSSN — FAU at Navy

CW — Toledo at Washington St.

ESPN — TBA

FOX — BYU at Iowa St.

4 p.m.

ESPN2 — TBA

ESPNU — TBA

FS1 — TBA

4:15 p.m.

SECN — TBA

7 p.m.

ESPN — Stanford at Miami

FS1 — TBA

7:30 p.m.

ABC — Texas A&M at LSU

ACCN — Boston College at Louisville

CBSSN — Colorado St. at Wyoming

NBC — TBA

7:45 p.m.

SECN — Tennessee at Kentucky

8 p.m.

ESPN2 — TBA

ESPNU — TBA

10:15 p.m.

ESPN — Colorado at Utah

11 p.m.

ESPNU — Alabama St. at Alabama A&M (Taped)

FIGURE SKATING

3 p.m.

NBC — 2025 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: The Cup of China, Chongquing, China

GOLF

4 a.m.

ESPN2 — Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship: Third Round, Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

7:30 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Genesis Championship, Third Round, Woo Jeong Hills CC, Cheonan, South Korea (Taped)

1:30 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Simmons Bank Championship, Second Round, Pleasant Valley Coluntry Club, Little Rock, Ark.

5 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The Bank of Utah Championship, Second Round, Black Desert Resort, Ivins, Utah

10 p.m.

GOLF — LPGA Tour: The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, Final Round, New Korea Country Club, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

5 a.m. (Sunday)

ESPN2 — Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship: Final Round, Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

HORSE RACING

Noon

FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

10 a.m.

FX — UFC 321 Early Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Noon

FX — UFC 321 Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

MLB BASEBALL

TBA

FOX — World Series: TBD, Game 2

NBA BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m.

NBATV — Oklahoma City at Atlanta

NHL HOCKEY

3 p.m.

NHLN — Colorado at Boston

7 p.m.

NHLN — Montreal at Vancouver

SOCCER (MEN’S)

10 a.m.

USA — English Premier League: Fulham at Newcastle United

12:30 p.m.

NBC — English Premier League: Manchester United at Brighton & Hove Albion

3 p.m.

USA — English Premier League: Liverpool at Brentford FC

_____

Sunday, Oct. 26

AUTO RACING

2 p.m.

NBC — NASCAR Cup Series: The Xfinity 500, Playoffs – Round of 8, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

4 p.m.

ABC — Formula 1: The Mexico City Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City

COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

Noon

ESPNU — Oklahoma St. at West Virginia

3 p.m.

SECN — Vanderbilt at South Carolina

5 p.m.

SECN — Kentucky at Texas A&M

7 p.m.

ACCN — Duke at NC State

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

Noon

ACCN — Stanford at Georgia Tech

1 p.m.

ESPN — Florida at Arkansas

SECN — Auburn at Oklahoma

3 p.m.

ESPN — Louisville at North Carolina

GOLF

5 a.m.

ESPN2 — Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship: Final Round, Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

7:30 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Genesis Championship, Final Round, Woo Jeong Hills CC, Cheonan, South Korea (Taped)

1:30 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Simmons Bank Championship, Final Round, Pleasant Valley Coluntry Club, Little Rock, Ark.

5 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The Bank of Utah Championship, Final Round, Black Desert Resort, Ivins, Utah

GYMNASTICS

Noon

NBC — 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships: From Jakarta, Indonesia

HORSE RACING

1 p.m.

FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races

NFL FOOTBALL

1 p.m.

CBS — Regional Coverage: Miami at Atlanta, N.Y. Jets at Cincinnati, Chicago at Baltimore

FOX — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at New England, N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, San Francisco at Houston

4:05 p.m.

FOX — Tampa Bay at New Orleans

4:25 p.m.

CBS — Regional Coverage: Dallas at Denver OR Tennessee at Indianapolis

8:15 p.m.

NBC — Green Bay at Pittsburgh

NHL HOCKEY

1 p.m.

NHLN — Colorado at New Jersey

SOCCER (MEN’S)

10 a.m.

USA — English Premier League: Manchester City at Aston Villa

11 a.m.

ESPN2 — LaLiga: Barcelona at Real Madrid

12:30 p.m.

USA — English Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur at Everton

VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

6:30 p.m.

ESPNU — Athletes Unlimited: Team McCage vs. Team Valentin-Anderson, Madison, Wis.

9 p.m.

ESPNU — Athletes Unlimited: Team Coopers vs. Team Thompson, Madison, Wis.

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” FRIDAY OCTOBER 24, 2025

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