THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 3:

ADAMS CENTRAL (2-0) AT MUNCIE CENTRAL (1-1)

ARSENAL TECH (0-2) AT PURDUE ENGLEWOOD (2-0)

ATTICA (1-1) AT SEEGER (2-0)

AVON (2-0) AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (2-0)

BATESVILLE (1-1) AT SOUTH DEARBORN (2-0)

BLACKFORD (0-2) AT MADISON-GRANT (2-0)

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

BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (2-0) AT TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-2)

BOONE GROVE (1-1) AT BREMEN (0-2)

BOONVILLE (1-1) AT SOUTHRIDGE (1-1)

BOWMAN ACADEMY (2-0) AT LAKE STATION (2-0)

BREBEUF JESUIT (0-2) AT HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (1-1)

BROWN COUNTY (0-2) AT NOBLESVILLE HOMESCHOOL

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (2-0) AT NEW ALBANY (0-2)

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-2) AT TRI (1-1)

CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (0-2) AT FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-2)

CASCADE (2-0) AT NORTH PUTNAM (1-1)

CASTLE (1-1) AT EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-2)

CENTERVILLE (OHIO) AT CARMEL (2-0)

CENTRAL NOBLE (0-2) AT LAVILLE (1-1)

CHESTERTON (1-1) AT MICHIGAN CITY (1-1)

CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (0-1)

CHURUBUSCO (1-1) AT GARRETT (0-2)

CINCINNATI ST. XAVIER (OHIO) AT INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (1-1)

CLARKSVILLE (2-0) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (2-0)

CLINTON PRAIRIE (1-1) AT CLINTON CENTRAL (2-0)

COLUMBIA CITY (2-0) AT BELLMONT (0-2)

COLUMBUS EAST (0-2) AT SEYMOUR (0-2)

CONCORD (2-0) AT MISHAWAKA (1-1)

CORYDON CENTRAL (0-2) AT NORTH HARRISON (1-1)

COVENANT CHRISTIAN (1-1) AT INDIAN CREEK (2-0)

COVINGTON (2-0) AT NORTH VERMILLION (0-2)

CRAWFORD COUNTY (1-1) AT PERRY CENTRAL (0-2)

CRAWFORDSVILLE (2-0) AT WESTERN BOONE (0-2)

CULVER ACADEMY (0-2) AT KNOX (2-0)

DANVILLE (0-2) AT ANDERSON (1-1)

DECATUR CENTRAL (0-2) AT WHITELAND (1-1)

DEKALB (1-1) AT NEW HAVEN (0-2)

DELTA (0-2) AT SHELBYVILLE (2-0)

EAST CENTRAL (2-0) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (1-1)

EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (0-2) AT CALUMET (2-0)

EASTBROOK (2-0) AT FRANKTON (0-2)

EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (2-0) AT DELPHI (1-1)

EASTERN GREENE (0-2) AT NORTH DAVIESS (2-0)

EASTERN HANCOCK (1-1) AT CENTERVILLE (2-0)

EDINBURGH (0-2) AT SOUTH DECATUR (0-2)

EDWARDSVILLE (ILL.) AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL (1-1)

ELKHART (1-1) AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (1-1)

ELWOOD (1-1) AT ALEXANDRIA (2-0)

EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-2) AT EVANSVILLE NORTH (1-1)

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (2-0) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-1)

EVANSVILLE REITZ (2-0) AT JASPER (1-1)

FAIRFIELD (2-0) AT JIMTOWN (0-2)

FISHERS (1-1) AT NOBLESVILLE (1-1)

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (1-1) AT WES-DEL (0-1)

FORT WAYNE DWENGER (1-1) AT FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-2)

FORT WAYNE NORTH (2-0) AT FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (2-0)

FORT WAYNE SNIDER (0-2) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (0-2)

FRANKLIN (2-0) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (1-1)

FRANKLIN CENTRAL (2-0) AT BROWNSBURG (2-0)

FREMONT (2-0) AT ANGOLA (1-1)

GARY WEST (1-0) AT HAMMOND CENTRAL (0-2)

GIBSON SOUTHERN (1-1) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (2-0)

GREENCASTLE (0-2) AT FRANKFORT (0-2)

GREENSBURG (0-2) AT CONNERSVILLE (1-1)

GREENWOOD (1-1) AT MARTINSVILLE (0-2)

GUERIN CATHOLIC (1-1) AT HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (1-1)

HAGERSTOWN (0-2) AT UNION CITY (0-2)

HAMMOND NOLL (1-1) AT WHITING (0-2)

HANOVER CENTRAL (0-2) AT HIGHLAND (1-1)

HERITAGE HILLS (2-0) AT PRINCETON (2-0)

HOMESTEAD (1-1) AT FORT WAYNE SOUTH (0-2)

HUNTINGTON NORTH (0-2) AT EAST NOBLE (2-0)

INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (2-0) AT WESTERN (1-1)

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (1-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (2-0)

INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (2-0) AT BEECH GROVE (2-0)

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (1-1)

IRVINGTON PREP (0-2) AT CINCINNATI COUNTY DAY (OHIO)

JAY COUNTY (1-1) AT SOUTHERN WELLS (0-2)

JEFFERSONVILLE (1-1) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (1-1)

JENNINGS COUNTY (0-2) AT EASTERN (PEKIN) (0-2)

JOHN GLENN (1-1) AT RENSSELAER CENTRAL (2-0)

KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-2) AT ANDREAN (1-1)

KETTERING ALTER (OHIO) AT LINTON (1-1)

KOKOMO (0-2) AT MONROVIA (0-2)

LAKELAND (1-1) AT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-2)

LAWRENCEBURG (1-1) AT SPEEDWAY (0-2)

LEO (2-0) AT NORWELL (0-2)

LEWIS CASS (1-1) AT PERU (1-1)

LOGANSPORT (2-0) AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-1)

LOWELL (1-1) AT GRIFFITH (2-0)

MACONAQUAH (2-0) AT NORTHFIELD (0-2)

MADISON (0-2) AT CHARLESTOWN (1-1)

MARION (1-1) AT CENTER GROVE (2-0)

MCCUTCHEON (1-1) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (1-1)

MERRILLVILLE (1-1) AT CROWN POINT (2-0)

MILAN (1-1) AT NORTH DECATUR (2-0)

MISSISSINEWA (2-0) AT OAK HILL (1-1)

MONROE CENTRAL (1-1) AT RICHMOND (0-2)

MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (0-2) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (1-1)

MUNSTER (0-2) AT HOBART (2-0)

NEW CASTLE (1-1) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (2-0)

NEW PRAIRIE (0-2) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (2-0)

NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (1-1) AT WARREN CENTRAL (1-1)

NORTH MIAMI (2-0) AT CASTON (1-1)

NORTH NEWTON (1-1) AT FAITH CHRISTIAN (1-1)

NORTH POSEY (2-0) AT NORTH KNOX (1-1)

NORTH WHITE (0-2) AT FRONTIER (2-0)

NORTHVIEW (2-0) AT SULLIVAN (2-0)

NORTHWESTERN (0-2) AT SOUTHWOOD (0-2)

NORTHWOOD (1-1) AT WAWASEE (1-1)

OWEN VALLEY (1-1) AT CLOVERDALE (0-2)

PARK TUDOR (2-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (0-2)

PARKE HERITAGE (1-1) AT SOUTH VERMILLION (1-1)

PHALEN ACADEMY AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (0-2)

PIKE (0-2) AT BEN DAVIS (0-2)

PIKE CENTRAL (0-2) AT TELL CITY (2-0)

PIONEER (1-1) AT WINAMAC (0-2)

PLAINFIELD (2-0) AT MOORESVILLE (2-0)

PLYMOUTH (0-2) AT NORTHRIDGE (0-2)

PORTAGE (0-2) AT LAKE CENTRAL (1-1)

PROVIDENCE (1-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (1-1)

RIVER FOREST (1-1) AT WHEELER (2-0)

RIVERTON PARKE (2-0) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (0-2)

ROCHESTER (1-1) AT WHITKO (1-1)

RUSHVILLE (0-2) AT FRANKLIN COUNTY (2-0)

SCOTTSBURG (2-0) AT SALEM (1-1)

SHENANDOAH (1-1) AT LAPEL (2-0)

SHEPARD (ILL.) AT HAMMOND MORTON (1-1)

SILVER CREEK (0-2) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (1-1)

SOUTH ADAMS (1-1) AT BLUFFTON (2-0)

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

SOUTH BEND RILEY (2-0) AT PENN (2-0)

SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-2) AT NORTH JUDSON (1-1)

SOUTH NEWTON (0-2) AT BENTON CENTRAL (0-2)

SOUTH PUTNAM (2-0) AT EDGEWOOD (2-0)

SOUTHMONT (2-0) AT NORTH MONTGOMERY (0-2)

SOUTHPORT (0-2) AT COLUMBUS NORTH (2-0)

SPRINGS VALLEY (2-0) AT PAOLI (1-1)

TAYLOR (2-0) AT CARROLL (FLORA) (1-1)

TECUMSEH (0-2) AT SOUTH SPENCER (0-2)

TIPPECANOE VALLEY (2-0) AT HAMILTON HEIGHTS (0-2)

TRITON (1-1) AT CULVER (1-1)

TRITON CENTRAL (2-0) AT TRI-WEST (2-0)

TWIN LAKES (2-0) AT TIPTON (2-0)

UNION COUNTY (1-1) AT KNIGHTSTOWN (1-1)

VALPARAISO (0-2) AT LAPORTE (1-1)

VINCENNES LINCOLN (1-1) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (1-1)

WABASH (0-2) AT MANCHESTER (1-1)

WARSAW (1-1) AT GOSHEN (1-1)

WASHINGTON (0-2) AT FOREST PARK (1-1)

WEST CENTRAL (2-0) AT TRI-COUNTY (0-2)

WEST LAFAYETTE (0-2) AT LEBANON (1-1)

WEST NOBLE (2-0) AT EASTSIDE (1-1)

WEST VIGO (0-2) AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (1-1)

WEST WASHINGTON (1-1) AT MITCHELL (0-2)

WESTFIELD (1-1) AT ZIONSVILLE (1-1)

WINCHESTER (2-0) AT NORTHEASTERN (2-0)

WOODLAN (1-1) AT HERITAGE (2-0)

YORKTOWN (2-0) AT NEW PALESTINE (2-0)

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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 3-A LOOK AHEAD

BATTLE OF THE UNBEATENS

AVON AT HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (HSE FAVORED BY 3)

CLARKSVILLE AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (SWITZERLAND CO. FAVORED BY 21)

FT. WAYNE NORTH AT FT. WAYNE NORTHRUP (FW NORTH FAVORED BY 4)

FRANKLIN CENTRAL AT BROWNSBURG (BROWNSBURG FAVORED BY 14)

HERITAGE HILLS AT PRINCETON (HERITAGE HILLS FAVORD BY 46)

SCECINA AT BEECH GROVE (BEECH GROVE FAVORED BY 3)

NORTHVIEW AT SULLIVAN (NORTHVIEW FAVORED BY 11)

PLAINFIELD AT MOORESVILLE (PLAINFIELD FAVORED BY 10)

SB RILEY AT PENN (PENN FAVORED BY 21)

SOUTH PUTNAM AT EDGEWOOD (SOUTH PUTNAM FAVORED BY 21)

TRITON CENTRAL AT TRI-WEST (TRI-WEST FAVORED BY 7)

TWIN LAKES AT TIPTON (TIPTON FAVORED BY 1)

WINCHESTER AT NORTHEASTERN (NORTHEASTERN FAVORED BY 7)

YORKTOWN AT NEW PALESTINE (NEW PAL FAVORED BY 28)

OUTSIDE THE UNBEATEN-THE CLOSE GAMES EXPECTED

BLOOMINGTON NORTH OVER TERRE HAUTE SOUTH BY 1

HARRISON WL OVER BREBEUF BY 1

CONCORD OVER MISHAWAKA BY 3

COVINGTON OVER NORTH VERMILLION BY 4

EASTERN HANCOCK OVER CENTERVILLE BY 3

FRANKLIN OVER PERRY MERIDIAN BY 3

GARY WEST OVER HAMMOND CENTRAL BY 4

HAMMOND NOLL OVER WHITING BY 4

JEFFERSONVILLE OVER BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE BY 3

JOHN GLENN OVER RENSSELEAR CENTRAL BY 3

KOKOMO OVER MONROVIA BY 1

LEWIS CASS OVER PERU BY 4

LOWELL OVER GRIFFITH BY 4

MADISON OVER CHARLESTOWN BY 3

NORTH DECATUR OVER MILAN BY 4

MT. VERNON OVER GREENFIELD-CENTRAL BY 3

NORTHRIDGE OVER PLYMOUTH BY 3

LAKE CENTRAL OVER PORTAGE BY 1

BLUFFTON OVER SOUTH ADAMS BY 3

WASHINGTON OVER FOREST PARK BY 3

NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) OVER WEST VIGO BY 4

THE BLOWOUTS EXPECTED

MADISON GRANT OVER BLACKFORD BY 42

BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL OVER NEW ALBANY BY 32

TRI OVER LINCOLN BY 49

FW CARROLL OVER FW CANTEBURY BY 39

CASTLE OVER EVANSVILLE BOSSE BY 31

INDY WASHINGTON OVER CHRISTEL HOUSE BY 45

COLUMBIA CITY OVER BELLMONT BY 52

INDIAN CREEK OVER COVENANT CHRISTIAN BY 31

DANVILLE OVER ANDERSON BY 32

ELKHART OVER SB WASHINGTON BY 35

ALEXANDRIA OVER ELWOOD BY 32

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL OVER EVANSVILLE CENTRAL BY 35

GREENCASTLE OVER FRANKFORT BY 34

HERITAGE HILLS OVER PRINCETON BY 46

JAY COUNTY OVER SOUTHERN WELLS BY 35

MACONAQUAH OVER NORTHFIELD BY 31

CENTER GROVE OVER MARION BY 42

HOBART OVER MUNSTER BY 32

FRONTIER OVER NORTH WHITE BY 39

ROCHESTER OVER WHITKO BY 31

NORTH JUDSON OVER SOUTH CENTRAL UNION MILLS BY 49

COLUMBUS NORTH OVER SOUTHPORT BY 46

KNIGHTSTOWN OVER UNION COUNTY BY 35

WARSAW OVER GOSHEN BY 35

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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

SCORES: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=9/3/2025

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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER

SCORES: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/scores/?date=9/3/2025

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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER

SCORES: https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls/scores/?date=9/3/2025

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INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GOLF

NORTHRIDGE 149, NORTHWOOD 167, WAWASEE 211

DEKALB 164, LEO 220

LAPEL 165, DELTA 176

ZIONSVILLE 153, BROWNSBURG 156, WESTFIELD 163

NORTH MONTGOMERY 182, LEBANON 209

FT. WAYNE SNIDER 197, FT. WAYNE NORTHRUP 229

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INDIANA CROSS COUNTRY

RESULTS: UNION COUNTY, COWAN, HAGERSTOWN

https://in.milesplit.com/meets/695707-union-county-cowan-hagerstown-2025/results

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INDIANA BOYS TENNIS

SCORES: NO SCORES REPORTED

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INDIANA UNITED FLAG FOOTBALL

SCORES:

DEKALB 61 HOMESTEAD 35

WHITELAND 46 MOORESVILLE 40

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WNBA SCORES

ATLANTA 86 LOS ANGELES 75

CHICAGO 88 CONNECTICUT 64

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

WASHINGTON 10 MIAMI 5

DETROIT 6 NY METS 2

ARIZONA 2 TEXAS 0

BALTIMORE 7 SAN DIEGO 5

PITTSBURGH 3 LA DODGERS 0

TORONTO 13 CINCINNATI 9

CLEVELAND 8 BOSTON 1

TAMPA BAY 9 SEATTLE 4

CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 MINNESOTA 3

LA ANGELS 4 KANSAS CITY 3

MILWAUKEE 6 PHILADELPHIA 3

ATLANTA 5 CHICAGO CUBS 1

ST. LOUIS 5 LAS VEGAS 1

HOUSTON 8 NY YANKEES 7

SAN FRANCISCO 10 COLORADO 8

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MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

COLUMBUS 9 INDIANAPOLIS 2

WISCONSIN 2 SOUTH BEND 1 (SUSPENDED 4^TH RAIN)

WEST MICHIGAN 8 FT. WAYNE 4

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WEEK 2

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6

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NFL WEEK ONE TV SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4

DALLAS AT PHILADELPHIA, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5

KANSAS CITY VS. LA CHARGERS AT SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, 8 P.M. (YOUTUBE)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7

LAS VEGAS AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M. (CBS)

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

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

ARIZONA AT NEW ORLEANS, 1 P.M. (CBS)

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

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

CINCINNATI AT CLEVELAND, 1 P.M. (FOX)

TAMPA BAY AT ATLANTA, 1 P.M. (FOX)

TENNESSEE AT DENVER, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)

SAN FRANCISCO AT SEATTLE, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)

DETROIT AT GREEN BAY, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)

HOUSTON AT LA RAMS, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)

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

MONDAY, SEPT. 8

MINNESOTA AT CHICAGO, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)

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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

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TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

NFL NEWS

WEEK 1 NFL PREVIEW

NEW YORK — September 2, 2025 — The NFL returns this week and it’s time to get back to football! Kickoff Weekend presented by YouTube TV signals the start of a 272-game journey, one that promises hope for each of the league’s 32 teams as they set their sights on Super Bowl LX, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Division Rivalries on Kickoff Weekend: The 106th season of NFL play kicks off on Thursday night (NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET) as the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field in an NFC East showdown. Kickoff Weekend continues Friday, Sept. 5 in São Paulo – the second-consecutive season the NFL will play in Brazil in Week 1 – as the Kansas City Chiefs meet the Los Angeles Chargers (8 p.m. ET, YouTube) in a matchup of AFC West foes.

In total, Week 1 of the 2025 season features eight divisional games, the fifth time since realignment in 2002 with at least eight divisional games on Kickoff Weekend, along with 2023 (eight), 2020 (nine), 2011 (eight) and 2008 (eight).

Back-to-Back Super Bowls?: The Philadelphia Eagles can become the 10th team ever to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Since 2000, the defending Super Bowl champions have started the following year with a win on Kickoff Weekend in 20 of the past 25 seasons.

MVPs Meet on Sunday Night: When two-time Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson (2019 and 2023) and the Baltimore Ravens visit reigning MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), it will mark a rematch of the 2024 AFC Divisional Playoffs and the fifth time ever that the two most recent Most Valuable Players will meet in Week 1.

The previous occurrences of the two most recent Most Valuable Players meetings in Week 1: 2024 (Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes), 2000 (Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Kurt Warner), 1998 (Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Barry Sanders) and 1980 (Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Earl Campbell).

Baltimore and Buffalo met twice last season, with the Ravens earning a 35-10 victory in Week 4 in Baltimore while the Bills secured a 27-25 win in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in Buffalo.

Every Team Has a Chance: Entering the 2025 season, every team has hope and here are a few reasons why…

Since 1990 – a streak of 35 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before. There were four new playoff teams last season – Denver, the Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota and Washington.

In 26 of the past 29 seasons (1996-2024), at least one team has made the playoffs the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. The Chargers, Vikings and Commanders each accomplished the feat last season.

In six consecutive seasons (2019-24) and in 21 of the past 23 seasons (2002-24), a team that chose in the top five of the NFL Draft has qualified for the postseason. Washington accomplished this feat last season after selecting quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft while the Los Angeles Chargers qualified for the postseason after choosing tackle Joe Alt with the No. 5 overall selection.

New Quarterbacks Under Center: Twelve teams are expected to have a different starting quarterback in Week 1 than started for them to open the season last year: Atlanta (Michael Penix Jr.) Cleveland (Joe Flacco), Indianapolis (Daniel Jones), Las Vegas (Geno Smith), Minnesota (J.J. McCarthy), New England (Drake Maye), New Orleans (Spencer Rattler), the New York Giants (Russell Wilson), the New York Jets (Justin Fields), Pittsburgh (Aaron Rodgers), Seattle (Sam Darnold) and Tennessee (Cam Ward).

Additional notes about the Week 1 slate:

2024 Playoff Teams Meet on Kickoff Weekend: Four Week 1 matchups feature two teams that each qualified for the playoffs last year:

Kansas City vs. the Los Angeles Chargers (8 p.m. ET, YouTube, on Friday in São Paulo): The Chiefs have won seven consecutive games against the Chargers, with each of the last three wins featuring the game-winning go-ahead score in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.

Detroit at Green Bay (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday): Since 2021, when Dan Cambell was hired as head coach, the Lions have a 6-2 record against the Packers, including three consecutive wins at Lambeau Field.

Houston at the Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday): The reigning AFC South champion Texans and reigning NFC West champion Rams are set to meet for the first time since 2021. Houston running back Nick Chubb and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams are expected to make their club debuts on Kickoff Weekend.

Baltimore at Buffalo (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC, Sunday Night Football): The only game on Kickoff Weekend that is a rematch from the 2024 postseason, the Bills and Ravens are set to meet for the fifth time in the past six seasons, including the playoffs. In the 2024 AFC Divisional playoffs, the Bills defeated the Ravens at home, 27-25, while Baltimore earned a 35-10 home win over Buffalo in the regular season in Week 4.

Tampa Bay at Atlanta (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans leads all active players with 105 touchdown receptions and ranks second with 12,684 receiving yards entering the 2025 season. This year, Evans can become the first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 12 career seasons.

Cincinnati at Cleveland (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, in 2024, became the fifth player in NFL history to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (1990) and Sterling Sharpe (1992) as well as Steve Smith (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021). Since 1970, only three players have led the NFL in receiving yards in consecutive seasons: Pro Football Hall of Famers Andre Johnson (2008-09), Calvin Johnson (2011-12) and Rice (1989-90, 1993-95).

Pittsburgh at the New York Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers enters the 2025 season leading all active players with 503 regular-season touchdown passes and 548 touchdown passes, including the postseason. This season, he needs five touchdown passes to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (552 touchdown passes) for the fourth-most touchdown passes, including the postseason, in NFL history and six touchdown passes to surpass Favre (508 touchdown passes) for the fourth-most regular-season touchdown passes all-time.

Tennessee at Denver (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX): The Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Since 1967, 19 quarterbacks have been selected with the first pick in the NFL Draft and started in Week 1 of their rookie season, including each of the past five quarterbacks chosen No. 1 overall [Caleb Williams (2024), Bryce Young (2023), Trevor Lawrence (2021), Joe Burrow (2020) and Kyler Murray (2019)].

Minnesota at Chicago (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN): Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is expected to make his first NFL debut on Kickoff Weekend. McCarthy can become the fifth quarterback since 1990 to make his first career start on a Monday, joining Sam Darnold (September 10, 2018 at Detroit, with the New York Jets), Aaron Rodgers (September 8, 2008 vs. Minnesota, with Green Bay), Philip Rivers (September 11, 2006 at the Oakland Raiders, with San Diego) and Brian Griese (September 13, 1999 vs. Miami, with Denver).

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – NFL KICKOFF WEEKEND

Below are players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, including:

QB Josh Allen
QB Lamar Jackson
QB Patrick Mahomes
QB Joe Burrow
QB Matthew Stafford
RB Derrick Henry
WR Justin Jefferson
WR CeeDee Lamb

JOSH ALLEN & LAMAR JACKSON

Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, the reigning 2024 Associated Press Most Valuable Player, and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, the 2019 and 2023 MVP, are set to meet on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) as the Bills host the Ravens.

The meeting between Allen and Jackson will mark the fifth occurrence all-time of the two most recent Most Valuable Players meeting in Week 1.

The occurrences of the two most recent Most Valuable Players meetings in Week 1 in NFL history:

SEASON	PLAYER	MVP SEASON	PLAYER	MVP SEASON(S)
*2025*	*Josh Allen*	*2024*	*Lamar Jackson*	*2023*
2024	Lamar Jackson	2023	Patrick Mahomes ^	2022
2000	Kurt Warner ^HOF^	1999	Terrell Davis ^HOF	1998
1998	Barry Sanders ^HOF	1997	Brett Favre^HOF ^	1996/1997
1980	Earl Campbell ^HOF	1979	Terry Bradshaw ^HOF^	1978
^ won matchup

PATRICK MAHOMES

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, entering his ninth NFL season, has 291 career touchdown passes, including the playoffs.

With three touchdown passes against the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo on Friday (8 p.m. ET, YouTube), Mahomes can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (293 touchdown passes) for the most touchdown passes by a player in his first nine seasons, including the postseason, in NFL history.

The players with the most touchdown passes in their first nine seasons, including the postseason, in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	PASS TDs
Peyton Manning ^HOF	Indianapolis	293
Russell Wilson	Seattle	292
*Patrick Mahomes*	*Kansas City*	291*
*entering ninth season

Mahomes, who turns 30 years old on September 17, has 245 career regular-season touchdown passes and can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (245 touchdown passes) for the most regular season touchdown passes by a player under the age of 30 in NFL history.

JOE BURROW

Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow enters the 2025 season with 19,001 passing yards in 69 career games.

With 201 passing yards at Cleveland in Week 1 (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX), Burrow can surpass Jameis Winston (19,201 passing yards) for the third-most passing yards by a player in his first 70 career games in NFL history, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (21,150) and Matthew Stafford (19,953).

The players with the most passing yards in their first 70 career games in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	CAREER GAMES	PASSING YARDS
Patrick Mahomes	Kansas City	70	21,150
Matthew Stafford	Detroit	70	19,953
Jameis Winston	Tampa Bay	70	19,201
Dan Marino ^HOF	Miami	70	19,179
Andrew Luck	Indianapolis	70	19,078
*Joe Burrow*	*Cincinnati*	69*	19,001*
*70th career game in Week 1

MATTHEW STAFFORD

Entering the 2025 season, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford ranks 10th in NFL history with 59,809 career passing yards in 222 games.

With 191 passing yards against Houston on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), Stafford can tie Matt Ryan (223 games) as the second-fastest player to reach 60,000 career passing yards all-time, trailing only Drew Brees (215 games).

The players to reach 60,000 passing yards in the fewest regular-season games in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAMS	GAMES TO 60K PASS YARDS
Drew Brees	San Diego, New Orleans	215
*Matthew Stafford*	*Detroit, L.A. Rams*	222*
Matt Ryan	Atlanta, Indianapolis	223
Peyton Manning ^HOF	Indianapolis, Denver	226
*has 59,809 passing yards entering Week 1

Stafford has 4,709 passing yards in 16 career starts in Week 1. He has totaled at least 300 passing yards in nine of those starts.

With 291 passing yards on Sunday, Stafford can join Drew Brees (5,566 passing yards) and Tom Brady (5,523) as the only players ever with 5,000 passing yards in season-opening games.

The players with the most passing yards in season-opening games in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAMS	PASSING YARDS
Drew Brees	San Diego Chargers, New Orleans	5,566
Tom Brady	New England, Tampa Bay	5,523
Peyton Manning ^HOF	Indianapolis, Denver	4,736
*Matthew Stafford*	*Detroit, L.A. Rams*	*4,709*
Matt Ryan	Atlanta, Indianapolis	4,486

With 300 passing yards on Sunday, Stafford will tie Drew Brees (10 games) for the most 300-yard passing games in season-opening games in NFL history.

The players with the most games with at least 300 passing yards in season-opening games in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM(S)	GAMES WITH 300+ PASSING YARDS
Drew Brees	New Orleans	10
*Matthew Stafford*	*Detroit, L.A. Rams*	9
Matt Ryan	Atlanta, Indianapolis	8

DERRICK HENRY

Baltimore running back Derrick Henry leads all active players with 106 career rushing touchdowns entering the 2025 season.

With a rushing touchdown on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) at Buffalo, Henry can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (106 rushing touchdowns) for the sixth-most rushing touchdowns in NFL history.

The players with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history:

PLAYER	RUSH TDs
Emmitt Smith ^HOF	164
LaDainian Tomlinson ^HOF	145
Marcus Allen ^HOF	123
Adrian Peterson	120
Walter Payton ^HOF	110
Jim Brown ^HOF	106
*Derrick Henry*	*106*

JUSTIN JEFFERSON & CEEDEE LAMB

Two members of the 2020 NFL Draft class, Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson (495 career receptions) and Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (496), enter their sixth season closing in on 500 career receptions.

In Week 1, Jefferson – who will be 26 years and 84 days old on Monday at Chicago (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) – and Lamb – who will be 26 years and 149 days old on Thursday at Philadelphia (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) – can become the youngest and third-youngest players all-time to reach 500 career receptions.

The youngest players to reach 500 career receptions in NFL history:

PLAYER	TEAM	AGE
*Justin Jefferson^*	*Minnesota*	26 years, 84 days*
Larry Fitzgerald	Arizona	26 years, 90 days
*CeeDee Lamb^#*	*Dallas*	26 years, 149 days*
DeAndre Hopkins	Houston	26 years, 192 days
Randy Moss^HOF	Minnesota	26 years, 297 days
^has 495 career receptions; ^#has 496 career receptions
*age as of Week 1 game

SEVERAL CAREER MILESTONES TO BE REACHED IN 2025 SEASON

Beyond Kickoff Weekend, many records and milestones are in sight across the NFL this season, including…

Josh Allen, Buffalo, can become the fifth starting quarterback all-time with at least 90 wins, including the postseason, in his first eight career seasons, joining Patrick Mahomes (106 wins), Tom Brady (100), Russell Wilson (95) and Ben Roethlisberger (90). Allen enters 2025 with 83 career victories, including the postseason.
Brock Bowers, Las Vegas, needs 35 receptions to surpass Sam LaPorta (146 receptions) for the most receptions by a tight end in his first two seasons all-time and needs 787 receiving yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,980 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a tight end in his first two seasons in NFL history. Bowers had 112 receptions and 1,194 receiving yards as a rookie.
Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati, can become the first player in NFL history with at least 80 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions in each of his first five seasons.
Myles Garrett, Cleveland, needs six sacks to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White (108 sacks) for the most sacks by a player under the age of 30 since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Garrett has 102.5 career sacks and turns 30 years old on Dec. 29, 2025.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia, can become the first quarterback in NFL history with at least 10 rushing touchdowns in five career seasons and the sixth player all-time with at least 10 rushing touchdowns in five consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (nine from 2001-09), Derrick Henry (seven from 2018-24, active streak), Adrian Peterson (seven from 2007-13), Shaun Alexander (five from 2001-05) and Michael Turner (five from 2008-12).
Travis Kelce, Kansas City, needs three touchdown receptions to become the fourth tight end all-time with at least 100 career touchdown receptions, including the playoffs, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Antonio Gates (118 touchdown receptions) and Tony Gonzalez (115) as well as Rob Gronkowski (107). Kelce has 97 career touchdown receptions, including the postseason.
Micah Parsons, Green Bay, can become the fifth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 65 sacks in his first five seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (81 sacks) and Derrick Thomas (66) as well as J.J. Watt (74.5) and T.J. Watt (72). Parsons has 52.5 career sacks entering 2025.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit, can become the first player in NFL history to record at least 90 receptions in each of his first five seasons.

THURSDAY NIGHT PREVIEW: DALLAS AT PHILADELPHIA

All-Time Series History

Regular Season: DAL leads series, 71-57 (PHI won last 2)

Postseason: DAL leads series, 3-1 (home team won last 4)

The Last Time…

Regular Season: 12/29/24: DAL 7 at PHI 41

Postseason: NFC-WC 1/9/10: PHI 14 at DAL 34

COWBOYS NOTES:

QB DAK PRESCOTT has 1,525 pass yards (305 per game), 16 TDs vs. INT & 127.4 rating in his past 5 vs. Phi., incl. 3+ TD passes & 115+ rating in 4 of 5. Has 31 TDs (29 pass, 2 rush) vs. 9 INTs for 101.3 rating in 16 career Thursday starts. Aims for his 4th in row on Thursday with 2+ TD passes & 115+ rating. • RB JAVONTE WILLIAMS makes Dal. debut. Has 3,360 scrimmage yards & 16 scrimmage TDs (11 rush, 5 rec.) in 54 career games. • WR CEEDEE LAMB is 1 of 2 (Amon-Ra St. Brown) with 100+ catches, 1,100+ rec. yards & 5+ rec. TDs in each of past 3 seasons. Has 5+ catches in each of his past 13 road games. Has 100+ scrimmage yards in each of his 4 career road Thursday games. Had 11 catches for 191 yards in last road meeting. • WR GEORGE PICKENS makes Dal. debut. Had 174 catches for 2,841 yards & 12 TDs in 48 games (2022-24) with Pit. Since 2022, leads all players with 16.3 yards per catch (min. 150 receptions). • TE JAKE FERGUSON had 59 receptions for 494 yards in 2024. • DE DANTE FOWLER had 10 sacks in 2 seasons (2022-23) with Dal. Had 10.5 sacks & 14 TFL with Was. in 2024. • DT KENNY CLARK makes Dal. debut. Had 35 sacks, 51 TFL & 12 PD in 140 games (2016-24) with GB. • DT OSA ODIGHIZUWA has 5+ TFL in each of his 1st 4 career seasons. • LB KENNETH MURRAY makes Dal. debut. Has 75+ tackles & 5+ TFL in 4 of his 5 career seasons. Had career-high 8 TFL with LAC in 2024. • CB TREVON DIGGS had 11 PD in 2024 & has 10+ PD in 4 of his 5 career seasons. Has 5 INTs in 6 career games vs. Phi. • CB DARON BLAND has 27 PD, 14 INTS & 5 INT-TDs in 41 career games. • S MALIK HOOKER set career highs with 81 tackles, 5 PD & 3 TFL last season. • S DONOVAN WILSON is 1 of 3 DBs (Derwin James & Antoine Winfield Jr.) with 10+ sacks (13) since 2020.

EAGLES NOTES:

PHILADELPHIA can become 10th team ever to win consecutive Super Bowls. • QB JALEN HURTS ranks 3rd among QBs in NFL history with 55 career reg. season rush TDs & can become 1st QB with 10+ rush TDs in 5 career seasons. Had 10 TDs (5 pass, 5 rush) in 2024 postseason & was named SB LIX MVP. Has 9 TDs (5 rush, 4 pass) in 4 career Thursday starts. Has 5 TDs (4 pass, 1 rush) vs. 0 INTs & 116.8 rating in 2 career home starts vs. Dal. • RB SAQUON BARKLEY led NFL with 2,283 scrimmage yards & 2,005 rush yards in 2024, the 8th-most rush yards in single-season in NFL history. Has 115+ scrimmage yards in 6 of 8 home games last season, incl. 169 scrimmage yards in last meeting. Has 548 scrimmage yards (137 per game) & 4 rush TDs in 4 career Thursday games. • WR A.J. BROWN became 5th player ever with 1,000+ rec. yards & 7+ rec. TDs in 5 of his 1st 6 career seasons. Had TD catch in each of his 3 final reg. season games in 2024. Has 5+ catches & 65+ rec. yards in 5 of his 6 career games vs. Dal. Had rec. TD in last meeting. • WR DEVONTA SMITH has 60+ catches, 800+ rec. yards & 5+ rec. TDs in each of his 1st 4 career seasons. Has 4 rec. TDs in his past 3 at home vs. Dal., incl. 120 rec. yards & 2 rec. TDs in last meeting. • DT JALEN CARTER was 1 of 3 DL (Trey Hendrickson & Cameron Heyward) with 10+ TFL (12) & 6+ PD (6) in 2024. • LB ZACK BAUN set career highs in tackles (150), TFL (11), PD (4), sacks (3.5) & ranked tied-2nd in NFL with career-best 5 FFs in 2024. • LB NOLAN SMITH had 10.5 sacks & 12 TFL in 2024, incl. playoffs. • LB JIHAAD CAMPBELL was selected in 1st round (No. 31 overall) in 2025 NFL Draft. • DB COOPER DEJEAN had 50 tackles, 6 PD & 3 FFs as rookie in 2024. • CB QUINYON MITCHELL ranked 4th among rookies with 12 PD last season. • S REED BLANKENSHIP had career-high 4 INTs in 2024.

NBC: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark (field reporter) Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, Ross Tucker

PRO PICKS: EAGLES WILL BEAT THE COWBOYS BY DOUBLE DIGITS TO KICK OFF THE NFL SEASON

The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles face their bitter divisional rival in the NFL season opener on Thursday night in a matchup that’s lost a little luster.

Why?

Micah Parsons won’t be there chasing Jalen Hurts, pursuing Saquon Barkley and making life difficult for left tackle Jordan Mailata. The Dallas Cowboys traded the two-time All-Pro pass rusher to the Green Bay Packers last week following a contract dispute.

Dak Prescott returns for the Cowboys and George Pickens joins CeeDee Lamb to give them another playmaking wide receiver. But how will the Cowboys stop Philadelphia’s dynamic offense without Parsons?

Jerry Jones got his run-stuffer in the trade with Green Bay. Maybe Kenny Clark helps limit Barkley to under 200 yards rushing. If there’s no pressure on Hurts, he can pick apart the defense throwing to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.

The Eagles are 8 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Pro Picks likes the champs even though Prescott is 9-4 vs. Philadelphia.

EAGLES: 31-20

Cincinnati at Cleveland

Line: Bengals minus 5 1/2

Joe Burrow and the Bengals need to start better than they have in the past. He’s 8-11-1 in Weeks 1-4. The Browns are turning to Joe Flacco while Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders wait in the wings. They should be in the mix for the No. 1 pick next season.

Best Bet: BENGALS: 27-16

Las Vegas at New England

Line: Patriots minus 2 1/2

Mike Vrabel’s Patriots face Pete Carroll’s Raiders as both teams debut new head coaches. Drake Maye has a new playmaker in Stefon Diggs. QB Geno Smith and rookie RB Ashton Jeanty join TE Brock Bowers to instantly upgrade Las Vegas’ offense.

UPSET SPECIAL: RAIDERS: 23-20

Kansas City vs. Los Angeles Chargers, in Brazil

Line: Chiefs minus 3

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have something to prove after a 17-win season ending with a lopsided loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. The Chargers drafted running back Omarion Hampton in the first round to take pressure off Justin Herbert. They were 9-0 when they had more than 100 yards rushing last season. The Chiefs had the eighth-best run defense, giving up 101.8 yards per game.

CHIEFS: 26-20

Arizona at New Orleans

Line: Cardinals minus 6 1/2

Kyler Murray has one winning season as Arizona’s starting QB, but the Cardinals have a chance to compete in the NFC West after an 8-9 season. They were 11-6 against the spread. The rebuilding Saints under rookie coach Kellen Moore are starting a rebuild.

CARDINALS: 23-17

Carolina at Jacksonville

Line: Jaguars minus 3 1/2

The Liam Coen era begins in Jacksonville. Can he unlock Trevor Lawrence’s potential? Bryce Young and the Panthers finished up strong last season. They’re aiming to take another step forward. The matchup features the NFL’s two worst defenses in 2024.

JAGUARS: 27-20

Tampa Bay at Atlanta

Line: Buccaneers minus 2 1/2

Baker Mayfield and the four-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers couldn’t beat the Falcons last season so they’ve got something to prove. Michael Penix Jr. watched from the sideline as Kirk Cousins threw for 785 yards and eight TDs vs. Tampa Bay. The Falcons will feature Bijan Robinson but the Buccaneers were fourth against the run.

BUCCANEERS: 26-23

New York Giants at Washington

Line: Commanders minus 6

Jayden Daniels and the Commanders are building off a surprise, impressive run to the NFC championship game. It wasn’t a fluke. Russell Wilson makes his debut with the Giants, whose strength is their defensive line.

COMMANDERS: 23-20

Pittsburgh at New York Jets

Line: Steelers minus 3

Aaron Rodgers faces his former team and the new coach, Aaron Glenn, who didn’t want him. Justin Fields faces his former team that let him walk away in free agency.

STEELERS: 20-19

Miami at Indianapolis

Line: Colts minus 1

Daniel Jones makes his first start for the Colts, who have lost 10 of their past 11 season openers. Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins aim to bounce back from a losing season. He could look for Tyreek Hill often against a defense that was 26th against the pass.

DOLPHINS: 24-17

San Francisco at Seattle

Line: 49ers minus 2 1/2

Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers are healthier and motivated after a disastrous season. They’re still missing key players and lost several defensive starters. Sam Darnold takes over for the Seahawks, who missed the playoffs despite winning 10 games.

49ERS: 23-20

Tennessee at Denver

Line: Broncos minus 8

No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward makes his first career start for the rebuilding Titans. They’re facing a tough defense and a balanced offense led by Bo Nix.

BRONCOS: 27-13

Houston at Los Angeles Rams

Line: Rams minus 3

C.J. Stroud and the Texans are underdogs in a matchup of 2024 division winners. Matthew Stafford dealt with a back injury in the preseason and has to face a fierce defense in the opener.

TEXANS: 23-21

Detroit at Green Bay

Line: Packers minus 2 1/2

The 15-win Lions are underdogs in the opener after a disappointing end to the best season in franchise history. Their dynamic offense is back together minus offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who left to coach the Bears. Parsons elevated the Packers to Super Bowl contenders. After sitting out the preseason in Dallas, he has to be careful not to overdo it in his first game.

PACKERS: 24-23

Baltimore at Buffalo

Line: Ravens minus 1 1/2

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are looking to avenge a playoff loss in Buffalo in a matchup that should have playoff ramifications from a home-field advantage standpoint. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Bills have won 10 straight home games. Both teams have failed to dethrone the Chiefs in recent years and neither will be satisfied with anything less than a Super Bowl.

BILLS: 26-23

Minnesota at Chicago

Line: Vikings minus 1 1/2

There’s excitement in Chicago surrounding Johnson taking over the Bears. Can he develop Caleb Williams as he did Jared Goff? J.J. McCarthy makes his first career start for the talented Vikings, who are coming off a 14-win season.

Vikings 24-20

___

2024 Record:

Overall: Straight up: 202-83. Against spread: 151-129-5.

Prime-time: Straight up: 44-14. Against spread: 31-26-1.

Best Bet: Straight up: 12-7. Against spread: 11-8.

Upset Special: Straight up: 11-9. Against spread: 11-9.

AARON RODGERS BRUSHES OFF REVENGE NARRATIVE AHEAD OF STEELERS’ SEASON OPENER AGAINST JETS

PITTSBURGH (AP) — If Aaron Rodgers is looking to gain a measure of revenge against the New York Jets a few months after being cut for the first time in his professional life, he’s keeping it to himself.

Yes, Rodgers is looking forward to Sunday’s trip to MetLife Stadium with the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but only because it marks the start of his 21st and perhaps final season.

And that’s it. Publicly anyway.

Rodgers brushed aside the idea that he has something to prove to the New York front office and first-year head coach Aaron Glenn after the Jets opted to move on from the 41-year-old over the winter following two injury-filled and at times tumultuous seasons.

While Rodgers name-checked more than a half dozen former teammates on Wednesday — including cornerback Sauce Gardner and running back Michael Carter — he stopped short when asked if he’s kept in touch with them since Glenn and recently hired Jets general manager Darren Mougey told the four-time MVP in early February that New York was not going to bring him back.

“I’m not going to tell you that,” Rodgers said.

Or, much of anything else about whatever significance an inspired bit of scheduling by the NFL might hold.

The closest anyone came to pulling back the curtain is Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, who said Rodgers has a “bad taste in his mouth from previous years” and wants to go out and win as many games as he can.

That didn’t happen nearly enough for all involved during his time with the Jets, where Rodgers missed all but a handful of snaps of the 2023 season because of a torn left Achilles, then was part of a 5-12 slog last fall that saw the organization fire head coach Robert Saleh.

The season ended with Rodgers saying he needed a mental break before deciding whether to return in 2025. The Jets’ new regime wasn’t in the mood to wait around, leading to a series of events that ended with Rodgers signing a one-year deal with the Steelers in June.

After taking a few months to help those in his inner circle deal with health problems before agreeing to terms with the Steelers, Rodgers is focusing on the “new new” in Pittsburgh, not a chapter of his career that’s now firmly in his rearview mirror.

And he likes what he’s seen in Pittsburgh, even though the first snap Rodgers takes from center Zach Frazier on Sunday will be his first in live game action since throwing four touchdowns while leading the Jets to an upset win over Miami on the final day of the 2024 season.

A lot has happened off the field since then. Amid all of the change, however, Rodgers is confident it will not take long for him or the rest of Pittsburgh’s offense to get into a rhythm.

“I’ve been playing 20 years, so I know how to execute in the game situation,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers is hardly the only new addition to Pittsburgh’s offense, which revamped its skill position group by trading for Metcalf and tight end Jonnu Smith and selecting former Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the draft.

There’s going to be a lot of new for Rodgers in New York. And he expects the usual mixture of butterflies and excitement that have long been a part of this time of year to show up sometime before the opening coin toss.

“You have to have some (sense of anticipation),” Rodgers said. “I’ll speak for myself. I have to have something, otherwise I’m probably in the wrong profession. So I’ll definitely be excited come Sunday.”

To play. The fact that it happens to be against the Jets appears to be merely incidental. He called his time so far with the Steelers “really special,” then heaped praise not only on coach Mike Tomlin but everyone from the trainers to the equipment staff.

“There’s a lot of cool people that make this thing go,” he said.

Including some of the guys he will share the field with in New York.

Rodgers called Pittsburgh’s group of tight ends — Smith, Pat Freiermuth, Connor Heyward and 6-foot-7 Darnell Washington — the best he’s been around in his two decades in the league, including his lengthy run in Green Bay.

“(It’s) just the depth that we have here with four guys who you feel great about having on the field at any time,” Rodgers said. “And they all have different skills that they bring to the table.”

The massive Washington, perhaps most of all. Rodgers allowed he’d heard the speculation that Washington could one day move to offensive tackle. Lobbing passes to Washington in the end zone during practice last week, Rodgers firmly came down on the “how about he stays where he is” part of the debate.

“I was just thinking to myself, ‘He’s definitely in the (right) position because he’s so big and so athletic,’” Rodgers said. “For a man of that size to be that skilled in the passing game is pretty impressive, not to mention what he does on the line of scrimmage.”

Washington, now in his third year, is a bit of an enigma. So to is Rodgers, at least in terms of what he might still be capable of a few months shy of his 42nd birthday. There’s a lot at stake, both for Rodgers and the team he plays for.

He’s ready to get going because it’s a chance to get going. And that’s it.

“It’s all frame of mind, it’s all perspective,” he said. “(I’m) just excited for Week 1.”

WIDE RECEIVER JAKOBI MEYERS SAYS THE RAIDERS TURNED DOWN HIS TRADE REQUEST

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said the Raiders turned down his trade request and he didn’t know what his future looked like with the organization.

“We’re all going to find out together,” Meyers said Wednesday in his first comments since making the request. “Whatever they want to do, they want to do. If they don’t, I’ll be good regardless.”

Meyers comes off his first 1,000-yard season. He caught 87 passes in 2024 for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns. Meyers was the only NFL receiver, according to Pro Football Focus, with at least 85 targets and no dropped passes.

Meyers, who turns 29 on Nov. 9, requested a trade last week when he and the club failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension. He enters the final season of a three-year, $33 million deal.

“They’re looking at me to see if they want me here,” Meyers said. “I’m looking at them to see if I want to be around them. So we’re all kind of doing the same thing, and we’re going to see how it plays out.”

But rather than hold out or attend but not participate in practices, Meyers has continued to work with his teammates as they prepare for Sunday’s season opener at New England.

He went through a similar situation with the Patriots, but became a free agent and signed with Las Vegas in March 2023. Meyers acknowledged a little extra motivation in his first game back there since leaving.

“Obviously, I’m human,” Meyers said. “I’m just excited to get back and be in a familiar spot. As far as on the field, I’m going to be excited to be on the field. Regardless of whether it was here or there, I’m going to go out and enjoy it.”

NFLPA INTERIM BOSS DAVID WHITE TELLS AP AN 18-GAME REGULAR SEASON IS ‘NOT INEVITABLE’

An 18-game NFL season that once seemed inevitable is no longer a certainty.

David White, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association, told The Associated Press he hasn’t had any conversations with the league about expanding the length of the regular season, which increased to 17 games in 2021.

White said he had a productive meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in New York a couple weeks ago, calling it “a very good start to our relationship” and added they have agreed to an “open and respectful” line of communication.

“The league has the right to bring any issue they want to the table and, presumably, to propose what they’re willing to give to receive what they want in negotiation but we’ll see when that happens,” White said in an exclusive 45-minute interview with the AP that covered various topics. “We haven’t talked about it yet, and it certainly is not inevitable and should not be presented as such.”

Expanding the season requires the two sides to renegotiate the current NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expires in March 2031.

As the NFL season gets set to kick off Thursday night in Philadelphia with the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys, White is traveling to different cities to meet with teams and communicate directly with players.

The former SAG-AFTRA executive director replaced Lloyd Howell last month. Howell stepped down in July, citing distractions his leadership had caused.

Restoring confidence in leadership and rebuilding the union’s image are top priorities for White, a veteran labor executive who has guided some of the most prominent entertainment and financial organizations in the world.

“First, understand unions have tumult from time to time so there’s no need to panic or overreact,” White said. “Unions are the house of the members so the NFLPA is the house of the players and that means every action that we take needs to align to our mission, which is to protect and empower the players of the National Football League. And, players need to hear that. Players need to see that in action with the way that we conduct ourselves and through our performance, and we need to remind ourselves of that.”

White said he’s been impressed by the staff he’s met in his first month, calling them creative, intelligent and focused on players.

Three days after Howell stepped down, NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter resigned from his position. Tretter was considered a candidate to replace Howell, who was elected over White two years ago. The NFLPA executive committee chose White by a 10-1 vote but Howell was selected by the 32 player representatives.

White addressed numerous topics with the AP in his first interview since he was elected on Aug. 3. He has resigned from being a member on various boards and has paused his work as the CEO of 3CG Ventures, an executive coaching and strategic consulting firm, as a precondition to assuming his new role.

White declined to comment on the investigation of Howell’s leadership and the federal investigation into One Team Partners, a licensing company founded by the NFLPA and MLBPA.

Last month, ESPN reported the union placed Heather McPhee, one of its top lawyers, on paid administrative leave after multiple employees filed complaints with the union’s human resources department. The decision came months after McPhee’s allegations helped prompt the federal investigation into One Team Partners.

“It had nothing to do with retaliation or whistleblower,” White said. “Retaliation is not something that will happen at this organization so long as I’m here. That’s a personnel issue and I’m not going to say anything at all about it.”

Interest in permanent role as NFLPA executive director

White said: “It’s hard for people to understand this, but I literally am not thinking about it at all. And I’m not just saying that. The board brought me on to turn this place around and my commitment during my time here is that the NFLPA is going to look different after my time here than it did before. If my time is as an interim, then I intend to fulfill that mandate.”

Priorities for players

White said: “Players are looking at field conditions. They’re looking at information about their well-being and their injuries. They may have questions that deal with their pay. Particularly, we just came out of a time where some players made the roster and not. What are the opportunities that I have? What are the rights that I have?”

Micah Parsons’ contract negotiations with Jerry Jones

White said: “There was tremendous, tremendous activity around that by our staff and we were in contact with all parties and were working with all parties on that, silently, quietly. And while everyone was asking the question, we don’t negotiate in the press. We don’t do our work in the press. We do our work behind the scenes and whenever possible in partnership and in conjunction with the member and the member’s representatives. And whether you’re talking about Micah Parsons or you’re talking about a number of other late-stage, high-profile negotiations, we were absolutely involved in that. …

“We intend to enforce every provision of the collective bargaining agreement when we think that there may be a violation. And the best way to do that is to call people and say: ‘Knock it off.’ When both sides are able to do that, when needed, that usually makes for a productive management-labor relationship. When it doesn’t work, for whatever reason, that’s when you take it to the next level, which is to file a grievance to go to court, or to take whatever action is available to you under the collective bargaining agreement. In this instance, and here you’re talking about Jerry and Micah and their representatives and the other folks involved, I will say Micah has found his way to Green Bay with a contract that he has publicly stated makes him happy, and that makes us happy.”

Flag football in the 2028 Olympics

White said: “Our players are like every other American citizen. So many of them would jump at the chance to represent their country and the Olympics so the opportunity to do so in a game that reflects the basic principles of American football would be very exciting. We haven’t yet spoken directly with the league about this, but we look forward to doing so.”

RUSSELL WILSON BRINGS LEADERSHIP AND QUARTERBACK STABILITY TO THE NEW YORK GIANTS

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Russell Wilson is known for his “moon ball” deep throws and brings Super Bowl-winning experience to the New York Giants, who know all about what the veteran quarterback can do on the field.

That’s why they signed him. Since he arrived, Wilson has shown something off the field that has made teammates embrace him. Coach Brian Daboll called him “consistent as they come.”

“He’s the same guy every day,” said veteran tight end Chris Manhertz, who also played with Wilson in Denver. “Things happen, but he’s the same guy every day and that’s what we need in our leader. That’s what we need as a quarterback, as the pulse of this organization.”

Coming off going 3-14 last season caused in large part by inconsistent QB play, Wilson is the steady hand at the most important position in football the Giants have longed for. The 36-year-old is the starter going into the opener Sunday at Washington, and for all the talk of Jaxson Dart being the future, the organization has lined up behind Wilson as the leader.

“Russ is cool, man,” running back Devin Singletary said. “Always positive energy, always just trying to find ways to get better and bring everyone along with him. It’s not all about him. That’s one of the biggest things. He’s trying to make everybody better.”

Wilson inherits an offense featuring receiver Malik Nabers, who caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, and feature back Tyrone Tracy. There are plenty of questions about whether the defense can stop opponents, and there are few external expectations about the Giants being a playoff contender.

They do expect Wilson to be able to run Daboll and offensive coordinator — and new play-caller — Mike Kafka’s system, given this will be his 14th NFL season.

“He’s a guy who’s done it for a long time,” Daboll said. “He’s got a lot of experiences. He’s been in a number of systems, he’s played a lot of football, he’s seen a lot of things. He’s made a lot of adjustments.”

Some of that has been in his own head. Wilson early in training camp invoked something he recalled former Yankees manager Joe Girardi said about Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, that “his best attribute was he was always consistent, but he was also consistently great at adjusting.”

Through a decade as Seattle’s face of the franchise, a two-year stint with Denver and last season in Pittsburgh, Wilson has tried to live that mentality.

“That’s one of the things that you have to be able to do as a guy, a leader, as a player is be able to consistently adjust and consistently grow,” Wilson said. “I’m always constantly working on me. We’re all growing, we’re all learning, we’re all developing. We all have highs and lows. I’ve had a lot of highs, and the lows are just lessons along the way — not losses. They’re just lessons.”

New York over the next several months will probably have plenty of losses. Their over/under for wins is 5 1/2 on BetMGM Sportsbook, and even overachieving that would be a 6-11, 7-10 or 8-9 record.

Reasons for optimism include adding linebacker Abdul Carter, taken with the third pick in the draft, to an already fearsome front and revamping the secondary by signing safety Jevon Holland and cornerback Paulson Adebo.

Wilson is another, considering how much of an upgrade he is over the trio of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito who took the snaps last season. They combined for 15 TDs and 13 interceptions, and the Giants scored the second-fewest points in the league.

Wilson completed 64% of his passes for 2,752 yards and 18 TDs with just five interceptions in 12 games with the Steelers, including the postseason.

Nabers, a Seahawks fan when they won the Super Bowl, has been watching Wilson a long time and now understands what it’s like to be on the receiving end of his passes. The second-year pro has also been sitting in on quarterback meetings and gained a greater appreciation for Wilson’s longevity.

“To see his leadership, I understand now why he’s been doing it for so long,” Nabers said.” To have that on side of me in the locker room is just an extra mentor that I have on (my) side … I’m kind of taking that challenge up to move forward and better myself, and hopefully we can do some great things this year.”

BEARS COACH BEN JOHNSON SAYS COMING DAYS WILL DETERMINE HOW HEAVILY TEAM LEANS ON WILLIAMS IN OPENER

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams comes into his second season with a new head coach in Ben Johnson, a rebuilt offensive line and some big questions to answer.

Johnson is as curious as anyone to see how it all plays out, starting with the opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.

“There is of course a giant unknown,” he said Wednesday.

The big unknown this week is how much the Bears will get from a young quarterback adjusting to a new system and staring at one of the NFL’s top defenses. Johnson said the next few days will help determine that.

“I go back to when I was in high school going into game days, and we’d only throw it about five times,” he said.

“Now, we were a really good team — we ended up winning state my junior year, and I would come out of the game wondering, ‘Why didn’t we throw it more than that?’ As a quarterback, it goes back to, ‘What did the week look like in practice?’ I think that’s why the preparation and how it looks like on the field is so important. I think we’ll have a real good feel as a coaching staff for what we’re going to get out of Caleb on Monday night, with how he approaches the next few days.”

The Bears are counting on Williams to develop into a franchise quarterback and stabilize a position that has been a sore spot for a big part of the founding NFL franchise’s history. He showed some promise as a rookie after being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, throwing for 3,541 yards and just six interceptions, though it was hardly an easy season for the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner.

Chicago lost 10 straight in the second half of the season and finished last in the NFC North at 5-12. The Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after nine games and let coach Matt Eberflus go following a loss at Detroit on Thanksgiving.

Williams was sacked a league-worst and franchise-record 68 times, because of poor blocking and a tendency to hang onto the ball too long. But it’s a new year and different circumstances.

The protection figures to be better after the Bears overhauled the interior of their offensive line. They made a big trade with Kansas City for two-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and added center Drew Dalman and guard Jonah Jackson. Williams has an offensive-minded head coach in Johnson, who was hired after a successful three-year run as Detroit’s offensive coordinator.

“I think knowledge of football and NFL football has grown even just sitting in some of the meetings this year and even today and going through our first game week and just understanding things I may not have understood last year,” Williams said.

“Whether that’s defenses, whether it’s offenses, whether it’s just scheme in offense or defense, I think I’ve taken a step there. I have to keep taking those steps throughout this year and many years from now. But I think Ben — I’ve said it multiple times — he’s been great for me. He has pushed me. But like I’ve said many times, he’s a teacher and he will be persistent until you get it.”

Williams and the Bears will be tested in a big way in the early going, with the Vikings coming to Soldier Field and a trip to Detroit the following week. Those two teams were a combined 29-5 last season, with the Lions winning the NFC North and Minnesota finishing second.

Teammates say Williams is doing a better job of reading defenses and getting the team set prior to the snap. And the Bears will certainly need that against Minnesota. The Vikings tied for fourth in the NFL with 49 sacks and had two players in the top 10 — Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.

“I felt like my last (preseason) game up in Kansas City was one of my better games getting off the football and a lot of that is because of Caleb’s cadence, his rhythm,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “So he’s really developed in that regard and that’s a huge advantage for us up front getting off the football and getting on our blocks when the quarterback is dialed in.”

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

DANIELS’ LEAPING CATCH STILL THE BUZZ FOR NO. 5 MIAMI, EVEN AS HE TRIES TO TURN THE PAGE

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — CJ Daniels doesn’t know how many texts he got after his one-handed touchdown catch that helped Miami beat Notre Dame this past weekend went viral.

Suffice to say, it was a lot. With good reason.

The catch — one where Daniels leaped at around the 4-yard line, snared the ball with his right hand and controlled it with his body while falling backward into the end zone — came in the final seconds of the first half, and proved to be a big part of the Hurricanes’ 27-24 win. The victory helped Miami climb five spots to No. 5 in this week’s AP Top 25, going into a home game Saturday against Bethune-Cookman.

“That was a game-deciding play,” Miami quarterback Carson Beck said.

It might have been the catch of the weekend in college football, though it wasn’t the best that Beck has seen Daniels pull off during their short time together at Miami. Back in the spring, shortly after both transferred in and joined Miami — Beck came from Georgia, Daniels spent last season at LSU — the wideout went over three Hurricanes defenders for a one-handed grab that Beck is still talking about. And Beck didn’t even throw that pass; he couldn’t do any throwing this spring while recovering from elbow surgery.

“Probably the most ridiculous catch I’ve ever seen,” Beck said of the spring-ball one.

That means the one Sunday night might be No. 2 on Beck’s list. It came on a second-and-3 play from the Notre Dame 20. Beck was under pressure and was getting hit in the legs as he let the ball fly, throwing off his back foot, and Daniels found himself with a bit of space with defenders directly in front of him and behind him.

“I can’t take a lot of credit for that,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said of the catch. “The play was a play we were going to run in that situation. He ran a great route. Carson just got a little bit of pressure and kind of floated it up. The safety played over the top. Unbelievable catch. I mean, if you don’t catch it, it might be a pick.”

That was a risk Beck was willing to take, given how much trust he’s already built in Daniels’ ability to simply go get any pass that’s even remotely close to his hands.

Since Beck was getting hit as he threw, he first realized it was a touchdown catch by the roar of the crowd. He didn’t actually see the catch until it was replayed on the stadium screens while officials reviewed the play to see if Daniels maintained control of the ball as he hit the ground — and was in disbelief when he saw how athletic the play was.

“I won’t say I was surprised. It was just the world was surprised,” Daniels said. “I know I’m capable of making any play. When the ball is in the air, I just feel like it’s really just me and the ball.”

That said, for as much as the Hurricanes are enjoying talking about the catch and all the buzz surrounding the play, Daniels is ready to move on.

“It was a great play, but we still got things to focus on,” Daniels said. “We’re on Bethune-Cookman now, so I’m driven. It’s tunnel vision for me.”

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ACC, POWER CONFERENCES MAKE THEIR CLAIM OF TV SPOTS WITH MORE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES

There is added zip for Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn when it comes to playing a Friday night game.

“It’s all eyes on us, and I like that,” Quinn said.

And these days, there’s a lot more chances in the Atlantic Coast Conference and across the power conferences, for that matter.

Friday nights have gone from being largely about high school football, then mid-majors and Group of Five conferences, to now another showcase for the country’s biggest leagues. The ACC has 12 Friday games this season — this week it’s Louisville hosting James Madison — to tie last year’s league record, while the number of those games have also increased in the Big Ten, Big 12 and the Southeastern conferences.

The leagues have marched toward those TV slots, many vacated by the Pac-12 after most of that league’s schools scattered to the ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten. The NFL has a game this Friday, too, though that’s a rarity during college football season.

The ACC started its run of Friday night games in Week 1 with Georgia Tech’s win at Colorado and Wake Forest holding off Kennesaw State in Jake Dickert’s coaching debut with the Demon Deacons.

The 2025 schedule includes No. 14 Florida State visiting Virginia (Sept. 26) and N.C. State (Nov. 21); North Carolina and new coach Bill Belichick crossing the country to face California (Oct. 17) and visiting Syracuse (Oct. 31); and No. 4 Georgia’s trip to Georgia Tech to cap the regular-season schedule (Nov. 28).

“You have to continue to modernize how you’re looking at scheduling,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in an interview with The Associated Press. “You have to be honest with yourself about the compression that exists now on Saturdays with the number of games, and the number of quality teams that are playing all over. So there’s a limited number of windows, and you have a terrific partner with ESPN.

“Friday night has become something that people are now expecting to see football. … So nothing stays the same in life. And we’re going to be aggressive there.”

The new norm

To Phillips’ point, look at the most important event on the sport’s calendar: the College Football Playoff. Last year’s first expanded 12-team format began with Notre Dame’s home win against Indiana, the first time the tradition-rich football independent had hosted a Friday night game.

That’s one of six Friday games in the CFP since its launch in the 2014 season, which offers a snapshot of how much things have changed when it comes to those Friday TV windows.

That year, the Pac-12 had eight Friday regular-season games, while the ACC had four, the Big Ten had two, and the Big 12 and SEC each had one. That power-conference total (16) was less than half that of the Group of Five conferences at the Bowl Subdivision level; the American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt conference combined for 43 that year.

But things have changed amid realignment and the formation of super-sized conferences at the top of the sport.

Beyond the ACC’s 12 Friday games, the Big Ten has 13 a year after a record 15. The Big 12 has 12 and the SEC has four, both all-time highs. And while there is some overlap with inter-league matchups, that combined total (41) exceeds that of the Group of Five (34) for the third straight year.

It’s also a sign of how the business of college football has reached into days once considered sacrosanct for high school games.

“I wish there’s something I could do instead there,” Phillips said. “But I’m hoping with the announcement of when games are, that maybe those areas that are hosting those games, maybe there’s an alternative for Friday night football.”

Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, whose team plays an ACC-high three Friday nighters this season, sees that as less of a concern.

“You don’t want to take away from high school football, but at the same time, I don’t know if that truly does as much as people think,” he said. “If you do it a few times a year, I think it’s beneficial. I think it’s exciting. Fans get to do something different on a weeknight. Maybe even go somewhere else on the weekend — you can go to another game.”

High profile, more money

Regardless, it’s a well-timed growth for ACC schools in terms of money amid the league’s years-long efforts to close a revenue gap behind the Big Ten and SEC.

Earlier this year, the league, Florida State and Clemson settled a crossfire of lawsuits with terms that included a change this year to the revenue-distribution model. Specifically, it has 60% of league TV revenues go into a pot for distrbution based on a rolling five-year formula tied to viewership, while the remaining 40% would be distributed equally.

So getting prime placement on a Friday night can only help the bottom line.

“Those are good points,” Brohm said. “I think even if you take away that, from a football aspect, we’ve always been in favor of weeknight games.”

The Cardinals’ Friday games include a trip to No. 5 Miami (Oct. 17) and a home game with eighth-ranked Clemson (Nov. 14).

FSU, California, UNC, Georgia Tech and Syracuse are the other league teams with multiple Friday games, each playing two. Orange defensive back Berry Buxton III loves the idea of playing Colgate (Sept. 12) and the Tar Heels on Halloween for those Friday matchups.

“You play on a Friday, there’s not a couple of games on in the same time slot,” Buxton said. “Everybody wants to watch college football. On a Friday, if you’re the only game on, they’re going to tune in whether they know your team or not.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS: USF BIDDING FOR GROUP OF FIVE SUPREMACY AS IT HEADS TO SWAMP TO FACE GATORS

The Boise State Broncos, long the king of the Group of Five schools, could be on the cusp of ceding the throne to the team that just beat them.

Alex Golesh has been quietly building South Florida since 2023, when he took over a program that had won a total of 15 games over five years.

He put together back-to-back 7-6 seasons that ended with bowl wins and will go into Saturday’s game at No. 13 Florida with a dynamic quarterback in Byrum Brown, a retooled defense and the boost of confidence that comes with last week’s 34-7 win over then-No. 25 Boise State.

The Broncos were a trendy preseason pick to earn the College Football Playoff spot that goes to the highest ranked G5 conference champion for a second straight year. With USF playing three straight ranked opponents to start the season, the Bulls are working to build credibility with the selection committee. So far, so good. And they can keep helping themselves by keeping it close against the Gators or upsetting them and doing the same next week at No. 5 Miami.

The Hurricanes are among a number of heavily favored ranked teams playing FCS teams this week. So here are the picks for this week’s FBS vs. FBS games, with Associated Press Top 25 rankings and lines from BetMGM Sportsbook:

Florida International (plus 41 1/2) at No. 2 Penn State

When you get points on the first nine possessions, like the Nittany Lions did against Nevada, it’s hard to find areas that need cleaning up. If there’s one thing Penn State would like to see, it’s more production from the run game this week.

Pick: Penn State 45-7.

Louisiana Tech at No. 3 LSU (minus 37 1/2)

This game falls between Clemson and Florida on the schedule, but it’s no trap. The Garrett Nussmeier-led offense got traction in the second half against Clemson, and Harold Perkins Jr. and Whit Weeks lead a defense that could be the nation’s best.

Pick: LSU 52-3.

Oklahoma State at No. 6 Oregon (minus 28 1/2)

Since Oregon outspends Oklahoma State $40 million to $7 million in NIL, by Cowboys coach Mike Gundy’s estimation, let’s go with that on the scoreboard.

Pick: Oregon 40-7.

San Jose State at No. 7 Texas (minus 36 1/2)

The feeling here is the Longhorns will take out some frustration on the Spartans after what happened at Ohio State. Arch Manning should make strides over the next three games and have Texas contending in the SEC as expected.

Pick: Texas 47-3.

Troy at No. 8 Clemson (minus 33 1/2)

The last time the Trojans went to Death Valley, in 2016, they put a scare into a second-ranked Clemson and lost 30-24. It won’t be that close this time. Cade Klubnik and the Tigers get well after being held to 10 points by LSU.

Pick: Clemson 44-6.

No. 11 Illinois (minus 3) at Duke

This should be the best of Bret Bielema’s five teams, and the Illini are a bit under the radar for a team that has its highest ranking since 2001. Duke tussled with Elon into the middle of the third quarter last week.

Pick: Illinois 31-21.

No. 12 Arizona State at Mississippi State (plus 6 1/2)

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham talked this week about the challenges of traveling to Starkville, and he blared ringing cowbells through loudspeakers at practice to prepare his players for what awaits. Seems like a good time for Bulldogs to beat a top-15 team for the first time in four years.

Pick: Mississippi State 28-24.

South Florida (plus 17 1/2) at No. 13 Florida

Gators came out of last season on a roll and kept it going with a 55-0 shutout against an overmatched Long Island U. The Bulls raised eyebrows with their beat-down of Boise State.

Pick: Florida 35-27.

No. 15 Michigan at No. 18 Oklahoma (minus 5 1/2)

These are two proud programs looking to get their mojo back. QB Bryce Underwood is a game-changer, but beating the Sooners in Norman at night might be a little too much to ask at the moment.

Pick: Oklahoma 28-21.

Iowa at No. 16 Iowa State (minus 3)

Perhaps Iowa State QB Rocco Becht isn’t talked about enough nationally. He got the Cyclones to the Big 12 championship game last year and, judging by his start, he just might do it again.

Pick: Iowa State 24-17.

Baylor (plus 2 1/2) at No. 17 SMU

The Bears’ Sawyer Robertson threw for more than 400 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to Auburn last week. SMU has averaged 48.3 points per game while winning 15 of their last 16 at home.

Pick: Baylor 45-43.

Utah State at No. 19 Texas A&M (minus 31 1/2)

The Aggies are coming off a ho-hum win over UTSA in which they allowed 203 yards rushing, the most by a Group of Five opponent since 2021.

Pick: Texas A&M 47-9.

No. 20 Mississippi (minus 10) at Kentucky

Rebels are still smarting from last year’s 20-17 home loss to Kentucky that, in part, kept them out of the CFP. They tuned up for the trip to Lexington with a 63-7 win over Georgia State that made them the first SEC team to score at least 60 in three straight season openers.

Pick: Mississippi 33-21.

Louisiana-Monroe at No. 21 Alabama (minus 37 1/2)

It’s bounce-back week for Kalen DeBoer’s team. The Crimson Tide got outplayed in the trenches by Florida State last week and at times looked almost apathetic. With a trip to Georgia at the end of the month, DeBoer needs to create some urgency now.

Pick: Alabama 49-10.

Kennesaw State (plus 35 1/2) at No. 23 Indiana

Hoosiers totaled 502 yards, 309 on the ground, yet won just 27-14 over Old Dominion. They got into the red zone seven times and scored just two touchdowns. That undoubtedly is this week’s point of emphasis.

Pick: Indiana 35-7.

Kent State at No. 24 Texas Tech (minus 48 1/2)

Texas Tech has scored at least 50 points in three straight games with Behren Morton starting at quarterback. Kent State has allowed 41.4 points per game against FBS opponents since 2023, the worst mark in the nation.

Pick: Texas Tech 62-10.

AP predictions scorecard

Last week: Straight-up — 10-3; Against spread — 5-8.

Season: Straight-up — 10-3; Against spread — 5-8.

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COLLEGE ATHLETICS

UC SAN DIEGO TO JOIN WEST COAST CONFERENCE IN 2027

UC San Diego is joining the West Coast Conference in 2027, giving the league 10 members for the 2027-28 school year in the latest round of conference realignment.

The Tritons will compete in 14 of the WCC’s 16 sponsored events, including men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball. The school will seek a conference affiliation for the remaining 10 sports it sponsors.

“We continually identify valuable opportunities to expand our membership, and the addition of UC San Diego greatly aligns with the goals of the West Coast Conference,” WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson said in a statement Wednesday. “UC San Diego’s meteoric rise during its recent NCAA Division I transition is the result of strong leadership, strategic investment and deliberate planning for postseason success.”

UC San Diego completed its four-year transition to Division I last year, becoming the first school in NCAA history to have both its men’s and women’s basketball programs reach the NCAA Tournament in its inaugural year of Division I postseason eligibility.

UC San Diego’s move will give the WCC eight schools from California.

“We are excited to join the West Coast Conference, propelling our Triton scholar-athletes to new heights of excellence alongside top-tier teams in a range of sports and advancing our long-term strategic vision,” UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said in a statement. “This move expands our reach across major West Coast metropolitan areas, amplifying our audience, media coverage and national presence.”

The WCC is losing national basketball powerhouse Gonzaga to the Pac-12 next year, but added Seattle this year. Grand Canyon initially agreed to leave the Western Athletic Conference for the WCC in May, but backed out to join the Mountain West Conference instead, triggering a lawsuit for breach of contract.

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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

MLB ROUNDUP: GIANTS’ MATT CHAPMAN APPEALS SUSPENSION, HOMERS TWICE

Matt Chapman went deep twice to extend San Francisco’s home run streak to 17 games as the visiting Giants beat Colorado to sweep a three-game series.

Chapman, who earlier Wednesday appealed a one-game suspension from MLB for his actions in a benches-clearing incident a day earlier, also doubled and drove in four runs for San Francisco. Meanwhile, the Giants’ 17-game homer streak is the franchise’s longest since relocating to San Francisco and second longest in club history.

Drew Gilbert also homered and Heliot Ramos and Patrick Bailey each had two hits and two runs for the Giants, who have won four in a row and 10 of their past 11. Manager Bob Melvin was ejected at the end of the fifth inning by plate umpire Dan Bellino. Reliever Joel Peguero (1-0) threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his first career win, and Ryan Walker got the last two outs for his 14th save.

Hunter Goodman had three hits and Kyle Karros, Tyler Freeman and Jordan Beck contributed two hits apiece for the Rockies. Reliever Luis Peralta (1-3) gave up four runs while recording only one out. Starter German Marquez gave up four runs on eight hits over five innings.

Diamondbacks 2, Rangers 0

Zac Gallen pitched six scoreless innings, Corbin Carroll doubled and scored, and Arizona beat Texas in Phoenix.

Gallen (11-13) stretched his scoreless streak to 12 innings, and Jake Woodford pitched the ninth for his third save. Gabriel Moreno and Jake McCarthy had the RBIs for Arizona, which took the last two games of the three-game series.

Jack Leiter (9-8) gave up two runs on three hits in six innings for the Rangers, who outhit the Diamondbacks 5-3 but went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Blue Jays 13, Reds 9

Addison Barger homered and drove in four runs to help visiting Toronto overcome an early five-run deficit and post a victory over Cincinnati.

Daulton Varsho and Alejandro Kirk belted back-to-back homers in the fourth inning and Barger and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed suit in the fifth. Barger had a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning and an RBI single in the eighth as the Blue Jays banged out 18 hits to win the decisive contest of the three-game series.

Cincinnati’s Noelvi Marte ripped a two-run double to cap a five-run second inning and added an RBI single in the seventh. Jose Trevino and Matt McLain each drove in two runs for the reeling Reds, who have lost 10 of their last 13 games.

Braves 5, Cubs 1

Ha-Seong Kim blasted a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning to help visiting Atlanta avoid a sweep of the three-game series with a win against Chicago.

Kim, who was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, slammed the first pitch he saw from Drew Pomeranz over the fence in left to give Atlanta a 3-1 lead. Atlanta starter Bryce Elder (6-9) allowed one run, which was unearned, and four hits over seven innings.

Chicago starter Cade Horton threw five no-hit innings before he was replaced after 75 pitches.

Rays 9, Mariners 4

Junior Caminero drove in runs in back-to-back four-run innings, Yandy Diaz went 5-for-5 and Tampa Bay ran its winning streak to six in a sweep-claiming blowout of visiting Seattle.

The Rays won for the ninth time in 11 games and moved to within 2 1/2 games of the Mariners for the third American League wild-card spot. Chandler Simpson and Jake Mangum had three hits apiece in Tampa Bay’s season-high 19-hit explosion.

Cal Raleigh recorded his American League-leading 109th RBI and Julio Rodriguez homered for the Mariners. George Kirby (8-7) was battered for eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits in a career-low two innings.

Tigers 6, Mets 2

Kerry Carpenter blasted a three-run homer and host Detroit salvaged the finale of a three-game series against New York.

Riley Greene supplied a two-run single while Colt Keith had two hits and scored twice for the Tigers. Casey Mize (13-4) gave up one run and five hits in five innings.

Mets starter Clay Holmes (11-7) allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Pete Alonso had three hits and an RBI.

Astros 8, Yankees 7

Yordan Alvarez produced a four-hit game as Houston rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat visiting New York.

Alvarez went 4-for-5 while teammate Jeremy Pena finished 2-for-4. Reliever Bryan King (5-3) threw one perfect inning for the win.

Yankees reliever Devin Williams (3-6) was charged with four runs in two-thirds of an inning. He and manager Aaron Boone were ejected in the eighth. Giancarlo Stanton, Austin Wells and Cody Bellinger homered for New York.

Nationals 10, Marlins 5

Nasim Nunez went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and his first two major league home runs, helping Washington sweep visiting Miami.

Reliever Jackson Rutledge (3-2) threw one scoreless inning as the Nationals completed a series sweep for the first time since May. Washington’s Brady House added a two-run homer.

Marlins starter Eury Perez (6-5) gave up seven runs on eight hits in four innings. Joey Wiemer socked his first home run of the year.

Orioles 7, Padres 5

Baltimore used the long ball early, then held on to beat San Diego and complete a three-game road sweep.

The Orioles led 7-0 after the third inning as they got back-to-back-to-back home runs by Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson, all off Nestor Cortes (2-4). It was the second time this season Baltimore has hit three homers in a row. Jackson Holliday also went deep off Cortes to start the game for his 16th homer and third leadoff shot of the season. Cade Povich (3-7) benefited from the offensive outburst to notch his first victory since June 15 and his first as a starter since April 24. In five-plus innings, the lefty gave up four runs on seven hits.

Manny Machado hit a two-run homer off Povich in the sixth, and Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the San Diego seventh with a homer off Keegan Akin. Cortes lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits.

Pirates 3, Dodgers 0

Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen each homered and Joey Bart hit an RBI double to propel host Pittsburgh past Los Angeles.

The Pirates have won four of their past five games and are 11-4 over their past 15. Pittsburgh’s hitting was enough to back up a stellar effort from Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows (2-4), Evan Sisk, Isaac Mattson and Dennis Santana, who combined to allow just five hits in Pittsburgh’s MLB-leading 17th shutout this season.

The Dodgers have lost four of their past five games. Emmet Sheehan (5-3) got the call to start after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled start and served as Los Angeles’ DH. Manager Dave Roberts said pregame that Ohtani was dealing with a chest cold. Ohtani still recorded two hits, including his 20th double of the season.

Guardians 8, Red Sox 1

Gabriel Arias hit a two-run home run in a six-run second inning that propelled Cleveland to a win over host Boston.

The Guardians received a strong pitching performance from Joey Cantillo (4-3), who limited Boston to a run on five hits in six innings. Steven Kwan had three hits and C.J. Kayfus and Bo Naylor each added two hits for Cleveland, which ended a three-game losing streak.

Romy Gonzalez collected two of the Red Sox’s seven hits. Brennan Bernardino (4-3), one of five pitchers the Red Sox used, exited the mound after recording two outs in the first inning, giving up a run on one hit and one walk. Jordan Hicks then surrendered four of the six runs Cleveland scored in the second.

Brewers 6, Phillies 3

Isaac Collins’ three-run homer highlighted a ferocious start by Milwaukee in a win over visiting Philadelphia.

Jose Quintana (11-5) allowed three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings for the Brewers, who scratched Christian Yelich due to low back soreness. Milwaukee didn’t need him early as they scored five runs before the Phillies recorded an out. Sal Frelick singled on a play that also featured a throwing error by center fielder Harrison Bader, allowing two runs to score. Then Collins smacked one over the right field wall for his ninth homer of the year.

Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola (3-8) was charged with six runs on six hits in five innings. Weston Wilson’s two-run homer was the offensive highlight for the Phillies.

Angels 4, Royals 3

Jo Adell clubbed a three-run, go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, then drove in the tiebreaking run with an infield single in the eighth and visiting Los Angeles beat Kansas City.

Clayton Dana, recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to start for the Angels, allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over five innings, and Reid Detmers retired the side in the ninth to notch his third save. With these back-to-back wins, the Angels secured their first winning road series since July 18-20 and improved to 5-4 on their 10-game trip.

Michael Massey had two hits for the Royals, a wild-card contender who has lost seven of 11. Kansas City’s Ryan Bergert allowed just one run on one hit over five-plus innings.

Cardinals 5, Athletics 1

Willson Contreras drove in four runs as St. Louis defeated the visiting Athletics in the decisive game of a three-game series.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a triple and Nolan Gorman finished 3-for-3 with a homer for the Cardinals, who won for the fifth time in seven games. Matthew Liberatore (7-11) threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings, and JoJo Romero got the last five outs for his seventh save.

Nick Kurtz hit a homer for the Athletics, who lost for the fifth time in six games. Jeffrey Springs (10-10) allowed two runs on five hits in six innings.

White Sox 4, Twins 3

Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run double in the ninth inning to lift Chicago to a comeback win over host Minnesota.

Brooks Baldwin also drove in a run as part of a three-run inning for the White Sox, who trailed 3-1 entering the ninth. The rally snapped a string of 205 consecutive losses for Chicago when trailing after eight innings. Rookie reliever Grant Taylor (1-4) earned his first career victory, allowing one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The White Sox won their fourth game in a row and their fifth straight against the Twins.

Royce Lewis went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases to lead Minnesota. Luke Keaschall doubled in a run and Byron Buxton had a double and a triple. Right-hander Justin Topa (1-5) gave up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning as the Twins’ bullpen spoiled a quality start by right-hander Zebby Matthews, who limited Chicago to one run on three hits in six innings.

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NBA NEWS

NBA SAYS IT WILL OPEN INVESTIGATION INTO REPORT THAT CLIPPERS BROKE CAP RULES WITH LEONARD DEAL

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NBA said Wednesday that it will investigate if a $28 million endorsement contract between Kawhi Leonard and a California-based sustainability services company allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to circumvent league salary cap rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre.

The probe will focus on ties between Leonard, the Clippers and a company called Aspiration Fund Adviser, LLC, which filed for bankruptcy this year. It listed several creditors at that time, among them the Clippers (who were owed about $30 million) and a company called KL2 Aspire LLC that was owed $7 million.

Leonard is listed as the manager of that company in California filings. KL is his initials, and 2 is his jersey number. Emails sent to his listed representatives seeking comment Wednesday were not immediately returned.

“We are aware of this morning’s media report regarding the LA Clippers and are commencing an investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Wednesday.

The Clippers denied that any league rules were broken. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer made a $50 million investment in Aspiration, and the company and the team announced a $300 million partnership in September 2021. That was about a month after Leonard signed a four-year, $176 million extension with the Clippers.

“Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration,” the Clippers said in a statement released to several media outlets, including The Associated Press. “Any contrary assertion is provably false: The team ended its relationship with Aspiration years ago, during the 2022-23 season, when Aspiration defaulted on its obligations.”

Aspiration’s co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, agreed to plead guilty last month after facing federal charges of wire fraud. Prosecutors said he defrauded investors and lenders out of $248 million, adding that “Aspiration’s financial statements were inaccurate and reflected much higher revenue than the company in fact received.”

Torre, in his reporting, obtained a copy of the endorsement agreement between Aspiration and KL2 Aspire, one that called for Leonard to be paid $7 million annually for four years. Given that timetable, Leonard still would have been owed the final $7 million at the time of Aspiration’s bankruptcy filing.

There is no evidence that Leonard did anything to publicly endorse Aspiration.

“Neither the Clippers nor Mr. Ballmer was aware of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government instituted its investigation,” the Clippers said. “The team and Mr. Ballmer stand ready to assist law enforcement in any way they can.”

The league — which previously looked into claims that Leonard’s representatives asked for certain things that would be considered cap circumventions when he was a free agent several years ago — can issue stiff penalties if cap rules are found to have been broken by a team, including a fine of up to $7.5 million, the voiding of contracts and the forfeiture of future draft picks.

REPORT: NBA TO HAVE 2 U.S. TEAMS, 1 WORLD TEAM IN ALL-STAR GAME

The NBA reportedly is tinkering with the All-Star Game format again, this time adding an international twist.

The 2026 competition will feature two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players squaring off in a round-robin event, ESPN reported Wednesday night.

Per the report, the sides would each square off in games using 12-minute quarters.

League officials and representatives of the National Basketball Players Association put the plan in front of the NBA’s competition committee on Wednesday, and the reaction was favorable, according to ESPN.

Another change for 2026 would be a move of the event from a Sunday night timeslot to a Sunday afternoon. The All-Star Game is slated for Feb. 15 at the Los Angeles Clippers’ home arena in Inglewood, Calif., and it will be aired by the league’s new television partner, NBC.

The 2025 All-Star format, a mini tournament, was largely panned. Three teams of All-Star were drafted by captains, and a fourth team was the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge. Those sides met in semifinals and a final, with each game played to a target score of 40 points instead of having a game clock.

Television ratings for the Feb. 16 event in San Francisco dropped 13 percent.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in late April, “I thought we made almost an immeasurable amount of progress (with the All-Star Game). I thought this was a little better, but it was a miss. We’re not there in terms of creating an All-Star experience that we can be proud of, that our players can be proud of.”

Asked then if the NBA planned to follow the lead of the NHL, which scrapped its standard All-Star Game for the well-received Four Nations Face-Off, Silver said, “I’m not sure that makes sense, with the level of development, if that’s fair to lump all the other countries together these days.”

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NHL NEWS

NHL TO IMPLEMENT A PLAYOFF SALARY CAP BEGINNING THIS SEASON, AP SOURCE SAYS

The NHL will implement a playoff salary cap and remove team dress code requirements beginning this season, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the decisions had not been announced.

The league and Players’ Association agreed to those changes as part of a new collective bargaining agreement that begins in September 2026.

The sides opted to make the playoff cap and dress code policy adjustments immediately rather than waiting another year. Teams will be required to submit a cap-compliant 20-player roster for each playoff game.

Several teams over the past decade have used the lack of a postseason cap to win the Stanley Cup or make a deep run, with players on long-term injured reserve not returning until the first round. Chicago did so with Patrick Kane in 2015, Tampa Bay with Nikita Kucherov in 2021, Vegas with Mark Stone in 2023 and Florida with Matthew Tkachuk this past year, going on to become champions, and it was all allowed under the current CBA.

Extending the regular season to 84 games from 82, reducing the maximum length of contracts and other changes will go into effect in 2026-27. Until Sept. 15, 2026, players can re-sign with their own teams for up to eight years or join another for up to seven — and that will go to seven and six, respectively.

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TENNIS NEWS

AMANDA ANISIMOVA UPSETS IGA SWIATEK AT THE U.S. OPEN AFTER 6-0, 6-0 LOSS TO HER IN WIMBLEDON’S FINAL

NEW YORK (AP) — Amanda Anisimova upset Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-3 in the U.S. Open quarterfinals Wednesday, less than two months after losing to the six-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon final by a 6-0, 6-0 score.

The No. 8-seeded Anisimova reached her third major semifinal and first at Flushing Meadows.

“To come back from Wimbledon like that is really special to me,” said Anisimova, a 24-year-old who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida. “I feel like I worked so hard to try and turn around from that. … Today is really special.”

The powerful strokes and poise she displayed in Arthur Ashe Stadium against No. 2 Swiatek — the 2022 U.S. Open champion — were such a striking contrast to what happened at the All England Club’s Centre Court on July 12.

That title match lasted just 57 minutes, and Anisimova only managed to win 24 points that day, a total she eclipsed about midway through the first set this time. Anisimova cried during her runner-up speech during the trophy ceremony at Wimbledon; on Wednesday, she was all smiles while addressing thousands of supportive spectators who kept interrupting her on-court interview with cheers.

“Playing here is so freaking special,” Anisimova said, “and I’ve been having the run of my life here.”

On Thursday, Anisimova will try to reach a second consecutive major final. She’ll face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka — who eliminated Coco Gauff on Monday — or Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.

After one game against Swiatek in the quarterfinals Wednesday, Anisimova might have been forgiven for thinking, “Oh, no. Not this again.”

That’s because Anisimova served first and got broken immediately when she lost three points in a row by missing forehands — one into the net, one wide, one long.

But Anisimova broke right back and soon was the one dictating points with her strong, flat groundstrokes that wound up contributing to 23 total winners, 10 more than Swiatek accumulated. Anisimova also played quite cleanly, making just 12 unforced errors.

In the second set, Anisimova fell behind again, this time 2-0. But she again regrouped and quickly gained the upper hand. Swiatek was the one looking increasingly frustrated, shaking her head or slumping her shoulders between points, spreading her arms wide and looking to her coach for advice, and leaning back in her changeover chair as if pondering what, exactly, she could do differently.

When Swiatek double-faulted to trail 5-3 in the second set, that allowed Anisimova to serve out the victory.

“From the get-go, I was trying to fire myself up,” Anisimova said. “She is one of the toughest players I’ve ever played. I knew I was going to have to dig deep.”

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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/PRESS RELEASES

COLTS FOOTBALL

OUT TO REBOUND, DOLPHINS AND COLTS CLASH IN ’25 OPENER

The Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts are coming off disappointing 8-9 seasons and looking for a path back to the playoffs in 2025.

Their respective journeys begin when they meet Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis.

The Dolphins, who missed the playoffs after reaching the AFC wild card round the prior two seasons, are looking for the explosiveness on offense they had during the 2023 campaign.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa enters his sixth season as the Dolphins’ starter and leads an offense, which has most of the same weapons but was retooled on the line in hopes of revitalizing a running game that struggled last year.

The health of Tagovailoa, who missed six games last season, will be paramount once again to Miami’s offensive success as well as the durability of receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and running back De’Von Achane, who is expected to start Sunday after dealing with a calf issue.

“A lot of times the vertical passing game has to do with your pockets, run game, things that have to be on point,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “Defenses are ready to prepare to defend speed. Until we threaten people in different ways, they are going to try to take that away. Much of our focus has been on those throws that you crave and every other aspect of the game.”

Tagovailoa will make his first career start against the Colts, the only AFC team he has not faced. Indianapolis is one of four teams Tagovailoa has never started against.

The Colts beat the Dolphins 16-10 in Indianapolis last Oct. 20, with Tyler Huntley starting in place of Tagovailoa, who was on injured reserve.

Indianapolis’ secondary, like Miami’s, was hit hard by injuries in the offseason and preseason, which led to last month’s signing of four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard — a former Dolphin — to a one-year contract. But those issues don’t seem to be major as the Colts did not list a single defensive back on their injury report on Wednesday.

The Colts, who have not made the playoffs since 2020, tabbed former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones as their Week 1 starter ahead of 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson. In Jones’ lone career start against the Dolphins on Oct. 8, 2023, he completed 14 of 20 passes for 119 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, and was sacked six times in a 31-16 loss at Miami.

Miami’s defensive front is a mix of returners like Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Chop Robinson and Zach Sieler, along with new additions like four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon, who signed last month.

“Schematically, I look at their defense and I think they do a good job and I have a lot of respect for their coordinator (Anthony Weaver),” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “He does a good job mixing things up on the back end. They’ve got good rushers. … That D-line is really solid so we have to do a good job controlling the line of scrimmage.”

The Dolphins lead the all-time series 48-29, but the Colts have won the past two meetings. Miami last beat the Colts 16-12 on Nov. 10, 2019, at Indianapolis.

Dolphins tight end Darren Waller (hip), who has been limited in practice since the summer, did not practice Wednesday.

Running back Jaylen Wright (knee) and cornerback Ethan Bonner (hamstring) also did not practice. Hill (oblique, calf), Achane, offensive tackle Austin Jackson (toe), safety Ashtyn Davis (calf) and receiver Dee Eskridge (concussion) were listed as limited.

The Colts only listed reserve running back Tyler Goodson (elbow) as having limited participation on Wednesday.

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INDY ELEVEN

MATCH RECAP

Hartford, Conn. – Indy Eleven recorded its fifth clean sheet of the season to earn a huge 2-0 road victory at USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent Hartford Athletic on Wednesday night.

Goalkeepers Reice Charles-Cook and Hunter Sulte combined for seven saves in the match. Charles-Cook started his third consecutive match and made two stops in the first half on shots from Hartford forward Kyle Anderson, along with a sliding cover outside the six in the 28th minute. It was the 13th time this season that the Boys in Blue have not allowed a first-half goal, the second-most in the league.

Sulte came on in the second half for his first action since the USL Jägermeister Cup quarter-final on August 20. He was tested immediately, stopping forward Michee Ngalina in the 48th and again with a diving save to his left in the 51st.

In the 55th minute, Sulte made a reaction save on Samuel Careaga’s close-range effort, with the rebound attempt by Careaga just missing wide. Defender Ben Ofeimu came up big in the 60th minute with a block of Ngalina’s scoring chance.

Sulte made his five saves in the first 22 minutes of the second half to record his most saves in a match since July 18 at North Carolina FC. In his two-year Indy Eleven career, the 23-year-old Sulte has made 125 saves for the most in the team’s USL Championship era (2018-). The 6’7 Sulte also tops the franchise USLC list in career shutouts with 13.5.

For the second straight game, the Boys in Blue scored first in the game’s first three minutes. Midfielder Jack Blake played a ball from the air down in the left side of the area and uncorked a left-footed strike into the bottom right corner of the net for his team-leading eighth goal this season and the 40th in his USL Championship regular-season career.

Blake’s goal is the sixth time this season that Indy Eleven has scored in the first 15 minutes, good for second in the league. The Boys in Blue have scored 19 first-half goals, ranking third in the USLC.

After withstanding Hartford’s offensive onslaught in the second half, captain Aodhan Quinn started the counterattack that produced a valuable insurance goal with a long ball clearance from inside his own area. Forward Romario Williams chased the ball down outside the Hartford area and drew goalkeeper Antony Siaha toward him to free up forward Maalique Foster. Foster waited patiently for a defender to go by him, then buried his third goal of the season to make it 2-0. It is Foster’s 22nd USLC career goal and it was Williams’ 12th career assist.

The victory puts the Boys in Blue back in a playoff position in eighth place with eight games left in the regular season.

Indy Eleven continues its season-long three-game USLC road swing at Charleston Battery on Saturday at 7:30 pm on ESPN+.

The Boys in Blue’s next home game is Hispanic Heritage on Sunday, September 21 at 5 pm vs. Birmingham Legion FC at Carroll Stadium.

Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.

USL Championship
Indy Eleven 2:0 Hartford Athletic
Wed., Sept. 3, 2025 – 7:30 p.m.
Trinity Health Stadium | Hartford, Conn.
Weather: Sunny, 68 degrees
Attendance: 4,966

2025 USL Championship Records
Indy Eleven: 7-10-5 (-5), 26 pts; #8 in Eastern Conference
Hartford Athletic: 8-9-5 (5), 29 pts; #5 in Eastern Conference

Score	1	2	F
Indy Eleven	1	1	2
Hartford Athletic	0	0	0

Scoring Summary
IND – Jack Blake 3’
IND – Maalique Foster (Romario Williams) 76’
Discipline Summary
HFD – Antony Siaha (caution) 65’
IND – Romario Williams (caution) 78’

Indy Eleven Line-Up: Reice Charles-Cook (Hunter Sulte 45’), James Musa, Josh O’Brien, Ben Ofeimu, Aodhan Quinn (captain), Cam Lindley, James Murphy (Brian Schaefer 61’), Maalique Foster (Elliot Collier 77’), Jack Blake, Romario Williams (Edward Kizza 77’), Elvis Amoh (Bruno Rendón 62’).

Indy Eleven Subs Not Used: Finn McRobb, Brem Soumaoro.

Hartford Athletic Line-Up: Antony Siaha, Baboucarr Njie, Jordan Scarlett, Adrián Diz Pe, Junior Moreira (Jonathan Jimenez 67’), Samuel Careaga, Marlon Hairston (Jack Panayotou 78’), Sebastian Anderson (Adewale Obalola 78’), Michee Ngalina, Joseph Farrell, Kyle Edwards.

Hartford Athletic Subs Not Used: Beverly Makanglia, John Berner, TJ Presthus, Justin DiCarlo.

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INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER

MATCH CENTRAL: INDIANA VS. XAVIER

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s soccer welcomes the Xavier Musketeers to Bloomington, Ind. on Thursday, September 4th at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The Hoosiers return Yeagley Field looking to get back on track after two games on the road. The match is set to start at 5 p.m. ET.

GAME DAY INFO

Indiana (2-2-0, 0-0-0 B1G) vs. Xavier

Thursday, September 3, 2025 • 8 p.m. ET

Bill Armstrong Stadium • Bloomington, Ind.

Broadcast: B1G+ (Dylan Traeger; PxP, Dylan Beach; Color, Kelsea Wilson; Sideline)

Radio: N/A

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

The Musketeers have had success of late, winning their last three matchups against. Cincinnati, Murray State, and No. 17 Michigan State. In that stretch they have outscored their opponents 16-2.

LAST TIME OUT

IU returns to Bloomington after suffering a 2-1 defeat at Bellarmine.

The Hoosiers applied pressure early, holding the Knights to two shot attempts in the first half.

Carle McKenzie had a break away opportunity for Bellarmine to give the game’s opening goal in the 29th minute.

In the 38th minute Sarah Sirdah played a corner kick into the box to Olivia Rush who found Abbey Iler who scored the equalizer going into the break.

IU came out aggressive taking 10 shots through the 77th minute with three being on goal.

Katie Paulakonis scored the winning goal for Bellarmine to go up 2-1 in the 80th minute.

QUICK STATS

The Hoosiers have five goal scorers on the season. Maggie Ledwith, Aleyna Quinn, and Sarah Sirdah each lead the way with two goals apiece. Haden Vlcek and Abbey Iler have also scored for Indiana.

Ledwith leads the team in points with five. Quinn and Sirdah follow with four points each. Vlcek and Iler have two points while Marisa Grzesiak, Grace Hamm and Ella Stanley have recorded one point.

Indiana has taken 73 shots from 17 different players on the season. Ledwith, Quinn and Neighbors lead the way with 14, 10, and seven shots, respectively. Sirdah and Vlcek, have taken six shots each while Grzesiak and Hamm have taken five each.

Seven Hoosiers have logged over 250 minutes this season. Olivia Albert leads the way having played all 360 minutes through the first three games.

Offensively, IU is outshooting their opponents 73-41 on shot attempts. They also lead in shots on goal attempts 29-16.

In goal, Sally Rainey and Dani Jacobson have only allowed four goals on the season and a combined 12 saves.

GAME PROMOTIONS

IUWS will be giving away free red T-shirts to the first 150 fans at Thursday’s game as part of a Red Out. Be sure to arrive early in your red for a chance to get a free T-shirt!

UP NEXT

The Hoosiers will wrap up their non-conference schedule when they host Ohio on Sunday, September 7th at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

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INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER

NO. 3 HOOSIERS BLANK NO. 15 BILLIKENS

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — No. 3-ranked Indiana men’s soccer (4-0-1) earned its second-straight clean sheet, fourth consecutive victory and remains unbeaten in five matches this season thanks to a 1-0 shutout victory over No. 15-ranked, previously undefeated Saint Louis (2-1-1) Wednesday (Sept. 3) night on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

A seventh-minute Collins Oduro goal – and a bend-don’t-break defensive effort – made the difference in IU’s second ranked, shutout victory in two games. Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week Holden Brown made four saves, and his defenders added two more to the team tally.

KEY MOMENTS

• 7′ – GOAL! Oduro pulled down a clearance at the top of the box, dribbled past a defender around the edge and found space to shoot. His attempt split two more defenders and rocketed past the diving keeper into goal. Indiana 1, Saint Louis 0

• 49′ – Junior defender Alex Barger nearly doubled IU’s lead out of the break, the left back’s shot to the back post forcing a kick-save from the Saint Louis goalkeeper.

• 50′ – The referee awarded a penalty to Indiana for an apparent foul against sophomore forward Michael Nesci, but a VAR check overturned the call on the field.

• 66′ – Indiana survived a barrage as Saint Louis put together three great chances in the 64th, 65th and 66th minutes. In the 64th minute, the ball sat on the goal-line for four seconds as sophomore defender Josh Maher and redshirt junior defender Breckin Minzey tried to clear it past SLU’s freshman forward Theo Franca, who was on the floor. Brown, who had come off his line, finally claimed it among the chaos. After the VAR check, Saint Louis saw shots saved by Brown, Minzey and the crossbar all in the 65th minute. Brown made another save in the 66th.

NOTABLES

• Indiana remains unbeaten in its last 12 home matches going back to the 2024 season, owning a 10-0-2 record in that span.

• Head coach Todd Yeagley earned his 60th victory against ranked opponents, improving his record against Top 25 teams to 60-37-20.

• IU’s 4-0-1 start marks its best since 2017 (also 4-0-1). The Hoosiers had a near-perfect season-opening homestand, winning four of five matches against three ranked opponents while also overcoming deficits on three occasions.

• Indiana improved to 25-10-4 in the all-time series with Saint Louis, winning eight of the last nine contests.

• Oduro’s goal was the first allowed by Saint Louis this season, as the Billikens shut out their first three opponents.

• Maher returned from injury, appearing for the first time since the opener versus Clemson (Aug. 21) and earned his first involvement in a clean sheet.

UP NEXT

Indiana heads north for its first road match of the season, visiting annual foe Notre Dame Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans unable to make the trip can enjoy the match on the ACC Network or via the Watch ESPN digital platform.

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INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RELEASES 2025-26 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball has announced details for its 2025-26 non-conference schedule, featuring eight games inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

The 12-game slate will have the Hoosiers host three-straight home games to kick off the season. Lipscomb opens the schedule on Nov. 4 while UIC (Nov. 7) and Marshall (Nov. 11) visit Bloomington. Indiana then hits the road to face ACC foe Florida State in Tallahassee on Nov. 16.

IU renews its series with Butler on Nov. 19 before traveling back to the state of Florida, first in a match-up at Florida Gulf Coast at Alico Arena on Nov. 25. It then takes part in Coconut Hoops Classic at the same venue on Nov. 28-30 with games against Gonzaga and either Iowa State or Marquette.

Four-straight home games close out the slate with Western Michigan (Dec. 30), Eastern Michigan (Dec. 11), Eastern Michigan (Dec. 14) and Western Carolina (Dec. 21). The Big Ten schedule along with game times and TV designations will be announced at a future time.

Season reserved and general admission tickets are still on-sale with adult reserved season tickets are $128, while reserved senior season tickets (65+) and youth season tickets (18-and-under) are $80. IU faculty and staff can purchase reserved season tickets for $112. Adult general admission season tickets are $96, while general admission youth and senior tickets are $80. Tickets can be purchased online through IUHoosiers.com, calling the IU Ticket office at 812-855-4006 or visiting the ticket office in the west lobby of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Single game tickets will go on-sale at a later date.

2025-26 Indiana Women’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

Date Opponent Location

Oct. 27 Missouri S&T (exhibition) Bloomington, Ind,

Nov. 4 Lipscomb Bloomington, Ind.

Nov. 7 UIC Bloomington, Ind.

Nov. 11 Marshall Bloomington, Ind.

Nov. 16 at Florida State Tallahassee, Fla.

Nov. 19 Butler Bloomington, Ind.

Nov. 25 at Florida Gulf Coast Fort Myers, Fla.

Coconut Hoops Classic

Nov. 28 vs. Gonzaga Fort Myers, Fla.

Nov. 30 vs. Iowa State/Marquette Fort Myers, Fla.

Dec. 3 Western Michigan Bloomington, Ind.

Dec. 11 Louisiana-Monroe Bloomington, Ind.

Dec. 14 Eastern Michigan Bloomington, Ind.

Dec. 21 Western Carolina Bloomington, Ind.

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PURDUE FOOTBALL

GAME 2 PREP: PURDUE WELCOMES SIU FOR NIGHT GAME AT ROSS-ADE

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After starting the Barry Odom era with a dominating shutout victory, Purdue Football remains at home for another non-conference matchup. The Boilermakers host Southern Illinois under the lights of Ross-Ade Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

QUICK HITS

With the win over Ball State, Odom became the first Purdue head coach since 2009 (Danny Hope) to start his Boilermaker career with a victory.

Battling the Salukis for the second time in history, Purdue plays a FCS program for just the third time in the past 10 years.

The Boilermakers were one of two Big Ten teams (Wisconsin) and one of 10 teams in the country to produce a shutout to start the season.

Limiting Ball State to one red zone trip and stopping the Cardinals’ opportunity, Purdue is one of 21 teams in the country to not allow any red zone scoring so far this season.

It took Purdue two plays (36-second drive) to score the first touchdown of the season, the program’s fastest opening score to start a season since 1981.

The Boilermakers scored 14 points in the first quarter against Ball State after only managing 13 first quarter points throughout the 2024 campaign.

Landon Johnson, a former linebacker for the Boilermakers (2000-03), will serve as the honorary captain for Saturday night’s game. Johnson played in 101 games over his 7-year NFL career (Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions).

The Purdue defense allowed only 87 passing yards in the opener, the fewest surrendered to an FBS team since Nov. 19, 2022 (Northwestern).

Arhmad Branch caught three passes for 101 yards in the season opener, becoming the first Boilermaker to reach 100 receiving yards on three-or-fewer catches since 2008.

Branch’s 100-yard game was the first by a Purdue wide receiver since Sept. 16, 2023 (Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen vs. Syracuse).

Ryan Browne leads the Big Ten in total offense with 316 yards (311 passing, 5 rushing) in the season opener. Adding two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground, the Purdue QB is tied for the conference lead in points responsible for.

Browne’s 17.3 passing yards per completion ranks second in the country.

Finding the end zone to start the season, Devin Mockobee recorded his 20th career touchdown. Mockobee is one of 10 Boilermakers to score 20 rushing touchdowns throughout program history.

Mockobee is currently ranked in the program Top 10 in several career categories: 100-yard rushing games (6th), rushing yards (7th), rushing touchdown (9th).

Purdue is known for the Cradle of Quarterbacks. Entering the 2025 NFL season, Purdue quarterbacks have thrown for 1,401 touchdowns in the Super Bowl era, more passing TDs than any other college. Cal (1,165) is second with 236 fewer touchdowns.

FAST START

It took the Boilermakers two plays and only 36 seconds to score their first points of the season.

After a 13-yard run by Devin Mockobee, Ryan Browne found Arhmad Branch down the middle of the field. The sophomore wide receiver broke multiple tackles and added a smooth spin move before finding the end zone for the 49-yard score.

The last time Purdue scored within the first minute of the season was at the start of the 1981 campaign, on a 100-yard kickoff return by Jimmy Smith against Stanford.

The Boilermakers scored touchdowns on their first two drives, totaling three minutes and 31 seconds over only eight plays. The 14 first quarter points surpassed the 13 first quarter points Purdue scored throughout all of last season.

SEASON-OPENING SHUTOUT

For the second straight season, Purdue began the year with a shutout victory. Jack Mollenkopf’s Boilermakers in 1964 and 1965 were the last to record a season-opening shutout in consecutive seasons.

The Boilermakers were one of 10 programs nationwide to start the season with a shutout, including one of only two Big Ten teams (Wisconsin).

Purdue kept an FBS opponent off the scoreboard for the first time since a 49-0 victory over UConn in 2021.

The Boilers limited Ball State to only 203 yards of total offense, which included just 87 passing yards. The defense also racked up seven tackles-for-loss and four sacks.

Purdue was one of 21 teams over Week 0 and Week 1 to allow just one trip or less to the red zone.

6-FOR-6

A season ago, Arhmad Branch’s lone touch was a 3-yard touchdown on an end-around. Impressing the new coaching staff in the spring and throughout fall camp, it was evident that the sophomore was going to get more than one look in the season opener.

Offensive coordinator Josh Henson and quarterback Ryan Browne targeted Branch early, as the wide receiver caught three passes for 101 yards in the first quarter.

Not only did Branch produce a 100-yard quarter, he became the first Purdue wide receiver to record a 100-yard game since Abdur-Rahmaan Yassen (Sept. 16, 2023 vs. Syracuse.

Branch’s first career catch was a 49-yard touchdown on the second play of the game for Purdue’s first score of the season. On the second drive, he started off with a 17-yard snag before hauling in an impressive one-handed grab for 35 yards.

Branch was one of only two wide receivers in the country to eclipse 100 yards on three-or-fewer receptions on the opening weekend, the first Boilermaker to accomplish the feat since 2008.

WHAT CAN BROWNE DO FOR YOU?

In his first start of the season, quarterback Ryan Browne notched his first career win behind a career-high 311 yards on 18-of-26 passing with a pair of touchdowns. He added another score on the ground.

Browne was one of eight quarterbacks to throw for 300 yards against FBS opposition on the opening weekend of the season and was one of two to throw for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while scoring another on the ground (Maverick McIvor – Western Kentucky) against an FBS team.

He joined Drew Brees (2000), Elijah Sindelar (2019), Jack Plummer (2021) and Aidan O’Connell (2022) as the only Purdue quarterbacks to register a 300-yard passing game in the season opener since 1995.

He was the lone Big Ten quarterback to throw for 300 yards in Week 1 and leads the league in total offense.

He spread the love around, finding eight different receivers in the opener.

Browne was named the starting quarterback by head coach Barry Odom in the last week of fall camp after a competition with Malachi Singleton, Bennett Meredith and Evans Chuba and Garyt Odom.

Browne served as a backup for the Boilermakers last year, making one start, before spending the spring semester under Bill Belichick at North Carolina. He transferred back to Purdue during the spring portal window.

THE THRILLER

Michael Jackson III was one of the stars of the wide receiver room throughout fall camp, and the new Boilermaker thrilled the Ross-Ade faithful in his first game at Purdue.

Jackson caught a game-high six passes for 72 yards, matching his career high in receptions when he was a USC Trojan facing Notre Dame in 2023.

He also hauled in his first touchdown as a Boilermaker, a 14-yard catch in the third quarter, before celebrating like the King of Pop.

JACK MCCALLISTER – FOR THE BRAND

A starting punter for the past three seasons at Washington, senior Jack McCallister had no problem bringing his talents from the Pacific Northwest to West Lafayette.

In his Purdue debut, McCallister punted three times and averaged 50.3 yards per punt with all three landing inside the 20-yard line.

His best punt of the day was a coffin-corner, 55-yard boot that landed inside the 10 and rolled out of bounds at the 4-yard line.

After the first week of the season, McCallister ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th in the country in punting average.

He is the sixth Boilermaker punter since 2002 to average 50 yards or better on at least a trio of boots.

GAME NOTES: https://storage.googleapis.com/purduesports-com-prod/2025/09/03/tA0bPhtAT2FmSr7xvfMDGc0PzAnjfTCNStmaHSSX.pdf

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PURDUE WOMEN’S SOCCER

BOILERS HEAD TO DAYTON, RETURN HOME AGAINST WESTERN ILLINOIS

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue heads on its final preseason road match at Dayton, before returning home to take on Western Illinois for Senior Day.

The Boilers will take on the Dayton Flyers this Thursday, September 4, at 7:00 p.m. Est before hosting the Leathernecks at Folk Field on Sunday, September 7 at 1:00 p.m. Est.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

The Dayton Flyers are currently 2-2-1 on the season, defeating Wright State and Western Kentucky, while falling to Pittsburgh and West Virginia. The Flyers also held a scoreless draw with Big Ten foe, No. 12 Michigan State. The Flyers are led by Liv Grenda who has both a goal and an assist on the season. Two other Flyers also have one goal, while four total have notched an assist.

Western Illinois is 1-4 on the season, with its only victory coming over St. Ambrose. The Leathernecks have fallen to four Missouri Valley Conference teams in Drake, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, and Indiana State: without scoring a goal. The Leathernecks will take on Green Bay in Wisconsin on Thursday, before heading to Indiana to take on the Boilers.

SERIES HISTORY

The Flyers lead the series history over Purdue, 3-2 with the matchups dating back to 1998. In the most recent matchup, just a year ago, the Boilers took a commanding victory over the Flyers, winning 6-1 at Folk Field. This will make for the third matchup in a row that the teams will take on one another in West Lafayette.

Purdue and the Leathernecks of Western Illinois have never met in their histories, and look to start a new line in the record book on Sunday. The Leathernecks are under a first-year head coach, while Purdue and Coach Moodie are in their second year together.

PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

Senior Day (9/7): Celebrate Senior day with our five seniors for all of their contributions to Purdue Soccer! Ceremonies will begin approximately 20 minutes prior to kickoff.

Puppies at the Pitch (9/7): This Sunday and all Sundays will be Puppies at the Pitch! When you arrive, please make sure to sign a waiver for your pup.

PURDUE VOLLEYBALL

#17 PURDUE FALLS TO #23 GEORGIA TECH

WEST LAFAYETE, Ind. – In No. 17 Purdue volleyball’s first match of the season against a ranked opponent, the Boilermakers fell to No. 23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1-3 (21-25, 22-25, 25-20, 17-25).

With the result, Purdue suffered its first loss of the season (2-1) while Georgia Tech remains undefeated (4-0).

The Stacey Clark Classic resumes tomorrow for the second of three days. First, No. 15 Kansas will play No. 23 Georgia Tech at 3 p.m. ET followed by No. 17 Purdue vs. Bowling Green at 7 p.m. ET.

Notes

Three attackers: Kenna Wollard, Lindsey Miller and Grace Heaney hit .300 or better in the match.

Kenna Wollard set a career-high 24 kills on a .321 clip

Grace Heaney notched her first career double-double, totaling a career-high 13 digs and 13 kills.

Purdue suffered its first loss vs. a team ranked No. 20-25 in the AVCA poll since 2016 (10-1 over the last 11 matches).

The result marked Purdue’s first-ever loss in the Stacey Clark Classic (21-1 record).

Taylor Anderson notched 49 assists, a season-high.

Dior Charles led the blocking effort on five of the team’s nine blocks.

The match saw a total of 21 tied scores and 10 lead changes in the match

Despite the score, Purdue held the edge in attack efficiency in both the second and third sets.

Stacey Clark Classic Match Schedule:

Wednesday, 9/3

#15 Kansas 3, Bowling Green 1

#23 Georgia Tech 3, #17 Purdue 1

Thursday, 9/4

3pm ET: #23 Georgia Tech vs. #15 Kansas | B1G+

7 pm ET: Bowling Green at #17 Purdue | B1G+

Friday, 9/5

1pm ET: Bowling Green vs. Georgia Tech | B1G+

7 pm ET: #15 Kansas at #17 Purdue | B1G+

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NOTRE DAME BASEBALL

IRISH SET TO COMPETE AT LIVE LIKE LOU JAX COLLEGE BASEBALL CLASSIC

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Notre Dame baseball team was announced as one of four participating programs for the third annual Live Like Lou Jax College Baseball Classic at VyStar Ballpark on Feb. 20-22, 2026. Joining the Irish in the field for 2026 are LSU, UCF and Indiana.

The 2026 Live Like Lou Jax Classic will feature two games per day, with each team playing one game a day in a round-robin format over the three-day event. All six games of the Live Like Lou Jax Classic are set to be broadcast exclusively via D1Baseball.com.

“In addition, a newly renovated VyStar Ballpark, which has become one of the top ballparks in the country and a premier early-season destination for some of college baseball’s best teams,” said Nathan Wooldridge, Peak Events vice president. “We appreciate the partnership with the Jacksonville JumboShrimp and the Live Like Lou Foundation in helping us continue to raise the profile of this event and to expand the impact of the Live Like Lou Jax Classic across college baseball and the ALS community.”

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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER

PREVIEW: #5 IRISH TRAVEL TO MICHIGAN STATE

The No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish after on the road after a three game homestand as they travel to take on Michigan State on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 PM.

#5 NOTRE DAME at MICHIGAN STATE – Thursday, September 4 at 7:30 PM
Location: East Lansing, MI | DeMartin Stadium
LIVE STATS | SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES | WATCH ON BTN

MATRIANO HAD HERSELF A WEEK

Laney Matriano has been named the ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and was also named to the Top Drawer Soccer Women’s Team of the Week.

Matriano helped guide the Irish to a 3-0 win over Michigan and an 8-0 win over Oakland, finishing the week with an impressive two goals, three assists, and seven points.

She recorded a career-high three assists in the win over the Wolverines on Thursday, assisting on every goal scored that game and becoming the first ACC player to record three assists in a match against a Power Four conference team since Pitt’s Landy Mertz on November 11, 2023.

She then recorded a brace in the win over Oakland on Sunday, another career-best.

A CAREER NIGHT IN THE 8-0 WIN OVER OAKLAND

The No.6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish advanced to 4-0-1 on the season as they defeated the Oakland Golden Grizzlies (1-4-1) in a 8-0 victory on Sunday evening.

The Irish had seven players in the scoring column, but senior Laney Matriano led the way with a brace, recording a career-high two goals in the dominant win.

Junior Morgan Roy and sophomore Grace Restovich recorded their first goals of the season, The sophomore duo of Annabelle Chukwu and Izzy Engle chipped in one goal a piece for their second and sixth goals on the season, respectively.

It was a night of career-firsts and career-highs for Notre Dame. Freshman Tessa Knapp and sophomore Randie Foor each recorded their first career goals, with junior Jackie Hollomon grabbing her first save in goal.

Sophomore Lily Joseph tied her career-high two assists and Senior Kiki Turner recorded her first career assist.

IRISH REMAIN UNDEFEATED: TAKE DOWN WOLVERINES

The No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0-1) remain undefeated on the season as they defeated the Michigan Wolverines (2-3-0) in a 3-0 win at Alumni Stadium on Thursday evening.

The Irish scored on three headers in the win, with goals coming from the sophomore trio of Izzy Engle, Abby Mills, and Ellie Hodsden.

Notre Dame finished with a season-best five assists as senior Laney Matriano led the way with a team-best and career-high three assists. Senior Leah Klenke and graduate Carolyn Calzada each recorded an assist for the Irish in the win.

The Irish outshot the Wolverines 16-5 as sophomore Sonoma Kasica finished with three saves and recorded her ninth career clean sheet.

IRISH TAKE DOWN BEARCATS

It was a great offensive night for the Irish with three players netting goals in the 4-0 win at Alumni on Thursday, Aug. 21.

Sophomore Izzy Engle recorded her second brace of the season, with sophomore Annabelle Chukwu and sophomore Ellie Hodsden each adding one goal apiece in the second half.

Sophomore Grace Restovich led the way with two assists, with senior Laney Matriano and junior Morgan Roy each recorded an assist as well.

The Irish defense suffocated the Bearcat attack, allowing only one shot on goal. Sophomore Sonoma Kasica finished with a clean sheet for the Irish, her eighth clean sheet in her career.

IRISH DRAW AT #2 ARKANSAS

The No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0-1) earned a hardfought draw on the road against No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks (0-1-1) on in a heated top-10 battle.

The Irish offense was led by Charlie Codd and Ellie Hodsden, who each recorded their first goals of the season in the 2-2 draw.

While Codd netted the first goal of the game to tie it up at1-all, just over 35 minutes later, Ellie Hodsden had the play of the game. The sophomore received a pass in her own half and took it coast-to-coast before firing in a great shot from just inside the box.

Sonoma Kasica recorded four saves in the stalemate, totaling eight saves in the opening week of the season.

ENGLE WAS EVERYTHING NEEDED IN HOME OPENER

Sophomore Izzy Engle recorded a brace in the 2-1 win in the season opening win against the defending MAC Champions Western Michigan at Alumni Stadium on Thursday evening.

The reigning ACC Freshman of the Year and All-American picked up right where she left off in the 2024 campaign, recording her seventh career multi-goal game.

The Irish improved to an impressive 29-5-3 record in season openers.

Junior Chase Ying recorded her first career point off an assist on the opening goal.

Sophomore goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica recorded four saves to pick up the win.

PRESEASON PRAISE

Coming off of NCAA Quarterfinal run last season, the Irish were selected as the no. 2 team in the country in this year’s United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. This is the highest preseason ranking since the 2011 season after the Irish won the National Championship in 2010.

The Irish were also selected as the no. 2 team in the 2025 Preseason ACC poll.

Goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica and forward Izzy Engle have been named to the United Soccer Coaches 2025 NCAA Players to Watch list this preseason.

Engle was also selected as a Preseason All-ACC honoree, alongside senior Leah Klenky. Both were All-ACC standouts last season, earning All-Region status as well.

Engle and Klenke are were each named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List as well this preseason.

BY THE NUMBERS – NCAA TOURNAMENT

For the 30th time over the last 32 years, the Notre Dame women’s soccer program qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Notre Dame improved its all-time postseason record to 77-26-4. Their 77 victories passed UCLA (75) for the third most and rank only behind Florida State and UNC.

With a dominant 5-1 victory over Milwaukee in the First Round, the Irish improved to 52-4-1 at home in the NCAA Tournament

They have recorded 50 all-time clean sheets in the NCAA Tournament.

Notre Dame was a seeded team for the fourth consecutive year, earning the four-seed in the bottom-right quadrant.

The past four seasons under Doug & Lisa Jones Head Coach Nate Norman: Sweet 16 in 2021, Elite Eight in 2022, 2nd Round in 2023 and an Elite Eight in 2024. Thus, two quarterfinal appearances over the last three years.

The Irish made their 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. They are now 12-5 all-time in that round.

They’ve qualified for 12 College Cups with their last being in 2010. They are 8-4 in the Semifinal round.

The Irish boast three NCAA championships, which is tied for second most – 1995, 2004, 2010 – and five runner-up finishes (1994, 1996, 1999, 2006, 2008).

NOTRE DAME’S 2024 RESUME

In the final United Soccer Coaches Poll, the Irish landed in the No. 6 position. There were six ACC teams in the top-10.

Irish finished with a RPI rank of No. 8. They achieved a 4-4-1 record against the RPI 1-25.

Notre Dame competed in the No. 1 RPI league, the ACC, and went 5-2-4.

The Fighting Irish recorded a 5-4-1 mark against ranked opposition this season. They defeated No. 2 Miss State, No. 6 Stanford, No. 13 TCU and No. 14 Virginia, No. 25 Cal, while tying at No. 1 Duke.

All 4 of ND’s losses were to ranked teams.

HOME SWEET HOME

It is not easy for opposing teams to earn a victory inside Alumni Stadium. Since its creation in 2009, Notre Dame has gone 135-32-11.

Over the last four seasons in particular – an impressive 37-6-6 (.816) record inside Alumni.

The last 5 seasons – 48-9-7 (.805)

A COLLEGE CUP CORE

The expectations every year for this program is to qualify for a College Cup and compete for a national championship. The Irish fell a little short in 2024 but the pieces are there to make a run in 2025. We’ve talked already about how dynamic of a freshman class it was. Then there’s the returning vets: Morgan Roy, Charlie Codd, Laney Matriano, Leah Klenke and Clare Logan all started in at least 15 games this season.

Key losses include graduate forward/midfielder Ellie Ospeck (who recorded 33 points over her Irish career), captain Sophia Fisher (68 games played, 19 starts, 19 points) and KJ Ronan (58 games played, 5 starts).

All-in-all, the Irish return 141 of its 161 points aka 87.6 percent.

ACC PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. North Carolina (10), 246

2. Notre Dame (2), 229

3. Florida State (4), 225

4. Duke, 208

5. Stanford, 201

6. Wake Forest, 172

7. Virginia (1), 169

8. Virginia Tech, 162

9. Clemson, 132

10. California, 124

11. Pitt, 111

12. SMU, 83

13. Boston College, 81

14. Louisville, 67

15. Miami, 44

16. NC State, 40

17. Syracuse, 18

ALL-AMERICAN – IZZY ENGLE IS BACK FOR YEAR 2

Izzy Engle immediately took the collegiate landscape by storm by putting together an All-American campaign in her freshman season. The United Soccer Coaches named her a Second Team All-American. Head Coach Nate Norman has now produced four different All-Americans over the past three years (Korbin Albert, Eva Gaetino, Olivia Wingate).

Engle scored 19 goals on the year, plus one assist, finishing with 39 total points. Her 19 goals were the sixth most all-time by a freshman at Notre Dame.

Her 19 goals were the 2nd most scored in the country in 2024. Kate Faasse from North Carolina scored 20. Engle’s 0.86 goals per match ranked second nationally as well.

The Minnesota native scored nine goals over the last nine games and scored in three of the four NCAA Tournament games, including the game-winner against Mississippi State.

Engle’s 39 points ranked sixth nationally and second amongst ACC players.

Engle’s brace at No. 1 Duke marked the first time in program history in which an Irish freshman recorded multiple goals against the No. 1 team in the country.

Engle recorded the first freshman hat trick in program history since 2008 in Notre Dame’s win at Samford. She was the third quickest in program history to record a hat trick, doing so in just her second game. Kerri Hanks (2005) and Rosella Guerrero (1992) achieved hat tricks in their freshman debuts.

FRESHMEN CLEAN UP ACC AWARDS – 2024 ACCOLADES

Kudos to Coach Norman for the talent he’s been developing in South Bend. For it was the third straight year in which the program took an ACC ‘of the year’ award. And get this, it’s been three different players as well. Korbin Albert in 2022 (ACC Midfielder of the Year), Eva Gaetino in 2023 (ACC Defender of the Year) and now Izzy Engle in 2024 (ACC Freshman of the Year).

Engle’s awards didn’t stop there. The Minnesota native was also named First Team All-ACC alongside junior defender Leah Klenke. Third-Team All-ACC honors went to freshmen Annabelle Chukwu and Lily Joseph.

Klenke, who missed a portion of the early season because she was busy winning a bronze medal with Team USA at the U20 World Cup. Klenke came back and solidified the back-three while also securing a goal and an assist. This marked the second straight year for Klenke taking home an All-ACC award, improving upon her Second-Team status in 2023.

The Irish dominated the ACC All-Freshman Team list with four of the 11 spots, the most of any school. Izzy Engle, Lily Jospeh, Ellie Hodsden and Annabelle Chukwu were all named to the All-Freshman Team. The foursome ranked first, second, fourth and sixth, respectively, on the team in total points.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT

Notre Dame’s scoring offense of 2.50 ranked eighth in the country and third in the league. It marked Notre Dame’s highest scoring offense since 2008 (3.07).

In addition, Notre Dame had a whopping 16 different goal scorers on the year, which marked the most since 2008 as well.

The Irish ranked seventh in the nation in shots per game (19.6) and 12th in SOG/game (8.7).

Their 55 goals ranked seventh nationally.

44 of the team’s 55 goals were scored by freshmen.

The top-4 point getters on the team were freshmen: Izzy Engle (39 points), Lily Joseph (22 points), Grace Restovich (21 points) and Ellie Hodsden (18 points).

Irish were 14-0 when scoring first this season. They were 13-0-1 when leading at the half.

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BUTLER VOLLEYBALL

BUTLER SET TO TRAVEL TO CORALVILLE IOWA TO COMPETE IN THE IOWA INVITATIONAL

After sweeping the Big Dawg Kickoff last weekend the 3-0 Butler Volleyball team is set to travel to Coralville Iowa to compete in the Iowa Invitational. This event will see the Bulldogs play three matches in three days starting tomorrow, Thursday September 4th at 7pm ET when they will take on Iowa.

Butler’s Schedule for the Iowa Invitational

Thursday 9/4 Butler at Iowa 7pm ET Live Stats Watch
Friday 9/5 Butler vs Loyola Chicago 4pm ET Live Stats
Saturday 9/6 Butler vs Illinois State 12pm ET Live Stats

Last weekend Butler went undefeated in the Big Dawg Kickoff and 3-0 to start the season. The Dawgs took down Evansville and Purdue Fort Wayne last Friday and then took care of Middle Tennessee State in 3 sets last Saturday evening.

Earlier in the week, junior Kaylee Finnegan was awarded BIG EAST Setter of the Week. Finnegean produced over 120 assists while averaging 10.67 assists per set. Sophomore Alaleh Tolliver was awarded with MVP of the Big Dawg Kickoff after Saturday’s match vs MTSU. Tolliver finished the weekend with 44 total kills. Tolliver achieved her new career high in kills, 24 against Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday night. Tolliver, Elise Ward, and Zoe McDonald were the three Butler representatives on the Big Dawg Kickoff All-Tournament Team. Ward recorded 36 kills over the course of the 3 matches last weekend, while McDonald picked up 25 kills over her own and collected 13 blocks which leads the team.

Bulldog Bites

Saturday night against Middle Tennessee State Butler finished Set 2 with an impressive 73% hitting efficiency. Butler won that match 3-0

Lauren Evans leads the Dawgs in digs with 51

Evans scored her career high in digs (21) against Purdue Fort Wayne Friday night

Finnegan finished the match against PFW with 54 assists

Sawyer Jones accumulated 27 kills over the course of the Dawgs first three matches

Jones, Tolliver, and Carly Slusser each picked up 7 blocks over the weekend.

Scouting Iowa

Iowa enters the Iowa Invitational 3-0 after picking up wins over UNLV, Utah Tech, and CSU Bakersfield. A season ago the Hawkeyes recorded a record of 10-22 and were 5-11 in home matches. Through their first three matches Iowa put together a well balanced attack. Five student athletes had at least 20 kills over the course of their first three matches. Their wins last weekend came in the Rebel Challenge where Clarie Ammeraal was named tournament MVP. Ammeraal finished the tournament with 87 assists, 25 digs, and 20 kills.

Scouting Loyola Chicago

The Ramblers come into the Iowa Invitational 1-2 after their first weekend of play at the Western Kentucky Invitational. In 2024 Loyola Chicago earned its second ever league title by taking down Dayton to receive an NCAA Tournament bid. In the tournament, the Ramblers swept BYU earning the program’s first NCAA tournament win. So far through the young 2025 season, Leyna Nquyen leads the team in kills with 49 while Sam Falk leads the team in digs with 52. Loyola Chicago’s setter, Ava Hunter picked 130 assists during the team’s first three matches.

Scouting Illinois State

Illinois State heads into the Iowa Invitational with an undefeated 3-0 record. Last weekend, at the Western Michigan Tournament the Redbirds did not lose a set, they swept DePaul, Western Michian, and Oakland. In 2024 they finished with a record of 17-6 and were 5-2 in neutral site matches. At the Western Michigan Tournament, Aida Shadewald led the team in kills with 29. A season ago, Shadewald scored 385 kills. Sophomore Khenedi Guest had 99 blocks in 2024 and picked up 13 during the team’s first three matches.

Full Iowa Invitational Schedule

9/4 Illinois State vs Loyola Chicago 4pm ET

9/4 Butler vs Iowa 7pm ET

9/5 Butler vs Loyola Chicago 4pm ET

9/5 Iowa vs Illinois State 7pm ET

9/6 Butler vs Illinois State 12pm ET

9/6 Iowa vs Loyola Chicago 3pm ET

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BALL STATE FIELD HOCKEY

FIELD HOCKEY PLAYS THREE GAMES IN THE GOLDEN STATE THIS WEEKEND

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State field hockey team (1-1) will head to California for three games this weekend. The Cardinals will first face Stanford (1-1) on Thursday and will then head to UC Davis (1-1) on Friday. Both contests will be played at 3 pm ET. Ball State will wrap up its long weekend in the Golden State at the University of California (1-1) on Sunday at 4 pm ET.

The Cardinals enter the weekend with a 1-1 record after suffering a 7-0 loss to No. 13 The Ohio State on August 29 at the Briner Sports Complex but then rebounded with a 3-2 home victory versus Saint Louis on August 31. The contest over the Billikens was highlighted by Julia Verratti who scored all three of the Cardinals goals to seal the win. Verratti now has four scores for her career.

Ball State and Stanford faced each other in Muncie last season on Sept. 1 resulting in a 5-0 loss for the Cardinals. It will mark the third-ever meeting and the first trip ever for BSU to Stanford. Stanford leads the all-time series record 2-0.

On Friday, the Cardinals head to UC Davis for their sixth meeting all-time. The last time Ball State faced UC Davis was at home last season on Oct. 22, resulting in a 3-1 loss for Ball State.

The contest Sunday against Cal Berkley will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

After this weekend, the Cardinals will return home for a noon start on Friday, Sept. 12 against Saint Francis University before welcoming Lock Haven on Sept. 14 at 11 am ET.

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BALL STATE FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: CARDINALS VISIT SEC STADIUM FOR FOURTH TIME IN FOUR SEASONS

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State makes a return visit to the Southeastern Conference this week, playing at an SEC stadium for the 11th time in history and the fourth time at Auburn. In recent years, the Cardinals opened the 2022 campaign at Tennessee; then played their first two games of 2023 at Kentucky and Georgia. Ball State skipped the SEC last year while playing a Week 2 road game at Miami. The Cardinals previously played at Auburn in 2001, 2005 and 2009.

— Ball State’s 53 newcomers dropped a disappointing 31-0 decision at Purdue in last week’s opening game, and the first game of the Mike Uremovich coaching era. But the defeat was not without a few positives after four consecutive punts to begin the game and facing an early 21-0 deficit. “Purdue didn’t beat Ball State,” Uremovich stated. “Ball State beat Ball State because we weren’t being fundamentally sound. Those are things we can fix, and we will fix them.”

— Offensive stars included redshirt senior QB Kiael Kelly who rushed for a team-high 63 yards on a career-high 22 carries, and transfer running back Qua Ashley who ran for 45 yards on 10 carries. Entering the ninth start of his career, Kelly boasts 961 career rushing yards, third in school history by a quarterback and just 39 yards from 1,000.

— After punts on its first four offensive series — three on 3-and-out possessions, Ball State punted just once the rest of the way and allowed its defense some needed time off the field. While Adam Saul booted five times for a 40.8-yard average, the Cardinals moved into scoring position twice in the second half but missed on 45- and 29-yard field goal attempts.

— The defensive unit got a team-high five tackles from senior linebacker Joey Stemler, and four apiece from senior transfers Alfred Chea and Nathan Voorhis. Voorhis registered his first sack of the season, among five Ball State tackles for loss. The Cardinals limited Purdue to 93 rushing yards as Ball State’s rushing game “out-averaged” the Boilermakers, 3.2 yards per carry to 3.1.

WHAT A WIN MEANS:

— Ball State will beat an SEC opponent for the first time in 14 tries.

— Mike Uremovich will log his first victory as Ball State’s head coach.

INSIDE THE SERIES: AUBURN

— In what will be the fourth game Ball State has played at Auburn, it is the most games the Cardinals have ever played against any SEC opponent.

— Jordan-Hare Stadium hosts the Cardinals for the fourth time on Saturday. It is also the most visits by any MAC opponent at Auburn. (Akron has visited Auburn twice.)

— The Week 2 matchup at Auburn is fitting this season. In 2001, the Cardinals and Tigers met in the season opener. In 2005, they met in Week 3 and in 2009, it was in Week 4.

VS. SEC

— Ball State faced SEC opponents in consecutive

weeks to begin the 2023 campaign, and the Cardinals return to SEC country again this week.

— The Cardinals are seeking their first win against an SEC opponent. Ball State is 0-13 against teams currently in the SEC and 0-10 against SEC foes at the time of the game (Auburn

0-3; Kentucky 0-2; Florida 0-1; Georgia 0-1; Missouri 0-3 while in Big XII; South Carolina 0-1; Tennessee 0-1; Texas A&M 0-1).

FIRST TWO WEEKS

— For the second time in three seasons, Ball State opens its season with a pair of games against Power-4 conferences. The Cardinals opened the 2023 campaign at Kentucky and Georgia.

WIDE-RANGING NEW ROSTER

— The Cardinals have welcomed 53 new players since Mike Uremovich took over as head coach last December, and 33 of those have come from other college programs — 30 four-year transfers and three junior-college transfers.

— In addition to the sweeping number of newcomers, Uremovich’s staff has utilized a broad search geographically, too. From a preliminary training camp depth chart, 22 offensive and defensive starters came from hometowns in 13 different states — California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.

QB1: THE LAST TIME OUT

— Prior to last week’s opener at Purdue, the last time Kiael (pronounced ky-ELL) Kelly started at quarterback was the final game of the 2023 season, a 17-15 home defeat to Miami (Ohio). It capped a six-game stretch in which Kelly finished the 2023 season with a 3-3 record as QB1.

— In that game, he and RB Marquez Cooper both rushed for 136 yards. It was a career rushing high for the QB from Tampa, Florida, and the third-best single-game rushing effort by a Ball State quarterback.

CAREER RUSHING BY A CARDINALS QB

— Kiael Kelly is always a threat to gain yards with his legs, and he enters the Auburn game 652 yards shy of the Cardinals’ career record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He is currently third in career rush yards by a QB.

— He tallied 83 yards in one game as a reserve in 2022. He rushed for 724 yards during a six-game stint as starter in 2023, and he compiled 91 lining up as a QB or wildcat last season.

— Those 724 yards over just six games in 2023 stand as a Ball State single-season record for a quarterback.

— He boasts 961 rush yards overall after tallying 63 at Purdue last week. He is 39 yards from 1,000 in his career — through just eight starts.

CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH A RECEPTION

— Wide receiver Eric Weatherly has caught a pass in 24 consecutive games, counting 23 over every game with Bucknell the past two seasons.

Only 14 receivers in the country have caught passes in more consecutive games – including Auburn’s Eric Singleton.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 – Ball State returns one rushing TD from its 2024 roster: Kiael Kelly’s 9-yard, opening-drive score at Vanderbilt came in a wildcat formation.

33 – Total transfers on the Cardinals’ roster. Among 30 four-year transfers and three junior college transfers, 11 are seniors.

54 – Mike Uremovich’s full-time coaching staff at Ball State accounts for 54 career appearances in FBS bowl games.

961 – Career rushing yards for QB Kiael Kelly – third-most by a quarterback in Ball State history.

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INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL

SYCAMORES SET FOR VINCENT ALLEN DAY AS INDIANA STATE WELCOMES EASTERN ILLINOIS SATURDAY

Notes

About the Matchup

Indiana State trails the all-time series against Eastern Illinois, 46-40-4 dating back to the inaugural contest between the two programs in 1901. More recently, Indiana State has won three of the last five contests against the Panthers dating back to the 2018 season, but EIU has won each of the last two contests, including last year’s 27-20 victory over Indiana State in Charleston, Ill.

Eastern Illinois has had the edge in the series going back further winning 15 of the last 20 contests dating back to 1994, including winning seven in a row from 1995-2002, while winning six in a row from 2005-2017. Indiana State’s longest winning stretch in the series spanned 14 consecutive wins spanning 1963-1981.

Scouting Eastern Illinois

Eastern Illinois is 1-0 in the early season as the Panthers enter the second week of the 2025 season coming off a 24-14 win over Dayton this past Thursday night. The Panthers utilized 336 rushing yards including an EIU single game quarterback rushing record 193 yards from Cole LaCrue to power their way to the nonconference win over the Flyers.

LaCrue was named to the Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention list following his performance against the Flyers and currently leads all Division I football in rushing following the opening week of the season. He added 129 passing yards going 9-for-17 through the air with an interception in the win.

EIU wide receiver Cooper Willman was named a preseason Phil Steele Fourth Team All-American heading into the year. The veteran wideout was also named the OVC/Big South preseason Offensive Player of the Year by Lindy’s Sports after a standout year which featured 66 receptions for 955 yards and eight touchdowns, while also serving as EIU’s primary punt returner.

EIU’s defense was led by Saipeti Maiava Jr.’s team-leading six tackles, while Tylan Foster and Drake Van Hyfte both had a team-high 2.0 tackles-for-loss. Van Hyfre forced a fumble and Foster added the recovery for EIU’s lone turnover in the contest.

The Panthers were tied for sixth in the OVC/Big South preseason football poll after receiving 24 total votes. EIU had nine players listed among those to watch in the conference including Cooper Willman (WR/AP/PR), Jay Pearson (RB), Nic DiSanto (OL), Alex Herrera (TE), Drake Van Hyfte (DL), Phoenix Porter (LB), Tienne Fridge (DB), Brett Galletti (LS), and Mason Miller (P).

Recapping Last Year’s Game

Elijah Owens threw three touchdown passes and nearly willed Indiana State to a late comeback against Eastern Illinois as the Sycamores fell to the host Panthers in the 2024 week two matchup at O’Brien Field, 27-20.

Owens guided Indiana State on a 17-play, 80-yard drive late in the second half as the Sycamores mounted a comeback trailing 27-13 late in the contest. The redshirt freshman quarterback highlighted the drive by keeping his composure and his pants before finding Zavion Taylor for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds remaining in the contest to make it a one-score game.

Owens completed passes to five different receivers over the 17-play drive as the Sycamores took over on their own 20-yard line following a missed Eastern Illinois field goal attempt. He went 12-for-13 through the air on the drive and converted three 3rd-and-long situations including a 28-yard pass to Zavion Taylor down the right sideline on 3rd-and-12 to set up the touchdown.

The Sycamores set up for the onside kick and Sebastian Lopez got the bounce into the second level of the EIU return team before Eli Mirza jumped on the loose ball to let the Panthers run out the clock and secure the win.

Indiana State against the Ohio Valley/Big South

Indiana State has lined up against four opponents in the Ohio Valley/Big South Football Association over program history taking on Eastern Illinois, SEMO, Tennessee Tech, and Western Illinois. The Sycamores boast a winning mark over SEMO (5-4) and is tied 1-1 over the two contests played against Tennessee Tech. The Sycamores have lined up against Eastern Illinois the most with 90 all-time matchups against EIU (40-46-4), while Indiana State has played Western Illinois (19-26) 45 times including the years WIU played in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Sycamores have not played Gardner-Webb, Lindenwood, Tennessee State, or UT Martin.

Sycamores in September Home Games

September is traditionally a month that features Indiana State football on the road during the Curt Mallory era with the Sycamores lining up against opponents at Memorial Stadium in just nine home games over his nine years at the helm. This Saturday’s matchup against EIU marks Indiana State’s lone home game in September in the 2025 season as the Sycamores will travel to both Indiana (Sept. 12) and Montana (Sept. 20) to close out competition in the month.

Indiana State has posted a 4-5 record in home games over the month following last year’s 1-1 mark at home with a win over Dayton (24-13, Sept. 14) and a loss to Houston Christian (27-24, Sept. 21). Additional wins over the stretch include two in 2019 (Sept. 14 vs. Eastern Kentucky – 19-7; Sept. 21 vs. Eastern Illinois – 16-6), one in 2022 (Sept. 1 vs. North Alabama – 17-14 (OT)), and last year’s 24-13 win over Dayton.

In Indiana State’s 16-6 win over EIU back in 2019, quarterback Kurtis Wilderman connected with Rontrez Morgan for a 69-yard touchdown on a screen play late in the first quarter of action. Indiana State kicker Jerry Nunez took over from there, making a trio of field goals, including a 23-yard field goal attempt on the first drive of the game that set a new Sycamore all-time field goal mark. The Indiana State defense forced four turnovers on the day with three interceptions and a fumble recovery in the win.

MVFC Players of the Week

Indiana State’s Plez Lawrence (Offensive) and Sebastian Lopez (Special Teams) received the conference’s weekly honors as announced by the MVFC on Monday afternoon. The Sycamore duo were key to Indiana State’s season-opening 41-24 win over McKendree in the Thursday night opener.

Lawrence recorded 225 total offensive yards (133 rushing, 92 receiving) and added three touchdowns in receiving the award for the first time in his collegiate career. Lopez converted his first two field goal attempts, was 5-for-5 in PATs, and added six touchbacks on kickoffs in his first MVFC accolades.

The Sycamores’ recognition snapped a pair of long-running stretches where Indiana State had not received the conference’s weekly award in either category. Prior to their win, Dominique Dafney (Nov. 24, 2019) was Indiana State’s last player to receive Offensive Player of the Week recognition, while Jake Andjelic (Oct. 9, 2023) was the last Sycamore to earn Special Teams honors.

On This Date

Indiana State is 4-0 all-time on the September 6 date in program history according to current records on hand. The Sycamores picked up their first win back in the 1980 season with a 13-10 victory at Drake. Since then, the remaining three home games have come at Memorial Stadium with wins over St. Cloud State (1986), Kentucky State (19-6), and Tennessee Tech (49-14).

1980 – at Drake (W, 13-10)

1986 – vs. St. Cloud State (W, 27-18)

1997 – vs. Kentucky State (W, 19-6)

2014 – vs. Tennessee Tech (W, 49-14)

2025 Indiana State Single Game, Season Tickets On Sale Now

Season ticket membership renewals and new season ticket memberships remain on sale online for the upcoming 2025 season. Season tickets for the six ISU home football games will start at $60 for adults and $30 for youth. Faculty, staff, seniors, and members of the I-Club can purchase tickets for $55.

Additionally, anyone who renews or buys a reserved seat in Section F will have the option to rent a seat chairback for the season. Chairback rentals are available for $20. Access to Touchdown Corner is available with Varsity Club status starting at just $125. Contact the Sycamore Athletic Fund at 812-237-6134 for more information.

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S SOCCER

SIX ‘DONS SCORE IN INDIANA TECH VICTORY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s soccer team topped Indiana Tech 6-0 on Wednesday night (Sept. 3), with four Mastodons netting their first collegiate goals.

The ‘Dons managed to notch several single-game accolades during the win. Purdue Fort Wayne finished with 15 corner kicks, a program record for a single match.

Six Mastodon goals tied for second in program history for most goals in a game, short of the eight scored against Chicago State in 2018.

The Purdue Fort Wayne recorded 43 shots, second most in a game in program history. Just short of the 46 the Mastodons registered against NJIT on Aug. 31, 2006. The 43 shots are tied for eighth most in an NCAA women’s soccer match this season.

The ‘Dons also had 18 shots on goal, tied for fifth in the record books.

Bethany Loveless opened the night for the Mastodons, lobbing a shot over the keeper’s head in the fifth minute to take a 1-0 lead. Chloe Mariotti assisted on the goal, her first of the season. Maddy Kopala was able to score her first collegiate goal in the 27th minute of the match, making good use of Morgan Gallagher’s corner kick. The ‘Dons went into the half with a 2-0 lead.

Gallagher continued her offensive pressure right out of the half, firing in a shot from outside the box to score her second goal of the season. Freshman Daisy Moody was able to net her first collegiate goal in the 79th minute, assisted by Gallagher for her second of the match.

Lauren Klusek put her name in the score column after a deep shot reached just higher than the keeper’s hand, her first on the season. Bella Masse finished out the scoring for the ‘Dons in the 88th minute, finishing a pass from fellow freshman Sabrina Sokol.

Gallagher moved from 10th to sixth in the Purdue Fort Wayne record books after this match in career assists, now at nine.

Jordan Imes secured her second shutout of the season.

Purdue Fort Wayne climbs to 1-3-1 and Indiana Tech remains at 0-2-0 after playing the match as a scrimmage. The ‘Dons play their second of a three match homestand on Sunday (Sept. 7), against Eastern Illinois.

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL

PURDUE FORT WAYNE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VISITS YPSILANTI FOR THREE MATCHES

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball will hit the road again this week for a trip to Ypsilanti, Michigan to play in Eastern Michigan’s tournament. The Mastodons will tussle the Valparaiso Beacons, Eastern Michigan Eagles and Niagara Purple Eagles.

Game Day Information
Who: Valparaiso Beacons, Eastern Michigan Eagles, Niagara Purple Eagles
When: Sept. 4 – 1 PM & 7 PM | Sept. 5 – 4 PM
Where: Ypsilanti, Mich. | Gervin GameAbove Center
Live Stats: Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3
Watch: Match 2 only
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 Foes

• Valparaiso is 2-1 so far this season with wins over Southern Indiana and Saint Louis. The Beacons’ only loss was a five-setter against Northern Kentucky. Ava Helming was their best offensive option, averaging 3.27 kills per set in the opening weekend.

• Eastern Michigan is 2-2 with wins over Radford and Kansas City. The Eagles are coming off a 3-0 loss at Michigan. Ava Siefke has a team-best 3.94 kills per set so far in her junior season.

• Niagara is 0-2 with losses to Syracuse and Le Moyne. Liana Tolliver is the team’s best attacker with 2.57 kills per set, while libero Mia Schaefer has a team-high 4.63 digs per set.

Series Histories

• Valpo narrowly leads the all-time series 15-14, with a 3-1 edge in neutral matches. The two teams last met in 2024, when Valparaiso won 3-0.

• The Mastodons own a 13-10 lead in the all-time series against Eastern Michigan and have won the last two 3-0. Jena Medearis had 10 kills with an .818 hitting percentage in last year’s sweep.

• Purdue Fort Wayne is 2-0 against Niagara with wins in 2018 and 2023.

Back for More

2024 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Riley Rosneck is the league leader in points and kills this season with 65.0 points and 60 kills. She is top-10 in the country in both categories.

So Good I Can’t Barrett

Becky Barrett ranks in the top-10 nationally with 69 digs through the first week of play. She has nine more digs than the second-best in the Horizon League.

When Life Gives You Plemons

Mya Plemons had a double-double of 10 kills and 10 blocks against Middle Tennessee in the season opener. She’s the first to do so since 2017, and her 10 blocks in the four-set match is a top-five mark in the rally scoring era.

Last Time Out

The Mastodons went 0-3 at the Big Dawg Kickoff despite going five sets twice.

Next Time Up

Purdue Fort Wayne will visit Missouri State for a pair of non-league matches on September 11-12.

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EVANSVILLE VOLLEYBALL

VOLLEYBALL BATTLES MICHIGAN STATE IN FRONT OF SOLD OUT CROWD

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Playing in front of a sellout crowd of 864 fans, the University of Evansville volleyball team gave Michigan State everything it could handle before falling by a 3-1 final inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening.

Three Purple Aces recorded a team-best six kills including Sabrina Ripple, Hinsley Everett, and Brooke Herdes. Kora Ruff finished with 24 assists while Ainoah Cruz added eight digs. Ripple had two solo and two block assists. Michigan State was led by Taylah Holdem who had 16 kills while Evie Doezema completed the night with 15.

Game 1 – MSU 26, UE 24

In an exciting first set, it was Michigan State pulling off the 26-24 win. The Spartans had the early momentum jumping out to a 10-5 lead. Following time out, the Aces regrouped to take a 14-13 lead. Kora Ruff served up two aces while Sabrina Ripple added a kill. MSU regained the lead as they went up 19-16, but UE bounced back once again to go up 20-19. Ainoah Cruz recorded a pair of aces during the stretch.

Evansville continued its run, going up 23-21 on a kill by Chloe Cline. The back-and-forth action continued as the Spartans countered with the next three tallies. Hinsley Everett notched a kill to tie it up at 24-24, but the final two points belonged to MSU as they took the early match lead.

Game 2 – MSU 25, UE 16

Looking to tie the match, the Aces jumped out to a 4-1 lead to open the second frame. Brooke Herdes and Ripple picked up kills in the early run. MSU countered with three in a row to tie things up before a 10-3 run established an 11-7 lead. They continued to add to the advantage, extending it to 22-11. Evansville chipped away in the final stages before falling by a final of 25-16.

Game 3 – UE 25, MSU 23

Another nice start saw the Aces take another 4-1 lead. McKenzie Laubach opened with a kill while Cruz added another ace. Evansville continued its strong play as Everett picked up a kill that made it an 8-4 game. The Spartans countered to tie the game at 9-9 before taking their first edge of the set at 14-13.

UE did not trail for long as Carlotta Pascual Centelles registered a kill that put her team in front at 15-14. The Aces would not trail for the remainder of the frame. Josdarilee Caraballo picked up a kill to help her team go up 21-17. Michigan State closed within a point at 23-22 before two more Caraballo kills sealed a 25-23 win.

Game 4 – MSU 25, UE 16

Both squads swapped the lead in the early moments of the fourth set. While MSU had the early 1-0 edge, the Aces fought back to take an 8-6 lead on a kill by Pascual Centelles. The Spartans took control midway through the set when a 4-0 spurt turned a 14-12 lead into an 18-12 advantage. Everett ended the stretch with a kill, but MSU finished strong, clinching the match with the 25-16 decision.

Next up for the Aces is a trip to Atlanta for the GSU Invitational. UE opens with matches against Florida A&M and Queens on Friday.

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EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S SOCCER LOOKS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN ON THURSDAY AT AUSTIN PEAY

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s soccer team looks to continue their best start since 2021 and win their third game in a row on Thursday, as they travel to Clarksville, Tenn. to take on Austin Peay. Kick-off is set for 6 PM.

Last Time Out

Fresh off their first win over a Power-4 opponent since 2008, the UE women’s soccer team continued to roll on Sunday afternoon, scoring three first half goals to down visiting SIUE at Arad McCutchan Stadium.

Evansville’s first half onslaught marked the first time the Aces have scored three goals in a half in four years and the first time they have scored three times in the first half in nine years. Taylor Wehrer (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Oasis) opened the scoring in the 11th minute with her third goal of the season, while Kathryn Tyler (Dallas, Texas/Liberty Christian) and Lily Kytasaari (Platte City, Mo./Platte County) scored the first goals of their careers in the 22nd and 34th minutes, respectively.

The UE defense held the Cougars scoreless, marking the Aces’ first shutout of the year. Allie Lammers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) posted a clean sheet in her first career start, making two saves.

Series History

Thursday marks the 11th all-time meeting between Evansville and Austin Peay. UE holds the advantage in the series with a 5-3-2 record. The Aces and Governors last played in 2022 to a 1-1 draw.

Scouting Austin Peay

Austin Peay enters Thursday night looking for their first win of the season. The last time out for the Governors came last Thursday, a 1-0 loss to Chattanooga.

Follow Along

Thursday’s match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com.

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EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER

MEN’S SOCCER CONTINUES HOMESTAND WITH LINDENWOOD

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The second game of a three-game homestand for the University of Evansville men’s soccer team is in store on Thursday as the Purple Aces play host to Lindenwood at Arad McCutchan Stadium. Kick-off is set for 6 PM.

Last Time Out

Evansville earned their third tie of the season on Sunday, playing Memphis to a hard-fought 1-1 final.

Evansville out-shot the Tigers 24-7 on the night, but were unable to find the game-winning goal as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Both sides saw scoring opportunities early, as Álvaro Timón (Toledo, Spain/Valencia International University) put a shot on goal in the third minute of play and Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) sniffed out a Memphis attack with a strong save in the eighth minute. Evansville earned a penalty kick in the 17th minute when Timón was fouled in the box by the Memphis keeper. Tancredi Fadda (Monza, Italy/University of Milan) took the penalty, but put the shot off the crossbar for a near miss. UE got another penalty chance less than three minutes later, as Fadda earned a penalty on a foul in the box. This time, Martin Wurschmidt (Stavern, Norway/Thor Heyerdahl VGS) took the shot for the Aces and converted, putting the shot into the bottom right corner to get Evansville on the board.

The lead would not last for long, however, as the Tigers were able to equalize in the 33rd minute on a goal from Lucho Galizzi. Chase Ricker (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva) nearly netted his first career goal in the 40th minute to break the tie, but the shot ricocheted off the post and the score remained at 1-1 going into the half.

In the second half of the play, the Aces put together a flurry of attacks, putting up 13 shots. However, the Memphis defense held strong to escape with a result. Perhaps the best scoring chance for UE came in the 86th minute on a cross into the box from Nacho Diaz-Caneja (Coruña, Spain/Oregon State), but a header from Wurschmidt snuck just outside the far post and out of play.

Series History

Thursday marks the 4th all-time meeting between Evansville and Lindenwood. The two sides played last season in St. Charles, where Lindenwood took a 3-2 win. The series record is tied at an even 1-1-1.

Scouting Lindenwood

Lindenwood brings an unblemished record into the River City, sitting at 3-0 on the year. The last time out for the Lions came on Sunday, a 3-0 win over Wright State.

Follow Along

Thursday’s match will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at GoPurpleAces.com.

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SOUTHERN INDIANA CROSS COUNTRY

EAGLES TAKE HOME OVC WEEKLY XC HONORS

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s Cross Country junior Alex Nolan and Women’s Cross Country sophomore Hadessah Austin have garnered Ohio Valley Conference Runner of the Week honors in an announcement by the league office Wednesday.

Nolan was named the co-OVC Male Runner of the Week following his dominating first-place finish at the season-opening Stegemoller Twilight last Friday. The two-time All-OVC honoree finished the six-kilometer race in 17 minutes, 46.0 seconds, which was 28 seconds faster than the second-place finisher in the 63-competitor field.

Austin garnered OVC Female Runner of the Week honors following a thrilling victory over teammate Ellie Hall at the Stegemoller Twilight. A four-time OVC champion on the track earlier this year, Austin finished the 4k course in 13:47.1 to edge out Hall by a 10th of a second to win the 37-competitor race.

Hall also was recognized by the OVC Wednesday in its notable performances following her second-place finish during the opening weekend.

The OVC weekly honor for Austin is her first in cross country after earning multiple OVC Track Athlete and Freshman of the week awards during the 2024-25 track seasons. The award marks the first career OVC weekly honor for Nolan, who was the 2023 OVC Freshman of the Year as well as the 2025 OVC Indoor 5,000-meter champion.

The Screaming Eagles, who won both team tiles at the Stegemoller Twilight, return to action September 12 when they compete at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama.

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SOUTHERN INDIANA VOLLEYBALL

WHITE OUT IN LIBERTY ARENA AS USI TAKES ON MICHIGAN STATE

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball hosts Michigan State University on Thursday at 6 p.m. inside Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles.

Admission to Thursday’s White Out game and all USI Volleyball home games this season will be free courtesy of ProRehab. Coverage of the match can be found on ESPN+ for subscribers.

The Eagles opened the 2025 season hosting the USI Invitational, finishing 1-2, losing to Valparaiso and Saint Louis before finishing off the weekend with a win against former conference rival Northern Kentucky.

USI’s first three matches revealed several strengths on the court. Junior Ashby Willis and senior Bianca Anderson marked their names on the USI Invitational All-Tournament list for their performances over the weekend. The two led the team in kills, with Willis tallying 32 and Anderson 26.

Willis had 14 kills find the floor in the first match against Valpo, hitting a .324 percent. Anderson led the court in the first win of 2025 against NKU, recording seven kills in just the first set, finishing with 13. As captains, along with senior Keira Moore, the two will look to continue their strong performances against the Spartans of Michigan State.

Freshmen Aysa Thomas and Carley Wright made their college debuts as starters in the opening weekend matches. Thomas led the court in the match against Valpo with 33 assists in just three sets, with Wright grabbing five kills and two blocks. The duo finished the weekend with Thomas tallying 81 assists and 16 digs, and Wright with 20 kills and five blocks.

The Spartans finished their opening weekend 2-0, grabbing wins against Chicago State and Merrimack. In their first two matches, outside hitter Taylah Holdem led the team with 26 kills with a .400 percent, averaging 4.33 kills per set. Redshirt freshman Malayah Long connected on 65 assists, averaging 10.83 per set.

MSU Head Coach Kristen Kelsay is in her first season in the position following former head coach Leah Johnson’s departure. Thursday’s match will mark the first time the Spartans and Screaming Eagles will meet in program history.

This game will be the Screaming Eagles’ first Big Ten matchup since falling to Indiana University last September. Since going D-I in 2022, USI Volleyball is 0-3 against Big Ten opponents.

To get updates on opening weekend for USI volleyball, fans can follow USI Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, and X for game coverage and online at usiscreamingeagles.com.

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SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S SOCCER GEARS UP FOR VALPARAISO ON THURSDAY

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer targets back-to-back results on Thursday when the Screaming Eagles conclude a three-match homestand against Valparaiso University. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Strassweg Field.

Admission to Thursday’s match and all 2025 USI Soccer regular-season home games is free thanks to ProRehab. Thursday’s match can also be seen with a subscription to ESPN+.

Thursday’s match between USI (1-5-0) and Valparaiso (2-2-1) will be the first-ever regular-season meeting between the two programs. Valpo will also be the second consecutive opponent from the Missouri Valley Conference for USI. Last Sunday, the Eagles defeated Southern Illinois University, 2-0, at home for USI’s first win of the season.

In Sunday’s win against the Salukis, USI wasted no time finding the back of the net. Freshman midfielder Paulina Campos got the Screaming Eagles on the scoreboard three minutes into the contest. USI held onto its 1-0 advantage for the next 86-plus minutes until freshman midfielder Haley Kocher scored a breakaway goal to seal the win. Both goals were career firsts for the freshmen.

On Tuesday, USI earned an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week honor for the second week in a row. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Anna Markland was named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week after helping lead USI’s defensive effort to pick up the team’s first win and shutout of the season against Southern Illinois. Markland earned the honor for the fourth time in her USI career, as Sunday was her ninth career clean sheet.

Offensively, USI has been able to find its shots so far this season, ranking second among OVC teams with 74 total shots and 12.3 shots per game. After some tough luck early on, the Screaming Eagles have been on the upswing lately in goals scored, tallying six goals in the last three matches. Half of USI’s six goals this season have been scored by freshmen, who have been impactful on both sides of the ball. Four freshmen have combined for eight starts through six matches, including freshman defender Tierney Mullady with four starts and a goal scored.

Overall, this season, senior forward Peyton Murphy is USI’s leading scorer with three points off a goal and an assist. Murphy is tied for the team lead with shots on goal in seven total shot attempts. Senior forward Emerson Grafton paces the Eagles with 14 shots, which is top five in the OVC. Redshirt sophomore forward Eva Boer, who scored USI’s first goal of the season, is second on the team with 10 shots.

Valparaiso heads into Thursday’s game with two wins in its last three appearances. Last week, Valpo fell to Eastern Illinois University, 2-1, after the Panthers scored two unanswered goals in the second half. Then on Sunday, the Beacons flipped the result from Thursday with a 2-1 victory over Wright State University after scoring two unanswered goals in the second half to complete the comeback.

The Beacons’ leading scorer is freshman forward Kiara Desiderio with six points off three goals. Desiderio scored twice in Valpo’s match against Purdue University Fort Wayne on August 24. Desiderio also tops the squad with 13 shots and eight on goal. Freshman forward Martha Goddard has five points on the season with one goal and three assists. Goddard has an assist in three straight games, including one and a goal in the last match against Wright State. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Kate Sheridan has seen all the minutes between the posts for Valparaiso, posting a 1.20 goals against average with 19 saves.

After Thursday’s contest, USI Women’s Soccer will hit the road for the first time in two weeks when the Screaming Eagles travel Sunday to Bellarmine University and add another chapter between the former Great Lakes Valley Conference rivals. Kickoff Sunday is at Noon CT.

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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL

VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL REVEALS 2025-2026 NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program has announced its nonconference schedule for the 2025-2026 season, an 11-game slate that features seven home dates and four road contests plus one home exhibition contest.

Valpo will host Brescia in an exhibition game on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

The Beacons will tip off the new campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 4 against Eastern Illinois at the ARC. That game will be part of the BBN United Tipoff Classic presented by Kentucky Tourism. As part of that season-opening multi-team event, the Beacons will travel to Kentucky to play the Wildcats on Friday, Nov. 7 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Valpo’s third and final game of the event will be a home date against Nicholls State on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the ARC.

Valpo will play Kentucky, a Sweet 16 team last season, for just the third time in program history and first since 2016-17. Nicholls State, a 20-win team last season and member of the Southland Conference, will be a first-time opponent, while Eastern Illinois is a familiar foe. The Beacons downed the Panthers 81-53 last season in the first meeting since 1996, which was the final year the two schools shared Mid-Continent Conference affiliation. The squads have faced off 37 times in total.

The Beacons will host Bryant on Sunday, Nov. 16, the first ever matchup between the two teams. The Bulldogs went 14-2 in the American East Conference, totaled 23 wins, hoisted the conference tournament crown and reached the NCAA Tournament last season.

The Brown & Gold will hit the road for the second time this season for a Wednesday, Nov. 19 matchup with Cleveland State, a return trip from a home-and-home that began last season at the ARC between the two former Horizon League contemporaries who have engaged in 51 all-time matchups. The Vikings were 23-13 overall and 14-6 in conference play a year ago en route to a postseason appearance in the Purple College Basketball Invitational.

Valpo will battle Southern Indiana on Wednesday, Nov. 26 in a pre-Thanksgiving matchup at the ARC before closing out the holiday weekend by hosting Western Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 29. The Beacons and Screaming Eagles will get together for the first time ever, while conversely the Broncos have provided Valpo’s opposition 70 times before, including last season’s epic comeback culminating with a Justus McNair buzzer-beater in Kalamazoo.

The team will start the month of December in Milwaukee against Big East Conference foe Marquette, which plays its home games at Fiserv Forum, also the home of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Golden Eagles, who reached the NCAA Tournament and accrued 23 wins last season, appear on Valpo’s schedule for the 27th time and first since 2006-07.

Calumet College of St. Joseph, an NAIA program under the direction of former Valpo player and assistant coach Jason Hawkins, will visit the ARC on Saturday, Dec. 6. Valpo has played CCSJ twice before, most recently last season. After a week off for final exams, the Beacons host their final home nonconference contest on Saturday, Dec. 13 vs. UNC Wilmington. Valpo is 2-0 all-time against UNC Wilmington, most recently prevailing 79-70 as part of the Savannah Invitational in 2017. The Seahawks were Coastal Athletic Association champions and totaled 27 wins on their way to an NCAA Tournament berth last season.

The nonconference portion of the season concludes on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at nearby Big Ten Conference adversary Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. This will represent the 12th matchup against the Wildcats and first since the 2017-18 season.

The Valpo men’s basketball program has developed significant forward momentum entering Year 3 of head coach Roger Powell Jr.’s time leading the team. The squad over doubled its overall win total from Year 1 to Year 2 of his tenure, with the 2024-25 season culminating with two Missouri Valley Conference Tournament victories and a run to the semifinal round at Arch Madness. The Beacons have boasted the league’s Freshman of the Year each of the last two seasons, just the third time in conference history that award has gone to the same program in consecutive years.

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VALPO MEN’S GOLF

MEN’S GOLF ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR 2025-2026 CAMPAIGN

The Valparaiso University men’s golf program has announced its schedule for the 2025-2026 season, which will feature 11 tournaments, four during the fall and seven during the spring culminating with the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championship, which will take place April 26-28 at Annbriar Golf Club in Waterloo, Iowa.

“The team is excited to start our competitive season after a very productive summer,” head coach Dave Gring said. “We haven’t played together in almost four months, since the close of our spring season. The guys played in a wide variety of local, state and national tournaments this summer, and they are genuinely ‘fired up’ to get our 2025-26 season rolling. We’ve had just over two weeks of team practices since the start of school, so we’re ready to travel and see how we match up with teams from all over the country.”

The journey to the championship begins in Browns Summit, N.C. as the Beacons tee off the season at the Bryan National Collegiate, hosted by UNC Greensboro at Bryan Park GC. This will mark the second straight season that the Brown & Gold has played in that tournament.

The second weekend of the season will feature the Badger Invitational, hosted by Wisconsin, at TPC Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. as the squad makes its first appearance in that tournament. The final weekend of September will bring with it another first-time destination for the program as Valpo plays in Rice’s Bayou City Collegiate Classic at Westwood Golf Club in Houston.

The fall slate concludes with another nearby tournament as the Beacons stay in state to play the Purdue Fall Invitational on Oct. 13-14 at Kampen Course in West Lafayette. This will mark Valpo’s first trip to Purdue since Fall 2012 aside from one Beacon individual participating in the 2024 NCAA West Lafayette Regional.

A busy spring slate begins with the Lake Jovita Invitational, cohosted by Ball State and Richmond, on Feb. 9-10 at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club south course in Dade City, Fla. The Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate is on the docket for Feb. 23-25 at The Classic Club in Palm Desert, Calif. The Beacons will head to Western Carolina’s Peoples Golf Championship (Sea Palms Resort in St. Simons Island, Ga.) on March 12-14 and the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate (RTJ Magnolia Grove Falls Course in Mobile, Ala.) on March 30-31.

Each of the first three tournaments of the spring are new to Valpo’s schedule, while the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate is back for the third straight year. The Beacons will return to the Bluegrass Collegiate Invitational hosted by Kentucky at the University Club of Kentucky in Lexington on April 13-14, the program’s first time participating in that tournament since the 2013-14 campaign and fourth time overall.

The final tune-up prior to the conference championship will occur at the Iowa Spring Invitational on April 20-21 at Blue Top Ridge GC in Riverside, Iowa. Valpo last played on that course in October 2022 as part of the Iowa Fall Classic.

“This will be one of the most competitive schedules that we have put together,” Gring said. “Eight of our ten regular-season tournaments are new compared to last year and six of those are brand new tournaments and golf courses that we haven’t seen before. It’s hard to believe that this will be the first year that we will play a regular season tournament in both Texas and California. We will travel all over the country, from St. Simons Island, Ga. to Houston, Texas to Palm Desert, California. We’re also excited to play in three tournaments hosted by Big-10 teams here in the Midwest. We’re ready to get after it and compete against some high-quality teams this year.”

The Beacons will look to continue the program’s recent tradition of athletic success as Valpo boasted an individual NCAA Regional qualifier for the fourth straight year in 2024-25 and the top six players on the team all improved their scoring averages from the previous season. The Beacons have earned team postseason opportunities in two of the last three seasons.

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UINDY MEN’S SOCCER

MEN’S SOCCER KICKS SEASON OFF THURSDAY AGAINST LINCOLN MEMORIAL

INDIANAPOLIS – The Greyhounds begin their 2025 season on Thursday when they face Lincoln Memorial at 7:30 p.m. at Key Stadium. Thursday’s match against Lincoln Memorial is the same team the Hounds begin their 2024 season, and they will be looking for a different result this time around.

The Hounds finished the 2024 season with a 9-5-4 overall record, and an 8-2-4 GLVC conference record. Head coach Gabe Hall has led the team to a GLVC Tournament appearance in all three seasons at the helm, including a GLVC title in 2023. Along with the three conference tournament appearances, he also led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his first two seasons with the team.

“There are two guys that I am looking forward to seeing how their success this summer carries into our season this fall,” head coach Gabe Hall said. “Alvaro was a key contributor to his NPSL team that won the national championship and Kabiru helped lead his first year club to the NPSL playoffs. We have already seen their winning mentality be contagious in training everyday.”

The team enters this season picked to finish fourth in the GLVC for 2025. The Greyhounds return four of their top five goal scorers from the 2024 season; Alvaro Sanchez (4), Lucas Bedleg (4), August Abrahamsen (2), and Joey Longo (2). Along with plenty of goal scoring threats, the Hound also bring back their two leading players in assists from last season, Roman Beko (6) and Gafar (4).

The team has also added a few new pieces to help bolster key positions for the Greyhounds after the team graduated eight seniors in 2024. The new additions of; Colin Elder, Niklas Stalzer, Thomas Piazza, Sam Siegel, Viktor Mayrink, and others will look to help push the Hounds back to their GLVC title winning ways of 2023. Along with the new on field additions, the Hounds also revamped their coaching staff with two new members; Matthew Roop (Assistant Coach), and Tommaso Villa (Graduate Assistant).

“I am excited to start the season and see all the work we did in the preseason come together, Hall said. “While we have large number of new players, the expectation doesn’t change. We should always be fighting for the regular season GLVC championship, GLVC tournament championship and making the NCAA tournament”.

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UINDY VOLLEYBALL

GREYHOUNDS KICK OFF 2025 SEASON WITH UINDY INVITATIONAL

INDIANAPOLIS– The UIndy volleyball program begins a new era this weekend in the Ruth Lilly Fitness Center, as the Greyhounds host the 2025 UIndy Invitational.

The Hounds will face three different opponents across the three-day invitational, opening the tournament with a Thursday night matchup against in-region opponent Parkside. The squad returns on Friday to face the 13th-ranked Concordia-St. Paul, before closing out the tournament taking on West Virginia State on Saturday night.

First-year head coach Haley Case comes to Indianapolis from the University of West Florida, where she served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Argos. UIndy returns 11 players from the 2024 season. 2024 All-GLVC first-team honoree Claire Morris returns for the squad after leading the team in assists with 1167 a season ago, placing her eighth in program history (2,551). Sophomore middle blocker Kelsey McKenney led the squad at the net in 2024 with 112 blocks, the most total stops from any Greyhound in a decade.

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MARIAN VOLLEYBALL

NO. 16 MARIAN FALLS IN CL OPENER AGAINST NO. 23 SPRING ARBOR

INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian volleyball team came up short in their Crossroads League home opener on Wednesday night. The Knights were unable to complete a 17-7 third set victory, which factored into the team’s 3-1 loss against No. 23 Spring Arbor. Marian falls to 8-2 overall on the season, beginning CL play with a loss.

Marian led early in the first set, with a powerful block from Sarah Bennett and Ava Tindall capturing the crowd as the team built a 7-4 lead. Sami Luttel served up an ace to help Marian win the race to 10 points, but the Cougars quietly roared back, tying the set at 11. Avery Toole scored Marian a 13-12 lead, but a 3-0 run paced by three errors gave the lead back to Spring Arbor. Marian was able to tie the score at 16 with consecutive Chloe Cook kills, and again tied the set at 18 with a Nicole Wilkinson block, but another spree of errors would put the Knights in for the game. Spring Arbor finished the set on a 7-2 run, taking the game 25-20.

Trailing 0-1, the Knights responded in a big way in the second set, amassing a 9-5 lead with kills from Avery Toole and Chloe Cook fueling Marian. Each of the hitters collected four kills in the set, while Ava Tindall piled on three more in Marian’s 25-14 victory. Nicole Wilkinson played an equally contributing role in the game, sparking a 7-1 run that gave the Knights complete control. Another run of a 6-1 count would win the set for Marian, with Sarah Bennett scoring a block on the final rally.

Marian took their momentum into the second set, opening on a 4-1 run with the lead gradually pushing to six. Leading 10-4, the Cougars would chip back with two points; however, the flow would not slow down Marian, as an extended run of 9-3 drove the home team on top by 10 points. The lead stood at 17-7 for Marian, but would not be enough as Spring Arbor flexed their ranked prowess with an 8-1 run, shrinking the advantage to two. Avery Toole and Khori Dryden gave Marian a sense of balance as they righted the offense with two kills, but again the Cougars answered, tying the set at 22-22.

Blowing their four-point lead, Marian extended play and kept alive Chloe Cook scored a kill facing set point, and the game would again draw even at 25, but the Cougars were unable to be stopped. A Keely Hinzman kill and error from Avery Toole ended the third set, with Marian falling 27-25. Spring Arbor ended the set on a 20-8 run.

The loss in the third set killed the momentum on Marian’s side of the net, while Spring Arbor thrived, opening the final game on a 4-0 run. The Cougars gradually pushed ahead 10-5, and later 17-8, putting their stamp on the set. Sarah Bennett and Ava Tindall were among Marian’s bright spots in the final set, but their offensive and defensive efforts could not create a large rally, with Spring Arbor pulling away winners 25-15 in the fourth.

Khori Dryden would lead Marian in kills with 14 as she added 19 digs for a double-double, but managed to hit .056 in the defeat. Chloe Cook scored 12 kills, and Avery Toole finished with nine. Sami Luttel paced the passing with 26 assists while Mya Cunningham had 23. Luttel finished with a double-double logging 10 digs, and Emma Lyons had a team-high 27 digs in the loss. Ava Tindall recorded a team-best five total blocks in the defeat.

Marian will seek their first Crossroads League victory when they next play, as the Knights host St. Francis (Ind.) on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

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MARIAN MEN’S SOCCER

MARIAN SUFFERS FIRST LOSS OF SEASON TO OLIVET NAZARENE

Bourbonnais, Ill. – The No. 16 ranked men’s soccer team traveled up to Bourbonnais, Ill. today to take on Olivet Nazarene in a Wednesday night showdown. After a long rain delay the Knights fell 2-1 to the Tigers and move to 4-1 overall on the year.

Olivet Nazarene opened up the game on fire with a goal in the first two minutes to take the early 1-0 lead over Marian. Samuel Wehaus fired back with a shot that was blocked by the Tigers team. Each team continued to take stabs at the goal with Olivet Nazarene recording three shots and Marian recording three as well with Sebastian Gonzalez and Gustavo Nunes tabbing a shot each and Wehaus recording one on target. Wehaus followed up with a goal at the 26th minute mark with an assist from Joao Antonio Rocha to tie the game 1-1. Olivet Nazarene continued to take chances with two shots but came up short to Mateo Garcia-Galan’s efforts in goal. Josh Wesseling and Donovan Doolittle took chances but came up short with Wesseling’s shot blocked and Doolittle’s shot hitting the post. The Tigers took one more shot on goal before halftime but came up short to Garcia-Galan’s defense ending the half 1-1.

After an hour-long lighting delay the Olivet Nazarene opened up the second half with two shots both blocked by Marian. Each team continued to fight, each recording two shots with Wesseling and Nunes recording the shots for the Knights. Nunes took a stab at another shot but came up short to a block with the Tigers following up with a shot saved by Garcia-Galan. In the 81st minute the Knights came up short handed with Regueira drawing a red card forcing the Knights to play a man down for the rest of the game. Olivet Nazarene capitalized on the foul to score a penalty kick shot and take the 2-0 lead. Doolittle attempted a last minute shot but came up short to the Tigers defense with a block to finish the game falling 2-1.

Samuel Wehaus led the team in goals with one while Joao Antonio Rocha led the team in assists with one. Gustavo Nunes and Wehaus led the team in shots with three each while Josh Wesseling and Donovan Doolittle led the team in shots with two. In goal Mateo Garcia-Galan recorded his first loss allowing two goals and recording four saves.

The Knights will be back in action on Saturday September 6th as they take on (RV) Governors State at 12 PM at home.

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WABASH MEN’S SOCCER

SECOND-HALF GOAL SENDS WABASH TO FIRST LOSS OF SEASON AT ROSE

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – A second-half free-kick goal lifted the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to a 2-1 victory over Wabash College Wednesday night, handing the Little Giants their first loss of the 2025 season.

Wabash (2-1-0) jumped in front in the third minute when Myles Bernat scored his third goal of the season off an assist from Alfredo Campos. The Fightin’ Engineers (2-1-0) answered in the 34th minute with a goal from Pace Morel, assisted by Chase Kedzior, to even the match at 1-1 heading into halftime.

Rose-Hulman secured the game-winner in the 55th minute when Ryan Shapiro converted on a free kick from just outside the box, breaking the tie less than two minutes after Wabash’s Niall Gavin was sent off with a red card.

Goalkeeper Ansel Rincon made nine saves for the Little Giants. Rose-Hulman’s Justin Burns finished with two saves.

The Fightin’ Engineers outshot Wabash 19-9 and held a 9-4 advantage on corner kicks. The Little Giants were whistled for 16 fouls and issued four yellow cards, including one that led to Gavin’s red card.

Wabash will look to rebound with a weekend trip to Pennsylvania. The Little Giants play at Chatham University on Friday at 7 p.m. before visiting Saint Vincent College on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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TAYLOR ATHLETICS

TAYLOR HOLDS OFF INDIANA NORTHWEST 2-1 IN RAIN-SOAKED MATCH

EAST CHICAGO, Ind. – Despite soggy conditions, the Taylor University men’s soccer team weathered the storm Wednesday night for a 2-1 victory over Indiana University Northwest in a non-conference game hosted at East Chicago Central High School.

TU improved to 3-1-0 overall and remained undefeated in road matches.

After a scoreless first half with just four combined shots on goal, Taylor broke through with two goals in rapid succession during the 66th minute. Josh Byrd assisted on both strikes. First, he beat two defenders and slipped a through ball to Luka Gole, who scored his first career goal.

Less than a minute later, Byrd collected Justin Devlin’s free kick in front of the keeper and found Guilio Mapessa, who also recorded his first goal in a Taylor uniform.

The quick-strike goals continued Taylor’s season-long trend of second-half scoring – all nine Trojan goals this season have come after halftime.

IUN (1-4-0) pulled within one in the 81st minute and nearly equalized on a free kick from just outside the penalty area that sailed over the crossbar.

The wet conditions made for a faster-paced game as both teams adjusted their defensive approach to handle the increased ball speed on the slick surface.

Connor Shaw was solid between the posts all night for the Trojans, despite the poor conditions, and tallied five saves along with several poised moments directing the back line. The sophomore keeper picked up his sixth career win.

TU outshot the hosts 13-6 in total shots put on goal, including two each from Mapessa, Tadé Adeyemi, Noel Calix and Preston Pfaff.

The Trojans will return to action at 4 p.m. Saturday against Indiana University East, with the match scheduled to be played at Eaton High School in Eaton, Ohio.

SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES

UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/

MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

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“SPORTS EXTRA”

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

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Sept. 4

1916 — Longtime pitching rivals Christy Mathewson and Mordecai Brown closed their careers, by special arrangement, in the same game. Mathewson won the game 10-8.

1923 — Sam Jones of the New York Yankees pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against Philadelphia Athletics without striking out a batter. New York’s Babe Ruth had the only strikeout of the game.

1927 — Lloyd and Paul Waner became the first brothers to hit home runs in the same game, leading Pittsburgh to an 8-4 win over Cincinnati. Both homers came off Dolf Luque in the fifth inning, the only time in major league history brothers did it in one inning. Lloyd led off the inning with his second home run of the season, and a batter later Paul hit his ninth of the year. Both were bounce home runs, allowed until the 1931; now ground-rule doubles.

1928 — The Boston Braves started a grueling string in which they played nine straight doubleheaders, a major league record.

1941 — The New York Yankees clinched the pennant on the earliest date in baseball history with a 6-3 victory over Boston.

1966 — Los Angeles became the first team in major league history to draw more than 2 million at home and on the road when the Dodgers beat the Reds 8-6 before 18,670 fans in Cincinnati.

1974 — Don Wilson of the Houston Astros was replaced by a pinch hitter after pitching eight no-hit innings against Cincinnati. Mike Cosgrove pitched the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff single to Tony Perez for the only hit in the Reds’ 2-1 victory.

1985 — Gary Carter hit two solo homers to tie a major league record and singled in another run to lead the New York Mets to a 9-2 victory over San Diego. Carter’s feat followed a three-homer performance the night before as he became the 11th player in major league history to hit five home runs in two games.

1993 — Jim Abbott threw the New York Yankees’ first no-hitter in 10 years, leading them to a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

1995 — Robin Ventura became the eighth player in major league history — and the first in 25 years — to hit two grand slams in one game as the Chicago White Sox beat Texas 14-3.

1998 — The New York Yankees reached 100 wins on the earliest date in major league history — five days before the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 1954 Cleveland Indians — with an 11-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The ’06 Cubs set the major league record for fewest games to reach 100 victories (132).

2002 — The Oakland Athletics set an AL record by winning their 20th straight game. They somehow blew an 11-run lead before pinch-hitter Scott Hatteberg homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Kansas City 12-11. Oakland broke a three-way tie for the longest winning streak in AL history with the 1906 Chicago White Sox and the 1947 New York Yankees.

2017 — J.D. Martinez tied a major league record by hitting four home runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-0 for their 11th straight victory. Martinez became the 18th player in major league history to hit four homers in a game, and the 16th in the modern era.

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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

Sept. 4

1920 — Man o War wins the 1 5/8-mile Lawrence Realization Stakes at Belmont Park by 100 lengths, the largest winning margin in modern racing history. His time of 2:40 4/5 shatters the world record by 6 4/5 seconds for his fifth record performance of the year.

1932 — Olin Dutra defeats Frank Walsh in the final round 4 and 3 to win the PGA Championship.

1951 — Frank Sedgman becomes the first Australian to win the men’s singles title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships, beating Victor Seixas in three sets. Sixteen-year-old Maureen Connolly wins the first of three consecutive women’s titles, beating Shirley Fry in three sets.

1966 — The Houston Oilers holds the Denver Broncos to no first downs in a 45-7 rout.

1983 — Greg LeMond wins UCI World Road Race Championship in 7h 01′ 21″ in Altenrhein, Switzerland; first American cyclist to take the title.

1983 — Lynn Dickey of Green Bay completes 27 of 31 passes, including 18 straight, for 333 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Packers in a 41-38 overtime victory over Houston.

1992 — Jimmy Connors loses to Ivan Lendl 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in his record 115th and final U.S. Open singles match.

1993 — New York Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott no-hits Cleveland Indians 4-0 at Yankee Stadium.

1994 — Fu Mingxia of China becomes the first woman to win consecutive highboard world diving titles, beating countrywoman Chi Bin in Rome.

1994 — Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins becomes the second quarterback with 300 touchdown passes by throwing for five scores in a 39-35 victory over New England. Dan Marino passes for 473 yards and Patriot’s quarterback Drew Bledsoe passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns. It’s second time two opposing quarterbacks each pass for 400 yards and four touchdowns in the same game.

2002 — Argentina defeats the U.S. 87-80 in the world basketball championships at Indianapolis. It’s the first loss for a U.S. team in 59 games since the Americans began sending NBA players to international tournaments in 1992.

2005 — 20 year old Kyle Busch becomes youngest driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race when he out duels Greg Biffle in the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway.

2006 — Tiger Woods matches the lowest final round of his career (8-under 63) in the Deutsche Bank C’ship at Norton, MA to win for the 5th straight time and 7th time this PGA Tour season.

2010 — DeMarco Murray’s career-best 218 yards rushing leads Oklahoma to a 31-24 victory for the Sooners’ 800th win.

2010 — Andy Dalton becomes TCU’s winningest quarterback, running for two touchdowns and throwing for another in the No. 6 Horned Frogs’ 30-21 victory over Oregon State. His 30th win moves him past Sammy Baugh, who had held the mark since the mid-1930s.

2017 — J.D. Martinez ties a major league record by hitting four home runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks rout the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-0 for their 11th straight victory.

2017 — Madison Keys eliminates Elina Svitolina in three sets to give the U.S. four women in the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time in 15 years. Keys joins Americans Venus Williams, CoCo Vandeweghe and Sloane Stephens.

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TV SPORTS

(All times Eastern)

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

Thursday, Sept. 4

COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

6 p.m.

ACCN — Penn St. at Virginia

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

8 p.m.

ACCN — Washington at SMU

ESPN2 — Texas A&M at Utah

GOLF

3 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Amgen Irish Open, First Round, The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland

2 a.m. (Friday)

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Amgen Irish Open, Second Round, The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland

NFL FOOTBALL

8:20 p.m.

NBC — Dallas at Philadelphia

PEACOCK — Dallas at Philadelphia

TENNIS

7 p.m.

ESPN — WTA: The U.S. Open, Semifinals, Flushing, N.Y.

WNBA BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Phoenix at Washington

10 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Minnesota at Las Vegas

_____

Friday, Sept. 5

AUTO RACING

7:25 a.m.

ESPNU — Formula 1: Practice, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy

10:55 a.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy

6:25 a.m. (Saturday)

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY

6 p.m.

ACCN — Northwestern at Duke

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

7 p.m.

ESPN2 — James Madison at Louisville

7:30 p.m.

BTN — Regional Coverage: W. Illinois at Northwestern OR N. Illinois at Maryland

9 p.m.

FS1 — E. Washington at Boise St.

COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)

7:30 p.m.

ACCN — North Carolina at NC State

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

7 p.m.

ESPNU — UCLA at TCU

8 p.m.

FOX — Kentucky at Penn St.

GOLF

2 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Stifel Charity Classic, First Round, Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis

2 a.m. (Saturday)

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Amgen Irish Open, Third Round, The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland

MLB BASEBALL

2:20 p.m.

APPLE TV+ — Washington at Chicago Cubs

6:40 p.m.

APPLE TV+ — Milwaukee at Pittsburgh

NFL FOOTBALL

8 p.m.

YOUTUBE TV — Kansas City vs. L.A. Chargers, Sao Paulo

TENNIS

Noon

ESPN2 — WTA: The U.S. Open, Doubles Championship, Flushing, N.Y.

3 p.m.

ESPN — ATP: The U.S. Open, Semifinal, Flushing, N.Y.

7 p.m.

ESPN — ATP: The U.S. Open, Semifinal, Flushing, N.Y.

WNBA BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m.

ION — Chicago at Indiana

10 p.m.

ION — New York at Seattle

_____

Saturday, Sept. 6

AUTO RACING

6:25 a.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy

8:55 a.m.

FS1 — FIM MotoGP: The Catalan Grand Prix – Sprint Race, Barcelona, Spain

9:55 a.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy

4:30 p.m.

TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Practice, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.

5:40 p.m.

TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.

7:30 p.m.

CW — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at World Wide Technology Raceway, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Noon

ABC — TBA

ACCN — Texas A&M Commerce at Florida St.

BTN — Regional Coverage: FIU at Penn St. OR Northwestern St. Minnesota

CBSSN — Liberty at Jacksonville St.

CW — Baylor at SMU

ESPN — TBA

ESPN2 — Virginia at NC State

ESPNU — Cent. Michigan at Pittsburgh

FOX — Iowa at Iowa St.

FS1 — Kennesaw St. at Indiana

TNT — Kent St. at Texas Tech

TRUTV — Kent St. at Texas Tech

12:45 p.m.

SECN — Utah St. at Texas A&M

3:30 p.m.

ABC — Mississippi at Kentucky

ACCN — Troy at Clemson

BTN — Grambling St. at Ohio St.

CBS — Oklahoma St. at Oregon

CBSSN — UAB at Navy

CW — Fresno St. at Oregon St.

ESPN2 — Kansas at Missouri

FOX — Delaware at Colorado

PEACOCK — Miami (Ohio) at Rutgers

4 p.m.

ESPNU — West Virginia at Ohio

FS1 — MTSU at Wisconsin

4:15 p.m.

SECN — South Florida at Florida

7 p.m.

ESPN — Army at Kansas St.

7:30 p.m.

ABC — Michigan at Oklahoma

ACCN — Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech

BTN — Regional Coverage: Akron at Nebraska OR S. Illinois at Purdue

ESPN2 — Arizona St. at Mississippi St.

ESPNU — Ball St. at Auburn

FS1 — Georgia Southern at Southern Cal

NBC — Boston College at Michigan St.

PEACOCK — Boston College at Michigan St.

7:45 p.m.

SECN — Louisiana-Monroe at Alabama

8 p.m.

CBSSN — UCLA at UNLV

10:15 p.m.

CW — San Diego St. at Washington St.

ESPN — Stanford at BYU

11 p.m.

BTN — UC Davis at Washington

GOLF

2 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Stifel Charity Classic, Second Round, Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis

1 a.m. (Sunday)

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Amgen Irish Open, Final Round, The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland

MLB BASEBALL

7 p.m.

FOX — Regional Coverage: San Francisco at St. Louis, Houston at Texas OR Minnesota at Kansas City

SOCCER (MEN’S)

5 p.m.

TNT — International Friendly: U.S. vs. Korea, Harrison, N.J.

SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

7:30 p.m.

ION — NWSL: Utah at North Carolina

10 p.m.

ION — NWSL: Kansas City at Bay FC

TENNIS

7 p.m.

ESPN — WTA: The U.S. Open, Championship, Flushing, N.Y.

_____

Sunday, Sept. 7

AUTO RACING

8:55 a.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: The Pirelli Italian Grand Prix, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy

3 p.m.

USA — NASCAR Cup Series: The Enjoy Illinois 300, Playoffs – Round of 16, World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY

Noon

ACCN — Northwestern at Boston College

COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)

7:30 p.m.

ACCN — Indiana at Notre Dame

COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

1 p.m.

ESPNU — Ohio St. at Kentucky

1:30 p.m.

ACCN — Alabama at Duke

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

1 p.m.

ESPN — Stanford at Texas

3 p.m.

ESPN — Illinois at Louisville

GOLF

3 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: The Stifel Charity Classic, Final Round, Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis

NFL FOOTBALL

1 p.m.

CBS — Regional Coverage: Miami at Indianapolis, Las Vegas at New England, Arizona at New Orleans, Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets

FOX — Regional Coverage: Tampa Bay at Atlanta, Cincinnati at Cleveland, N.Y. Giants at Washington, Carolina at Jacksonville

4:05 p.m.

FOX — Regional Coverage: Tennessee at Denver, San Francisco at Seattle

4:25 p.m.

CBS — Regional Coverage: Detroit at Green Bay, Houston at L.A. Rams

8:20 p.m.

NBC — Baltimore at Buffalo

SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

5 p.m.

ESPN — NWSL: Angel City at NJ/NY

8:30 p.m.

ESPN — NWSL: Houston at San Diego

TENNIS

2 p.m.

ABC — ATP: The U.S. Open, Championship, Flushing, N.Y.

WNBA BASKETBALL

3 p.m.

NBATV — Indiana at Washington

6 p.m.

NBATV — Dallas at Los Angeles

9 p.m.

NBATV — Chicago at Las Vegas

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

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