THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY OCTOBER 28, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

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

CLASS 6A

SECTIONAL 1

LAKE CENTRAL (3-6) AT CROWN POINT (9-0)

PENN (9-0) AT PORTAGE (0-9)

SECTIONAL 2

CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (6-3) AT ELKHART (6-3)

FORT WAYNE SNIDER (3-6) AT FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (7-2)

SECTIONAL 3

ZIONSVILLE (3-6) AT WESTFIELD (7-2)

HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (4-5) AT CARMEL (8-1)

SECTIONAL 4

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (5-4) AT HOMESTEAD (6-3)

FISHERS (6-3) AT NOBLESVILLE (1-8)

SECTIONAL 5

BEN DAVIS (3-6) AT AVON (5-4)

BROWNSBURG (9-0) AT PIKE (3-6)

SECTIONAL 6

NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (2-7) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (7-2)

LAWRENCE CENTRAL (4-5) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (7-2)

SECTIONAL 7

SOUTHPORT (1-8) AT ARSENAL TECH (4-5)

WARREN CENTRAL (5-4) AT PERRY MERIDIAN (2-7)

SECTIONAL 8

JEFFERSONVILLE (4-5) AT CENTER GROVE (8-1)

COLUMBUS NORTH (4-5) AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL (4-5)

_______________________________________________

CLASS 5A

SECTIONAL 9

MUNSTER (3-6) AT HAMMOND CENTRAL (0-9)

MERRILLVILLE (7-2) AT HAMMOND MORTON (6-3)

SECTIONAL 10

MICHIGAN CITY (6-3) AT VALPARAISO (2-7)

LAPORTE (3-6) AT CHESTERTON (5-4)

SECTIONAL 11

WARSAW (6-3) AT CONCORD (8-1)

FORT WAYNE NORTH (5-4) AT GOSHEN (2-7)

SECTIONAL 12

LAFAYETTE JEFF (8-1) AT MCCUTCHEON (2-7)

KOKOMO (3-6) AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS (4-5)

SECTIONAL 13

INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (6-3) AT ANDERSON (1-8)

NEW PALESTINE (9-0) AT PLAINFIELD (7-2)

SECTIONAL 14

FRANKLIN (4-5) AT EAST CENTRAL (7-2)

COLUMBUS EAST (5-4) AT WHITELAND (8-2)

SECTIONAL 15

TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-9) AT BLOOMINGTON NORTH (6-3)

TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (7-2) AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (8-1)

SECTIONAL 16

EVANSVILLE NORTH (7-2) AT NEW ALBANY (0-9)

FLOYD CENTRAL (8-1) AT CASTLE (6-3)

______________________________________________

CLASS 4A

SECTIONAL 17

LOWELL (8-2) AT EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (4-6)

HOBART (8-2) AT KANKAKEE VALLEY (2-8)

SECTIONAL 18

PLYMOUTH (4-6) AT MISHAWAKA (9-1)

NORTHRIDGE (3-7) AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (9-1)

SECTIONAL 19

FORT WAYNE SOUTH (3-7) AT EAST NOBLE (10-0)

COLUMBIA CITY (6-4) AT FORT WAYNE DWENGER (8-2)

SECTIONAL 20

FRANKFORT (0-9) AT LEBANON (8-2)

LOGANSPORT (7-3) AT MUNCIE CENTRAL (6-4)

SECTIONAL 21

YORKTOWN (7-2) AT BEECH GROVE (7-3)

GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (6-4) AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS (9-1)

SECTIONAL 22

DANVILLE (6-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (7-3)

BREBEUF JESUIT (3-7) AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (8-2)

SECTIONAL 23

SHELBYVILLE (5-5) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (7-3)

CHARLESTOWN (8-2) AT MARTINSVILLE (4-6)

SECTIONAL 24

EVANSVILLE REITZ (7-3) AT HERITAGE HILLS (9-1)

EVANSVILLE HARRISON (3-7) AT JASPER (8-2)

____________________________________________

CLASS 3A

SECTIONAL 25

CALUMET (6-4) AT MISHAWAKA MARIAN (3-7)

GRIFFITH (9-1) AT KNOX (10-0)

SECTIONAL 26

LAKELAND (6-4) AT GARRETT (5-5)

ANGOLA (5-5) AT WEST NOBLE (8-2)

SECTIONAL 27

PERU (3-7) AT TWIN LAKES (8-2)

WESTERN (7-3) AT FRANKTON (2-8)

SECTIONAL 28

MISSISSINEWA (9-1) AT JAY COUNTY (4-6)

NORWELL (2-8) AT FORT WAYNE LUERS (5-5)

SECTIONAL 29

CASCADE (10-0) AT TRI-WEST (7-3)

CRAWFORDSVILLE (5-5) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (6-4)

JH PREDICTION: GUERIN, 42-21.

SECTIONAL 30

LAWRENCEBURG (8-1) AT FRANKLIN COUNTY (8-2)

SOUTH DEARBORN (5-5) AT GREENSBURG (3-7)

SECTIONAL 31

INDIAN CREEK (6-3) AT MADISON (2-8)

NORTH HARRISON (4-6) AT SCOTTSBURG (8-2)

SECTIONAL 32

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (9-0) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (9-1)

SOUTHRIDGE (6-4) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (5-5)

______________________________________________

CLASS 2A

SECTIONAL 33

ANDREAN (8-1) AT WHEELER (8-1)

RENSSELAER CENTRAL (8-2) AT BREMEN (6-4)

SECTIONAL 34

SOUTHMONT (9-1) AT WESTERN BOONE (6-4)

SEEGER (9-1) AT LEWIS CASS (7-3)

SECTIONAL 35

MANCHESTER (7-3) AT EASTSIDE (8-2)

ADAMS CENTRAL (10-0) AT BLUFFTON (9-1)

SECTIONAL 36

EASTBROOK (10-0) AT ROCHESTER (9-1)

TIPTON (6-4) AT EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (9-1)

SECTIONAL 37

PARK TUDOR (5-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (9-1)

HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (6-4) AT MONROVIA (4-6)

SECTIONAL 38

NORTHEASTERN (9-1) AT TRITON CENTRAL (9-1)

LAPEL (10-0) AT EASTERN HANCOCK (6-4)

SECTIONAL 39

NORTH POSEY (7-3) AT SULLIVAN (7-3)

LINTON (7-3) AT GREENCASTLE (5-5)

SECTIONAL 40

CLARKSVILLE (5-5) AT SWITZERLAND COUNTY (7-2)

PAOLI (8-2) AT BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (10-0)

_______________________________________________

CLASS 1A

SECTIONAL 41

LAVILLE (6-4) AT NORTH JUDSON (8-2)

BOWMAN ACADEMY (6-4) AT WEST CENTRAL (9-1)

SECTIONAL 42

FRONTIER (10-0) AT PIONEER (9-1)

TAYLOR (6-3) AT CARROLL (FLORA) (6-3)

SECTIONAL 43

SOUTHWOOD (3-6) AT NORTH MIAMI (7-3)

TRITON (7-3) AT FREMONT (7-3)

SECTIONAL 44

HAGERSTOWN (4-6) AT MONROE CENTRAL (5-5)

SOUTH ADAMS (7-3) AT TRI (6-4)

SECTIONAL 45

SOUTH PUTNAM (8-2) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (6-4)

NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (7-3) AT RIVERTON PARKE (10-0)

SECTIONAL 46

INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-7) AT CLOVERDALE (6-4)

SHERIDAN (6-2) AT CLINTON PRAIRIE (3-5)

SECTIONAL 47

MILAN (4-4) AT EASTERN GREENE (2-8)

KNIGHTSTOWN (6-4) AT NORTH DECATUR (7-2)

SECTIONAL 48

SPRINGS VALLEY (10-0) AT PROVIDENCE (7-2)

TECUMSEH (6-4) AT NORTH DAVIESS (9-1)

____________________________________________________________________

+++++++++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SEMI-STATE++++++++++

NORTH

1. ROCHESTER COMMUNITY
10 AM ET | M1: CROWN POINT VS. PENN
12 PM ET | M2: CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) VS. WESTFIELD
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

2. HUNTINGTON NORTH
10 AM ET | M1: FORT WAYNE BISHOP DWENGER VS. HAMILTON HEIGHTS
12 PM ET | M2: NORTHWOOD VS. MISHAWAKA MARIAN
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

3. PERU
10 AM ET | M1: BENTON CENTRAL VS. SOUTHWOOD
12 PM ET | M2: LAKELAND VS. SOUTH ADAMS
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

4. FRANKFORT
10 AM ET | M1: FAITH CHRISTIAN VS. SOUTH NEWTON
12 PM ET | M2: ROSSVILLE VS. TRITON
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

SOUTH

1. MARTINSVILLE
10 AM ET | M1: PLAINFIELD VS. CASTLE
12 PM ET | M2: YORKTOWN VS. FLOYD CENTRAL
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

2. JASPER
10 AM ET | M1: JASPER VS. TRI-WEST HENDRICKS
12 PM ET | M2: BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL VS. RONCALLI
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

3. BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE
10 AM ET | M1: BARR-REEVE VS. GREENCASTLE
12 PM ET | M2: EASTERN (PEKIN) VS. TRITON CENTRAL
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

4. JENNINGS COUNTY
10 AM ET | M1: SPRINGS VALLEY VS. LOOGOOTEE
12 PM ET | M2: GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN VS. TRINITY LUTHERAN
7 PM ET | CHAMPIONSHIP: M1 WINNER VS M2 WINNER

______________________________________________________

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

STATE FINALS

FRIDAY, OCT. 31, 2025
6 PM ET | CLASS 2A BOYS | GUERIN CATHOLIC (17-4) VS. INDIANAPOLIS BISHOP CHATARD (11-7-2)
8:30 PM ET | CLASS 1A BOYS | FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN (17-0-5) VS. INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (17-4-1)

_______________________________________________________

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

STATE FINALS

SITE: LAVERN GIBSON CHAMPIONSHIP CROSS COUNTRY COURSE, WABASH VALLEY FAMILY SPORTS CENTER, 599 S. TABORTOWN ROAD, TERRE HAUTE, IN 47803.
COURSE LAYOUT

TIME: NEW IN 2025: BOYS RACE AT 12 PM ET; GIRLS RACE AT 1 PM ET WITH AWARDS CEREMONY FOR BOTH TO FOLLOW.

GATES OPEN: 9:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM CT.

________________________________________________________

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

WORLD SERIES SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, OCT. 24
TORONTO 11 LA DODGERS 4 (TORONTO LEADS SERIES 1-0)

SATURDAY, OCT. 25
LOS ANGELES 5 TORONTO 1 (SERIES TIED 1-1)

MONDAY, OCT. 27
LOS ANGELES 6 TORONTO 5 18 INNINGS (DODGERS LEAD SERIES 2-1)

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

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

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

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

^(IF NECESSARY)

_____________________________________________________________

+++++++++COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 10 SCHEDULE+++++++++

TUESDAY, OCT. 28

8 P.M. | UTEP AT KENNESAW STATE| ESPNU

8 P.M. | JAMES MADISON AT TEXAS STATE | ESPN2

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29

7:30 P.M. | JACKSONVILLE STATE AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE | ESPN2

8 P.M. | FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT MISSOURI STATE | CBSSN

THURSDAY, OCT. 30

7 P.M. | NORFOLK STATE AT DELAWARE STATE | ESPNU

7:30 P.M. | MARSHALL AT COASTAL CAROLINA | ESPN2

7:30 P.M. | TULANE AT UTSA | ESPN

FRIDAY, OCT. 31

7 P.M. | BROWN AT PENN | ESPNU

7 P.M. | NO. 25 MEMPHIS AT RICE | ESPN2

7:30 P.M. | NORTH CAROLINA AT SYRACUSE | ESPN

8 P.M. | SAM HOUSTON AT LOUISIANA TECH | CBSSN

10:30 P.M. | IDAHO AT NORTHERN ARIZONA | ESPN2

SATURDAY, NOV. 1

12 P.M. | PENN STATE AT NO. 1 OHIO STATE | FOX

12 P.M. | NO. 10 MIAMI AT SMU | ESPN

12 P.M. | NO. 9 VANDERBILT AT NO. 20 TEXAS | ABC

12 P.M. | RUTGERS AT ILLINOIS | NBC

12 P.M. | DUKE AT CLEMSON | ACCN

12 P.M. | UAB AT UCONN | CBSSN

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

12 P.M. | NAVY AT NORTH TEXAS | TBD

12 P.M. | BUFFALO AT BOWLING GREEN | ESPN+

12 P.M. | TOWSON AT NORTH CAROLINA A&T

12 P.M. | NEW HAVEN AT SACRED HEART | ESPN+

12 P.M. | COLUMBIA AT YALE | ESPN+

12 P.M. | GEORGETOWN AT LEHIGH | ESPN+

12 P.M. | LONG ISLAND AT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT

12 P.M. | WAGNER AT SAINT FRANCIS

12 P.M. | ARIZONA STATE AT IOWA STATE | TNT

12 P.M. | UCF AT BAYLOR | ESPNU

12 P.M. | WEST VIRGINIA AT NO. 22 HOUSTON | FS1

1 P.M. | MONMOUTH AT BRYANT

1 P.M. | STONY BROOK AT MAINE

1 P.M. | GARDNER-WEBB AT TENNESSEE TECH | ESPN+

1 P.M. | DRAKE AT BUTLER

1 P.M. | DAVIDSON AT MOREHEAD STATE | ESPN+

1 P.M. | VALPARAISO AT PRESBYTERIAN | ESPN+

1 P.M. | PRINCETON AT CORNELL | ESPN+

1 P.M. | LAFAYETTE AT HOLY CROSS | ESPN+

1 P.M. | ROBERT MORRIS AT STONEHILL

1 P.M. | MERRIMACK AT COLGATE | ESPN+

1:30 P.M. | SAMFORD AT WOFFORD | ESPN+

2 P.M. | MONTANA STATE AT NORTHERN COLORADO | ESPN+

2 P.M. | CHARLESTON SOUTHERN AT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | ESPN+

2 P.M. | MORGAN STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | ESPN+

2 P.M. | NORTH DAKOTA AT SOUTH DAKOTA | ESPN+

2 P.M. | MERCER AT FURMAN | ESPN+

2 P.M. | VMI AT THE CITADEL | ESPN+

2 P.M. | MARIST AT ST. THOMAS-MINNESOTA

2 P.M. | FORDHAM AT RICHMOND | ESPN+

2 P.M. | EAST CAROLINA AT TEMPLE | ESPN+

3 P.M. | MONTANA AT WEBER STATE | ESPN+

3 P.M. | UT MARTIN AT EASTERN ILLINOIS | ESPN+

3 P.M. | ALABAMA A&M AT GRAMBLING

3 P.M. | ALABAMA STATE AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

3 P.M. | ALCORN STATE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN

3 P.M. | SOUTHERN AT ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF

3 P.M. | MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN

3 P.M. | UNI AT ILLINOIS STATE | ESPN+

3 P.M. | INDIANA STATE AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE | ESPN+

3 P.M. | LAMAR AT UIW | ESPN+

3 P.M. | DARTMOUTH AT HARVARD | ESPN+

3 P.M. | NO. 16 LOUISVILLE AT VIRGINIA TECH | THE CW

3 P.M. | NEW MEXICO AT UNLV | TBD

3:30 P.M. | UALBANY AT WILLIAM & MARY

3:30 P.M. | NC CENTRAL AT HOWARD | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | YOUNGSTOWN STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | NO. 2 INDIANA AT MARYLAND | CBS

3:30 P.M. | NO. 5 GEORGIA VS. FLORIDA | ABC

3:30 P.M. | MICHIGAN STATE AT MINNESOTA | BTN

3:30 P.M. | PITT AT STANFORD | ACCN

3:30 P.M. | DELAWARE AT LIBERTY | CBSSN

3:30 P.M. | NEW MEXICO STATE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | FRESNO STATE AT BOISE STATE | FS1

3:30 P.M. | OLD DOMINION AT UL MONROE | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | LOUISIANA AT SOUTH ALABAMA | ESPN+

3:30 P.M. | NO. 12 NOTRE DAME AT BOSTON COLLEGE | ESPN

3:30 P.M. | NO. 13 TEXAS TECH AT KANSAS STATE | FOX

3:45 P.M.| NO. 15 VIRGINIA AT CAL | ESPN2

4 P.M. | SACRAMENTO STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON | ESPN+

4 P.M. | IDAHO SATE AT UC DAVIS | ESPN+

4 P.M. | TARLETON STATE AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN | ESPN+

4 P.M. | NORTH ALABAMA AT UTAH TECH | ESPN+

4 P.M. | HOUSTON CHRISTIAN AT NICHOLLS | ESPN+

4 P.M. | WESTERN CAROLINA AT CHATTANOOGA | ESPN+

4 P.M. | DAYTON AT SAN DIEGO | ESPN+

4 P.M. | MISSISSIPPI STATE AT ARKANSAS | SECN

4 P.M. | OKLAHOMA STATE AT KANSAS | ESPN+

4 P.M. | CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT WESTERN MICHIGAN | ESPNU

4:30 P.M. | LINDENWOOD AT TENNESSEE STATE | ESPN+

5 P.M. | PORTLAND STATE AT CAL POLY | ESPN+

5 P.M. | EASTERN KENTUCKY AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS

5 P.M. | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AT MURRAY STATE | ESPN+

7 P.M. | JACKSON STATE AT FLORIDA A&M | ESPN+

7 P.M. | EAST TEXAS A&M AT SE LOUISIANA | ESPN+

7 P.M. | NORTHWESTERN STATE AT MCNEESE | ESPN+

7 P.M. | UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | ESPN+

7 P.M. | PURDUE AT NO. 21 MICHIGAN | BTN

7 P.M. | WYOMING AT SAN DIEGO STATE | CBSSN

7 P.M. | SOUTH CAROLINA AT NO. 7 OLE MISS | ESPN

7 P.M. | ARIZONA AT COLORADO | FS1

7:30 P.M. | NO. 8 GEORGIA TECH AT NC STATE | ESPN2

7:30 P.M. | KENTUCKY AT AUBURN | SECN

7:30 P.M. | NO. 23 SOUTHERN CAL AT NEBRASKA | NBC

7:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON STATE AT OREGON STATE | CBS

7:30 P.M. | WAKE FOREST AT FLORIDA STATE | ACCN

7:30 P.M. | NO. 18 OKLAHOMA AT NO. 14 TENNESSEE | ABC

8 P.M. | ARKANSAS STATE AT TROY | ESPNU

8:30 P.M. | AUSTIN PEAY AT SOUTHERN UTAH | ESPN+

10:15 P.M. | NO. 17 CINCINNATI AT NO. 24 UTAH | ESPN

10:30 P.M. | HAWAI’I AT SAN JOSE STATE | CBSSN

______________________________________________________________

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

KANSAS CITY 28 WASHINGTON 7

NFL STANDINGS: https://www.nfl.com/standings/division/2025/reg

______________________________________________________________

WEEK 9 SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, OCT. 30

BALTIMORE AT MIAMI, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)

SUNDAY, NOV. 2

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

ATLANTA AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M. (CBS)

CHICAGO AT CINCINNATI, 1 P.M. (CBS)

LA CHARGERS AT TENNESSEE, 1 P.M. (CBS)

SAN FRANCISCO AT NY GIANTS, 1 P.M. (CBS)

CAROLINA AT GREEN BAY, 1 P.M. (FOX)

DENVER AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M. (FOX)

MINNESOTA AT DETROIT, 1 P.M. (FOX)

JACKSONVILLE AT LAS VEGAS, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)

NEW ORLEANS AT LA RAMS, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)

KANSAS CITY AT BUFFALO, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)

SEATTLE AT WASHINGTON, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)

MONDAY, NOV. 3

ARIZONA AT DALLAS, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)

BYES: CLEVELAND, NY JETS, PHILADELPHIA, TAMPA BAY

_______________________________________________________________

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

CLEVELAND 116 DETROIT 95

PHILADELPHIA 136 ORLANDO 124

BOSTON 122 NEW ORLEANS 90

SAN ANTONIO 121 TORONTO 103

CHICAGO 128 ATLANTA 123

HOUSTON 137 BROOKLYN 109

OKLAHOMA CITY 101 DALLAS 94

UTAH 138 PHOENIX 134 OT

DENVER 127 MINNESOTA 114

GOLDEN STATE 131 MEMPHIS 118

PORTLAND 122 LA LAKERS 108

____ ___________________________________________________________

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

PITTSBURGH 6 ST. LOUIS 3

OTTAWA 7 BOSTON 2

_______________________________________________________________

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

2025 MLS PLAYOFF GLANCE

ALL TIMES EDT

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

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PHILADELPHIA VS. CHICAGO

SUNDAY, OCT. 26: PHILADELPHIA 2 CHICAGO 2 (PHILADELPHIA WINS PK)

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

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

CINCINNATI VS. COLUMBUS

CINCINNATI 1 COLUMBUS 0

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

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

MIAMI VS. NASHVILLE

MIAMI 3 NASHVILLE 1

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

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

CHARLOTTE VS. NEW YORK CITY

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

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

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

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SAN DIEGO VS. PORTLAND

SUNDAY, OCT. 26: SAN DIEGO 2 PORTLAND 1

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

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

VANCOUVER VS. DALLAS

SATURDAY, OCT. 26: VANCOUVER 3 DALLAS 0

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

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

MINNESOTA VS. SEATTLE

MINNESOTA 0 SEATTLE 0 (MINNESOTA WINS ON PK)

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

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

LOS ANGELES FC VS. AUSTIN

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

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

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

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

NOV. 22 – NOV. 23

EASTERN CONFERENCE: TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE: TBD

CONFERENCE FINAL

NOV. 29 – NOV. 30

SEMIFINAL WINNERS, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP

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

______________________________________________________________

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

++++++++++WORLD SERIES NEWS++++++++++

FREDDIE FREEMAN HR IN 18TH GIVES DODGERS 2-1 LEAD VS. JAYS

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman hit a game-ending home run in the 18th inning, Shohei Ohtani hit two homers and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in Game 3 of the World Series.

Teoscar Hernandez also hit a home run, while Ohtani added two doubles and reached base a postseason record nine times with five walks (four intentional) as the Dodgers pulled in front 2-1 in the best-of-seven series after losing Game 1 at Toronto.

The 18-inning game matched the longest in World Series history, also at Los Angeles in 2018 against the Boston Red Sox. Monday’s contest lasted 6 hours, 39 minutes, the second longest World Series game by time.

Game 4 is Tuesday at Los Angeles, with Ohtani opposing Toronto right-hander Shane Bieber.

Freeman’s leadoff home run in the 18th came against left-hander Brendon Little (0-2) and made a winner of Los Angeles right-hander Will Klein (1-0), who gave up one hit with five strikeouts over four scoreless innings.

Ohtani hit home runs in the third and seventh innings and has five home runs over his last two home playoff games. Seldom used right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Klein combined to pitch six scoreless innings as Los Angeles used a World Series-record 10 pitchers, including left-hander Clayton Kershaw for one out to escape a bases-loaded jam in the 12th.

Aljandro Kirk hit a home run for the Blue Jays, who have lost consecutive games after scoring 11 runs in their Game 1 victory at home. Toronto used nine pitchers with left-hander Eric Lauer pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second on Hernandez’s home run, his fifth of the postseason. Ohtani gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead with a home run down the right field line in the third.

The Blue Jays took the lead with a four-run fourth that included a three-run home run from Kirk and a sacrifice fly from Andres Gimenez for a 4-2 advantage.

The Dodgers got even at 4-4 in the fifth on a one-out RBI double from Ohtani and a two-out RBI single just inside of first base by Freeman.

After Toronto’s George Springer departed with an injury to lead off the seventh, the Blue Jays pushed ahead 5-4 in the inning on a two-out single from Guerrero off right-hander Blake Treinen and an RBI single from Bichette to score Guerrero from first base.

Ohtani’s fifth home run in his last two playoff games at Los Angeles, this one off right-hander Seranthony Dominguez, tied the score 5-5 in the seventh. It was Ohtani’s eighth of the postseason and third of the World Series.

Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman threw out Isiah Kiner-Falefa trying to advance to third base in the ninth and threw Davis Schneider out at home to end the top of the 10th on a relay from Hernandez in right field.

_____________________________________________________________

++++++++++BASEBALL NEWS+++++++++++

ORIOLES HIRE CLEVELAND ASSISTANT CRAIG ALBERNAZ AS MANAGER AFTER FINISHING LAST IN AL EAST

The Baltimore Orioles are sticking with youth in their managerial spot, hiring Cleveland assistant Craig Albernaz for that role.

Albernaz, who turns 43 on Thursday, was previously an associate manager with the Guardians. He was promoted to that role after serving as bench coach in 2024.

Albernaz takes over a Baltimore team that still has plenty of potential despite sliding to 75 wins this year and a last-place finish in the AL East. The Orioles fired manager Brandon Hyde in May, and Tony Mansolino ran the team on an interim basis the rest of the way.

“We are elated to welcome Craig Albernaz as the next manager of the Orioles and our leader on the field,” team president Mike Elias said in a statement Monday. “Craig has built an exemplary career across multiple successful organizations and brings a tremendous amount of experience, knowledge and talent to our organization and to this new challenge. We believe he is the right person at the right time to elevate our baseball operations and guide our team back to the playoffs and a World Series championship.”

Albernaz is about a month younger than Mansolino, and like his predecessor he’ll be making his big league managing debut with Baltimore. That was basically the case with Hyde as well. His major league managing experience consisted of one game in an interim role with the Marlins before he began managing the Orioles at age 45 in 2019.

Hyde led Baltimore to a 101-win season and an AL East title in 2023, followed by a wild card in 2024. But what looked like one of baseball’s top young teams faltered badly this year. Beset by injuries, pitching problems and stagnation by some important hitters, the Orioles fell behind early in the season and never fully recovered.

It’ll now be Albernaz’s responsibility to help reverse that trend. Prior to his stint with Cleveland, he was a bullpen and catching coach for the San Francisco Giants from 2020-23. He managed at the Class A level in the Tampa Bay organization in 2017 and 2018, earning Midwest League Manager of the Year honors in 2018 when he won a championship with Bowling Green.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to join the storied Baltimore Orioles organization,” Albernaz said. “This is a tremendous honor, and I’m grateful to Mike Elias and the entire Orioles team for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading this talented club.”

Despite their dreadful 2025 season, the Orioles remain a good opportunity for the new manager. They have a 24-year-old shortstop in Gunnar Henderson, who has already reached a degree of stardom, and infielder Jackson Holliday and catcher Samuel Basallo have plenty of potential. Getting catcher Adley Rutschman back on track would be a big boost as well.

The Toronto Blue Jays went from last place in the AL East in 2024 to the World Series this year. The Orioles will try to do the same in 2026.

Born in Somerset, Massachusetts, Albernaz played at Eckerd College in Florida. He was signed as an undrafted free agent catcher by Tampa Bay and played as high as the Triple-A level.

The Orioles plan to introduce Albernaz during a news conference at Camden Yards on Nov. 4.

____________________________________________________________

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

PATRICK MAHOMES, TRAVIS KELCE LEAD CHIEFS TO 3RD STRAIGHT WIN

Patrick Mahomes threw three second-half touchdown passes and the Kansas City Chiefs pulled away for a 28-7 win against the visiting Washington Commanders on Monday night.

Mahomes completed 25 of 34 passes for 299 yards and overcame two first-half interceptions as the Chiefs (5-3) won their third straight game.

Travis Kelce had six catches for 99 yards and a score, and Rashee Rice had nine catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Kareem Hunt had a touchdown catch and a touchdown run.

Marcus Mariota, playing in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (3-5), which has lost three straight.

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin had three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown in his return after missing four games but left in the third quarter after apparently reinjuring his quad.

On the opening drive of the third quarter, Mahomes found Kelce in the flat and the tight end rumbled 38 yards to the 9. On fourth-and-goal from the 2, Mahomes hit Hunt for a touchdown and a 14-7 Chiefs lead.

After a Washington punt, the Chiefs drove 75 yards for a touchdown. Mahomes went 6-for-6 on the drive and hit Kelce for a 10-yard score to make it 21-7 with 3:20 left in the quarter.

Washington then crossed midfield but on third down at the Kansas City 38, Mariota was sacked for a 10-yard loss on the final play of the quarter.

Kansas City increased the lead to 28-7 when Mahomes capped a 13-play, 94-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Rice with 7:52 left in the game.

Both quarterbacks threw interceptions on their team’s first possession.

After the Commanders turned it over on downs and Mahomes threw another interception, Mariota drove Washington to the Kansas City 28, but his fourth-and-1 pass was incomplete.

Mahomes soon hit Kelce for back-to-back gains of 11 and then 31 yards to the Washington 22. Five plays later, Hunt scored from the 1 and the Chiefs led 7-0 with 5:46 left in the half.

Mariota then drove the Commanders 66 yards in 10 plays, the final play an 11-yard touchdown pass to McLaurin with 58 seconds left in the half. The catch was initially ruled out of bounds, but a review showed McLaurin kept both feet down while controlling the ball.

Washington was without kicker Matt Gay (back). The team signed Matthew Wright to the practice squad Monday and elevated him to the active roster.

QUESTIONABLE NFL OFFICIATING AGAIN TAKES THE SPOTLIGHT IN WEEK 8

An erroneous whistle took a defensive touchdown away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. An early whistle cost the New York Giants a fumble recovery on a tush push.

It was a rough Sunday for NFL officials.

Giants coach Brian Daboll was apoplectic after Darius Slayton was penalized for offensive pass interference, negating a 68-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter of a 38-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell held Slayton’s jersey and arm on the play but Slayton got flagged in one of the most egregious blown calls of the season.

“I’m not going to comment on what I think on officials. They call it and we got to play it,” Daboll said, doing his best to avoid a fine.

Earlier in the game, Jalen Hurts lost the ball when he stretched his arms after gaining a first down on a tush push on fourth-and-1 inside the red zone. Kayvon Thibodeaux ripped the ball away from Hurts for what should’ve been a fumble recovery in a game that was tied at 7-7 at the time. A whistle could be heard on replay about the same time or after the ball came out but officials ruled Hurts’ forward progress had been stopped. The Eagles kept the ball and finished the drive with a touchdown.

“The refs have a hard job because they don’t know when to stop it,” Thibodeaux said about the tush push.

In New Orleans, Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr. picked up a fumble and returned it 47 yards for a score with the Buccaneers leading 7-0 in the second quarter. But an official blew his whistle after the recovery so the Buccaneers got the ball but lost the points. Neither team stopped playing after the whistle, which came from the other side of the field.

“The official thought the runner was down,” referee Ron Torbert told a pool reporter. “We were able to award the defense the ball after the fumble but because the whistle had been blown, we could not award the advance afterward.”

The Buccaneers beat the Saints 23-3 so the mistake didn’t impact the outcome but poor officiating is always a concern.

“I’m still (ticked) off over some of it,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. “We’ve got to do something. We’ll discuss that with the league and go from there.”

Penalties were up 8.6% from last season through Week 7. The increase in flags is mostly attributed to the rise in kickoff returns due to the rule change. With more teams returning more kickoffs, there’s more opportunities for penalties.

Still, it often seems like there’s a flag whenever there’s a big play. Teams routinely have to delay their celebration when they score until they know if the penalty is on the offense or defense. Broadcasters have pointed this out during games. It slows down the pace of the game and makes it less entertaining.

Mentee beats the mentor

Aaron Rodgers looked like a 41-year-old quarterback facing one of the best defensive players in the NFL in Pittsburgh’s 35-25 loss to Green Bay.

Micah Parsons only had one sack but his presence and pressures forced two other sacks and made Rodgers feel uncomfortable all night. Rodgers never got in a rhythm and the Steelers couldn’t sustain many drives or finish other ones, settling for four field goals with one touchdown.

Of course, they would’ve needed vintage Rodgers to beat the Packers because Pittsburgh’s defense was awful for the second straight game.

After giving up 470 yards and 33 points to Joe Flacco and the Bengals in a loss to Cincinnati 10 days earlier, the Steelers couldn’t stop Jordan Love and Green Bay’s offense. The Packers had 454 yards.

Love, who considers Rodgers a mentor and friend, outplayed the quarterback he watched from the sideline for three years.

“It’s definitely special, Sunday Night Football, to come out here, we faced a little adversity in the first half, bounced back, we knew it was going to be a hyped-up game all week going against A-Rod so I was just glad we came in here and handled business,” Love said.

VIKINGS’ CARSON WENTZ TO IR WITH SHOULDER INJURY THAT REQUIRES SEASON-ENDING SURGERY, AP SOURCE SAYS

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings placed quarterback Carson Wentz on injured reserve on Monday after he gutted out a shoulder injury during the last 2 1/2 games of his five-game fill-in for J.J. McCarthy.

Wentz will have season-ending surgery on his left, non-throwing shoulder, according to a person with knowledge of the plans who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Vikings had not yet announced those details.

McCarthy, who suffered a high sprain of his right ankle during the second game of the season, was already on track to return to action this week when the struggling Vikings (3-4) play at division rival Detroit.

Wentz, who signed with the team he grew up rooting for in neighboring North Dakota the week before the regular season began, went from veteran backup to starter after McCarthy went down. The Vikings went 2-3 with Wentz, including a 37-10 blowout by the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday. He was first hurt in the first half on Oct. 5 in London against the Cleveland Browns.

Wentz was under heavy pressure that night, with starting tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill and original starting center Ryan Kelly all sidelined by injury, and he took several hard hits that had him wincing. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he was told by the medical staff that Wentz wasn’t risking further damage by staying in the game, so he decided not to expose undrafted rookie backup Max Brosmer to the pass rush behind a patchwork offensive line and kept Wentz in until the final drive.

Wentz, who was the second pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, extended his league record by making Minnesota the sixth team he has made at least one start for over the last six seasons.

The Vikings used the open roster spot to claim former Green Bay Packers tight end Ben Sims off waivers. Tight end Josh Oliver was forced out of the last game with a foot injury.

DOLPHINS HOPING THEIR DOMINANT WIN OVER FALCONS MARKS A TURNING POINT IN THEIR SEASON

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins finally put together a complete game while dominating the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Mike McDaniel believes that performance is only repeatable, though, if his team moves on from it as quickly as possible.

“I think the main factor is you don’t live in yesterday, good or bad,” McDaniel said Monday. “The formula was that we were prepared for the opponent that we were playing that week, and prepared to do our assignments collectively and focused on the ways not to beat ourselves.”

McDaniel credited the Dolphins’ improved efficiency in both running the ball and stopping the run — which had been lacking in recent weeks — as key factors in the win. But as much praise as he had for the way the Dolphins (2-6) responded to an embarrassing rout against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7, McDaniel was equally ready to turn his attention to Thursday’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

“This week, if we focus all our time, energy and everything that we’re doing attacking the Baltimore Ravens and nobody else,” McDaniel said, “it gives you an opportunity to be able to have a game like that every week. We’ve learned a lot as a team through a lot of hard lessons.

“There were positive lessons that we learned in how we prepared as well. It’ll be very important that we take it for what it was, and that was a complete and total isolated focus by a team on an opponent. And that’s your only chance to replicate that moving forward.”

Last week, both McDaniel defended embattled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who entered Sunday with consecutive three-interception outings. Tagovailoa said the two had “tough conversations” over the past week in search for solutions, especially after Tagovailoa was benched in the fourth quarter against Cleveland.

He responded with his best performance of the season, throwing for 205 yards and four touchdowns despite waking up Sunday morning with one of his eyes swollen shut.

“Probably one of the worst experiences I’ve had in terms of waking up, and that happens on a game day,” Tagovailoa said. “My eye was swollen shut, and thanks to the medical staff, they ended up helping with antibiotics. I’m just glad I was able to go out there and play.”

Tagovailoa indicated Sunday’s performance could potentially mark a turning point in the season if the Dolphins respond the right way.

“It kind of gives us the flow back a little bit,” he said. “But it’s also what we’re looking to do with this. We get to enjoy the win, but after tomorrow, we’ve got to get back to work. It’s a short week. Do we want to feel like we did the other week or do we want to continue to build off of a game like today?”

What’s working

The Dolphins used all three of their running backs for 141 yards rushing. Two of Tagovailoa’s four touchdown passes also went to running backs. De’Von Achane led the group with 67 yards on 18 carries with a a 3-yard touchdown catch, while rookie Ollie Gordon added 46 yards on 10 carries and hauled in a 20-yard scoring reception.

What needs help

The Dolphins improved a lot of their issues that led to last week’s sloppy performance, but they can still clean up some of their operation on offense. Offensive lineman Larry Borom was flagged for an illegal formation on Miami’s second drive, and left tackle Patrick Paul was penalized for a false start.

Stock up

LB Jordyn Brooks. The veteran leads the NFL in total tackles (85) and had his best individual performance of the season against the Falcons, finishing with three tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hit. Brooks, a captain this season, has been praised by teammates for his leadership, especially during the Dolphins’ losing streak.

Stock down

WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. The veteran receiver has yet to carve out a prominent role in the Dolphins’ passing game, even as the receiving unit has been hit with injuries. Westbrook-Ikhine caught one of three targets for 18 yards on Sunday and had a drop in the red zone in the first quarter.

Injuries

Tagovailoa’s eye ailment does not appear to be a long-term issue, McDaniel said Monday. … Second-year CB Storm Duck suffered a season-ending knee injury during the game. … S Ashtyn Davis left with what McDaniel indicated was a minor quadriceps injury, but his status Thursday is in question because of the short week.

Key number

45 — The numbers of yards rushing the Dolphins’ NFL-worst rushing defense allowed Sunday. Miami had not held an opponent under 100 yards rushing in the first seven weeks.

Next steps

The Dolphins host Baltimore on Thursday night, but it’s unclear if the Ravens will start Lamar Jackson, who has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.

NFC SOUTH-LEADING BUCCANEERS GET A BYE AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH SEVERAL PLAYERS DEALING WITH INJURIES

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Buccaneers gathered around coach Todd Bowles for his postgame speech in the locker room after a 23-3 victory over the Saints on Sunday, waiting and hoping for the good news every player wants to hear heading into a bye week.

“I said I’d give you guys the whole week off if you won,” Bowles said. “Well, you’ve got the whole week off.”

The players roared in celebration and veteran Lavonte David started singing: “We’ve got the week. We’ve got the week.”

The Bucs have needed a week of rest for a while. They’re getting it at the right time and are sitting in a good place.

The four-time defending NFC South champions are 6-2. Baker Mayfield has played at an MVP level despite a slew of injuries around him. The defense has stepped up its performance.

Now, Tampa Bay gets some time to heal some players before a difficult stretch of games beginning with consecutive matchups against the AFC East’s top two teams.

“I feel good. We played tough, we’re 6-2, we can do a lot of things better, obviously,” Bowles said Monday. “We gotta work on fundamentals (and) we (have) to self-scout as coaches. We gotta make sure we do not forget the fundamental part of it, they gotta make sure they continue to take care of their bodies. Our confidence is tough, and our confidence is strong, but we have a long way to go. We understand that.

“It’s going to be a big second half when we come back, so we gotta be ready.”

What’s working

Defense. The Bucs had five sacks, forced Spencer Rattler to fumble and grabbed two interceptions, including a pick-6. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. ended up in the end zone three times with the ball, but didn’t get credit for a touchdown for various reasons, including an erroneous whistle when he returned a fumble for a score.

What needs help

Short-yardage and play calling. The Buccaneers ran five straight run plays from the Saints 1 and couldn’t get a yard. Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard stuck with the same play each time. They were denied from the 1 on three straight plays later in the game — one run and two incomplete passes — before Sean Tucker finally ran in for a score.

Stock up

Outside linebacker Anthony Nelson had two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception return for a touchdown in his first start of the season, filling in for Haason Reddick. Nelson became the first player since 2007 and one of three since at least 2000 to accomplish the feat.

Stock down

Offensive line. The unit couldn’t pave a lane for a 1-yard touchdown run on six tries from the 1.

Injuries

Reddick (ankle/knee), WR Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula), RB Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder) and RG Luke Haggard (shoulder) didn’t play vs. New Orleans. Bowles said it’s possible they could start practicing next week, but it’s not certain. … WR Mike Evans (clavicle) is likely going to miss the rest of the season. … RT Luke Goedeke (foot) and WR Jalen McMillan (neck) are on injured reserve.

Key number

100% — Kicker Chase McLaughlin made three more field goals beyond 50 yards and is 8 for 8 this season from that range.

Next steps

After a week off, the Buccaneers host the New England Patriots (6-2) on Nov. 9 to begin a tough stretch against teams that currently are 16-6 combined.

RICO DOWDLE APPEARS SET TO GET BULK OF CARRIES WITH DAVE CANALES’ MOVING AWAY FROM 2-BACK APPROACH

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales appears ready to ditch the split-carry, two-back approach on offense following a mostly unsuccessful two-week experiment.

Canales rotated Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle on alternate series over the past two weeks, but he now seems inclined to give the bulk of the carries to Dowdle, who has clearly outplayed Hubbard since his return from a calf injury.

“Chuba has meant a lot to this organization and certainly to the identity that we want to build and we wanted to give him the opportunity to go out there and to continue to impact our team in a positive way,” Canales said on Monday. “But we cannot ignore the fact that Rico has been exceptional. … We love tempo and violence that he is running with. These are things we are looking back on the last four games and really taking a snapshot of what has been successful for us.”

After Dowdle piled up 473 yards from scrimmage in back-to-back wins over Miami and Dallas, Canales made the decision to start Hubbard over Dowdle the past two games after he was deemed healthy and ready to return.

Dowdle had 17 carries for 79 yards and one reception for 17 yards in an ugly 13-6 win over the New York Jets two ago, while Hubbard was limited to 31 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 24 yards.

On Sunday against Buffalo, the two-back approach completely backfired as the Panthers (4-4) fell behind early and neither managed to get into much of a rhythm.

Still, Dowdle clearly looked faster and more explosive, gaining 54 yards on eight carries, while Hubbard was held to 34 yards on 12 carries with a late-game touchdown run in a 40-9 loss to the Bills.

Canales wouldn’t discuss his specific plans at running back for Sunday’s game at Green Bay, but admitted he is considering an expanded role for Dowdle.

And all signs point to that happening.

“We can’t ignore the impact (Dowdle) has made,” Canales said.

What’s working (no more)

The run defense had been outstanding over the previous three games, allowing just 131 yards rushing combined during that stretch, but the Bills exposed some areas of weakness in Carolina’s front seven by rushing for 245 yards and four touchdowns. James Cook had 216 yards on the ground on just 19 carries, the most yards the Panthers have allowed to an opposing running back in franchise history. Josh Allen also scored on two short TD runs.

What needs help

The Panthers are in need of some healthy bodies up front after three offensive linemen left Sunday’s game with injuries. Guard Brady Christensen tore his Achilles tendon and will be out for the season, while right tackle Taylor Moton injured his knee and center Cade Mays hurt his ankle.

Moton and Mays will be evaluated later this week.

The Panthers offensive line has been plagued with injuries all season with guard Robert Hunt landing on injured reserve in Week 2. Center Austin Corbett just returned from injured reserve and guard Chandler Zavala is eligible to return from IR this week.

Stock up

Rookie Tetairoa McMillan continues to show star potential.

The No. 8 overall pick from Arizona had seven catches on 10 targets for 99 yards against the Bills and showed the ability to get free against press coverage as well as the skills to make defenders miss in the open field.

The future is clearly bright for McMillan.

Meanwhile, 2024 first-round draft pick Xavier Legette continues to struggle with consistency. After a career game last Sunday against the Jets in which he caught nine passes for 92 yards and a TD, Legette was limited to just two catches for 17 yards and was a non-factor in a game in which the Panthers needed to throw the ball.

Slot receiver Jalen Coker outpaced Legette with three catches for 36 yards.

Stock down

Andy Dalton had a brutal game and looked very much like a 37-year-old quarterback on the downside of his NFL career. He was unable to escape even minimal pressure and was sacked seven times and turned the ball over three times while being limited to 175 yards passing and no touchdowns.

He displayed poor clock management skills, taking a sack instead of throwing the ball away on a third down play near the end of the first half. The Panthers, out of timeouts, had to quickly rush their field-goal unit onto the field and kicker Ryan Fitzgerald never had a chance to get set. He missed the kick wide left.

Injuries

The Panthers will continue to monitor QB Bryce Young’s sprained ankle on a daily basis in hopes that he can return to practice on Wednesday and play in Week 9. “I’m optimistic that he will be out there,” Canales said of Young returning to practice this week.

DE Derrick Brown, who left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, will also be checked out later in the week.

Key number

37-3 — Margin which the Panthers were outscored by the Bills in the second and third quarters combined on Sunday.

Next steps

Things don’t get much easier this week for Carolina. The Panthers head to Green Bay on Sunday to face a Packers team that is beginning to look like a Super Bowl contender. Carolina is 1-3 on the road this season with its only win coming against the Jets.

EAGLES SOAR BACK TO TOP OF NFC WITH JALEN HURTS AND SAQUON BARKLEY LEADING THE CHARGE

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts’ only interception this season came in a demoralizing loss at the New York Giants that gave the Eagles their first two-game losing streak in two season and raised questions about the state of the offense, the fate of the offensive coordinator and Saquon Barkley’s diminished production.

Two games, two wins — and for Hurts, 505 yards and seven touchdowns — later, order in the Eagles’ universe has been restored.

As for Barkley?

Well, a 65-yard touchdown run on his first carry on the way to 150 on the ground in the game in a 38-20 win over his former Giants team showed there’s plenty of life left in his legs (even if back-to-back 2,000-yard rushing seasons remains well out of reach).

The reigning Super Bowl champions head into their bye tied for the most wins in the NFC with a record of 6-2, and they beat Tampa Bay in September to give them an early edge in the race for the No. 1 seed. Green Bay is technically atop the conference at 5-1-1.

After a sluggish start, first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo got things to click just as the Eagles surge into the second half of their season. It was only two weeks ago when lineman Lane Johnson called the offense predictable after the 17-point loss to the Giants.

So what changed? Patullo showed he was willing to adapt to his resources and stuck Hurts under center for more direct snaps. That alone opens the playbook for a variety of plays, specifically play-action passes.

“I enjoy being under center and being able to complement things within our run game and find a flow, but ultimately I think it’s about finding a flow and what you do,” Hurts said. “It’s not necessarily that you stick a guy under the center or you’re playing from the shotgun or you’re in a pistol. It’s about what you’re doing when you’re under center, how we’re leveraging what we do.”

The Eagles also just needed time to learn yet another new offense, even if the script wasn’t completely flipped from last season. Patullo is Hurts’ fifth offensive coordinator in six NFL seasons. He’s not only learning his new job on the fly, but he did it also with his seat growing warm as the Eagles averaged just shy of 24 points a game over the first six games.

“I think what Kevin’s done a really good job of is being able to block out anything that can be a distraction to him and working like crazy to put himself in the best position to call the best game that he can each week regardless of what’s going on,” coach Nick Sirianni said.

What’s working

With No. 1 receiver A.J Brown sidelined by a hamstring injury (days after yet another moody social media post ), the rest of the pass-catching options all played a key role in Hurts’ big day.

Tight end Dallas Goedert caught two TD passes to give him a career-high seven. Hurts’ fourth TD pass of the game was a 40-yard strike to Jahan Dotson, and DeVonta Smith had six catches for 84 yards.

No, the Eagles aren’t better without Brown. But the depth is there to withstand his absence for at least one game — and maybe even more as the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline looms.

What needs help

Full health. Yes, it’s the NFL and injuries are part of the game — see, the devastating ankle injury suffered Sunday by Giants running Cam Skattebo — but the Eagles need to make sure Barkley really is good to go from his groin injury after an extended break. There are also other key starters who need to heal before facing the Packers on Nov. 10, a key game for Philadelphia to make a serious run at a top-two seed in the NFC and a shot at home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Stock up

Tank Bigsby rushed nine times for 104 yards, mostly with Barkley serving as a cheerleader in the fourth quarter. Barkley and Bigsby became the first Eagles duo to each rush for 100-plus yards in a game since Bryce Brown (115) and LeSean McCoy (133) on Dec. 22, 2013 vs. Chicago.

Bigsby topped 100 yards rushing for the third time in his career and had his second-best overall game, behind a 118-yard outing last season when he still played for the Jaguars.

“As he’s caught up to our system and everything that we do and learning it, he’s gotten more opportunities and it’s been fun to see him run with the football,” Sirianni said. “But I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise with how he looked, because we obviously saw that in Jacksonville.”

Stock down

The only thing that can slow the Eagles is a bye week. Jake Elliott, though, has missed field goals in consecutive games, including a 58-yarder off the right upright against the Giants.

Injuries

Brown and center Cam Jurgens (knee) should both be cleared and return against the Packers. … Barkley said there was nothing to worry about after leaving with a groin injury and the game out of hand.

Key numbers

The Eagles rushed for a season-high 276 yards, marking the most by an NFL team this season.

Next steps

Get Brown and Jurgens healthy. Get Brandon Graham up to speed now that the franchise-great defensive end is expected to play for the first time since he ended his short-lived retirement. And get ready for a Monday night game against the Packers.

PACKERS ARE SHOWCASING SUPER BOWL POTENTIAL WHEN THEY’RE AT THEIR BEST

When the Green Bay Packers are at peak form, they look as dangerous as any team in the league.

They just need to figure out how to reach that level more consistently.

Green Bay’s 35-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night showcased the Packers’ best and worst qualities. They struggled to finish drives early in the game and trailed 16-7 at halftime before dominating the rest of a road win over a division leader.

“We’re playing legit teams and we’re going through the fire,” defensive end Micah Parsons said after the game. “Just shows how good we can be if we just don’t beat ourselves. That’s just the hardest part of this league, is just not beating ourselves.”

Green Bay (5-1-1) has the best winning percentage in the NFC. The only other NFL team with fewer than two losses is the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts (7-1).

Since a two-game stretch in which they collapsed down the stretch of a 13-10 loss at Cleveland and settled for a 40-all tie at Dallas, the Packers have won three straight. Their second-half effort Sunday was arguably their most impressive performance since opening the season with convincing home wins over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders.

Jordan Love led the way by throwing for 360 yards — the second-highest total of his career while completing passes to 10 players — and three touchdowns without an interception to outduel former Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP facing the Packers for the first time. Love capitalized on a huge game from tight end Tucker Kraft and the return of Christian Watson from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

“What we want to be is the most explosive offense in the NFL,” Love said. “So I think (we’re) just trying to find ways to be as consistent as possible, because we know what type of offense we’re capable of being.”

The Packers believe they have that type of ceiling as long as Love keeps playing this way.

“He’s him,” defensive end Rashan Gary said. “Everybody in the league, if y’all not woke, please wake up. Get the crust out of your eyes because he is him and (No.) 10 is coming. Period.”

What’s working

The Packers had no turnovers for a second straight week. They’ve committed only three all season. … The Packers had three touchdowns and two field goals on their first five series of the second half. … The Packers sacked Rodgers three times and have nine sacks over their last two games.

What needs help

Punt returns continue to be an issue. Keisean Nixon muffed a punt in the first quarter, though Green Bay’s Zayne Anderson recovered the fumble.

Stock up

Gary, Kraft and OL Sean Rhyan. Gary had two sacks Sunday and has three over his last two games. He already has 7 1/2 this year to match last season’s total. … Kraft set career highs in catches (seven) and yards receiving (143) while scoring two touchdowns. Kraft was 3 yards from Green Bay’s single-game record for yards receiving by a tight end. Richard Rodgers had 146 in a 27-23 victory over Detroit in 2015. … After playing just 11 offensive snaps against Cincinnati and none at Arizona, Rhyan was on the field for 54.7% of the Packers’ offensive snaps at right guard Sunday.

Stock down

CB Nate Hobbs and K Brandon McManus. Hobbs played just four defensive snaps Sunday after being on the field for every defensive play against Cincinnati and Arizona. Carrington Valentine started in place of Hobbs.

“It’s going to continue to be a competitive situation, because we still have a ton of confidence in Hobbs,” LaFleur said Monday.

McManus returned after missing two games with a quadriceps injury, but he missed field-goal attempts of 57 and 44 yards in the first half. McManus bounced back by making kicks of 28 and 25 yards in the fourth quarter.

Injuries

LB Nick Niemann suffered a chest injury. “I haven’t gotten the final word yet, but we’re concerned about it,” LaFleur said. … WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and DE Lukas Van Ness (foot) didn’t play.

Key number

20 — Love’s 20 straight completions tied a Packers record. Brett Favre had 20 consecutive in a 37-26 victory at Detroit on Nov. 22, 2007.

Next steps

After going on the road for four of their last five games, the Packers are home for three of their next four contests. That stretch starts Sunday when the Carolina Panthers (4-4) visit Lambeau Field

CALEB WILLIAMS AND THE CHICAGO BEARS ENCOUNTER DEAD ENDS WITHIN THE RED ZONE

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The red zone is taking a heavy toll on the Chicago Bears’ offense and quarterback Caleb Williams in Ben Johnson’s first season as coach.

It’s not the only issue facing the Bears, but it has Johnson searching for answers after watching his team fail to score touchdowns on two of three trips inside the 20-yard line in a 30-16 loss Sunday at Baltimore.

“We’re moving the ball. We’re not scoring points as often as we’d like to,” Johnson said Monday.

The Bears (4-3) are settling for three points too often. They’ve kicked 15 field goals in the last four games.

“Our red-zone percentage is down,” Johnson said. “We need to score more touchdowns when we get down there and we had two more three-and-outs here this week that … if we get the first first down we’re in good shape.”

The Bears have converted only five of 16 red-zone trips into touchdowns through the last four games. They managed to win the first three in that stretch, but Sunday’s two missed chances proved to be a problem later in a game that was close until the middle of the fourth quarter.

Through Sunday’s games, the Bears ranked 26th in the league in touchdown percentage within the red zone at 47.8%.

“I think we go in each week with the plan to attack the defenses that we’re anticipating, that we’re seeing on tape there,” Johnson said. “You know, we put a lot of onus on being able to run the ball down there. I thought we could have done a little bit better inside the 10.

“This week we had some negative plays that certainly didn’t help the cause. But I felt good about the plan that we put into place. We’ve just got to focus on our execution and our details.”

After they settled for field goals on their first two drives, the Bears went scoreless on the next three possessions, thanks to penalties and inconsistent passing.

“When you play ugly football like that, it’s a lot more difficult to win the ballgame,” Johnson said. “We’re on a mission here to get this all cleaned up.”

What’s working

Pass blocking. The Bears gave up one sack Sunday and the team has allowed 12 on the year. Only eight teams had allowed fewer going into Monday night. It’s quite a drop from last year, when Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times.

The Bears allowed at least 50 sacks each season from 2021-24.

What needs help

Sloppy play. The Bears had 11 more penalties Sunday, their third game with a double-digit total and the seventh time in seven games they had more penalties for more yards than their opponent.

Stock up

Wide receiver Rome Odunze matched his career high with seven receptions Sunday while gaining 114 yards. It was his fourth 100-yard game.

The Bears have lost all four of those games.

Stock down

Williams continues to struggle, even though his accuracy improved a bit over the previous few games. He threw a key interception that sealed the Bears’ fate in the fourth quarter at his own 18-yard line on a ball intended for Odunze. It appeared running back Kyle Monangai was wide open a short distance from the first-down marker on the play, and Johnson said Williams should have thrown the checkdown.

Injuries

Second-round draft pick Shemar Turner suffered a torn ACL against the Ravens, and the defensive end/tackle will go on season-ending injured reserve.

Defensive end Dominic Robinson will be out a few weeks with an ankle injury, and Johnson said defensive end Austin Booker will be activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster. Booker suffered a knee injury during the preseason.

Wide receiver Luther Burden III is in the concussion protocol.

Key number

0 — The Bears failed to record a takeaway Sunday after forcing at least three turnovers in four straight games. It was only their second game without a takeaway this season.

Next steps

The Bears visit Cincinnati (3-5) on Sunday.

COOK’S CAREER DAY OVERSHADOWS DEFICIENCIES IN BILLS’ PASSING ATTACK. DT OLIVER OUT WITH TORN BICEP

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — All is not well in Buffalo, though James Cook’s career day will, perhaps, serve as another reminder to coordinator Joe Brady of how the Bills’ offense thrives when the running back gets the ball.

After under-utilizing Cook during Buffalo’s two-game skid before the team’s bye week, Brady stuck with the ground game in a 40-9 win over Carolina on Sunday.

Cook rushed for 216 yards — the sixth most in team history — and two touchdowns.

While Cook’s big game highlighted the fourth-year player’s game-breaking abilities, it also exposed deficiencies in the Bills’ offense ahead of a showdown with Kansas City this weekend.

The Bills have issues with their defense, too. Coach Sean McDermott said Monday that tackle Ed Oliver needs surgery to repair a torn left biceps and is out indefinitely. Buffalo (5-2) is already without tackle DaQuan Jones, who has missed two games with a calf injury.

On offense, the Bills’ passing attack led by Josh Allen continues misfiring and struggling to complete throws beyond 10 yards.

If not for Cook gaining 153 yards in the first half alone, and A.J. Epenesa’s interception that set up Allen’s 1-yard TD run a play later, the struggles of last season’s MVP would have been a bigger story.

Though he finished 12 of 19 for 163 yards and a touchdown, Allen looked lost during the first half, when he completed 6 of 13 attempts for 66 yards and was sacked twice. Allen blamed himself, saying he wasn’t trusting his feet and forced a few throws.

On the bright side, Allen was turnover-free after a three-game stretch in which he threw four interceptions and lost a fumble.

Meanwhile, Buffalo’s receivers are having difficulty getting open downfield.

Allen entered Week 8 ranking 20th in the NFL with 1,560 yards passing. Per Next Gen Stats, he ranked 14th yards per completion at 5.6, without taking into account yards after the catch.

That’s a significant drop from 2022, when Allen ranked second, with his completions traveling an average of 7.4 yards. Notable changes since then: Brady took over midway through 2023, and top receiver Stefon Diggs departed after that season.

Buffalo lacks a proven deep threat unless general manager Brandon Beane uses what little room he has left under the salary cap to acquire one before next week’s trade deadline.

Though Brady has implemented a balanced attack, the question is whether Allen can win games with his arm if opponents focus on containing Cook. Buffalo did so when it overcame a 15-point deficit in season-opening win over Baltimore, but failed in losses to New England and Atlanta.

Beating the Panthers (3-4) is one thing. The win over Carolina was Buffalo’s first against an opponent this season that had at least one win entering the game. New England and Atlanta were both 2-2 when they played the Bills.

If the Bills want to reach the Super Bowl, they face more daunting tests ahead. And it begins with rival Kansas City coming to town in what’s become an annual showdown.

Though the Bills have won their four regular-season meetings with the Chiefs since 2021, they’re 0-4 in playoff matchups since the 2020 season, including a 32-29 loss in the AFC championship game in January.

Cook is looking forward to facing the Chiefs.

“It could be real special,” he said.

What’s working

A running game that generated four TDs and 245 yards. Buffalo improved to 26-7 when topping 100 yards rushing since the start of 2023.

What needs help

Throw out Khalil Shakir’s 54-yard catch-and-run, and Buffalo’s receivers combined for 78 yards on nine catches.

Stock up

Edge rusher Michael Hoecht. The offseason free-agent addition was in on three tackles and had 1 1/2 sacks in his Bills debut. He missed the first six games while serving a suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers.

Stock down

WR Curtis Samuel. The ninth-year player was not targeted on 19 offensive snaps. He was supposed to be Buffalo’s deep threat with Joshua Palmer sidelined by an ankle injury.

Injuries

LB Terrel Bernard did not play due to an ankle injury, while fellow starter Matt Milano (pectoral) has missed four of five games.

Key number

11 — The number of TDs the Bills have scored this season on their game-opening or second-half-opening possession. Buffalo settled for a field goal to open against Carolina, and Shakir scored to open the second half for a 26-3 lead.

Next steps

Scout the Chiefs, who hosted Washington on Monday night, before returning to practice on Wednesday.

TITANS MAKE CLEAR WITH LATEST TRADE TEAM READY TO DEAL IN REBUILDING YEAR

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have made it clear a week ahead of the NFL trade deadline that they’re open for business after the latest loss in an ugly season.

The Titans sent cornerback Roger McCreary with his expiring rookie contract to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, their second trade involving a cornerback so far this season.

Tennessee now is 1-7, tied with the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints for the worst records in the NFL after a 38-14 rout by the Indianapolis Colts.

“It is an opportunity for someone else to come in here and step in,” Titans interim coach Mike McCoy said he told the team earlier Monday. “And it’s all part of the business, and we’re moving forward.”

Outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, a veteran here on a one-year contract, said the trade deadline isn’t something the Titans talk about in the locker room.

“We are aware of it,” Jones said. “I mean, I feel like Twitter like, forces me to watch it.”

What’s working

The Titans ‘ youth movement has some promising signs. Eight rookies played against the Colts, the sixth game this season at least eight rookies hit the field. Cam Ward led the four rookies starting on offense, and the No. 1 overall pick now has thrown for at least 255 yards in consecutive games.

Better yet, the pass catchers are taking advantage of an injury to Calvin Ridley and last week’s release of veteran Tyler Lockett. Chimere Dike led the Titans catching seven of eight passes for 93 yards. Elic Ayomanor had at least one drop and didn’t run through a long pass route but still had 52 yards receiving.

Tight end Gunnar Helm had two catches for 23 yards and his first NFL touchdown.

What’s not working

Not having a trio of defensive starters because of injuries didn’t help, especially with two of those tackle Jeffery Simmons and outside linebacker Arden Key. But the Titans gave up 164 yards rushing to the Colts — 153 of those to Jonathan Taylor who scored six touchdowns against Tennessee in two games this season.

McCoy said the Titans missed too many tackles against a talented running back.

Stock up

Dike. The fourth-round pick out of Florida has been key, leading the NFL in all-purpose yards thanks to his work returning kicks and punts. But Dike now has put together back-to-back games showing his ability as a receiver combining for 11 catches for 163 yards. He had five catches combined through the first four games for 1 yard.

Even better, the rookie showed awareness late in the first half with the Titans trying to set up a field-goal attempt.

After a catch, Dike ran toward the line of scrimmage and put down the football to save time for Ward to spike the ball and stop the clock.

Stock down

Kicker Joey Slye. He has a strong leg and made his first 10 field goals this season. Slye now has missed five of his past 10 attempts with his latest, a 58-yarder as the first half expired in Indianapolis, wide right.

Injuries

LB Ali Gaye didn’t return after a knee injury in the first quarter. S Xavier Woods hurt a hamstring injury in the second half, and starting CB Darrell Baker was pulled in the third quarter as part of the concussion protocol.

Key number

3 — The number of penalties flagged in a game for a second straight week against the Titans. This franchise hadn’t had consecutive games with three or fewer penalties since Dec. 20-27, 2020, and it’s more noticeable with just how much they struggled with penalties through the first six games.

Next steps

At least the Titans don’t have to travel again until Dec. 7 when they visit Cleveland. They play the next four games at home starting with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Then there’s the bye week allowing the Titans to catch their breath, regroup and rest up for the stretch run.

PATRIOTS’ CONFIDENCE SOARS IN MIDST OF 5-GAME WIN STREAK UNDER 1ST-YEAR COACH MIKE VRABEL

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — It’s too early to know whether the New England Patriots have gotten back on track following the tumultuous end of Bill Belichick’s coaching tenure and the failed one-year regime of successor Jerod Mayo.

But at 6-2 following Sunday’s 32-13 win over Cleveland and riding a five-game win streak that’s the Patriots’ longest since last qualifying for the playoffs in 2021, it has created confidence throughout the team facility that first-year coach Mike Vrabel believes is a positive sign.

“I don’t have expectations. We just have things that we want to try to focus on and improve on,” Vrabel said. “I think that they believe in themselves, that they believe that they’re going to make some plays, that they’re not really panicking, signs of complementary football and signs of preparation.”

It showed against the Browns when, despite allowing an opponent to score on its opening drive for the sixth time in eight games, the Patriots offense was able to reel off three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to take control.

That was underscored by a defense that forced two turnovers and helped New England possess the ball for nearly 13 more minutes than Cleveland for the day.

“It’s just dope having that camaraderie and that unity as a team from both sides,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins said. “I feel like it’s special, man, and we can keep harping on that and keep growing.”

What’s working

Despite being sacked six times by the Browns’ top-ranked defense, Drake Maye maintained the same command of the offense that he has shown throughout the winning streak. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. He also connected with seven receivers.

What needs help

It didn’t wind up factoring into the final score, but the Patriots’ special teams unit couldn’t corral Browns kicker Andre Szmyt’s onside kick with 4:06 remaining. Szmyt got a perfect bounce to flutter out of the reach of tight end Austin Hooper and into hands of Gage Larvadain. It was only the second onside kick recovery by the kicking team all season in the NFL.

Stock up

Stefon Diggs had only three catches for 14 yards. But one of them was a 1-yard touchdown catch, his first of the season. It ended his career-high, seven-game drought without a TD to open a season. The only other time he had a drought of even two games without recording a touchdown was his rookie season in 2015 with Minnesota.

Stock down

Rookie left tackle Will Campbell was expecting a tough challenge opposite Browns All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett. He got it, allowing Garrett to beat him on two of his career-high five sacks. In each instance, the Patriots attempted to provide Campbell with some extra support via an extra chip block from tight end Hunter Henry. Both times it did little to slow Garrett.

“He’s a really good player. He beat me a few times and that is just part of the game,” Campbell said. “He gets paid a lot of money, and he got me a couple times. I just had to keep coming back and keep fighting, which is why we got the win.”

Injuries

Defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga left in the second half with a knee injury and did not return.

Key number

177 — The Patriots rushed for a season-high 177 yards against Cleveland, following a 175-yard rushing performance at Tennessee the previous week. It’s their first time with back-to-back games with at least 175 yards rushing since the 2020 season when they had 250 yards rushing against Las Vegas followed by 185 yards at Kansas City.

Next steps

The Patriots host the Atlanta Falcons, losers of two straight, on Sunday.

RAIDERS SIGN TYLER LOCKETT, REUNITING HIM WITH GENO SMITH

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders signed receiver Tyler Lockett on Monday to reunite him with his former quarterback Geno Smith.

Lockett was released last week by Tennessee and now joins the Raiders where he will give Smith another veteran option on the outside.

Lockett and Smith were teammates for six years with the Seattle Seahawks with Lockett catching 220 passes for 2,613 yards and 16 TDs from Smith. Raiders coach Pete Carroll was the head coach in Seattle for five of those seasons.

Las Vegas has only two wide receivers this season with at least eight catches in Tre Tucker and Jakobi Meyers. Meyers has asked for a trade and is hoping to be dealt before next week’s deadline.

The 33-year-old Lockett had only 10 catches for 70 yards in seven games for the Titans this season.

Lockett has 671 receptions for 8,664 yards and 61 TDs.

The Raiders waived receiver Justin Shorter to make room for Lockett on the roster.

PUKA NACUA WILL RETURN TO PRACTICE, EXPECTED TO PLAY FOR RAMS AS ATWELL GOES ON INJURED RESERVE

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Receiver Puka Nacua is expected to play for the Los Angeles Rams this week after he missed their most recent game with an ankle injury, coach Sean McVay says.

Fellow Rams receiver Tutu Atwell went on injured reserve Monday with a hamstring issue.

Nacua got hurt during the Rams’ win at Baltimore on Oct. 12, and he missed their victory over the Jaguars in London on Oct. 19. Los Angeles had its bye last week.

McVay said Monday that Nacua will return to practice Wednesday, and he will play for the Rams (5-2) against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday unless he has a significant setback.

Nacua led the NFL in receptions and yards receiving before he got hurt, and he currently ranks third in catches (54) and fourth in yards receiving (616) entering Monday.

Right tackle Rob Havenstein also will return to practice Wednesday, McVay said. Havenstein, who is in his 11th season as a starter for the Rams, has missed the past three games with an ankle injury.

Atwell got hurt during practice before the Rams traveled to Baltimore, and he missed their game against the Ravens. He also didn’t play in London despite being in uniform.

Atwell has just four catches for 164 yards this season, but the speedy big-play threat made an 88-yard TD reception with 1:33 left in the Rams’ victory last month over the Indianapolis Colts.

RAIDERS LEGEND GEORGE ATKINSON, KNOWN FOR HIS FIERCE HITS, DIES AT 78

George Atkinson, a hard-hitting former Raiders safety who struck fear in the opposition, has died. He was 78.

The Raiders said Atkinson’s family informed the team of his death on Monday. The team said he died in Georgia without revealing a cause of death.

The Raiders called Atkinson the anchor of the team’s “Soul Patrol” secondary of the 1970s that helped lead the team to its first Super Bowl title. Atkinson remained connected to the organization until his death.

“George’s contributions as a friend and mentor to everyone in the Raiders organization continued long after his playing career, and his genuine personality and wonderful sense of humor will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him,” the team said in a statement.

Atkinson played 144 games in his career, spending 10 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and a final season with the Denver Broncos. He played in seven AFL or AFC championship games and helped the Raiders win the Super Bowl following the 1976 season.

His 33 career interceptions in the regular season and playoffs rank fourth all-time for the Raiders but he was most known for his physical play.

“Football is a collision sport,” Atkinson told the San Jose Mercury News in a 2016 interview. “If you don’t have a certain mentality you will get run out of the game.”

Atkinson had disclosed he was suffering symptoms consistent with CTE in that interview.

Atkinson joined the Raiders after being drafted in the seventh round in 1968. He was part of a stellar draft class that included Hall of Famers Ken Stabler and Art Shell, as well as running backs Marv Hubbard and Charlie Smith, who all helped build the team into one of the top in the league in the 1970s.

“We became part of the nucleus for the Raiders from that draft,” Atkinson once told the team website. “We wore the Silver and Black with pride. We understood what the tradition was and what we had to live up to.”

Atkinson was a major part of that, almost from the start, scoring on an 86-yard punt return in his professional debut. He made the AFL Pro Bowl in his first two seasons for his play as a returner and defensive back and later became part of the most feared safety duo in the NFL after Jack Tatum was drafted in the first round in 1971.

In an era when receivers had little or no protection when going over the middle, Atkinson and Tatum doled out harsh punishment to anyone who tried.

“We never go out on the field with the intention of trying to hurt anyone but we go out with intentions of getting our jobs done,” Atkinson said at the time. “If you don’t want to get hit, it’s best not to show up when we play Sunday. I guarantee you will get hit.”

Atkinson’s most famous hits came against Pittsburgh and Hall of Fame receiver Lynn Swann. He knocked him out in the 1975 AFC championship game and then again in the 1976 season opener with a forearm to the back of the head on a play when Swann didn’t even get the ball.

“Maybe a little outside of the rules but that was George’s way of setting the tone for the game,” Stabler later said in an interview with NFL Films.

The second hit on Swann led Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll to refer to Atkinson as part of the “criminal element” in the NFL. Atkinson sued Noll for defamation but lost the suit.

Atkinson’s twin sons George III and Josh both played football at Notre Dame with George Atkinson III having a brief NFL career that included a stint with the Raiders. Josh died by suicide in 2018 and George III died by suicide in 2019.

REPORTS: BRONCOS CB PATRICK SURTAIN II (PEC) OUT MULTIPLE GAMES

Denver Broncos All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, might land on the injured reserve with a left pectoral strain, multiple media outlets reported on Monday.

Per an ESPN report, Surtain will not play Sunday when the Broncos visit the Houston Texans and is expected to miss multiple games.

If he is moved to IR, Surtain — a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection — would have to sit out a minimum of four games. The Broncos must make a roster move on Tuesday to restore Dre Greenlaw to the active roster after the linebacker served a one-game suspension, which could result in Surtain landing on IR.

Surtain was injured late in the first half of Sunday’s 44-24 victory over the visiting Dallas Cowboys. The 25-year-old former first-round pick attempted to tackle Dallas receiver George Pickens and had his left shoulder and arm twisted in the process.

“That’s a big deal, especially when a large part of your plan is dealing with rotation and matchups,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Monday. “Then all of a sudden that one element goes away, it can be a little bit disruptive.”

Surtain was replaced in the second half by Kris Abrams-Draine, who made eight tackles and drew praise from Payton for his performance.

The No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Surtain has only missed two games in his NFL career. This season, he has 27 tackles and nine passes defensed in eight games.

Over 74 games (73 starts), Surtain has compiled 259 tackles, 11 interceptions (including two returned for touchdowns), 56 passes broken up and two forced fumbles.

REPORTS: STEELERS TO SIGN WR MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING

The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to sign wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a former Green Bay teammate of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, ESPN and Fox Sports reported Monday.

Valdes-Scantling has played for three teams in the past two seasons and began 2025 with the San Francisco 49ers, who released him with an injury settlement after five games.

He worked out for Pittsburgh earlier Monday and is expected to begin on the practice squad, per the reports.

Valdes-Scantling played the first four years of his career with Rodgers and the Packers, catching 123 passes for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns there.

In 111 games (68 starts) for the Packers (2018-21), Kansas City Chiefs (2022-23), Buffalo Bills (2024), New Orleans Saints (2024) and Niners, Valdes-Scantling has amassed 209 receptions for 3,606 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Steelers (4-3) have sought additional pass-catchers to supplement offseason acquisition DK Metcalf. Roman Wilson led the Steelers in Sunday’s 35-25 loss to the Packers with 74 yards and a score on four catches.

ADRIAN PETERSON JAILED AFTER SECOND DWI ARREST OF ’25

Former star running back Adrian Peterson was reportedly arrested in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land and charged with driving while intoxicated and unlawfully carrying a weapon Sunday.

Peterson remained in county jail Monday, according to multiple reports.

The 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player and three-time rushing champion was taken into custody Sunday morning, Sugar Land police said.

It marks the second time Peterson, 40, was arrested on a suspected DWI this year. He was also booked in April by Minnesota State Patrol after attending the draft party of the Vikings, his longtime team.

Peterson’s previous legal issues include allegations of child abuse and domestic violence as well as financial improprieties.

Peterson retired after the 2021 campaign with 14,918 rushing yards (the fifth-most in NFL history) and 120 touchdowns in 184 games with seven teams.

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

GAMBLING PROBE TESTS THE RESILIENCE THAT HELPED CHAUNCEY BILLUPS SOAR TO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME

DETROIT (AP) — Chauncey Billups earned a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame a year ago, recognizing his resilience and clutch play in a championship-winning NBA career.

His ability to bounce back and make all the right moves is being put to an entirely different test by a gambling scandal.

Billups, who was placed on leave as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was one of more than 30 people arrested last week for what federal law enforcement officials described as their involvement in various illicit gambling activities. The coach was alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes poker games with ties to three Mafia families. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.

“My message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended,” Joseph Nocella, the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, said in outlining the charges.

Billups’ alleged involvement was stunning for someone with a sterling reputation, earning the NBA’s sportsmanship award in 2009 while playing for his hometown Denver Nuggets.

Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, who calls Billups his best friend, said he spoke with Billups on the day he was arrested and was encouraged by what he heard during the conversation.

Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he hates to see what Billups is going through as a friend he has had since middle school.

“I think everyone needs to allow due process to happen, and then obviously judgments can be made,” Bickerstaff said on Sunday. “You feel for anyone you’ve known and have a relationship with and know his family well.

“I know he’s going through it,” he added. “It’s a difficult time for him.”

‘Pressure is nothing new to me’

Billups, who is married and has three daughters, was arrested at his home in Oregon before dawn last Thursday. Hours earlier, the Trail Blazers lost their season opener at home to Minnesota. After tipping off his fifth season in Portland, Billups was asked if he felt pressure because the franchise’s new ownership group attended the game.

“That pressure thing is nothing to me, man,” Billups said in his last public comments on Oct. 22. “I do the best I can and let the chips fall where they may. You know that about me by now.”

Billups appeared before a judge in Oregon, and was released from custody on conditions. His attorney, Chris Heywood, denied the allegations.

“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom,” Heywood said. “He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”

The 49-year-old Billups grew up in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood and starred in college for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Boston drafted him No. 3 overall in 1997 and he bounced around the league, getting traded during his rookie year twice more over the next two years.

Billups signed with Minnesota in 2000 as a free agent and after two solid seasons, he leveraged his value to sign a $35 million, six-year contract with the Pistons.

Billups was known as Mr. Big Shot

He was known as Mr. Big Shot because of his knack of making clutch shots in the Motor City, where he found his groove as a player and later had his No. 1 Pistons jersey retired as one of the most popular players in any sport in Michigan.

Billups guided Detroit to its third NBA championship in 2004 and the NBA Finals the following year during a run of six straight appearances in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Pistons later traded him to Denver for his second stint with the franchise. After Billups went on to play for the New York Knicks and Clippers, he closed his five-time All-Star career in Detroit during the 2013-14 season with more than $100 million in earnings.

Billups started his career as a TV analyst the next year, a role he gave up to pursue a coaching career with the Clippers under Lue. He was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multi-year extension with the Trail Blazers last April and has a career 117-212 record as an coach in the league.

The NBA, in reaction to the arrests of Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier for their alleged role in gambling schemes, has started a review of how the league can protect not just the integrity of the game but its players and coaches as well.

The league made those revelations in a memo sent to all 30 teams, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

NBA ROUNDUP: THUNDER TAKE DOWN MAVS TO REMAIN PERFECT

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 of his 23 points in the third quarter, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder stay undefeated with a 101-94 road win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

The Thunder led by 22 in the fourth quarter but the Mavericks got within one in the final minute before Oklahoma City steadied late offensively. Oklahoma City went more than 5:30 without scoring as Dallas reeled off a 15-0 run during that stretch to cut the deficit to four before the Mavericks eventually got to within one.

But the Thunder got a driving layup from Isaiah Hartenstein to stretch the lead to three, then after a fruitless possession for Dallas, Gilgeous-Alexander went to the free-throw line for the first time in the game with 21 seconds left and drained both to stretch the lead to five and nearly put the game away.

With the Mavericks on the second night of their first back-to-back of the season, rookie Cooper Flagg finished just 1 of 9 from the floor for a season-low two points. The night before in a win over Toronto, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick scored a season-high 22 points.

Jazz 138, Suns 134 (OT)

Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 51 points with 14 rebounds to carry Utah to an overtime victory over visiting Phoenix in Salt Lake City.

Markkanen made 17 of 17 free throws, including a game-clinching pair with 1.9 seconds left, en route to his fourth career 40-point game. It was the first 50-point game in the regular season for a Jazz player since Karl Malone in 1998. Keyonte George totaled 26 points with 10 assists, while Walker Kessler added 25 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 34 points, including five 3-pointers, but Phoenix wrapped up a three-game road trip with its third straight loss despite overturning a 20-point deficit.

Spurs 121, Raptors 103

Victor Wembanyama poured in 24 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and hit two late baskets that helped host San Antonio to a victory over Toronto.

It’s the first time since the 2017-18 season that the Spurs have started a campaign with four consecutive wins. Stephon Castle added 22 points while Barnes had 18, Devin Vassell scored 15 and rookie Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Toronto’s RJ Barrett led all scorers with 25 points, with rookie Collin Murray-Boyles hitting for 19, Immanuel Quickley tallying 15 and Brandon Ingram adding 14.

76ers 136, Magic 124

Tyrese Maxey scored 43 points as Philadelphia picked up its third straight win to open the season by beating visiting Orlando.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 25 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid (knee injury management) for the first time this season. Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe continued the impressive start to his career, contributing 26 points and seven assists.

Paolo Banchero scored 32 points and Desmond Bane added 24 points before fouling out. Franz Wagner chipped in 22 points for Orlando, which has lost three of its first four games.

Warriors 131, Grizzlies 118

Jonathan Kuminga had a game-high 25 points, Moses Moody scored 12 of his 20 points in a decisive third-quarter spurt and Golden State ran away from visiting Memphis.

Brandin Podziemski poured in 23 points. Jimmy Butler III scored 20 and Stephen Curry added 16 for the Warriors, who led just 70-68 in the third minute of the third period before pulling away.

Ja Morant had a team-high 23 points and nine assists for the Grizzlies, who have alternated wins and losses in their first four games.

Trail Blazers 122, Lakers 108

Deni Avdija scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half and Jrue Holiday notched 17 of his 24 in the second half as Portland recorded a victory over host Los Angeles.

Jerami Grant came off the bench to score 22 points as Portland defeated the Lakers for the second straight time after losing the previous six matchups. Austin Reaves had another big outing with 41 points for the short-handed Lakers and has scored 92 points in the last two nights. Donovan Clingan had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Portland, which is 2-1 under interim coach Tiago Splitter.

Former Trail Blazer DeAndre Ayton had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura and backup Dalton Knecht also had 16 points apiece and Jarred Vanderbilt had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Nuggets 127, Timberwolves 114

Jamal Murray scored 43 points on 16-for-29 shooting and Denver finished strong for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic notched his third triple-double in as many games to start the season with 25 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. poured in 20 points off the bench.

Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead Minnesota. Julius Randle scored 24 points and Naz Reid finished with 18 points off the bench.

Celtics 122, Pelicans 90

Anfernee Simons scored 25 points to lead six Boston double-figure scorers and the visiting Celtics got their first victory of the season while keeping New Orleans winless.

Payton Pritchard added 18 points for the Celtics, who completed a back-to-back that began with a loss at Detroit by beating the Pelicans for the ninth straight meeting.

Jordan Poole scored 22 points and rookie Derik Queen had 12 for the Pelicans, who were without Zion Williamson because of a left foot bone contusion suffered in a loss Friday night. The injury is not believed to be long term.

Bulls 128, Hawks 123

Ayo Dosunmu scored a team-high 21 points and Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic registered double-doubles to lift host Chicago over Atlanta.

A season-high eight players scored in double figures for the Bulls, who secured a 3-0 start. Giddey contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds while Vucevic had 17 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists.

Kristaps Porzingis led all scorers with 27 points for the Hawks. Jalen Johnson followed with 25 points and Trae Young had 21 points and 17 assists.

Cavaliers 116, Pistons 95

Donovan Mitchell pumped in 35 points and visiting Cleveland won its third straight, pounding Detroit.

Mitchell made 13 of 18 from the field and was 7 of 8 at the free-throw line. Jarrett Allen added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Evan Mobley contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

De’Andre Hunter added 13 points, five rebounds and six assists for Cleveland, which led by 22 at halftime. The Cavaliers have defeated the Pistons in 13 of their last 14 meetings. Detroit star guard Cade Cunningham was held to 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting.

Rockets 137, Nets 109

Tari Eason scored 22 points off the bench while Alperen Sengun added 21 to pace a balanced attack for Houston, which thumped visiting Brooklyn.

Eason scored 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the first half to carry the Rockets until Sengun and others joined the fray following the intermission. Kevin Durant paired 19 points with six rebounds while Reed Sheppard added 15 points and eight assists off the bench for Houston, which shot 57.6% overall and converted 16 of 32 3-pointers.

Terance Mann led the Nets with 21 points while Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 18. Cam Thomas followed his 40-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday by missing 6 of 9 shots en route to nine points.

__________________________________________________________

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

SENATORS’ 4-GOAL THIRD SENDS BRUINS TO 7-2 LOSS

Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle each registered two goals and an assist as the Ottawa Senators cruised past the visiting Boston Bruins 7-2 on Monday night.

Batherson factored into the scoring in all three periods, including the game-tying goal at 10:25 of the first. Claude Giroux netted the go-ahead goal at 1:08 of the second, while Stutzle lit the lamp twice to highlight Ottawa’s four-goal final frame.

Fabian Zetterlund posted a goal and an assist, Nick Cousins also scored and Jake Sanderson had three helpers for the Senators, who overcame an early 1-0 deficit and finished 4-for-5 on the power play en route to their third consecutive win.

Ottawa’s Leevi Merilainen stopped 27 of 29 shots after allowing seven goals in his only other start this season.

Morgan Geekie and Viktor Arvidsson scored while Jeremy Swayman made 17 saves for Boston, which has lost six of seven.

The Bruins had a 29-24 advantage in shots, but allowed two goals on four second-period shots from Ottawa.

Geekie opened the scoring 3:06 into the first, picking off an attempted breakout pass and stepping into the left circle for an unassisted wrist shot goal. It was his fifth goal in as many games.

At 10:25, Batherson evened the score with a power-play goal inside the left post after corralling the rebound of Ridly Greig’s shot from the circle.

Ottawa took the lead at 1:08 of the middle frame. Michael Amadio sent a backhander towards goal while driving down the left side, and a wide-open Giroux tipped it home from the crease in front of Swayman.

The visitors remained on the defensive for much of the second period, going until the 8:53 mark without registering a shot on goal. Batherson then made it 3-1 at 14:44, taking advantage of a turnover behind the net as he was wide open for a short-side wrist shot in front.

Just five seconds into a first-minute man advantage in the third, Stutzle cashed in to up the Senators’ lead to 4-1. The centerman skated down the left wing and fired in a top-shelf wrister.

Stutzle made it back-to-back goals for the Ottawa power play, redirecting a Sanderson point shot at 9:33.

At 12:22, Cousins banged in a loose puck after Swayman’s save on Stutzle from the wing popped up at the net front.

Zetterlund capped Ottawa’s scoring just 42 seconds later, scoring off a Thomas Chabot one-time feed to the high left side.

Arvidsson scored from the high slot to bring the Bruins within five with 9.7 seconds left.

PENGUINS’ SIDNEY CROSBY SCORES 1,700TH POINT IN WIN VS. BLUES

Sidney Crosby reached the 1,700-point plateau with a goal and two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the St. Louis Blues 6-3 Monday night.

Crosby, who added two assists, became the ninth player in NHL history to score at least 1,700 points.

Bryan Rust had a goal and two assists and Evgeni Malkin had a goal and assist for the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in six games (5-0-1). Anthony Mantha and Parker Wotherspoon also scored.

Erik Karlsson had three assists, Justin Brazeau chipped in two assists and Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for Pittsburgh.

Nick Bjugstad had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who have lost four straight games (0-3-1). Jordan Kyrou and Mathieu Joseph also scored for St. Louis and Joel Hofer made 19 saves.

Pittsburgh needed just 55 seconds to take a 2-0 lead. Rust scored the first goal 39 seconds in by snapping a shot from the right wing.

Malkin set up Mantha’s goal 16 seconds later. Malkin carried the puck in on the right wing, then sliced to the left side and passed the puck to Mantha at the right post.

The Blues cut the lead to 2-1 less than four minutes later. Nathan Walker fired a cross-ice pass to Bjugstad breaking to the net.

St. Louis pulled even at 2-2 when Kyrou broke toward the right post to convert Brayden Schenn’s pass from the left wing.

The Penguins moved ahead 3-2 while playing 6-on-5 with a penalty pending against the Blues in the second. With Jarry off the ice for an extra attacker, Wotherspoon scored from the left faceoff dot from Crosby’s seam pass.

Pittsburgh increased its lead to 4-2 early in the opening minute of the third with Rust’s redirection of Karlsson’s point shot.

About four minutes later, Joseph cut the Blues’ deficit to 4-3 by converting 2-on-1 rush with a shot off left wing. But Crosby scored on a breakaway for his 1,701st career point at 16:39 and Malkin added an empty-net goal 20 seconds later.

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

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

REPORT: PACERS SIGN MAC MCCLUNG TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

Three-time reigning NBA slam dunk contest champion Mac McClung is joining the Indiana Pacers on a multi-year deal, ESPN reported on Monday.

McClung, 26, who played in six NBA games from 2021-25, landed his first standard contract with the league, though it’s a nonguaranteed contract. In those six games with the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, McClung averaged 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 12.7 minutes.

Per the report, former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman will be waived by Indiana to open a roster spot for McClung.

Wiseman, 24, made his season debut on Saturday and scored four points in 20 minutes in a 128-103 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He missed all but the season opener last season due to an Achilles tear.

McClung, a shooting guard and point guard, will provide backcourt depth with guards Bennedict Mathurin (foot) and Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) listed as day-to-day. Forward Obi Toppin (leg) is also day-to-day.

Indiana is also without point guard T.J. McConnell (hamstring), who is rehabbing from the injury he sustained before the season. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) will miss the season.

___________________________________________________________

++++++++++INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL+++++++++

INDIANA COASTS IN EXHIBITION TUNE-UP

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball shot over 50 percent on the night as it made its way past the Missouri S&T Miners, 100-32, on Monday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

KEY MOMENTS

Indiana went 6-of-8 from the field in the top half of the first quarter as redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont led the way with eight points in the frame.

In the second, Ciezki scored nine of her 12 first half points as she combined with sophomore guard Valentyna Kadlecova (eight points) and freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey to break the lead open 47-19 at the break.

It was all Hoosiers in the second half, allowing just 13 second-half points to the Miners as 10 players scored buckets in the exhibition tune-up.

NOTABLE

Ciezki led the way with 21 points, going 8-for-13 from the floor while Beaumont chipped in double figures with 11

Indiana shot 52% from the floor and added 15 3-pointers (43 percent) while producing 34 points off turnovers.

As a team, IU 21 assists to just 10 turnovers with Caffey and Beaumont leading the way with 5 each.

Freshman forward Maya Makalusky finished the night as the third-leading scorer with 11 points, and tied freshman forward Zania Socka-Nguemen with nine rebounds.

The Hoosiers’ bench scored 38 points against Missouri S&T while all available players saw action in the contest.

UP NEXT

The regular season gets underway on Tuesday, Nov. 4 when IU hosts Lipscomb at 7 p.m. ET.

____________________________________________________________

++++++++++INDIANA VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

VOLLEYBALL CENTRAL: MARYLAND AND PENN STATE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As the second half of the Big Ten season begins this weekend, the Indiana volleyball team (16-4, 7-3 B1G) continues to inch closer to its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2010. Up next on the docket is a trip out east to face Maryland and No. 19 Penn State to begin the month of November.

The Hoosiers played their best game in weeks on Sunday (Oct. 26) afternoon in a sweep of Northwestern. IU’s offense fired at a .361 clip behind 16 kills from senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles. The victory helped IU to its best 10-game Big Ten start (7-3) in program history. Alonso-Corcelles is just four conference wins away from becoming the winningest player in Big Ten action in IU history.

Freshman setter Teodora Kričković continues to play at an All-Big Ten and All-American level. She has helped IU to a .295 hitting percentage this season – a top-10 mark in the entire country. Among all freshmen in the country, she has more assists per set (10.79) than any other first-year players.

IU has a chance to reach levels this year it hasn’t seen in a long time. Head coach Steve Aird’s group is four wins away from the seventh 20-win season in program history and three Big Ten wins away from the seventh 10-win conference season of all-time. The Hoosiers have 10 games remaining in the regular season.

This weekend’s action will begin on Friday night (Oct. 31) in College Park at 7 p.m. The Hoosiers will travel over to State College for a Sunday (Nov. 2) contest on the Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. IU is just one win away from matching a program record for road victories in a single season.

Gameday Info

at Maryland (Friday, October 31st – 7 p.m.)

Live Video: bit.ly/47ng0Um

Live Stats: bit.ly/4o2jyCx

at #19 Penn State (Sunday, November 2nd – 4 p.m.)

Live Video: bit.ly/44wik9K

Live Stats: bit.ly/4798wpq

Stat and Trends

• Indiana has never won a road game at Penn State in program history. It has had 32 tries against the eight-time national champions but has never cracked the door all the way open. In 2023, IU took Penn State to five sets but couldn’t complete the deal. The two sides were tied at nine-all in the fifth set before Penn State closed on a 6-2 run.

• Senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum has provided production in every facet of the game this season. She’s had at least 10 points in 18 of IU’s 20 matches this season. In 14 of IU’s contests this season, she’s had at least 10 kills for the team. She’s averaging 3.33 kills per set and 3.80 points per set this season.

• The Hoosiers have had great success when the offense is humming this season. When IU hits above .250, it is 14-2 on the season. The only two losses came against top-20 opponents Purdue and Minnesota. When three players go for at least 10 kills in the same match, IU has a 7-2 mark on the year.

Notable

B1G START: Indiana is off to its best 10-game start to Big Ten play after reaching the halfway point in conference play at 7-3. It surpasses the 6-4 start from both 1985 and 2023. The first 10 games of league action saw the Hoosiers take down four teams away from Bloomington.

DYNAMIC DUO: Indiana’s veteran duo of senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles and senior opposite Avry Tatum has helped lead the charge on a great season so far. They are the only active Big Ten duo to each record over 1,000 kills during their time in college.

CHASING 20: The Hoosiers will have a chance at a number of records this season. One of those is the search for the seventh 20-win season in program history – and the second under head coach Steve Aird. IU is just four wins away from a 20-win campaign and three wins away from a 10-win Big Ten season.

BALANCE ON THE PINS: Indiana is the only Big Ten team who has three different players averaging at least 3.30 kills per set this season. On seven different occasions this year, all three of IU’s pin hitters have gone for 10+ kills each. Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles leads the team with 3.47 kills per set.

CANDE IS A WINNER: Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles has been a big winner during her time in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have 68 overall wins and 35 in conference play since she joined the team in 2022. She’s just four Big Ten wins away from having the most league wins of any player in program history.

AIRD RETURNS HOME: Two of IU’s coaches will return to their roots this weekend. Head coach Steve Aird played volleyball at Penn State (1997-2001), helping them to three national semifinals. He later coached under the legendary Russ Rose (2007, 2012-13) before becoming the head coach at Maryland (2014-17). Assistant coach Kevin Hodge also played volleyball at Penn State.

EXTREMELY EFFICIENT: Indiana is top-10 nationally this season in hitting percentage (.295). IU is one of three teams in the Big Ten in the top 10 of the national rankings. Senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum is hitting .358 on the year, third highest of any right-side attacker in the country.

MORE FROM T: Freshman setter Teodora Kričković already has the most single-season assists (755) by a freshman during the current scoring era (since 2008). On the year, she has more assists per set (10.79) than any other freshman setter in the entire country and is second among all Big Ten players in the category.

CHAR DEBUTS: Freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson made her collegiate debut on Sunday, Oct. 12 at Michigan State, completing a long journey back to the court. She was on life support in spring of 2024 with toxic shock syndrome but has fully recovered and is expected to be a big part of IU’s future plans.

Scouting the Opponent

Maryland (8-12, 1-9 Big Ten)

• Maryland will look to get back on track in conference play following a tough weekend out in Los Angeles. Eighth-year head coach Adam Hughes, a close friend of IU head coach Steve Aird, picked up his first Big Ten win of the year two weeks ago against Rutgers.

• Tennessee transfer and six-rotation opposite hitter Ajack Malual has been phenomenal in Maryland’s offense this season. She averages 4.40 points per set and leads the team with 3.57 kills per set. When the Terrapins pass the ball well, middle blocker Eva Rohrbach can give Maryland 1.57 kills per set.

• Per usual, Maryland has been a tough blocking team this season. It has 205.5 blocks on the season with four players having over 50 blocks this year. On four occasions this season, Rohrbach has provided at least 10 blocks in a single match.

Penn State (13-7, 7-3 Big Ten)

• Penn State has gotten back on track after a rocky start to Big Ten play. Much of that is thanks to opposite hitter Kennedy Martin, one of the best players in the country. She leads the Big Ten with 5.26 kills per set and is hitting .321 on over 860 attempts this season. The next best player averages just 2.31 kills per set

• Addie Lyon has had to step in and run the offense after All-American setter Izzy Starck stepped away from the team. Penn State is hitting .253 on the year and has middle blocker Maggie Mendelson swinging at a .385 clip this year.

• Veteran libero Gillian Grimes continues to anchor Penn State’s defense this year. She averages 3.32 digs per set and is passing at above a 2.30 on a 3.00-point scale this year. Blocking hasn’t been a strength of the Nittany Lions but Jordan Hopp has provided 71 rejections this year.

Inside the Series

Maryland

• The Terrapins own a slight advantage in the all-time series, 11-8, but IU has won three-straight contests overall and three straight in College Park. Head coach Steve Aird has been on the bench for one of the programs in 16 of the 19 all-time contests.

• Aird is 5-3 as the head coach in this matchup when the game is played in College Park. IU has won four of the last five matches in the series. It has swept the last two contests played at the Xfinity Pavilion.

Penn State

• To no surprise, the eight-time national champions have dominated the all-time series. Penn State is 62-1 all-time against the Hoosiers. It’s only loss was a four-set loss in 2010, the same year it went on to win the National Championship.

• Much like Maryland, Steve Aird has a lot of experience in this series as well. The head man played at Penn State and spent many years on staff under Russ Rose. He was college roommates with current Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. In 2023, IU went to five sets for the first time in program history against Penn State.

___________________________________________________________

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

FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: AT MARYLAND (WEEK 10)

GAME 9

No. 2/2 Indiana (8-0, 5-0 B1G) at Maryland (4-3, 1-3 B1G)
Saturday, November 1, 2025
SECU Stadium | College Park, Md.

Setting The Scene

• No. 2/2 Indiana will head east to face Maryland on Saturday (Nov. 1) at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS inside SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland.
• Indiana won last year’s contest, 42-28, in Bloomington. Prior to that, the two teams each won three games in a row in the series during the six seasons prior with Maryland taking each game from 2021-23 and Indiana winning each of their matchups from 2018-20.\
• Indiana leads the all-time series against Maryland 8-5 and is 6-5 against them as Big Ten opponents. This will be the 12th consecutive meeting between the two programs as they have faced one another every season since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014..

News & Notes

• Indiana’s ranking in both the AP and USA Today/US LBM Coaches Poll is No. 2, the highest in program history.
• The 19 victories since the beginning of the 2024 season are the most in any two-year span in program history and rank tied for No. 3 nationally over that span. The 13 Big Ten wins during that span are also the most in a two-year stretch in IU history. MORE ON PAGE 5
• Indiana is 8-0 to start a season for the third time in program history after its 56-6 win over UCLA (10/25) in Week 9. It is the second-straight season Indiana has started 8-0 to mark the first time in program history consecutive seasons were started at 8-0 or better. The eight wins are tied for No. 4 in program history.
• Indiana’s 5-0 start in Big Ten play marks the third time in program history an Indiana team started with an unblemished mark through at least five conference games (7-0, 2024; 5-0, 1967).
• The Hoosiers are 39-27-1 all-time as a ranked team, which includes a 32-20-1 mark in Big Ten play.
• Indiana’s 14-game home winning streak is the longest streak in program history and No. 3 nationally among active streaks. MORE ON PAGE 5
• The 50-point margin of victory over the Bruins is the second time in 2025 that IU won a conference game by 50-plus points. That is the first time since 2018 (Clemson) that a Power 4 team won multiple conference games by 50-plus points in the same season.
• Indiana allowed just one third-down conversion versus UCLA (1-for-11) to mark the eighth time since 1992 that an opponent converted one-or-fewer third downs.
• With 88 yards rushing allowed to UCLA, Indiana’s defense has held an opponent to fewer than 100-yards rushing for the seventh time in 2025, the second-most in program history (8, 2024) since at least 1958.
• Fernando Mendoza‘s threw for three touchdowns against UCLA to put him at 24 passing touchdowns on the season, the most of any player in the FBS and the Big Ten. MORE ON PAGE 7
• Elijah Sarratt has a catch in all 46 games of his career and is the nation’s active leader for consecutive games with a reception. Sarratt had his tenth touchdown of the season against UCLA, making him the ninth IU receiver with 10-plus receiving scores and first since Shane Wynn had 11 in 2013. MORE ON PAGE 9
• Sarratt leads the Big Ten with 10 receiving touchdowns and Omar Cooper Jr. is tied for No. 2 with seven.
• Aiden Fisher posted his first-career pick-6 on his first interception as a Hoosier and second of his career (at Utah State; 2023) on UCLA’s first offensive possession. MORE ON PAGE 12
• Isaiah Jones has logged at least 0.5 tackle for loss in every game of 2025. Jones leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss (11.5) and is tied for third in the conference in sacks (5.0). He forced his first career fumble when he stripped the ball from UCLA’s Jalen Berger in the second quarter and Hosea Wheeler recovered it. MORE ON PAGE 12

COMPLETE GAME NOTES: https://static.iuhoosiers.com/custompages/PDF/fb/2025/25-11-01-Notes_at_Maryland.pdf

______________________________________________________________

++++++++++PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

PURDUE SCORES 118 IN EXHIBITION WIN OVER PURDUE NORTHWEST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team rolled to a 118-42 exhibition win over Purdue Northwest on Monday night in Mackey Arena, marking the third most points by a Boilermaker squad in an exhibition in program history.

All 10 players who entered the game put their name on the scoresheet. Purdue was led offensively by sophomore forward Lana McCarthy’s 16 points, with Nya Smith, Hila Karsh and Tara Daye adding 15 points each.

The Boilermakers shot 63.9% from the field and connected on 10 3-pointers. Eight of the 10 active players dished out an assist, as Purdue finished with 31 helpers on 46 made field goals.

Purdue tallied 39 points on 23 Pride turnovers, while scoring 68 points in the paint.

Purdue pitched a shutout over the opening 7:40 of the first quarter. The Boilermakers jumped out to a 17-0 lead on 7-of-13 shooting with five assists on the run, leading to a 23-5 advantage after the first quarter.

After adding 10 points to the lead in the second, the Boilermakers outscored Purdue Northwest by 27 points in the third and 21 points in the fourth.

NOTES

• Purdue has won 46 straight exhibition contests.

• The record for most points in an exhibition was 120 when the Boilermakers defeated Moldavia 120-62 ahead of the 1993-94 season.

• Purdue is 5-0 in exhibitions under Katie Gearlds, scoring 100 or more points in the last three contests.

UP NEXT

The Boilermakers will open the 2025-26 regular season next Monday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. against Fairleigh Dickinson at Mackey Arena. The game will be streamed on B1G+.

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++++++++++PURDUE VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

HEANEY, ANDERSON RECEIVE BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARD ACCOLADES

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Following a pair of wins against teams ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA poll, Grace Heaney was selected as Big Ten Player of the Week and Taylor Anderson Big Ten Setter of the Week, guiding the volleyball squad to a dominant 3-0 sweep at Illinois (10/24) and a 3-2 reverse sweep against No. 20 Minnesota (10/26).

In total, Purdue has racked up a league-leading seven Big Ten weekly awards and stands as the only program to have two different athletes earn the Player of the Week nod this season.

Heaney earned her first-ever weekly award as the only player in the league to rank in the top-10 in kills per set (4.38) and hitting % (.431%). The Omaha, Nebraska native began the weekend with a one-attack-error-match with 16 kills on 28 swings for a .536 hitting % – marks which led all players in kills and efficiency.

Then, two days later against No. 20 Minnesota, she totaled 22 kills on a .364 clip with 11 digs for her third career double-double. Heaney started the match strong, going errorless on the attack in the first set (8-0-11) for a .727 attack %. Moreover, her performance was key in the reverse-sweep win, scoring the final two points for Purdue as the Gophers nearly swept the Boilers, scoring the go-ahead point for the 26-25 advantage and then was on the set-winning block immediately after to force a fourth set.

Anderson earned her second straight Setter of the Week nod after leading all Power 4 players with her 59 assist-showing against No. 20 Minnesota. The 59 assists were a Big Ten match career-high and one shy of her overall career-best. Moreover, in the match, she came two digs shy of a double-double.

Overall, she ran an efficient offense with saw a .310 average attack % while totaling 91 assists (11.38 per set). The junior started the week by registering a double-double with 32 assists, 11 digs at Illinois. In the match, she led the team to hit .376%, with just eight attack errors (second-lowest mark this season) and two sets with the team hitting above .440%.

Also announced on Monday, Purdue has risen one spot to No. 10 in the AVCA poll, re-entering the top-10 for the second time this season. Purdue has been ranked for 137 consecutive weeks, have ranked in the top-10 for 43 weeks since the Spring 2021 season, and have spent 71 of the last 88 weeks in the top-15.

This week, the Boilermakers will once again hit the road for the last back-to-back away matches of the season. First, Purdue will take on Michigan State on Friday at 7 p.m. ET followed by a Sunday afternoon 2 p.m. start at Michigan. Both matches will be streamed on B1G+.

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++++++++++PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

#1 PURDUE FACES UINDY IN FINAL EXHIBITION TUNEUP

PURDUE IN EXHIBITION GAMES

First Meeting: Dec. 28, 1973 (Purdue 106, SubPac 91)

Overall Record: 70-10

Under Matt Painter: 30-3

Current Streak: Opponent, win-1

At Purdue: 70-7

Mackey Arena: 70-7

Current Streak: Purdue, win-35

On the Road: 0-3

Current Streak: Opponent, win-3

In Overtime: Opponent leads, 1-0

Most Purdue Points: 117 vs. Russia Select (Nov. 9, 1997)

Mackey Arena: 117 vs. Russia Select (Nov. 9, 1997)

On the Road: 87 at [15] Creighton (Oct. 26, 2024)

Most Opponent Points: 93 by [15] Creighton (Oct. 26, 2024)

Mackey Arena: 91 by SubPac (Dec. 28, 1973)

On the Road: 93 by [15] Creighton (Oct. 26, 2024)

Largest Purdue Victory: 58 (99-41) vs. Grand Valley State (Oct. 30, 2024)

Largest Opponent Victory: 19 (64-83) vs. Harlem Globetrotters (Nov. 5, 2002)

Purdue vs. Opponent When Both Teams are Ranked: 0-3

Top-10 Showdowns: 0-1

THE SCENE SETTER

• For the first time during the 2025-26 season, the No. 1-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team tips it off in Mackey Arena, hosting the University of Indianapolis in its final tune-up for the regular season. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the contest will be streamed online by B1G+.

• Purdue is looking to tighten up its game after falling at No. 9 Kentucky on Friday night 78-65. Purdue has won 35 straight exhibition games at Mackey Arena, dating to a loss to the Harlem Globetrotters in November 2002.

• Following the exhibition contest against UIndy, Purdue sets its sights on the regular-season when Evansville (Tuesday, Nov. 4) and Oakland (Friday, Nov. 7) visit during the opening week of play.

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• Although the game doesn’t count in the official record, Purdue will be looking to bounce back from an exhibition loss to Kentucky on Friday in Wednesday’s contest against UIndy. Purdue fell to No. 9 Kentucky in Rupp Arena on Friday night, marking the third straight season that Purdue has lost an exhibition game in a difficult road venue (Arkansas – 2023; Creighton – 2024; Kentucky – 2025).

• Purdue has won its last three home exhibition games by a total of 150 points (102-57 vs. Truman State; 98-51 vs. Grace; 99-41 vs. Grand Valley State).

• The Boilermakers shot just 22-of-57 (.386) from the field and an icy 3-of-17 (.176) from 3-point range, despite generating outstanding offensive looks throughout the game. Purdue only turned the ball over seven times, but was outrebounded 42-30. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith combined for 44 points, but went just 14-of-42 (.333) from the field in the setback. The rest of the team went 8-of-15 (.533) from the field.

• Purdue is ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll for the first time in school history. It marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that Purdue has achieved a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll, after never reaching No. 1 prior to the 2021-22 season.

• Purdue has now been ranked No. 1 in four of the last five seasons (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2025-26), becoming the seventh school in AP poll history to do so (Duke, UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Gonzaga, Purdue).

• Purdue’s 14 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll since the 2021-22 season are the most in the country (Auburn – 11; Houston 10; Gonzaga – 9).

• Among players returning nationally, Braden Smith is the top-returning assist man, Oscar Cluff is the second-leading rebounder and double-double man, Liam Murphy is ninth among all players in 3-pointers made last season and Trey Kaufman-Renn is the 10th-returning leading scorer.

• Braden Smith has been named as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, while Trey Kaufman-Renn joined him on the first team.

• Braden Smith is already the only player in Big Ten conference history to amass 1,350 points, 750 assists, 500 rebounds and 175 steals in a career. He is one of 14 players in NCAA history to reach those marks.

• Purdue has had a consensus First- or Second-Team All-American in seven of the past nine seasons despite never enrolling a top-30 recruiting class or a top-30 prospect at any point during that span.

• Matt Painter ranks fourth on the Big Ten’s list for career wins with 471, trailing only Tom Izzo (737), Bob Knight (662) and Gene Keady (512) in Big Ten history. Painter has 496 career victories and with four more victories, Painter will become the seventh-fastest active coach to reach 500 wins (Few, Calipari, Self, Pitino, Izzo, Bennett).

• Purdue has sold out its ticket allotment for the upcoming season, stretching its sellout streak in Mackey Arena to 106 games by the time the March 7, game against Wisconsin rolls around. Purdue enters the season with 89 straight sellouts dating to Jan. 15, 2019 (Rutgers).

• Purdue basketball has had two coaches in 46 seasons (Gene Keady, Matt Painter), accounting for 983 wins and 11 Big Ten titles.

• The only schools nationally to have just two coaches since 1980 are Duke (Mike Krzyzewski, Jon Scheyer), Syracuse (Jim Boeheim, Adrian Autry), Oakland (Lee Frederick, Greg Kampe), Michigan State (Jud Heathcote, Tom Izzo) and Purdue.

• Painter is the ninth-longest tenured head coach at one school in the country (Kampe, Izzo, Mark Few – Gonzaga, James Jones – Yale, Randy Bennett – Saint Mary’s, Scott Drew – Baylor, Bill Self – Kansas, Gary Manchel – Mercyhurst).

• Braden Smith has been named first-team All-Big Ten twice previously (2024, 2025). With another first-team honor this season, he would become the fifth Purdue player since 1948 (Dave Schellhase, Terry Dischinger, Rick Mount, Robbie Hummel) to be named to three All-Big Ten first teams.

• Purdue became the first school in Big Ten history to have its players win three straight Player of the Year honors (Zach Edey – 2023, 2024; Braden Smith – 2025).

• Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer is the only set of teammates nationally to have scored at least 1,250 career points while playing every year at the same school.

• Smith ranks second in career scoring among players that have been in the Big Ten for their whole careers (1,375 points) behind Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton (1,487 points). Fletcher Loyer is third (1,281 points).

• A Purdue player has led the country in two-point field goals made in each of the last two seasons (2024 – Zach Edey; 2025 – Trey Kaufman-Renn). Since the year 2000, Purdue has three of the top-nine single-season totals in 2-point field goals made (Edey – 335; Edey – 290; Kaufman-Renn – 289).

• Purdue’s senior class enters the year needing 36 wins to tie the Big Ten record for the most wins by a class during their four years. The record is 123 by Ohio State (Class of 2013).

• Purdue’s senior class has won in every Big Ten arena that it has played in except Northwestern. It will get a chance to win in Welsh-Ryan Arena on March 4. In addition, it will get a chance to win at both UCLA and USC, which would give the group a win in road games against the other 17 programs in the Big Ten.

• Braden Smith (758) needs just eight assists to move into third place on the Big Ten’s caeer assists chart (Illinois’ Bruce Douglas – 765).

____________________________________________________________

++++++++++NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

HIDALGO NAMED TO NANCY LIEBERMAN POINT GUARD OF THE YEAR PRESEASON TOP 20 WATCHLIST

Another week, another honor for Hannah Hidalgo, as she has been named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watchlist.

The junior guard has already been selected the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and an AP Preseason All-American heading into the 2025-26 campaign.

The highly-touted Hidalgo had an incredible sophomore season averaging 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.7 steals per game last season. She was the only player on the men’s or women’s side to average at least 20.0 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game and 3.0 steals per game while shooting at least .400 from three-point range and .850 from the free throw line since 2000.

The point guard joins five other players from the ACC to be placed on the preseason watch list.

Hidalgo and Fighting Irish open the season in Purcell Pavilion with an Oct. 30 exhibition against Purdue Northwest at 7 p.m. and a home opener on Nov. 5 against Fairleigh Dickinson at 7 p.m.

__________________________________________________________

++++++++++NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

BURTON LANDS ON BOB COUSY AWARD WATCH LIST

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Notre Dame fans know it, ACC fans know it, and now the collegiate landscape is starting to take notice. Notre Dame men’s basketball junior Markus Burton landed on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List on Monday afternoon.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 20-player watch list, named after the Class of 1971 Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard. The award is celebrating its 23rd year by highlighting the top point guard in Division I men’s college basketball.

The last Irish player to appear on the Bob Cousy Preseason Watch List was Matt Farrell ahead of the 2017-18 season. Fan voting starts on Friday, October 31. More on that below, along with the complete top-20 watch list.

Burton averaged 21.3 points per game last season, which ranks as the third most amongst returners this year. During ACC play, he was even better, averaging a league-best 23.5 ppg.

The Mishawaka native was also the team’s best distributor, averaging 3.0 assists per game last season. He joined Notre Dame great David Rivers as the only players in program history to average both 20+ points and 3+ assists in a season.

Last season, Burton’s true shooting percentage climbed to 54.8 percent while his turnover rate dropped to 14.7 percent. He also increased his three-point shooting percentage to 37.5 percent (up 7.5 percent) and free-throw percentage to 84.8 percent.

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++++++++++NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BEGINS 2025-26 CAMPAIGN WITH EXHIBITION AGAINST TAYLOR

INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler University women’s basketball team will host the Taylor Trojans on Tuesday for an exhibition at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tip-off at Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral is scheduled for 7 p.m. This will be the Bulldogs only public exhibition prior to the season starting next week.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Time: 7 PM

Location: Indianapolis, Ind. – Hinkle Fieldhouse

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

Butler went 16-18 in 2024-25 posting an 11-6 record at Hinkle. BU finished 5-13 in conference play picking up wins over Georgetown, Marquette, Xavier and Providence.

The Bulldogs earned a berth in the 2025 WNIT Tournament and advanced to the second round after defeating UIC 61-54. Lily Zeinstra led the squad with 16 points on an efficient 6-for-10 shooting performance from the floor. Zeinstra chipped in three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The Bulldogs have earned back-to-back WNIT berths under head coach Austin Parkinson.

Butler returns three letterwinners from a year ago and added nine new players to the team with the addition of seven transfers and two freshmen.

Zeinstra returns for BU in 2025-26 after a stellar freshman campaign. The Byron Center, Michigan native averaged 26.2 minutes per game while chipping in 7.6 ppg and 2.9 rebounds per game.

BU’s transfer class includes 2023-24 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year Kennedy Langham (Samford), ESPN’s No. 60 recruit in the Class of 2024 McKenna Johnson (Minnesota), 2024-25 America East Conference Sixth Player of the Year Caroline Dotsey (Maine), twins Nevaeh Jackson and Saniya Jackson from Valparaiso, Mallory Miller (Arizona State), and Gabby Wilke (South Dakota).

Last season, Butler had seven players shoot 40% or higher from the field and had five players shoot 35% or better from 3-point range.

In 2024-25, BU was second in the conference in bench points per game averaging 19.5 ppg.

Assistant Coach Chelsey Perry served on Taylor’s staff last season in an assistant role before joining the Bulldog staff this past summer. BU opened last season with an exhibition against Taylor and secured a 99-48 victory in the contest.

Austin Parkinson enters his fourth season at the helm of the Bulldogs. Parkinson has led the squad to 42 wins in his first three seasons. The Kokomo, Indiana native earned his 266th career win against UIC in the WNIT last season.

SCOUTING TAYLOR

Taylor posted a 7-21 overall record in 2024-25. The Trojans went 5-9 at home and 2-12 on the road while posting a 2-16 record in the WHAC.

Whitney Warfel returns for the Trojans after averaging 11.1 ppg and 3.8 rpg while shooting 39% from the field.

Cassie Wiseman enters her third season at the helm of the Trojans. Wiseman has coached two All-Crossroads League players and had 10 student-athletes named NAIA Scholar-Athletes during her tenure.

Wiseman is a 2008 Butler graduate and was a four-year letterwinner with the Bulldogs. Wiseman was a two-year captain at BU and received the Butler University Athletics Leadership Award in 2008. In her career, Wiseman tallied 574 points and 382 rebounds while playing in 117 games.

2025-26 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TICKETS: Season tickets remain on sale, providing the best seating locations still available for the upcoming season. Contact the Butler Ticket Office at tickets@butler.edu or 317-940-DOGS (3647) to place your order. Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 Butler Women’s Basketball season went on sale beginning October 2, and are available through ButlerSports.com/BuyTickets.

Butler University Upgrades Iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse with Dynamic LED Video

Technology consultant Anthony James Partners (AJP) provided design, procurement, and construction administration services for the upgrades, supporting Butler in selecting SNA Displays to manufacture and install more than 2,700 square feet of LED video display technology, including a center hung display system, baseline LED ribbons, multiple courtside tables, and other digital signage.

The centerpiece of the project is a new LED center hung display consisting of four curved, 14-foot-tall video screens seamlessly connected to create a continuous 360-degree video surface. Each side features a 4 mm pixel pitch for increased pixel density and clarity. The center hung also includes custom static lettering along the top ring of the structure and a team-branded Bulldog logo facing downward toward the playing surface.

Other video signage includes 3-foot-high LED ribbons along the second-level fascia at both ends of the Fieldhouse, two 19-foot-long vomitory displays between the second and third levels, and eight new courtside mobile scorer’s tables equipped with LED screens. For recruitment and training purposes, the project also features two new ASPECT™ all-in-one 16:9 video screens from SNA Displays in an adjacent practice facility, directly integrated into the new control management system.

UP NEXT

Butler will host Wright State on Monday, November 3 marking the official start of the 2025-26 season. Tip-off at Hinkle Fieldhouse will be at 11 a.m. as BU hosts its annual Kids Day game. A link to a live stream and live stats will be made available on Butlersports.com.

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++++++++++BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

BULLDOGS CLOSE EXHIBITION PORTION OF SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WELCOMING INDIANA STATE TO HINKLE

Butler vs. Indiana State

Exhibition

Wednesday, Oct. 29 • 7PM

Hinkle Fieldhouse • Indianapolis, Ind.

TV/Stream: None

Radio/Audio: Fuego 92.7FM, Butler Sports App & ButlerSports.com • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)

The Series (Even though this exhibition won’t count toward the series record): Butler Leads, 70-57

First Meeting: Jan. 15, 1904; Butler won, 28-16

Last Meeting: Dec. 7, 2016; Indiana State won, 72-71

Indiana State is Butler’s most-played opponent as the teams have played 127 contests.

Matta of Facts

• The Bulldogs host Indiana State Wednesday night in Butler’s second and final exhibition of the preseason.

• Butler dropped a 77-76 exhibition decision to Notre Dame Oct. 17; neither team had a player see more than 21 minutes of action.

• Finley Bizjack led Butler with 16 points in the exhibition, hitting four three-pointers. Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor and Jamie Kaiser Jr. each scored 12 points for Butler.

• Indiana State head coach Matthew Graves is a 1998 Butler graduate who finished his playing career with 994 points. He was a member of Butler’s coaching staff from 2001-13. Graves is currently on a medical leave of absence following heart surgery.

• Graves and Thad Matta are two of the four Butler graduates currently serving as Division I men’s head coaches (joining Baylor’s Scott Drew and the Miami RedHawks’ Travis Steele).

• After graduating from Butler in 1990, Matta began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Indiana State (1990-91 season).

• Butler’s roster includes 11 newcomers in addition to Kaiser, who missed all of last season due to an ankle injury.

• Bizjack, a junior, returns for the Bulldogs after starting 30 games a season ago; sophomore Evan Haywood is the only other returner to have started during the 2024-25 season (the final two games of the season).

• Butler returns only 15.3 percent of its scoring from a season ago (400 of their 2,616 points during the 2024-25 season). Bizjack accounts for 350 of those 400 returning points.

• Bizjack scored a career-best 30 points in Butler’s season finale, a loss to Boise State in the quarterfinals of the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. Bizjack went a career-high 6-for-9 from three-point range in that game.

• Bizjack joins newcomers Jalen Jackson, Michael Ajayi, Drayton Jones, and Yame Butler as players on this season’s Butler roster who have each scored 30 or more points in at least one game of their respective collegiate careers.

• Four of Butler’s newcomers have earned all-conference first team honors at a previous institution: Jackson (Purdue Fort Wayne; 2024-25 Horizon League), Ajayi (Pepperdine; 2023-24 West Coast Conference), Jones (South Carolina State; 2024-25 MEAC), and Yohan Traore (UC Santa Barbara; 2023-24 Big West).

• Thirty-one (31) BIG EAST players averaged double figures in scoring last season; Bizjack is one of only seven who return for the 2025-26 season — Zuby Ejiofor (SJU), Solo Ball and Alex Karaban (UConn), Malik Mack (Georgetown), CJ Gunn (DePaul), and Chase Ross (Marquette).

• Thad Matta has averaged 24.3 wins per season and has won 70.1 percent of his games as a head coach in his 20 seasons on the bench.

• Butler’s five-member freshman class — Jackson Keith, Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor, Jack McCaffery, Azavier “Stink” Robinson, and Bryson Cardinal was ranked No. 25 nationally by ESPN. Both McCaffery and Robinson were included among ESPN’s Top 100 prospects in the class.

• Butler’s entire coaching staff returns from last season.

• Butler was 14-5 when leading at halftime last season (and 1-14 when trailing after 20 minutes).

• Butler was 10-1 when scoring 80 or more points last season with the only loss coming in the season finale (100-93 to Boise State in the College Basketball Crown quarterfinals).

• Butler committed an average of only 13.6 fouls per game last season, the 13th-fewest total among teams nationally.

• A point of emphasis this season will be forcing more turnovers as Butler opponents turned the ball over only 7.74 times per game on average last season, a mark that was 354th nationally.

• Butler committed only one turnover in the regular season finale at Creighton March 8. Villanova also had only a single turnover in their Dec. 21 game at Creighton. Prior to the two occurrences this season, the last BIG EAST team to have only one turnover in a game was Louisville, which had one turnover Feb. 7, 2007 against Georgetown (Rick Pitino was the coach of that Louisville team).

Representing Their Country

• Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor led Team Canada to a fifth-place finish in the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2025 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Oliogu-Elabor averaged 12.9 points per game, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line during the tournament. He added 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He finished second on the team in scoring, registering double-figure points in five games highlighted by 21 points against Germany in pool play. Canada capped the event with a win over Australia in the fifth-place game, running their record to 5-2 overall in the event.

• Finley Bizjack represented the United States in the 2024 U23 Nations League Americas, an international 3×3 event in July in Mexico City…over the course of the event, the American men posted an impressive 11-3 record, winning the Americas conference.

• Kevin Ndzie played with the Cameroon Senior National Team in qualifying games for 2025 FIBA AfroBasket.

• Yohan Traore and Victor Wembanyama were teammates on the French U16 national team that won a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship.

Bulldog Legend Gordon Hayward Named Executive Basketball Advisor for Butler Men’s Basketball

Butler Athletics Hall of Famer and 14-year NBA standout Gordon Hayward will provide additional leadership within the Bulldog men’s basketball program in the role of Executive Basketball Advisor.

Hayward will volunteer his time in the newly-created position, working alongside head coach Thad Matta, General Manager/Director of Player Personnel Tony Bollier, and Vice President/Director of Athletics Grant Leiendecker on the program’s highest-level initiatives. Hayward will lean on his NBA experience to advise on talent evaluation and recruitment, player development, and team culture. He will serve in a mentorship role to student-athletes within the program, focusing on leadership and professional development.

Hayward, who was inducted into the Butler Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022, retired from the NBA in 2024 after a successful 14-year career. Drafted by the Utah Jazz with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft after leading Butler to the national championship game, Hayward would average 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game during his professional career. He was an All-Star in 2017 with Utah before signing with the Boston Celtics and his former Butler coach Brad Stevens as a free agent that summer. Following his seven seasons in Utah, he spent three seasons in Boston, three full seasons in Charlotte, and split his final 2023-24 season between Charlotte and Oklahoma City.

Hayward starred at Butler for two seasons (2008-09 and 2009-10) before starting his successful NBA career. Hayward was selected as the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA West Regional in 2010, leading the Bulldogs to the program’s first Final Four appearance. At the Final Four, he was chosen as a member of the All-Tournament Team. He earned All-Horizon League first-team honors in each of his two seasons and was the 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year. In just two seasons, he scored 992 points and had 512 rebounds. Hayward earned Academic All-America third-team honors in 2009-10.

Butler University Upgrades Iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse with Dynamic LED Video

Butler and North Carolina Agree to Home-and-Home Series Beginning in 2026-27

Butler and North Carolina have agreed to a men’s basketball home-and-home series that will feature games during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons.

The teams will play in Chapel Hill in either November or December of 2026 before the Bulldogs host the Tar Heels at Hinkle Fieldhouse in either November or December of 2027.

The two programs have split six previous meetings. The teams first met during the 1928-29 season with Butler winning 43-20 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler posted wins at both the 2012 Maui Invitational and the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis. The most recent tip between the two teams came in the Sweet 16 of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. UNC posted a 92-80 win in Memphis, Tenn.

________________________________________________________________

++++++++++BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

VOLLEYBALL HOSTS MIAMI TUESDAY FOR SILENT SET NIGHT

THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women’s volleyball team closes a three-match homestand Tuesday, when it hosts Miami for a 6 p.m. first serve at Worthen Arena … From there, the Cardinals travel to Kent State for matches Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (4 p.m.).

TUESDAY’S PROMOTIONS: Tuesday’s match will serve as Silent Set Night for the Cardinals … This unique night, run in conjunction with the Chasing Greatness Foundation, features NO CHEERING from fans until the HOME TEAM scores 9 points … Ball State’s Audiology Clinic will have a booth to promote hearing health and wellness.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans unable to attend this week’s matches in person have several ways to follow the #MACtion … All three contests will be broadcast live on ESPN+ … Live stats will be available courtesy of host institutions … Updates from the matches will also be provided on the team’s X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.

MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATION: Ball State women’s volleyball team received 102 points in the league’s annual coaches’ poll, trailing only defending regular season champion Bowling Green (119) … With coaches unable to vote for their own teams, BGSU earned 10 of the 12 votes to win the MAC regular season title, with the Cardinals claiming the other two … The Falcons were also selected as the favorite to win the MAC Volleyball Championship with 10 votes, while Buffalo and Central Michigan each garnered one vote.

PRESEASON HONORS: In addition to the team rankings, the MAC announced its annual Preseason All-MAC Team … Representing Ball State are sophomore outside Carson Tyler and sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter … Tyler was named the 2024 MAC and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year after ranking first on the team and seventh in the league with a 3.34 kills-per-set average last season … Ledbetter earned a nod on the 2024 MAC All-Freshman team after leading the squad and ranking 10th in the MAC with a 3.68 digs-per-set average.

BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters Tuesday’s match versus Miami with a 1048-667-2 (.611) all-time record in women’s volleyball … Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 … All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 MAC West Division Championships, 10 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles … Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons … BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 329-104 (.760) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 245-63 (.795) ledger versus league foes … Overall, no MAC opponent owns a winning record inside Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals have at least a .630 winning percentage against all league schools on its current home floor … Tuesday’s opponent Miami is 8-17 (.320) all-time in the building.

BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 10-1 record in MAC play this season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 469-226 (.675) all-time MAC mark … Western Michigan is second on the list, four matches behind the Cardinals at 465-230 (.668), while Tuesday’s opponent Miami is fourth at 403-292 (.580).

ABOUT THE 10-0 START TO #MACtion: While it’s season-long 10-match winning streak came to an end Saturday vs. Ohio, Ball State’s 10-0 start to MAC play tied as the third-best league start in program history … The Cardinals also won its first 10 conference matches of the 1997 campaign … Ball State has also gone undefeated in league play twice, boasting an 18-0 mark in 1993, followed by a 17-0 record in 1994.

CURRENTLY IN THE MAC: With its 10-1 league mark, Ball State owns a two-match lead in the MAC standings, with Toledo and Western Michigan tied for second at 8-3 … Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Ohio are currently tied for fourth at 6-5 … The top six teams in the final league standings advance to the 2025 MAC Volleyball Championship held Nov. 21-23 at Bowling Green’s Stroh Center … Miami is currently the first team out with its 5-6 MAC ledger.

SCOUTING BALL STATE:

• The Cardinals enter the week with a 14-9 overall record, including a 10-1 record in Mid-American Conference play … Ball State extended its season-long winning streak to 10 matches with a reverse sweep over Ohio last Friday, before the Bobcats handed BSU its first league loss of the season with a 3-0 win Saturday.

• Despite suffering its first league loss of the season last weekend, Ball State remained the top-ranked MAC squad in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings, coming in at 56 … The Cardinals were 77th in the initial RPI rankings on Oct. 5 and climbed to as high as 45th in the Oct. 19 release.

• Ball State enters the week as one of the nation’s top terminating teams, ranking third nationally with 1,238 total kills … Only Towson (1,287) and Valparaiso (1,267) have more kills than the Cardinals … 389 of Ball State’s kills, which is fourth nationally, have come from the arm of sophomore outside Carson Tyler who also ranks first in the MAC and 39th nationally with a 4.18 kills-per-set average.

• In addition, the Cardinals lead the MAC and rank 48th nationally with a .253 team attack percentage … Junior middle Camryn Wise is first in the league and 45th nationally with a .382 rate of success, while junior setter Lindsey Green ranks 102nd nationally with 678 total assists and owns a 7.37 assists-per-set average.

SCOUTING MIAMI:

• The RedHawks enter the week with an 11-12 overall record, including a 5-6 mark in MAC play … Miami split a pair of matches at Toledo last weekend, earning a 3-2 win Friday before suffering a 3-1 setback Saturday.

• Miami ranks sixth in the MAC in the NCAA RPI Rankings at 174, climbing 13 spots from its ranking of 187 last week … Miami was ranked 151st in the initial RPI rankings on Oct. 5, before falling to 192 on Oct. 12.

• Miami enters the week as one of the nation’s top defensive teams, ranking 81st nationally with a 2.36 blocks-per-set average and 57th with a 15.38 digs-per-set average … The RedHawks’ 214.5 total blocks are currently 15th in the nation, while its 1,400 digs are 16th.

• The RedHawks offense is paced by Chelsea Williams who owns a 2.79 kills-per-set average, including double-digit kills in each of Miami’s last four matches … In fact, she started the run with a season-high 20 kills at Kent State.

• The Cardinals currently hold a 51-39 lead in the all-time series versus Miami after earning a 3-0 (25-22, 25-15-25-16) sweep over the RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio, in the first meeting this season on Oct. 7 … Ball State has won the last six meetings in the all-time series and has won three straight in Worthen Arena … Miami, which is 8-17 all-time in Worthen Arena, has not won on Ball State’s home court since a 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 26-24) victory Oct. 25, 2019.

BALL STATE QUICK HITS:

• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler has been one of the nation’s top attackers so far this season, ranking fourth nationally with 389 kills for a MAC-best 4.18 kills-per-set average … She has reached double-digit kills in 21 matches so far this season, including a career-high 29 kills versus Toledo (Oct. 10), 28 kills versus Cincinnati (Sept. 18), 26 kills versus James Madison (Sept. 14) and 21 kills at UConn (Sept. 5) … Last season, Tyler averaged 3.34 kills per set to become the first player in program history to earn AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year accolades.

• With her 11 kills in Friday’s win over Ohio, Carson Tyler climbed into a four-way tie for 18th in program history with double-digit kills in 43 career matches … She has 21 such matches this season, while collecting 22 her freshman campaign … In addition, Tyler is one of just nine players in program history to register 20-or-more kills in at least 10 career matches, with her 24 kills at Bowling Green (Oct. 16) being her 12th.

• A six-rotation player, Carson Tyler is currently second on the squad with 231 digs … She has recorded kill/dig double-doubles in 12 matches this season, with her latest coming at Bowling Green (Oct. 16) … Tyler registered a career-high 19 digs in the win at Marquette (Sept. 12) and collected 18 versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31) and James Madison (Sept. 14) … Tyler also leads Ball State’s primary passers with a .964 reception percentage, successfully passing 516 of the 535 serves she has faced … Tyler also led the Cardinals’ primary passers with a .963 reception percentage last season by successfully passing 650 of the team-high 675 serves she faced.

• Graduate outside Noelle VanOort has made quite an impact playing for the Cardinals, smashing 273 total kills, collecting 181 digs and hitting .215 (273-100-803) … A member of the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team, VanOort has tallied double-digit kills in 17 of BSU’s 23 matches, including a season-high 20 kills twice … Throw in 97 matches with double-figure kills during her four-year career at Indiana Tech and VanOort has been credited with at least 10 kills in 114 collegiate matches … She has also raised her collegiate total to 11 matches with 20+ kills, including a 20/20 effort Nov. 5, 2022, with 23 kills and 25 digs versus Siena Heights.

• Noelle VanOort has been just as solid on defense through the first nine weeks, earning double-digit digs seven times, including a season-high 23 vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) … The effort has raised her career total to 97 matches with double-digit digs, including her 90 at Indiana Tech … It also helped her raise her collegiate kill/dig double-double total to 74, including six with Ball State and 68 with the Warriors.

• The countdown continues for Noelle VanOort who enters Tuesday’s match versus Miami three kills shy of 2,000 for her collegiate career … Prior to arriving at Ball State, VanOort finished her four-year playing career at Indiana Tech (2021-24) as a two-time NAIA Third Team All-American and ranked second in program history with 1,724 kills … Add 273 kills so far at Ball State and her career total stands at 1,997 … She has also collected 1,829 digs and served up 294 aces over her collegiate career.

• With 20 kills each in the Aug. 31 match versus Cal Poly, Noelle VanOort and Carson Tyler became the first Ball State duo to record 20-or-more kills in the same match since the 2007 season … Brittany May and Julie Breivogel were the last players to do so with 21 and 20 kills, respectively, in an Oct. 5, 2027 match versus Western Michigan.

• Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter paces the Ball State defense with 357 digs and a 3.84 digs-per-set average this season … Her total ranked third among all MAC defenders, while her average is fifth … Ledbetter has recorded double-digit digs in 19 of BSU’s 21 matches, upping her career total to 42 … The effort includes a career-high tying 27 digs versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 20) and 26 digs in the season-opener versus St. Thomas (Aug. 29).

• Sophie Ledbetter earned her first collegiate double-double versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), handing out 10 assists to go along with her 14 digs.

• Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness have combined to lead the Ball State offense to a .253 attack percentage this season which is first in the MAC and 48th nationally … The mark includes a .262 rate of success over the team’s 11 MAC matches … Green, who dished out a career-high 51 assists twice this season, currently ranks ninth in the MAC with a 7.37 assists-per-set average, with her 678 total assists ranking 102nd nationally … She also leads the squad with 29 service aces … Axness, meanwhile, enters the week with a 4.32 assists-per-set average and has served up 12 aces.

• Junior middle Gwen Crull has turned up the offensive heat over the last six weeks, reaching double-digit kills for the first seven times in her collegiate career … Her best match came at Miami (Oct. 7), when she smashed a career-high 13 kills and hit .522 (13-1-23) … She has also collected 12 kills on two occasions; vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) and at Akron (Sept. 26) … Since the start of MAC play, Crull is second on the squad with a .393 (87-15-183) attack percentage, which ranks third in the MAC during the span … She also leads the squad with a 0.84 blocks-per-set average this season, including a team-high 12 solo blocks.

• Junior middle Camryn Wise enters the week leading the Mid-American Conference with a .382 attack percentage … She has hit .300-or-better in 17 of the team’s 23 matches, paced by a .579 (12-1-19) rate of success at Marquette (Sept. 12) … Looking at just league matches, Wise’s mark jumps up to .422 with just 11 errors on 166 swings, to go along with 81 kills … Wise has hit at least .385 in nine MAC outings, starting with a .545 (6-0-11) effort at Buffalo (Sept. 25).

• Sophomore Tiffany Snook is starting to find her grove on the right side, ranking fourth on the squad in league play with 84 kills and a 2.05 kills-per-set average … The effort includes a career-high 17 kills and a .433 (17-4-30) attack percentage versus Toledo (Oct. 10) … She also secured 11 kills at Akron (Sept. 26) and has registered at least six kills in eight of Ball State’s 11 league matches.

• Roster Update: Senior opposite Madison Buckley and redshirt junior outside attacker Aniya Kennedy will both miss the 2025 season as medical redshirts … Buckley was a 2024 First Team All-MAC selection after ranking second on the team in total blocks (90.0) and third in total kills (276) last season … Kennedy, the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection, ranked second on the squad with 279 kills last season and chipped in 43 total blocks.

______________________________________________________________

++++++++++BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL++++++++++

MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS IN EXHIBITION AT PURDUE FORT WAYNE

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball team fell 84-70 to Purdue Fort Wayne in an exhibition on Monday night at the Gates Sports Center.

An 8-0 scoring run midway through the second half cut the advantage for the hosts down to 70-63, but Purdue Fort Wayne scored the next four points to take control of the tuneup for the regular season.

The Cardinals were led in scoring by Devon Barnes (18 points) and Elmore James IV (12 points, seven rebounds). Barnes scored all of those in the second half for the visitors, who trailed 45-34 at halftime.

Ball State got six or more points from seven different players and outscored the Mastodons 31-16 in bench points.

Mikale Stevenson led Purdue Fort Wayne with 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Mastodons are coming off a 2024-25 season when they went 19-13 and 12-8 in the Horizon League.

Ball State begins the regular season hosting Louisiana at 7 p.m., on Monday, Nov. 3 in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.

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++++++++++PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL+++++++++

STEVENSON DAZZLES IN EXHIBITION WIN OVER BALL STATE

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Mikale Stevenson poured in 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in Purdue Fort Wayne’s 84-70 exhibition victory over Ball State on Monday (Oct. 27).

The Fort Wayne native Stevenson, playing in his first home game in his hometown, filled up the box score going 10-of-14 from the floor. He finished the first half with a buzzer beater three and then brought the house down with a one-handed dunk in the second half.

Stevenson was one of three Mastodons in double-digits. Corey Hadnot II shot 8-of-13 for 19 points. DeAndre Craig Jr. added 13 points and six boards.

The Mastodons held a 54-30 edge in points in the paint and 17-10 advantage in fast break points.

Ball State never really threatened in the game after the ‘Dons went up 17-6 on a 10-0 scoring run early in the first. Stevenson had five of the points. All five Mastodon starters had a field goal before the first media timeout.

Devon Barnes led the Cardinals with 18 points. Ball State shot just 36.4 percent (24-of-66) from the floor while the ‘Dons finished at a blistering 51.4 percent (35-of-61).

Purdue Fort Wayne opens the season for real at Grand Canyon on November 3.

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++++++++++PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL+++++++++

PURDUE FORT WAYNE HOSTS IU INDY FOR #HLVB BOUT

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball will play host to the IU Indianapolis Jaguars for a Horizon League contest on Tuesday evening in the Gates Sports Center.

Game Day Information
Who: IU Indianapolis Jaguars
When: Tuesday, October 28 – 7 PM
Where: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center
Live Stats: Link
Watch:Link
Tickets: Link
Match Notes: Link

Attendance Challenge

The Purdue Fort Wayne or Indiana Fort Wayne student who attends the most Mastodon home athletics events this year will win an iPad at the end of the 2025-26 school year! Make sure to check in and get your QR code scanned at the game to start tracking your attendance.

Know Your Foe

IU Indianapolis is 13-10 and 7-4 in Horizon League play. The Jaguars are coming off a pair of 3-0 wins against Oakland. Grace Purichia is leading IU Indy from the setter spot, dishing out 11.02 assists per set this season, a high-water mark for the Horizon League. Morgan Ostrowski is recording 2.41 kills per set on a very efficient .390 hitting percentage, which also leads the HL.

Series History

Purdue Fort Wayne leads the series 36-25. Prior to IU Indy topping the Mastodons 3-0 in Indy earlier this season, the ‘Dons had won seven in a row. In the matchup in the Circle City last month, Riley Rosneck and Trinity Rye had nine kills each.

League Leader

Riley Rosneck has the best kills per set mark in the Horizon League this season with 4.02 kills per set.

So Good I Can’t Barrett

Becky Barrett is averaging 5.05 digs per set in Horizon League play, which is the second-best in the league.

That’s My(a) Middle

Mya Plemons owns a .352 hitting percentage this season, which is second in the Horizon League and is a top-100 mark nationally.

When Life Gives You Plemons

Mya Plemons has a .341 career hitting percentage, the second-best in program history and the best in the rally scoring era. Her .352 hitting percentage this season is the best for a season-long mark in the rally scoring era.

Last Time Out

First-place Northern Kentucky took a pair of Horizon League matches from the Mastodons last weekend.

Next Time Up

Purdue Fort Wayne will hit the road for a pair of Horizon League contests at Milwaukee.

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+++++++++EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER+++++++++

PURPLE ACES DOWN LOUISVILLE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2001

LOUISVILLE – Evansville senior Tancredi Fadda (Monza, Italy/University of Milan) notched his first career brace and freshman Devin Shepherd (Denver, Colo./Arapahoe) added a goal to power the Purple Aces to their first win over Louisville since 2001 on Monday night, taking down the Cardinals by a score of 3-1. The win was Evansville’s first over a power conference opponent since 2013 and the first over the Cardinals in Louisville since 1991.

Evansville jumped on top early in the match, scoring in the fourth minute to take a 1-0 lead. Fadda capitalized on a Louisville mistake, grabbing a loose ball at the top of the box and finding the back of the net for his third goal of the campaign.

Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain/IES Joan Miro) nearly doubled the lead in the 11th minute, but his shot went just wide of the far post to keep it a one-goal game. Aces keeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) was tested for the first time in the 17th minute and faced another shot on target in the 27th minute, but collected saves on both chances.

Evansville saw another near scoring chance in the 36th minute off a free kick, taken by Ben Zec (Carmel, Ind./Carmel). Zec placed a ball near the penalty spot for Håkon Edstrøm (Baerum, Norway/Norges Toppidrettsgymnas), but his header went just over the crossbar.

Just before halftime, the Aces broke through for their second goal of the match, with Shepherd scoring his fourth goal of the year. The chance was created by Zec once again, who lifted a ball from midfield line on the near side down towards the far side of the box for Shepherd, who uncorked a laser past the Cardinals keeper to make it a 2-0 game.

Louisville battled back in the second half, scoring a goal in the 64th minute to cut the Evansville lead back down to one. However, the Purple Aces kept their foot on the gas pedal and continued to threaten the Cardinals back line. Shepherd nearly secured his second brace of the season in the 72nd minute, putting a left-footed shot on target, but a great save by Louisville keeper Alex Svetanoff denied the freshman.

In the 78th minute, Escudero created another chance for the Aces, earning possession along the sideline in the Evansville attacking end. From there, Shepherd took the ball near the box before giving it back to Escudero, who delivered a beautiful cross into the box for Fadda. Off one touch and a spin, Fadda ripped a shot into the bottom right corner for his second goal of the night, delivering the dagger for a 3-1 win.

“I told the guys this win is a culmination of our efforts vs Louisville since 2021,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “Our performance tonight away at an ACC program shows what we can be and how our guys can compete. Ultimately, these are the games we want to compete in consistently, but Friday against NIU at home is more important!”

With the win, Evansville moves to 5-3-8 overall. The Purple Aces now turn their to attention to a critical final two matches of the regular season, beginning with the final home match of the regular season on Friday against Northern Illinois. Evansville, Northern Illinois and Drake currently sit in a three-way tie atop the MVC standings at 2-0-3, while the Aces look for their first regular season conference title since 1991. Friday’s match against the Huskies is set for 6 PM at Arad McCutchan Stadium.

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++++++++++SOUTHERN INDIANA VOLLEYBALL++++++++++

USI VOLLEYBALL SET FOR MIDWEEK ROAD MATCH AT TENNESSEE TECH

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is set to head back on the road after a four-game undefeated homestand for a match at Tennessee Tech University on Tuesday night.

The match on Tuesday at 6 p.m. will take place at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn., and will be available on ESPN+ for those who have a subscription.

The Screaming Eagles are currently on a four-game win streak, after completing an undefeated two-weekend home stretch against the University of Arkansas Little Rock and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Right-side hitter Carley Wright was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week for her performance in USI’s most recent series sweep against SIUE. The freshman tallied 31 kills, hitting a .333 percent with just nine errors over the two games. In game one, she set a career-high with 18 kills, then had 13 in the three-set sweep in game two.

In game one against SIUE, the Eagles won in five sets, moving to 3-1 in five-set challenges in the 2025 season. Freshman Aysa Thomas tallied 48 assists and 12 digs, while junior Ashby Willis recorded 17 kills and 14 digs, both earning double-doubles.

Following the second SIUE win, USI celebrated its seniors, Bianca Anderson, Keira Moore, Jordan Troutman, and Mariah Minor. These four have played an integral part of the building of the program and the transition to the Division I era.

Moore tallied 19 digs in the SIUE series, moving her to the third-place spot in the USI all-time career digs record book, with 1,496 total digs.

The Screaming Eagles now sit at third in the OVC rankings with a 7-3 conference record and 11-11 overall, after being picked to finish second-to-last at the start of the season.

Scouting the Opponent:

The Golden Eagles hold a 6-0 lead in the series history between the two programs. In the last match, TTU swept USI three sets to none on November 15th, 2024. The Screaming Eagles will look to take their first-ever win against TTU in school history on Tuesday. TTU holds a 6-4 record in OVC play and 9-13 overall. They are coming off a series sweep of the University of Tennessee Martin, where they took the first game in five sets, and the second in four to win for their Senior Day.

The TTU starting lineup is made up of several seniors who top their stat boards. Senior Bella Powell leads the team in kills from the outside, with 297 for the season. She averages 3.62 kills per set, hitting at a .166 percentage. She ranks third in the OVC for kills per set. Senior Jordan Karlan ranks third in the conference for assists per set (9.52) and assists (752). Senior libero MK Roberts has tallied 260 digs for 3.17 digs per set. Head Coach Jeanette Phillips is in her seventh year at the helm.

To stay updated on the Screaming Eagles on the road, fans can follow USI Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, and X for game coverage, as well as online at usiscreamingeagles.com.

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+++++++++VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL+++++++++

PREVIEW: MEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST PRESEASON EXHIBITION ON TUESDAY

The wait is over as the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will take the Athletics-Recreation Center floor in a game situation on Tuesday night as Brescia comes to town for a 7 p.m. exhibition game.

About The 2025-2026 Beacons

Fans will get their first look at a reloaded roster that features 13 newcomers (six true freshmen and seven transfers) and four returning players. Head coach Roger Powell Jr. and his staff kept elite talent from the states of Illinois and Indiana close to home as 14 of the 17 players hail from either the Hoosier State or the Land of Lincoln. The three players from outside of the Midwest call Arizona, Montreal and New Zealand home. The roster has gotten noticeably larger in terms of height, as this marks the first time during the program’s long Division-I history that the team has seven players listed at 6-foot-8 or taller. Valpo enjoyed a 93-84 win against a Division-I opponent that won nearly 20 games last season in a closed scrimmage.

Summing Up 2024-2025

Valpo will look to build on a 2024-2025 campaign that saw the Beacons over double their overall win total from the previous season and double their conference win output before earning a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal berth. The Beacons finished with 15 wins, the team’s highest total since 2019-20, and became the first No. 11 seed in Missouri Valley Conference history to reach the semifinal round at Arch Madness. Valpo boasted the MVC Freshman of the Year for the second straight season, just the third time ever that a Valley school has gone back-to-back with that award. Only four programs in the country have won their league’s top rookie honor in each of the last two seasons – UConn, Baylor, Valpo and Harvard.

About Brescia

The NAIA Brescia Bearcats play in the River States Conference and were picked ninth of 12 in their league’s preseason poll. SMWC, led by current Valpo assistant coach Jesse McClung, ended Brescia’s season in the league tournament last year as the Bearcats finished 9-17. Linkin Lockhart, who appeared in every game and started 17 while averaging 11.6 ppg, is a notable returner.

Exhibition Coverage Plans

Tuesday’s game will not be streamed on ESPN+ and will not have live stats available. Stats from the game will not be posted publicly and there will be no recap on the Valpo Athletics website. However, the game will air on the Valpo Sports Radio Network, 95.1 FM Valparaiso WVUR, ValpoAthletics.com and the TuneIn Radio app, with Todd Ickow and Austin Amburgey on the call. The full coverage you’ve come to expect will be back in full force for the regular-season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 4 vs. Eastern Illinois with game notes and a coaches show previewing the contest, live stats, live radio, live ESPN+ coverage and a postgame recap.

Preseason Interviews

Media Day Press Conference

Field of 68

MVC Preseason Media Q&A

Valley Hoops Insider

Know Before You Go

The best way to catch Tuesday’s game will be in person with single-game tickets on sale as of Monday.

Free general parking is available to fans in a number of surface lots on campus within walking distance of the ARC. Parking passes are required to park in the Gold Lot (west aisle of lot 43) and the ARC Lot (lot 45). Contact Ted McCoart at ted.mccoart@valpo.edu for more information about purchasing a men’s basketball parking pass. Click here for parking map. Accessible parking is always free of charge and is available on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone with a government-issued ADA placard on their vehicle. Please note, the ADA parking is the entire row closest to Union Street in Lot 43.

All tickets are digital. Have your mobile ticket ready on your phone before you arrive. If you need assistance, visit our website here or contact our ticket office at 219-464-5233. Beginning 90 minutes prior to the game, prices will increase by $5 per ticket. We encourage fans to purchase tickets in advance, here.

Fans with disabilities may request special seating by contacting the ticket office. Those in wheelchairs should plan to enter the ARC through the main entrance on the southeast corner of the building.

Doors to the arena will open one hour before the game.

The ARC Suite is Valpo’s hospitality area for men’s basketball and is open for all regular-season home games, beginning with Tuesday, Nov. 4 vs. Eastern Illinois. It opens 60 minutes prior to tipoff and stays open until the conclusion of the contest. Contact Ted McCoart at ted.mccoart@valpo.edu for more information about becoming an ARC Suite member.

A selection of food and beverages including beer and wine will be available for purchase inside the ARC. Both cash and card payments are accepted. Please note that a second concession location is available in the hallway behind the upper mezzanine near Hilltop Gym and use of the second concession location helps create shorter lines.

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+++++++++UINDY FOOTBALL++++++++++

UINDY FOOTBALL APPEARS IN INITIAL NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS – The season’s first set of NCAA Division II regional rankings dropped on Monday, with the UIndy football team listed among those receiving postseason consideration. The Greyhounds were one of 10 Super Region 3 teams on the initial list.

The first regional rankings included teams in alphabetical order only, with actual rankings set to be included in next week’s release. Selection Sunday comes on Nov. 16 when the 32-team NCAA DII Championship field—eight from each region—will be announced on NCAA.com.

The Greyhounds are looking to make their ninth playoff appearance since 2012 and program-first fourth in a row.

SUPER REGION 3 CONTENDERS

TEAM vs. DII IN-REGION

Ashland 7-1 7-1

Augustana (SD) 8-0 8-0

Ferris St. 7-0 6-0

Findlay 8-0 8-0

Minn. Duluth 7-1 7-1

Minnesota St. 6-2 6-2

Northwood 7-1 7-1

Truman St. 5-2 5-2

UIndy 6-1 6-1

Upper Iowa 6-1 6-1

FOOTBALL INCHES UP DII COACHES POLL

WACO, Texas – The UIndy football team continue to climb the AFCA DII Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 12 this week. Idle last week, the Greyhounds are riding a six-game winning streak and are enjoying their highest national ranking since late in the 2023 campaign.

Also ranked 12th in the media poll, the Greyhounds remains the lone GLVC school and one of eight Super Region 3 teams in the coaches’ top 25. Top-ranked Ferris State remained unbeaten after earning a win over rival Grand Valley State last week, while fellow-SR3-power Minnesota State dropped nine spots to No. 18 following a road loss to Wayne State (Neb.).

AFCA DIVISION II COACHES POLL

RK	SCHOOL (1st-place votes)	REC	PTS	PREV
1.	Ferris St. (31)	8-0	775	1
2.	Harding	8-0	743	2
3.	West Florida	8-0	707	3
4.	Kutztown	8-0	686	4
5.	Augustana (S.D.)	8-0	635	5
6.	Western Colorado	8-0	610	6
7.	Colorado St.-Pueblo	7-1	578	7
8.	Central Washington	7-1	544	8
9.	Pittsburg St.	6-2	507	10
10.	Virginia Union	7-1	448	12
11.	Findlay	8-0	444	14
12.	UIndy	7-1	438	13
13.	Minnesota-Duluth	7-1	394	15
14.	Northwest Missouri St.	7-1	380	16
15.	Delta St.	7-1	373	17
16.	Angelo St.	6-2	271	19
17.	Ashland	7-1	235	20
18.	Minnesota St.	6-2	223	9
19.	Johnson C. Smith	7-1	195	22
20.	UT Permian Basin	6-2	189	23
21.	West Alabama	5-2	178	11
22.	Slippery Rock	5-2	129	24
23.	Albany St.	7-1	109	NR
24.	Frostburg St.	7-1	83	NR
25.	Grand Valley St.	4-3	64	18

Others Receiving Votes: Assumption, 28; Newberry, 20; Benedict, 19; UNC Pembroke, 16; Chadron St., 14; Northern St., 10; Indiana (Pa.), 9; Northwood, 7; Saginaw Valley St., 3; Southern Arkansas, 3; Western Oregon, 3; Carson-Newman, 2; Michigan Tech, 2; Upper Iowa, 1.

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++++++++++MARIAN FOOTBALL++++++++++

HOUSEMAN, PRICE EARN SECOND MSFA PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

INDIANAPOLIS – Coming off Marian’s 44-36 victory over No. 19 Olivet Nazarene, the Marian football team was honored with two Mid-States Football Association Midwest League Player of the Week awards. Cade Houseman was tabbed as the Defensive Player of the Week, while Alijah Price was named as the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Cade Houseman was a tackling machine on Saturday, leading the Knights with 10 total stops in the win over Olivet Nazarene. Of his 10 tackles, five stops were solo knockdowns, while he also made 1.5 tackles for loss in the outing.

Alijah Price had another big week in the return game for Marian, running back five kickoffs for 198 yards while averaging under 40 yards per return. The freshman’s impact play came in the fourth quarter, running back a kick 95 yards for his first collegiate special teams score, solidifying Marian’s lead over Olivet Nazarene. The first-year running back also made an impact on the ground for the offense, rushing for a team-high 45 yards and one touchdown.

The player of the week honor is the second of the season for both Knights. Houseman’s Defensive Player of the Week award is his third in his career.

The Knights will host Saint Francis (Ill.) this weekend in their first game of the month of November. Kickoff this weekend is set for 1:05 p.m.

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+++++++++++MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER+++++++++

WOMEN’S SOCCER SWEEPS CL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

JACKSON, Mich. – The Crossroads League Athletes of the Week were announced on Monday, recognizing the league’s top individual performances from October 20 through 26. Sports Information Directors from the league institutions nominate student-athletes for the awards and vote on each week’s winners.

After earning a share of the Crossroads League Championship Lily Ames and Katie Koger swept the Crossroads League Player of the Week Honors

Koger scored once for No. 3 Marian in each of its wins over No. 6 IWU and No. 13 SAU, netting the game-winner for the Knights in a 1-0 win over Indiana Wesleyan. The two wins kept MU unbeaten in league play and clinched at least a share of the league title.

Ames helped No. 3 Marian to wins over No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan and No. 13 Spring Arbor to clinch at least a share of the league title. The goalie had three saves in a 3-1 win over SAU, before registering five stops in a shutout of IWU.

The Knights finish the regular season on Wednesday, October 29, at 7:00 p.m. in Fort Wayne against Saint Francis.

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+++++++SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES+++++++

UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/

MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/

INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/

EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/

WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/

FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/

ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/

ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index

TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index

BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/

DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/

HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/

MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/

HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/

OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index

IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/

IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/

IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/

PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/

INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx

GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/

GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/

HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php

TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/

VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index

_______________________________________________________________________

++++++++SPORTS EXTRA+++++++++

+++++++++TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY++++++++++

Oct. 28

1939 — Kansas State’s homecoming contest against Nebraska is the second college football game ever televised, following the Fordham-Waynesburg contest in New York earlier this fall. The Cornhuskers spoil homecoming with a 25-9 triumph in Manhattan, Kan., before a limited Nebraska ETV audience in the surrounding area.

1950 — Nevada punter Pat Brady boots an NCAA record 99-yard punt in a 34-7 loss to Loyola Marymount.

1962 — New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Title passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns, and Del Schofner catches 11 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown in a 49-34 victory over the Washington Redskins.

1973 — Gail Goodrich scores 49 points and seven-foot center Elmore Smith sets an NBA record with 17 blocked shots as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Portland 111-98.

1973 — With jockey Eddie Maple substituting for suspended Ron Turcotte, Secretariat concludes his racing career with a victory in the Canadian International Championship Stakes at Woodbine in Toronto.

1989 — Tony Alford of Colorado State rushes for 310 yards on 28 carries to break a Western Athletic Conference record and scores three touchdowns in a 50-10 win over Utah.

1989 — Central State crushes Lane 101-0. Lane concedes with 11:26 to play in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Henderson Mosley runs for three touchdowns and passes for six.

1990 — Jennifer Capriati, 14, beats Zina Garrison in three sets to capture the Puerto Rico Open and become the youngest player to qualify for the Virginia Slims Championship.

1993 — Ron Francis becomes the 38th NHL player to score 1,000 points with a goal in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7-3 loss to the Quebec Nordiques.

1995 — Cigar completes an undefeated season of 10 straight wins with a rousing 2½-length victory under Jerry Bailey in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Cigar, the 3-to-5 favorite, covers the 1 1/4 miles in a time of 1:59 2/5 to beat L’Carriere and give Bailey his third consecutive Classic win.

1997 — Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer are hired as full-time NBA referees, marking the first time in major pro sports in the United States that females will officiate regular-season games in an all-male league.

2010 — Caroline Wozniacki wraps up the year-end No. 1 ranking after rallying to beat Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 at the WTA Championships. The 20-year-old from Denmark is the 10th woman to end the season on top and the youngest since Martina Hingis in 1997.

2016 — Russell Westbrook has 51 points and a triple-double and scores the winning points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 113-110 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns. It’s the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one in 1975. Westbrook finishes with 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

2017 — J.T. Barrett caps the greatest game of his career with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Baugh with 1:48 left in the fourth quarter and No. 6 Ohio State rallies from 11 down in the final five minutes to hand No. 2 Penn State its first loss, 39-38.

____________________________________________________________________________

+++++++++TV SPORTS+++++++++

(ALL TIMES EASTERN)
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND/OR BLACKOUTS
Tuesday, Oct. 28

COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY

6 p.m.

ACCN — Maryland at Virginia

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

8 p.m.

ESPN2 — James Madison at Texas St.

ESPNU — UTEP at Kennesaw St.

COLLEGE GOLF

3 p.m.

GOLF — The 2025 East Lake Cup: Second Round, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta

MLB BASEBALL

8 p.m.

FOX — World Series: Toronto at L.A. Dodgers, Game 4

NBA BASKETBALL

8 p.m.

NBC — New York at Milwaukee

PEACOCK — New York at Milwaukee

11 p.m.

NBC — L.A. Clippers at Golden State

PEACOCK — L.A. Clippers at Golden State

NHL HOCKEY

6 p.m.

ESPN — Pittsburgh at Philadelphia

8:30 p.m.

ESPN — Washington at Dallas

11 p.m.

ESPN — Los Angeles at San Jose

SOCCER (MEN’S)

1:25 p.m.

ESPNU — The German Cup: Borussia Dortmund at Eintracht Frankfurt, Second Round

3:40 p.m.

CBSSN — EFL Carabao Cup: Brentford FC at Grimsby Town, Fourth Round

6:30 p.m.

FS1 — MLS Eastern Conference Playoff: New York City at Charlotte, First Round – Game 1

SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

11:15 a.m.

FS2 — FIFA U-17 World Cup: U.S. vs. Netherlands, Round of 16, Sale, Morocco

2:45 p.m.

FS2 — FIFA U-17 World Cup: Italy vs. Nigeria, Round of 16, Sale, Morocco

4:50 p.m.

FS2 — CONMEBOL Nations League: Uruguay vs. Argentina, Montevideo, Uruguay

6:50 p.m.

FS2 — CONMEBOL Nations League: Ecuador vs. Colombia, Quito, Ecuador

TENNIS

6 a.m.

TENNIS — Paris-ATP, Jiujiang-WTA, Hong Kong-WTA, & Chennai-WTA Early Rounds

2 a.m. (Wednesday)

TENNIS — Paris-ATP, Hong Kong-WTA & Chennai-WTA Early Rounds

6 a.m. (Wednesday)

TENNIS — Paris-ATP, Hong Kong-WTA & Chennai-WTA Early Rounds

THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY OCTOBER 28, 2025

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