“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 6 SCHEDULE
ANDERSON (1-4) AT LAFAYETTE JEFF (4-1)
ANDREAN (4-1) AT HIGHLAND (2-3)
ANDREW (ILL.) AT HAMMOND CENTRAL (0-5)
ANGOLA (2-3) AT FAIRFIELD (3-2)
ARSENAL TECH (1-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON (1-3)
AVON (3-2) AT FISHERS (3-2)
BATESVILLE (3-2) AT LAWRENCEBURG (4-1)
BEECH GROVE (3-2) AT EDGEWOOD (5-0)
BELLMONT (0-5) AT LEO (4-1)
BEN DAVIS (1-4) AT LAWRENCE NORTH (4-1)
BLOOMINGTON NORTH (2-3) AT JEFFERSONVILLE (2-3)
BREBEUF JESUIT (0-5) AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI (3-2)
BROWN COUNTY (1-4) AT MILAN (1-3)
BROWNSBURG (5-0) AT WESTFIELD (4-1)
BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL (5-0) AT SEYMOUR (0-5)
CENTER GROVE (5-0) AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL (3-2)
CENTRAL NOBLE (1-4) AT LAKELAND (3-2)
CHESTERTON (3-2) AT PORTAGE (0-5)
CHRISTEL HOUSE (0-5) AT INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE (2-3)
CINCINNATI BACON (OHIO) AT DANVILLE (2-3)
CLARKSVILLE (2-3) AT PERRY CENTRAL (0-5)
CLOVERDALE (2-3) AT SOUTH DECATUR (2-3)
COLUMBIA CITY (3-2) AT NEW HAVEN (1-4)
COLUMBUS NORTH (3-2) AT TERRE HAUTE NORTH (0-5)
CORYDON CENTRAL (2-3) AT SALEM (1-4)
CRAWFORD COUNTY (4-1) AT SPRINGS VALLEY (5-0)
CRAWFORDSVILLE (2-3) AT CASCADE (5-0)
CULVER (1-4) AT CASTON (2-3)
CULVER ACADEMY (1-4) AT KANKAKEE VALLEY (0-5)
DEKALB (3-2) AT HUNTINGTON NORTH (2-3)
DELPHI (2-3) AT CLINTON PRAIRIE (2-2)
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL (1-4) AT GRIFFITH (4-1)
EAST NOBLE (5-0) AT NORWELL (1-4)
EASTBROOK (5-0) AT ELWOOD (2-3)
EASTERN (GREENTOWN) (4-1) AT CLINTON CENTRAL (2-3)
EASTERN GREENE (1-4) AT PAOLI (3-2)
EASTERN HANCOCK (2-3) AT PARK TUDOR (4-1)
EASTSIDE (3-2) AT PRAIRIE HEIGHTS (0-5)
EVANSVILLE CENTRAL (1-4) AT JASPER (4-1)
EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (5-0) AT EVANSVILLE BOSSE (0-5)
EVANSVILLE NORTH (3-2) AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI (2-3)
EVANSVILLE REITZ (4-1) AT CASTLE (4-1)
FLOYD CENTRAL (4-1) AT COLUMBUS EAST (3-2)
FOREST PARK (2-3) AT PIKE CENTRAL (0-5)
FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK (1-4) AT TOLEDO CHRISTIAN (OHIO)
FORT WAYNE DWENGER (4-1) AT FORT WAYNE NORTHROP (4-1)
FORT WAYNE LUERS (2-3) AT FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA (0-5)
FORT WAYNE SNIDER (2-3) AT HOMESTEAD (3-2)
FORT WAYNE SOUTH (1-4) AT CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) (2-3)
FORT WAYNE WAYNE (0-5) AT FORT WAYNE NORTH (3-2)
FRANKFORT (0-5) AT WESTERN BOONE (3-2)
FRANKTON (0-5) AT MADISON-GRANT (4-1)
FREMONT (4-1) AT CHURUBUSCO (3-2)
GREENCASTLE (2-3) AT NORTH MONTGOMERY (0-5)
GREENSBURG (0-5) AT FRANKLIN COUNTY (3-2)
HAGERSTOWN (3-2) AT SHENANDOAH (3-2)
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (3-2) AT ZIONSVILLE (2-3)
HAMMOND NOLL (2-3) AT LAKE STATION (4-1)
HANOVER CENTRAL (2-3) AT MUNSTER (1-4)
HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) (2-3) AT MCCUTCHEON (2-3)
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (3-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS RITTER (2-3)
HERITAGE HILLS (5-0) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN (4-1)
INDIAN CREEK (4-1) AT TRI-WEST (4-1)
INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS (4-1) AT CONNERSVILLE (3-2)
INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD (4-1) AT GUERIN CATHOLIC (3-2)
INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN (4-1) AT COVENANT CHRISTIAN (1-4)
INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA (3-2) AT GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN (1-4)
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY (1-4) AT PURDUE ENGLEWOOD (4-1)
IRVINGTON PREP (1-3) AT SOUTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL
JAY COUNTY (1-4) AT WOODLAN (1-4)
JENNINGS COUNTY (2-3) AT BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE (4-1)
JIMTOWN (1-4) AT TIPPECANOE VALLEY (3-2)
JOHN GLENN (2-3) AT BREMEN (3-2)
KNIGHTSTOWN (3-2) AT CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN (0-5)
KNOX (5-0) AT LAVILLE (2-3)
LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC (1-4) AT RENSSELAER CENTRAL (3-2)
LAPEL (5-0) AT RUSHVILLE (1-4)
LAPORTE (2-3) AT MERRILLVILLE (3-2)
LEBANON (4-1) AT TRITON CENTRAL (5-0)
LOGANSPORT (5-0) AT HAMILTON HEIGHTS (1-4)
LOWELL (4-1) AT HOBART (4-1)
MACONAQUAH (5-0) AT NORTHWESTERN (3-2)
MANCHESTER (3-2) AT SOUTHWOOD (1-4)
MARION (1-4) AT KOKOMO (1-4)
MARTINSVILLE (2-3) AT WHITELAND (3-2)
MICHIGAN CITY (3-2) AT LAKE CENTRAL (2-3)
MISHAWAKA (4-1) AT NORTHRIDGE (0-5)
MISHAWAKA MARIAN (2-3) AT SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (1-4)
MISSISSINEWA (5-0) AT BLACKFORD (0-5)
MOORESVILLE (3-2) AT FRANKLIN (2-3)
NEW ALBANY (0-5) AT SILVER CREEK (1-4)
NEW CASTLE (1-4) AT DELTA (2-3)
NEW PALESTINE (5-0) AT GREENFIELD-CENTRAL (3-2)
NEW PRAIRIE (0-5) AT SOUTH BEND RILEY (3-2)
NOBLESVILLE (1-4) AT FRANKLIN CENTRAL (3-2)
NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) (2-3) AT MITCHELL (0-5)
NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) (2-3) AT CARMEL (4-1)
NORTH DAVIESS (5-0) AT WEST WASHINGTON (2-3)
NORTH DECATUR (5-0) AT LINTON (3-2)
NORTH HARRISON (1-4) AT EASTERN (PEKIN) (1-4)
NORTH MIAMI (3-2) AT WINAMAC (1-4)
NORTH NEWTON (3-2) AT FRONTIER (5-0)
NORTH VERMILLION (0-5) AT ATTICA (1-4)
NORTH WHITE (2-3) AT BOWMAN ACADEMY (2-3)
NORTHEASTERN (5-0) AT CENTERVILLE (4-1)
NORTHVIEW (5-0) AT TERRE HAUTE SOUTH (3-2)
NORTHWOOD (3-2) AT CONCORD (4-1)
OAK HILL (3-2) AT ALEXANDRIA (3-2)
PARKE HERITAGE (3-2) AT COVINGTON (4-1)
PENDLETON HEIGHTS (4-1) AT MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE) (0-5)
PERRY MERIDIAN (2-3) AT GREENWOOD (1-4)
PIKE (1-4) AT WARREN CENTRAL (4-1)
PLAINFIELD (5-0) AT DECATUR CENTRAL (3-2)
PRINCETON (2-3) AT NORTH KNOX (3-2)
PROVIDENCE (3-2) AT MADISON (0-5)
RICHMOND (1-4) AT MUNCIE CENTRAL (2-3)
RIVER FOREST (2-3) AT BOONE GROVE (1-3)
ROCHESTER (4-1) AT PERU (1-4)
SCOTTSBURG (5-0) AT CHARLESTOWN (4-1)
SEEGER (4-1) AT FOUNTAIN CENTRAL (2-3)
SHERIDAN (3-1) AT TAYLOR (4-1)
SOUTH ADAMS (3-2) AT ADAMS CENTRAL (5-0)
SOUTH BEND ADAMS (2-3) AT PENN (5-0)
SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH (5-0) AT ELKHART (4-1)
SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) (0-5) AT PIONEER (4-1)
SOUTH DEARBORN (4-1) AT EAST CENTRAL (4-1)
SOUTH NEWTON (2-3) AT WEST CENTRAL (5-0)
SOUTH SPENCER (1-4) AT NORTH POSEY (4-1)
SOUTH VERMILLION (2-3) AT RIVERTON PARKE (5-0)
SOUTHERN WELLS (2-3) AT BLUFFTON (5-0)
SOUTHMONT (5-0) AT NORTH PUTNAM (2-3)
SOUTHPORT (0-5) AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (5-0)
SOUTHRIDGE (1-4) AT MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) (4-1)
SPEEDWAY (0-5) AT MONROVIA (2-3)
SULLIVAN (2-3) AT OWEN VALLEY (1-4)
SWITZERLAND COUNTY (4-1) AT EDINBURGH (1-3)
TECUMSEH (2-3) AT TELL CITY (3-2)
TIPTON (3-2) AT HERITAGE (3-2)
TRI-COUNTY (0-5) AT FAITH CHRISTIAN (1-4)
TRITON (4-1) AT NORTH JUDSON (4-1)
TROTWOOD (OHIO) VS. INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL (3-2)
TWIN LAKES (4-1) AT BENTON CENTRAL (0-5)
UNION COUNTY (1-4) AT UNION CITY (0-5)
VALPARAISO (1-4) AT CROWN POINT (5-0)
VINCENNES LINCOLN (2-3) AT EVANSVILLE HARRISON (0-5)
WABASH (1-4) AT NORTHFIELD (0-5)
WARSAW (3-2) AT PLYMOUTH (3-2)
WASHINGTON (2-3) AT BOONVILLE (3-2)
WAWASEE (1-4) AT GOSHEN (1-4)
WES-DEL (2-2) AT MONROE CENTRAL (2-3)
WEST NOBLE (4-1) AT GARRETT (2-3)
WEST VIGO (0-5) AT SOUTH PUTNAM (4-1)
WESTERN (4-1) AT WEST LAFAYETTE (2-3)
WHEELER (4-0) AT GARY WEST (2-2)
WHITING (2-3) AT CALUMET (4-1)
WHITKO (1-4) AT LEWIS CASS (3-2)
WINCHESTER (4-1) AT TRI (3-2)
YORKTOWN (4-1) AT SHELBYVILLE (3-2)
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL SCORES:+++
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball/scores/?date=9/23/2025
Z RATINGS: HTTPS://WWW.ZVOLLEYBALL.COM/IPV/INDIANA-HS-Z-RATINGS/Z-GIRLS-2025
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER SCORES:+++
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/scores/?date=9/23/2025
_____
+++INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER SCORES:+++
https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls/scores/?date=9/23/2025
_____
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GOLF REGIONALS
1. LAKE CENTRAL | SANDY PINES GC | SAT, 8 AM CT | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SECTIONALS 1-5
2. EAST NOBLE | NOBLE HAWK GC | FRI, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SECTIONALS 6-10
3. LAFAYETTE JEFFERSON | BATTLEGROUND GC | SAT, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SECTIONALS 11-15
4. LAPEL | EDGEWOOD GC | SAT, 9 AM ET | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SECTIONALS 16-20
5. WASHINGTON | COUNTRY OAKS GC | SAT, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SECTIONALS 21-25
6. FRANKLIN COMMUNITY | THE LEGENDS GC | SAT, 8:30 AM ET | RESULTS
FEEDER SECTIONALS: SECTIONALS 26-30
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS:+++
https://in.milesplit.com/results
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS SCORES:+++
NO SCORES REPORTED
_____
+++INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL UNIFIED FLAG FOOTBALL+++
VALPARAISO 25 EAST CHICAGO 20
BROWNSBURG 35 ZIONSVILLE 28
_____
+++MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL+++
BALTIMORE 6 TAMPA BAY 0
CLEVELAND 5 DETROIT 2
PITTSBURGH 4 CINCINNATI 2
MIAMI 6 PHILADELPHIA 5 (11)
NY YANKEES 3 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2
BOSTON 4 TORONTO 1
ATLANTA 3 WASHINGTON 2
NY METS 9 CHICAGO CUBS 7
MINNESOTA 4 TEXAS 1
KANSAS CITY 8 LA ANGELS 4
SEATTLE 4 COLORADO 3
SAN DIEGO 7 MILWAUKEE 0
ARIZONA 5 LA DODGERS 4
ST. LOUIS 9 SAN FRANCISCO 8
LAS VEGAS 5 HOUSTON 1
_____
+++COLLEGE FOOTBALL+++
WEEK 5
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
7:30 P.M. | ARMY WEST POINT AT EAST CAROLINA | ESPN
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26
7 P.M. | NO. 8 FLORIDA STATE AT VIRGINIA | ESPN
9 P.M. | NO. 24 TCU AT ARIZONA ST. | FOX
10:30 P.M. | HOUSTON AT OREGON ST. | ESPN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
12 P.M. | NO. 21 USC AT NO. 23 ILLINOIS | FOX
12 P.M. | NO. 16 GEORGIA TECH AT WAKE FOREST | ESPN
12 P.M. |NO. 22 NOTRE DAME AT ARKANSAS | ABC
12:00 P.M. | RUTGERS AT MINNESOTA | BTN
12:00 P.M. | DUKE AT SYRACUSE | ACCN
12:00 P.M. | LOUISVILLE AT PITTSBURGH | ESPN2
12:00 P.M. | CINCINNATI AT KANSAS | TNT
12:00 P.M. | UCF AT KANSAS STATE | FS1
12:00 P.M. | SOUTH ALABAMA AT NORTH TEXAS | ESPNU
12:00 P.M. | BOWLING GREEN AT OHIO | CBSSN
12:00 P.M. | STETSON AT DAYTON | YOUTUBE
12:00 P.M. | NEW HAVEN AT DUQUESNE |
12:00 P.M. | DELAWARE STATE AT SACRED HEART | ESPN+
12:00 P.M. | CORNELL AT YALE | ESPN+
12:00 P.M. | NORFOLK STATE AT WAGNER |
12:00 P.M. | DARTMOUTH AT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE |
12:00 P.M. | PENN AT LEHIGH | ESPN+
12:00 P.M. | GEORGETOWN AT COLUMBIA | ESPN+
12:45 P.M. | UTAH STATE AT NO. 18 VANDERBILT | SEC NETWORK
1:00 P.M. | EASTERN MICHIGAN AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN | ESPN+
1:00 P.M. | MARIST AT BUTLER |
1:00 P.M. | LIU AT STONEHILL |
1:00 P.M. | HOLY CROSS AT FORDHAM | ESPN+
1:00 P.M. | UALBANY AT NEW HAMPSHIRE |
1:00 P.M. | TOWSON AT BRYANT |
1:00 P.M. | MOREHEAD STATE AT PRESBYTERIAN | ESPN+
1:30 P.M. | GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT JAMES MADISON | ESPN+
2:00 P.M. | MILES AT MORGAN STATE |
2:00 P.M. | UTAH TECH AT AUSTIN PEAY | ESPN+
2:00 P.M. | SOUTH DAKOTA AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE | ESPN+
2:00 P.M. | HAMPTON AT ELON |
2:00 P.M. | HOWARD AT RICHMOND | ESPN+
2:00 P.M. | ST. THOMAS (MN) AT SAN DIEGO | ESPN+
3:00 P.M. | ARKANSAS STATE AT UL MONROE | ESPN+
3:00 P.M. | ALABAMA A&M AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN |
3:00 P.M. | ALABAMA STATE AT FLORIDA A&M |
3:00 P.M. | IDAHO STATE AT NORTHERN COLORADO | ESPN+
3:00 P.M. | MERCYHURST AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | NO. 1 OHIO STATE AT WASHINGTON | CBS / PARAMOUNT+
3:30 P.M. | NO. 4 LSU AT NO. 13 OLE MISS | ABC
3:30 P.M. | AUBURN AT NO. 9 TEXAS A&M | ESPN
3:30 P.M. | UTAH AT WEST VIRGINIA | FOX
3:30 P.M. | NO. 11 INDIANA AT IOWA | PEACOCK
3:30 P.M. | UCLA AT NORTHWESTERN | BTN
3:30 P.M. | CALIFORNIA AT BOSTON COLLEGE | ACCN
3:30 P.M. | BAYLOR AT OKLAHOMA STATE | ESPN2
3:30 P.M. | UCONN AT BUFFALO | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | SAN DIEGO STATE AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | RICE AT NAVY | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | AKRON AT TOLEDO | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | WESTERN CAROLINA AT CAMPBELL |
3:30 P.M. | PRINCETON AT LAFAYETTE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | FURMAN AT SAMFORD | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | MERRIMACK AT STONY BROOK |
3:30 P.M. | WILLIAM & MARY AT VILLANOVA |
3:30 P.M. | NORTH CAROLINA A&T AT MAINE |
3:30 P.M. | LINDENWOOD AT MIAMI (OH) |
4:00 P.M. | NEW MEXICO STATE AT NEW MEXICO |
4:00 P.M. | TULANE AT TULSA | ESPNU
4:00 P.M. | EASTERN ILLINOIS AT WESTERN ILLINOIS | ESPN+
4:00 P.M. | EASTERN WASHINGTON AT MONTANA STATE | ESPN+
4:10 P.M. | HAWAI‘I AT AIR FORCE | FS1
4:15 P.M. | NO. 15 TENNESSEE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE | SEC NETWORK
4:30 P.M. | TENNESSEE TECH AT TENNESSEE STATE | ESPN+
5:00 P.M. | NORTHERN ARIZONA AT PORTLAND STATE | ESPN+
5:00 P.M. | TEXAS SOUTHERN AT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE |
5:30 P.M. | MERCER AT EAST TENNESSEE STATE | ESPN+
6:00 P.M. | MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT KENNESAW STATE | ESPN+
6:00 P.M. | LIBERTY AT OLD DOMINION | ESPN+
6:00 P.M. | SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN | ESPN+
6:00 P.M. | SAINT FRANCIS (PA) AT BUCKNELL | ESPN+
6:00 P.M. | BROWN AT HARVARD | ESPN+
6:00 P.M. | NICHOLLS AT EASTERN KENTUCKY |
6:00 P.M. | THE CITADEL AT CHATTANOOGA | ESPN+
6:30 P.M. | RHODE ISLAND AT WESTERN MICHIGAN | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | ARIZONA AT NO. 14 IOWA STATE | ESPN
7:00 P.M. | VIRGINIA TECH AT NC STATE | THE CW
7:00 P.M. | SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE AT UT MARTIN | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | JACKSONVILLE STATE AT SOUTHERN MISS | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | WESTERN KENTUCKY AT MISSOURI STATE | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | MEMPHIS AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC | ESPN2
7:00 P.M. | UTRGV AT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT UIW | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL AT TEXAS A&M–COMMERCE | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT LAMAR | ESPN+
7:00 P.M. | PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT GRAMBLING |
7:00 P.M. | ALCORN STATE AT ARKANSAS–PINE BLUFF |
7:00 P.M. | JACKSON STATE AT SOUTHERN | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | NO. 6 OREGON AT NO. 3 PENN STATE | NBC / PEACOCK
7:30 P.M. | NO. 17 ALABAMA AT NO. 5 GEORGIA | ABC
7:30 P.M. | MASSACHUSETTS AT NO. 20 MISSOURI | ESPNU
7:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON STATE AT COLORADO STATE | CBSSN
7:30 P.M. | SAN JOSE STATE AT STANFORD | ACCN
7:45 P.M. | KENTUCKY AT SOUTH CAROLINA | SEC NETWORK
8:00 P.M. | MCNEESE AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | ESPN+
8:30 P.M. | WEST GEORGIA AT SOUTHERN UTAH | ESPN+
9:00 P.M. | CAL POLY AT SACRAMENTO STATE | ESPN+
10:00 P.M. | WEBER STATE AT UC DAVIS | ESPN+
10:15 P.M. | NO. 25 BYU AT COLORADO | ESPN
10:15 P.M. | IDAHO AT MONTANA | ESPN+
_____
+++NFL SCHEDULE+++
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
WEEK 4
SEATTLE AT ARIZONA, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28
MINNESOTA VS. PITTSBURGH AT DUBLIN, IRELAND, 9:30 A.M. (NFLN)
NEW ORLEANS AT BUFFALO, 1 P.M. (CBS)
WASHINGTON AT ATLANTA, 1 P.M. (CBS)
LA CHARGERS AT NY GIANTS, 1 P.M. (CBS)
TENNESSEE AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M. (CBS)
CLEVELAND AT DETROIT, 1 P.M. (FOX)
CAROLINA AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M. (FOX)
PHILADELPHIA AT TAMPA BAY, 1 P.M. (FOX)
JACKSONVILLE AT SAN FRANCISCO, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)
INDIANAPOLIS AT LA RAMS, 4:05 P.M. (FOX)
CHICAGO AT LAS VEGAS, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
BALTIMORE AT KANSAS CITY, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
GREEN BAY AT DALLAS, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 29
NY JETS AT MIAMI, 7:15 P.M. (ESPN)
CINCINNATI AT DENVER, 8:15 P.M. (ABC)
_____
+++WNBA SCORES+++
PLAYOFFS
PHOENIX 89 MINNESOTA 83 OT
LAS VEGAS 90 INDIANA 68
_____
+++MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER+++
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
_____
+++TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
OKLAHOMA STATE FIRES FOOTBALL COACH MIKE GUNDY AFTER 20-PLUS YEARS
Mike Gundy, one of college football’s most colorful coaches over the last two decades, was fired by Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
The 58-year-old Gundy had a career record of 170-90 at his alma mater, where he was a star quarterback in the late 1980s. He posted winning records every season from 2006 to 2023, but had losing records in his final two years.
“Cowboy Football reached an unprecedented level of success and national prominence under Coach Gundy’s leadership,” Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said in a statement. “I believe I speak for OSU fans everywhere when I say that we are grateful for all he did to raise the standard and show us all what is possible for Oklahoma State football.”
Gundy arrived as head coach in 2005, and the Oklahoma City native’s charm and sense of humor appealed to fans and recruits and helped the Cowboys compete with better-funded programs. As late billionaire T. Boone Pickens poured millions into the program, Gundy turned Oklahoma State into an unlikely powerhouse that often affected the national championship race. The Cowboys won the Big 12 in 2011 and played in the Big 12 title game in 2021 and 2023.
But the Cowboys couldn’t keep up as college football changed. The transfer portal and NIL made it more difficult for a coach who made his name mining diamonds in the rough. Gundy lost 11 of his final 12 games with the program. In his final two seasons, he emerged as a refreshingly open and honest voice about the changes in the sport.
On Monday, Gundy said he wanted to stay.
“Ever since I was hired, I’ve put my heart and soul into this, and I’ll continue to do that until I don’t want to do it anymore, or until someone else says we don’t want you to do it,” he said.
For all his positives, Gundy came with quirks. He is known as much for his “I’m a man, I’m 40” rant that he made defending a player — a diatribe that remains a part of pop culture through a Consumer Cellular commercial — as for his success.
In 2020, he apologized for calling COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus, ” and again months later after he wore a T-shirt featuring the far-right One America News Network that created a disagreement with running back Chuba Hubbard.
All those things were forgiven as the team won. But the Cowboys lost their last nine games last season, the final defeat a 52-0 blowout at Colorado.
This season, Oklahoma State struggled out of the gate against FCS program Tennessee-Martin, winning 27-7 but raising eyebrows with its struggles after quarterback Hauss Hejny went down with a broken foot in the first quarter.
The next week, the Cowboys lost at Oregon 69-3. Ducks coach Dan Lanning said Gundy got his team fired up by talking about how much money Oregon had at its disposal.
After a bye week, the Cowboys lost at home to Tulsa for the first time since 1951. The fans booed him during the loss to Tulsa, with some chanting “Fire Mike Gundy.”
“If you want to be angry at Coach Gundy, then you can do whatever you want that makes you feel better, but don’t do it to the team,” Gundy said on Monday. “I think that’s what’s best for Oklahoma State football, Oklahoma State’s athletic department and Oklahoma State in general.”
Oklahoma State hosts Baylor on Saturday.
SEC UNVEILS LEAGUE MATCHUPS FOR THE NEXT FOUR SEASONS AND KEEPS MOST RIVALRIES INTACT
The Southeastern Conference announced league matchups for the next four years Tuesday, including designating three annual — not permanent — opponents for each of its 16 teams. The nine-game slates retain several traditional rivalries and renew some old ones.
And there are no more lengthy waits to play everyone.
The new format begins next year and runs through 2029, with the SEC having the option to tweak it every four years to maintain competitive balance.
Each team will play three opponents annually and rotate through the remaining 12. The setup ensures that rotating teams square off every other year and every team plays at every SEC venue at least once over a four-year span.
Georgia, for example, will play at Alabama in 2026 and host the Crimson Tide in 2028. The Bulldogs will then host LSU in 2027 and travel to Baton Rouge in 2029.
Fans are sure to gripe about the loss of some traditional series. Alabama-LSU (played every year since 1964) and Florida-LSU (played every year since 1971) will no longer be annual events. But those teams will meet every other year, home and away, under the new format.
Geography and competitive fairness were factored into the decisions but not as prominently as maintaining long-standing rivalries like the Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, the Red River Rivalry, the Magnolia Bowl, the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, the Third Saturday in October and the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
The league also renewed rivalries that had been largely on hiatus since conference realignment. But the recent addition of former Big 12 heavyweights Oklahoma and Texas have a few back in the mix.
The Lone Star Shootout featuring Texas and Texas A&M, a game held every year between 1915 and 2011, will now be played annually. So will the Missouri-Oklahoma series. which was played nearly every year between 1910 and 1995. Same for Arkansas-Texas, which ended in 1991 after a 60-year run.
Here are each school’s annual opponents through 2029:
Alabama: Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee.
Arkansas: LSU, Missouri, Texas.
Auburn: Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt.
Florida: Georgia (neutral site), Kentucky, South Carolina.
Georgia: Auburn, Florida (neutral), South Carolina.
Kentucky: Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee.
LSU: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M.
Mississippi State: Alabama, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt.
Missouri: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M.
Oklahoma: Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas (neutral).
Ole Miss: LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma.
South Carolina: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky.
Tennessee: Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt.
Texas: Arkansas, Oklahoma (neutral), Texas A&M.
Texas A&M: LSU, Missouri, Texas.
Vanderbilt: Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee.
BUZZ BUILDS IN ATLANTA AS THE GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS SURGE TO NO. 16 IN AP TOP 25
ATLANTA (AP) — Long-time Georgia Tech fan Luke Cowart can’t remember the last time the football program entered an ACC matchup as a two-touchdown favorite. Need proof? His name on X is Georgia Tech pain account. He’s been let down by this team a time or two.
But this week, BetMGM Sportsbook listed Georgia Tech as 14-point favorites over Wake Forest — a reflection of a program off to its first 4-0 start since 2014, now ranked No. 16 in the AP Top 25.
It’s more than just buzz. No. 16 is the Yellow Jackets’ highest ranking since 2015. The ceiling appears high for a Georgia Tech team likely favored in all but one of its remaining regular-season games. The stands at Bobby Dodd Stadium are filling up on Saturdays as the Yellow Jackets have entered national chatter and quarterback Haynes King creeps into the Heisman conversation.
Cowart would know best that it hasn’t always been like this. His family has been season ticket holders for 32 years. He didn’t miss more than 10 home games from age 2 to 18.
“Opposing fan bases would completely take over our stadium,” he said. “The lowest point of that was when I went to watch us play Ole Miss in 2022 and we lost 42-0, and it was the first time I had heard us boo our own team and coach.”
The Key to success
Coach Brent Key should be credited for fostering this new era of Georgia Tech football. Key took over as interim head coach midway through the 2022 season, succeeding former coach Geoff Collins. He was promoted to head coach the next fall, and in 2024 he was given a five-year extension, keeping him with the Yellow Jackets through 2029.
For eager fans, it’s felt like a somewhat slow build. But what Key and his supporting crew have accomplished in recent years is admirable. The Yellow Jackets have gone 22-16 under Key. The team has steadily brought in new talent through recruits and the transfer portal. And in an era where retaining players is just as challenging as recruiting them, the core group has continued to lead the charge.
“This season is different simply due to the talent on the roster,” Cowart said. “Coach Key building talent over the last few years has culminated to this season, where we have guys on the field who will play on Sundays, and that, combined with great coaching and an extreme lunch-pail tough mentality, really makes this season feel so much different.”
Kenneth Shannon, 36, has been a fan since he was 8 years old. He says that ticket sales have reached unheard of numbers in recent years. Bobby Dodd Stadium may not be filled completely, but for a program once an afterthought in its community, 45,123 fans in attendance against Temple is an impressive feat.
The team can feel the energy radiating from the stands. Those numbers translate directly to noise, momentum and confidence on Saturdays.
“It’s always an amazing feeling to see the stands filled up to max potential because that gets us juiced up,” senior defensive back Clayton Powell-Lee said. “For us on defense, us hearing third downs being called and you just hear the stadium rocking, it’s like ‘OK, we’re here to play some ball.’”
It’s a striking contrast to the days when boos echoed through Bobby Dodd Stadium, a visible marker of how far the program has come.
“Our home-field events now,” King said, “we essentially really have a home-field advantage with how they come out and support and stay the whole game.”
AHMAD HARDY’S RISE: FROM LIGHTLY RECRUITED MISSISSIPPI PROSPECT TO SEC SENSATION FOR NO. 20 MISSOURI
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — It was clear that Ahmad Hardy hadn’t spent much time behind a microphone, or in this kind of glaring spotlight, every time he had to answer a question Saturday night. Hardy would lean into the podium, getting as close as possible to the mic, as if he was worried it wouldn’t be able to capture his voice.
Not much is capturing him these days. Certainly not tacklers.
After transferring to Missouri in the offseason, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back has emerged as the talk of the SEC, and perhaps all of college football. He’s gone over 100 yards rushing in six straight games, dating back to his freshman season at Louisiana-Monroe, including a 250-yard effort against Louisiana and an arguably more brilliant 138-yard performance last week against South Carolina, when he led the No. 20 Tigers to a 29-20 conference-opening win.
Hardy is the nation’s second-leading rusher with 600 yards through his first four games, 24 yards behind UT-San Antonio’s Robert Henry, who has had the benefit of beating up on the likes of Texas State and Incarnate Word.
“I didn’t think he was going to be this good. Let’s be honest,” said Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, whose team faces UMass this weekend. “The dude is running through guys like he’s a dump truck. He’s a Clydesdale among a bunch of fillies. It’s unbelievable.”
Hardy’s highlights against South Carolina seemed to be endless.
Early in the second half, after the Gamecocks had taken a 17-12 lead, he broke no fewer than six tackles on a 38-yard rumble to start the drive. Five plays later, on first-and-goal at the 5-yard line, he appeared to be stood up at the line of scrimmage — both of his feet were off the ground — and managed to spin off the pile and into the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown.
“I didn’t even know I was off the ground until I started spinning and my legs started kicking,” Hardy said.
“I’ve never seen that on tape before,” Drinkwitz added.
Who has?
“You watch anybody, whether it’s Central Arkansas or Kansas or Louisiana, he’s really good at contact balance and he can break tackles and he runs physical,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said after the game. “He was the Sunbelt freshman of the year last year for a reason. He’s been a great addition to them in the portal.”
Hard to believe Hardy was so lightly recruited out of Lawrence County High School in Monticello, Mississippi. He wasn’t even a top-50 prospect in the state, and Louisiana-Monroe turned out to be his best option for college ball.
Then he ran for 1,351 yards as a freshman, the 12th-best total nationally, and the big-time schools suddenly came calling.
He wound up choosing Missouri, where Drinkwitz has developed quite a running back factory. Two years ago, Cody Schrader set the school record with 1,627 yards rushing — he’s now with the Jacksonville Jaguars — and last year, Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll ran for nearly 1,500 yards in a quintessential thunder-and-lightning pairing.
Hardy has shared some of the load this season, too, making his numbers even more impressive. He only had 22 carries against the Gamecocks because Jamal Roberts also was effective; he ran 13 times for 76 yards and a score.
“It’s just a mindset we’ve got. We’re a tough team. We’re going to run it, and when they know we’re going to run it, we’re just going to execute,” Hardy said. “We know what’s expected. We expect to win, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Just like they have been for years. The Tigers have quietly been to four consecutive bowl games, and they’ve had at least 10 wins each of the last two seasons, when they spent time inside the top-10 of the AP Top 25 college football poll.
But they lost longtime quarterback Brady Cook to graduation last year, along with Noel and Carroll from the backfield. Left tackle Armand Membou was drafted sixth overall by the New York Jets, standout wide receiver Luther Burden III was picked in Round 2 by the Chicago Bears, and right tackle Marcus Bryant selected in the seventh round by the New England Patriots.
So expectations were tempered for the Tigers this season. They weren’t even ranked in the preseason Top 25.
Yet the outlook has changed. Along with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula at quarterback, and several other transfers who are making their mark, Hardy has Missouri rolling along through a six-game season-opening homestand.
Next up is UMass, then comes a week off, before a potentially pivotal game against No. 17 Alabama on Oct. 11.
“We don’t look down the road. We don’t look behind us,” Pribula said. “It’s one week at a time.”
ACC MOVING TO 9-GAME FOOTBALL SCHEDULE STARTING NEXT YEAR, ALIGNING WITH REST OF POWER FOUR PEERS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is moving to a nine-game league schedule for football while having teams play at least 10 games against power-conference opponents, though there will be variables due to the league’s odd number of football-playing member schools.
Commissioner Jim Phillips announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying athletic directors had “overwhelmingly supported” the move after “incredibly intentional” discussions about scheduling options.
Going from an eight- to a nine-game model would align the ACC with its power-conference peers in the Big 12, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences after unbalanced scheduling between the conferences had been a topic of discussion, and disagreement, when it came to access for the College Football Playoff.
The ACC would join the SEC — which announced its move from eight to nine last month — as the only leagues playing 10 games against Power Four opponents as a baseline in the so-called “9+1 model.”
Still, the ACC being the only power conference with an odd number of football-playing members (17) means there are wrinkles.
A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that most league teams will transition to the nine-game slate next year, though multiple teams will play eight league games and two against Power Four opponents — an “8+2 model” — to accommodate nonconference games already on the books.
By 2027, the person said, 16 of the 17 teams will play a “9+1 schedule,” while one team will have to play an “8+2” slate.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t publicized specifics of the model. Phillips said the league will present the plan to its faculty athletic representatives for formal adoption.
“There will be additional discussions and more details to be determined, but Monday’s decision showcases the commitment and leadership of our ADs in balancing what is best for strengthening the conference and for their respective programs,” Phillips said in his statement.
The ACC had used an eight-game football schedule since Florida State’s arrival for the 1992 season, the outlier being a 10-game schedule in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That included Notre Dame giving up its cherished independent status for one year and playing a full ACC schedule, losing to Clemson in the league championship game.
The Fighting Irish, a member of all other league sports, typically play four to six football games per year against ACC schools and those would fit into the nonconference column in the “9+1” or “8+2” scheduling models.
Phillips had discussed the possibility of going to a nine-game schedule publicly in July during the ACC’s preseason football media days, noting it had been discussed internally multiple times. He said then that he “liked where our league is” and that playing marquee nonconference matchups had been good for the league, but added: “We’ll adjust if we have to.”
The change could theoretically get trickier now with one less spot available for teams to schedule outside of league play, though ensuring 10 games against power-conference opponents — either inside or outside the ACC schedule — would add another selling point when it came to teams’ CFP résumés.
Some teams had already been hitting that 10-game target through traditional means, such as Clemson playing nonconference games against now-No. 4 LSU to open the year and its annual instate rivalry game with South Carolina out of the SEC to cap the regular season.
Others had taken some creative routes to 10, such as N.C. State scheduling a nonconference game against longtime ACC member Virginia this month to go with next month’s trip to Notre Dame as part of the league’s scheduling partnership with the Irish.
Playing nine league games and 10 against power-conference teams could potentially lead to a financial boost with the league’s revenue-distribution model being revised to factor TV viewership ratings into the payouts. That change offers the league’s biggest brands in football and men’s basketball to make more money with higher ratings against top-tier opponents, coming as the league has spent years battling a revenue gap behind the Big Ten and SEC.
CLEMSON’S SWINNEY SAYS TIGERS MUST RESET GOALS FOLLOWING 1-3 START TO THE SEASON
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Still stinging from a devastating 34-21 home loss to Syracuse that dropped his team to 1-3 on the season, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said it’s time to reset season goals heading into the bye week. He added that he doesn’t anticipate making a change at quarterback or firing any of his coaching staff.
“We’re not going to win the national championship, but that doesn’t mean we can’t win the season,” a subdued Swinney said Monday night on a Zoom call.
The Tigers began the season ranked No. 4 in the nation, were selected as the overwhelming favorite to win another Atlantic Coast Conference championship and one of the favorites to win a fourth national championship. The Tigers were returning the most experienced team in the country, which included first-team preseason Associated Press All-American quarterback Cade Klubnik.
But Klubnik and the rest of the Tigers have been awful.
After losses to LSU, Georgia Tech and Syracuse, the Tigers find themselves 0-2 in league play and all but out of the national championship picture. The Tigers were 17 1/2-point home favorites against the Orange, but were completely outplayed and trailed most of the game by double digits.
Television cameras showed Swinney fighting back tears as he stood with his players on the field at Memorial Stadium on Saturday as the Clemson band played the school’s alma mater.
“Disappointed, painful, hurt,” Swinney said in his postgame media session Saturday. “I’m human. I’m not a cyborg. This is my life. I’ve been here 23 years. I love this place. I give this place the best I’ve got every single day.”
Swinney said Monday that the Tigers will spend the week reevaluating the issues that have led to slow starts in all four games, including in their lone victory over Troy. Klubnik’s starting job is safe for now, although Swinney emphasized that he and other players have to be better.
This is the first time Clemson has started 1-3 under its star coach and only a few thousand fans stuck around to watch the final few minutes of the Syracuse game.
“This is a tough moment for us, but it will make us better,” Swinney said. “… We will rally. The open date is coming at a really good time for us.”
Swinney, who has led Clemson to eight of the past 10 ACC championships and is 181-50 in 18 seasons, was much more subdued than a week ago when he lashed out during a 14-minute rant that including talk of his future as Clemson’s coach.
“If Clemson’s tired of winning, they can send me on my way,” he said after his team’s road loss to Georgia Tech. “I’ll go somewhere else and coach. I ain’t going to the beach. Hell, I’m 55. I got a long way to go.”
The Tigers next game is Oct. 4 against North Carolina, another team that has failed to live up to expectations.
The Swinney-Bill Belichick contest was billed as one of the biggest on the college slate this season, but the game was recently listed in the noon Eastern time slot — something few could have imagined a few months ago — a reflection of each team’s struggles.
The ACC normally saves its better games for prime time programming.
Swinney said he hadn’t heard about Syracuse being fined $25,000 and publicly reprimanded for feigning injuries in the win over Clemson. He refused to comment on the news, saying that is something that is up to the officials. Instead, he praised Syracuse coach Fran Brown for the way his team competed.
For now, Swinney’s only concern is on what is ahead.
“We just have to flush it, bury it and focus on what is in front of us,” Swinney said. “I have no doubt these guys will respond. … We will come back stronger than ever.”
Swinney said there is no quit in his players and staff, while acknowledging how painful this season has been for everyone in the Clemson program — especially the team’s seniors.
“We all have a job to do and it’s my job to make sure we are better,” Swinney said. “We have not achieved what we expected to achieve. …. It’s not been what we have worked for.”
NO. 4 LSU’S STINGY DEFENSE NEEDS TO BE AT ITS BEST VS. NO. 13 OLE MISS
LSU and Ole Miss have played each other more than 100 times.
It’s such a significant rivalry that the Southeastern Conference (SEC) reportedly has designated it to continue annually even as the conference transitions to a nine-game league schedule next season.
And it’s as significant as ever as the No. 4 Tigers (4-0, 1-0) face the No. 13 Rebels (4-0, 2-0) on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.
The home team has won a very close game in each of the last two meetings. LSU won 29-26 last season while Ole Miss won 55-49 two years ago, outgaining the Tigers 706 – 637.
“You feel better about those games because you’re taking a defense that you know can stand up against the environment,” Tigers coach Brian Kelly said.
Since that loss two years ago, Kelly has brought in a new defensive coordinator (Blake Baker) and transformed the roster through recruiting and the transfer portal.
“We’re a much more cohesive group,” Kelly said. “The roster’s better. The players are better. … We bring a defense with us now.”
LSU ranks No. 9 in the country in scoring defense (9.25 points per game) and No. 17 in total defense (246.2 yards per game).
“They’re the best they’ve been on defense since we played them,” Rebels sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin said. “I think the second year in a system defensively helps a lot of times, and they’ve improved their personnel also.”
Kiffin’s offense will test Kelly’s defense more than anyone else this season. Ole Miss is No. 9 in the country in total offense (543 yards per game) and No. 12 in scoring (44.8).
“Their tempo is the best in the league,” Kelly said. “You have to get lined up and in some instances, it keeps you from doing too much. You’ve got to get your cleats in the ground. You’ve got to be fundamentally sound.”
The Rebels’ quarterback situation remains unclear. Austin Simmons is the starter, but he has not started either of the last two games because of an ankle injury.
Early last week, Kiffin said he expected Simmons to start against Tulane, but when the game arrived Kiffin started Trinidad Chambliss for a second consecutive week. Chambliss passed for 307 yards and two touchdown passes and rushed for 112 yards in a 45-10 thrashing of the previously undefeated Green Wave.
“We’ll have to evaluate (Simmons’) health and then make a decision,” Kiffin said. “At 100 percent he is our starting quarterback, but we don’t know what percentage he’ll be.”
LSU finally had a breakout offensive performance in a 56-10 victory against FCS Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday.
The Tigers hadn’t scored more than 23 points in any of their first three games, but scored touchdowns on eight consecutive possessions and finished with 530 yards.
“I just don’t think they’ve had the numbers that they were probably thinking, but that happens sometimes early in the year,” Kiffin said of the LSU offense. “I look at the players more than scheme when I watch things, and I see elite players. So we’re going to have to play really well and be really challenged.”
NO. 5 GEORGIA EAGER TO END HOME DROUGHT VS. NO. 17 ALABAMA
Only Georgia’s oldest players were alive the last time the Bulldogs beat rival Alabama in Athens, Ga.
It’s been 22 years since the Bulldogs took down the Crimson Tide at Sanford Stadium.
Saturday night presents a chance for No. 5 Georgia to end its home woes against visiting No. 17 Alabama, and Georgia coach Kirby Smart knows how much his team can benefit from the partisan crowd’s energy in a Southeastern Conference showdown.
“Being at home is an advantage,” Smart said. “Going on the road is hard. Playing at home, it helps. The atmosphere helps. The crowd noise helps. Being familiar with your surroundings helps, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to go play football. It comes down to matchups. Certainly glad it’s at home, but we’ve still got to play well.”
Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) enjoyed a week off after its thrilling 44-41 overtime victory at No. 15 Tennessee on Sept. 13.
In his first full season as the Bulldogs’ starter, quarterback Gunner Stockton has thrown for 721 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He also has run for 124 yards and three TDs.
“He’s a physical kid. He’s tough. He’s gritty,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said of Stockton. “He makes the right decisions the vast majority of the time. And so he has certainly brought an element to their run game that maybe they didn’t have as much with Carson (Beck) a year ago. And I think that’s something that certainly we’re going to have to account for.”
After an ugly season-opening loss at Florida State, Alabama (2-1, 0-0 SEC) has temporarily silenced its doubters with blowout wins over UL-Monroe and Wisconsin. The Crimson Tide prepare to hit the road for the first time since their 31-17 setback in Tallahassee, eager to push their way back into the conversation of national elites.
“Going to Athens, it’s going to be a great atmosphere, great environment, and something our guys are looking forward to,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “You can tell with the way we’ve practiced, just high energy and looking forward to the challenge.”
Alabama has won nine of 10 against Georgia since 2007, the lone exception being the 2021-22 national championship game in Indianapolis.
Last year, DeBoer saw his team squander a 28-0 lead before Ryan Williams’ 75-yard touchdown reception with 2:18 remaining gave the Crimson Tide a 41-34 win. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of one of the series’ most memorable games, DeBoer won’t let his players forget it.
“It’s never over until it’s over,” DeBoer said. “Last year (against Georgia) was exactly one that we lived out. It was great. Then it was hard. Then we found a way. You play because crazy things happen. You play because you love to compete, and that’s what our guys are going to do here on Saturday.”
Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson has taken a similar route as Stockton. Following three years as a backup, Simpson was handed the reins to the offense, throwing for nine scores without an interception through the first three starts of his career. Aiding his production is Williams, a Freshman All-American last year who had 165 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns two weeks ago against Wisconsin.
“He’s a dynamic receiver,” Smart said of Williams, “when you’ve got a guy that’s a 100-meter champ and has the ball skills he has. He possesses all the traits of elite wideouts. He’s an all-around great player, and he’s proven to be an explosive play waiting to happen.”
NO. 24 TCU SET TO OPEN BIG 12 SEASON AT ARIZONA STATE
Defending Big 12 champion Arizona State, coming off a win at Baylor on a last-second field goal, will face No. 24 TCU on Friday night at Tempe, Ariz., in a matchup of what likely will be two of the conference’s top teams this season.
The Horned Frogs (3-0 overall) will open their Big 12 slate after defeating North Carolina on the road, followed by in-state wins at home against Abilene Christian and SMU.
Arizona State (3-1, 1-0) started its conference play victorious last week at Baylor, 27-24, behind the passing combination of Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson and the game-winning, 43-yard field goal by Jesus Gomez.
Leavitt completed seven passes to Tyson, for 43 yards and a touchdown. Leavitt finished 22 of 32 for 221 yards and the TD, with no interceptions.
The 19-yard scoring strike to Tyson with 5:29 to play put Arizona State ahead 24-17 before Baylor drove for a touchdown on the following possession. Leavitt then engineered an 11-play, 49-yard drive in the last 1:52 that set up Gomez’s field goal as time expired.
Arizona State finished with 400 total yards; the Sun Devils are averaging 406 yards a game this season.
Aside from Leavitt’s passing production, he rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown, and Raleek Brown amassed 80 yards on 21 carries, but Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said he wasn’t completely satisfied with his team’s performance.
The Sun Devils settled for four field goals by Gomez, which prompted Dillingham to say in his Monday press conference: “We kicked four field goals. It just pains me to say it out loud. Like, golly, how do we kick four field goals? That’s usually not a recipe for success. It also shows the amount of drives we put together on offense, the ball control we created on offense, all of those positives.”
Former walk-on Derek Eusebio helped with that ball control, catching a 61-yard pass on a third-and-13 play at the Arizona State 13 that led to Leavitt’s touchdown pass to Tyson.
As for TCU, Josh Hoover is coming off a career-high five-touchdown performance in a 35-24 win over SMU. Hoover completed 22 of 40 passes for 379 yards, with one interception.
Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes said he wasn’t pleased about his team’s lack of discipline and Hoover’s interception in the end zone, which ended TCU’s threat at the SMU 17 with his team leading 14-10 late in the first half.
TCU was penalized nine times for 65 yards, prolonging some of the Mustangs’ possessions.
“We played hard today, and we did some good things, but you can’t throw a pick in the end zone, and then you can’t stop them in a critical situation and get an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” Dykes said. “That’s what losing football teams do. We were able to overcome those things, but we can’t do that on Friday. We’ve got a lot of things to learn.”
The Hoover-to-Eric McAlister connection will set up a matchup with Arizona State’s Leavitt-to-Tyson pair.
McAlister caught eight passes for a career-best 254 yards and three touchdowns against SMU.
The two programs are meeting for the first time in 50 years; they did not meet in the Sun Devils’ first year in the Big 12 last season.
Arizona State won the only two games played in the series in 1974 and 1975.
ZACHARIAH BRANCH’S EXPLOSIVE PLAY LEADS GEORGIA TO FIRST SEC WIN; ALABAMA LIES AHEAD
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Two weeks ago, after No. 5 Georgia beat Austin Peay 28-6 in a game that didn’t feel much like a win, quarterback Gunner Stockton felt like he needed answers. How can the offense maximize explosive plays, the kind that will be essential in SEC competition?
Stockton may have found the answer in Week 3, when the Bulldogs delivered a 44-41 overtime win against No. 15 Tennessee. Junior transfer Zachariah Branch played a key role, catching a team-high five passes for 69 yards, a touchdown and hauling in the two-point conversion to force overtime.
Through three games, Branch leads the Bulldogs with 181 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His two scores came on nearly identical plays — short screen passes taken 30+ yards to the house. It might not have been the deep shot downfield Stockton envisioned, but when Branch reached a top speed of 21.4 mph on his 36-yard touchdown in Week 3, it was hard to describe as anything but explosive.
Kirby Smart likes what he’s seen out of the junior transfer from USC.
“Zachariah’s been great,” Smart said on Monday. “He’s a hard worker. He practices every day, regardless of what touches he gets. He’s never been a me guy. He just wants to win, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes.”
Branch’s speed and versatility will be needed Saturday as the Bulldogs host No. 17 Alabama. Smart is 1-6 against Alabama, his sole triumph coming at the right time in the 2021 National Championship game. The Bulldogs are 0-1 against the Crimson Tide with Kalen DeBoer at the helm, losing 41-34 in Tuscaloosa last September.
It won’t be an easy task for Stockton, Branch and Co. against a strong Alabama defense. The Crimson Tide’s defense has held opponents to an average of 108 passing yards per game — the lowest in the SEC.
“They’ve got a lot of moving parts, a lot to prepare for,” Smart said. “They have different coverages, they mix man and zone well, but their physicality is the biggest thing. At the point of attack, they’re really physical and they play really hard. I think they have a really good defense and they’re well coached.”
With Alabama’s secondary in mind, the Bulldogs may need to lean on the run to spark the offense. But whether highly targeted or relied on for blocking, Branch is prepared to bring 100% effort every snap, aiming to spark the explosive play required to beat ‘Bama.
“I try to affect the game as much as possible every single play, whether I’m getting the ball or not,” Branch said. “If I’m not getting the ball, I have to block. I’m not going to just be out there just being a player on the field. I’ll try to affect the game in a positive way for my team as much as I can.”
BIG GAME IN THE BIG TEN: WILL OREGON-PENN STATE GAME HAVE CFP IMPLICATIONS?
Week Five in the Big Ten brings a big test at the top.
The sixth-ranked Oregon Ducks visit No. 3 Penn State in the annual White Out game on Saturday.
A lot can happen between now and December, but barring a complete meltdown by either team, the game could have conference championship and College Football Playoff implications.
For Oregon coach Dan Lanning, though, the game will simply be a good indication where the Ducks (4-0, 1-0) are at after four games.
“I think we’ll get a really good gauge of that when we play Penn State. It’s a team that’s obviously extremely talented,” Lanning said. “I feel good about our team, I really like our team. This will be a good environment for us to go play in. We’re going to be playing people that have a lot of talent, as well as a good scheme on both sides of the ball. It’ll be a real challenge for us.”
It’s also a rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship game, which the Ducks won 45-37.
There’s a lot of hoopla surrounding the game. It’s just the second White Out game involving top 10 teams, with the only other one in 2018 when No. 4 Ohio State beat the ninth-ranked hosts. ESPN’s Game Day will be on hand and there’s an effort to bring the biggest crowd ever to Beaver Stadium.
It’s already the hottest ticket in town.
“I get these text messages from people I haven’t talked to for I don’t know how long,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “They’re talking about all these other topics. I’m like, ‘All right, get to the point.’ The answer is no. You’ve waited until the last minute to request tickets.”
The excitement is somewhat reminiscent of last year’s big midseason conference matchup, when Ohio State was ranked No. 2 and came to Eugene to face third-ranked Big Ten newcomer Oregon. The Ducks announced their conference arrival in a big way, downing the Buckeyes 32-31.
Oregon went on to roll undefeated through the season but the good fortune ran out in the CFP quarterfinals, losing the rematch to Ohio State 41-21 at the Rose Bowl.
Proving that even a loss — or two — may not mean much difference in the end, the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship. And Penn State’s lone loss last season before the conference championship was to Ohio State in early November, but the Nittany Lions went all the way to the CFP semifinals.
This season, Oregon, Ohio State (the current No. 1) and Penn State (3-0) are again expected to be the Big Ten’s top teams, with perhaps all three again making the CFP field.
As for the conference’s other big games to circle on the calendar, Penn State will play at Ohio State on Nov. 1. The Nittany Lions have another tough test a week later on Nov. 8 against current No. 11 Indiana. And Ohio State faces a challenge in the regular-season finale against Michigan at the Big House.
After visiting Penn State, Oregon gets a bye week before hosting Indiana. Oregon and Ohio State don’t meet during the regular season this year.
Certainly the Hoosiers can’t be counted out. This past weekend Indiana routed then-No. 9 Illinois 63-10 for the team’s first win over a top 10 foe in five years. They visit the Ducks on Oct. 11.
“I don’t know,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said about his team’s potential. “I mean, you guys control all that stuff. I just gotta get them ready. And then we all play our games and see where it shakes out at the end of the year.”
So far, the Big Ten has four undefeated teams after four games: USC, Indiana, Maryland and Oregon. There are also three 3-0 teams: Ohio State, Penn State and Washington.
Seven of the league’s teams are ranked. In addition to Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana, Illinois fell to No. 23 with the loss to the Hoosiers, Michigan is No. 19 and USC is No. 21.
Ultimately, at least for Ohio State, opponents and `Big Games’ are secondary. If the Buckeyes are playing the right way, the wins will come, coach Ryan Day said.
“We want to play a certain way. And when that’s met, we know it’s met. When we’re playing to our standard, we know what that looks like. So we hold ourselves to our standard, not our opponents. And so whether it’s practice or a game, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. It’s about how we play,” Day said. “And then we grade ourselves on that, trying to identify what the issues are regardless of the opponent. And then we go from there.”
NO. 3 PENN STATE OUT FOR PAYBACK IN ‘WHITE OUT’ GAME VS. NO. 6 OREGON
No. 3 Penn State looks to deliver a little payback in a loud atmosphere when it entertains No. 6 Oregon on Saturday night in a Big Ten showdown in University Park, Pa.
The Ducks defeated the Nittany Lions in last season’s Big Ten championship game, a loss that still smarts for Penn State. The hurt was so deep that Saturday’s contest has been designated as this season’s famed White Out game, where all the Nittany Lions’ fans dress in white.
“Obviously we need this place rocking,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “Need to have a distinct home-field advantage. We always do, but I’m expecting this to be an environment like no one has ever seen.”
Approximately 110,000 fans are expected to attend as the Nittany Lions (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) strive to be unpleasant hosts to the Ducks (4-0, 1-0).
It will certainly be a raucous atmosphere for Oregon to solve.
“It’s gonna be a great game,” Oregon standout quarterback Dante Moore said. “It’s gonna be a great environment, a hostile environment.”
Moore is the replacement for Dillon Gabriel, who guided the Ducks to the win in last season’s conference title game.
Moore took a few visits to Penn State when he was in high school before choosing UCLA. He left the Bruins after one season, redshirted last season for the Ducks and has stood out early this season with 962 yards and 11 touchdowns against one interception.
“I think he’s one of the calmest, if not the calmest quarterback I’ve ever played with,” Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq said of Moore. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him panic. No, he just does a great job of keeping the vibe and that energy in the huddle very just where it needs to be.”
Sadiq caught two touchdown passes in the Big Ten title game and has scored in three of Oregon’s first four games this season.
Last weekend, Moore established career highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 rout of visiting Oregon State.
Oregon has outscored its first four opponents 203-37. The Ducks ranks seventh in scoring offense (50.8 points per game) and 12th in total offense (523.8 yards per game).
Penn State is excelling on defense as it ranks third in scoring defense (5.7) and is tied for ninth in total defense (224.0). Star linebacker Dani Dennis-Sutton has 4.5 tackles for loss (including two sacks) and has forced two fumbles.
Of course, the offense is prolific as well with quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen leading the charge.
In last year’s meeting, Allar passed for 226 yards and three touchdowns and added 54 yards and a score on the ground. Singleton had 148 scrimmage yards (105 rushing, 43 receiving) with a touchdown catch and Allen rushed for 124 yards and a score.
Overall, Penn State racked up 297 rushing yards against the Ducks.
“Those guys are really good at sticking their foot in the ground and getting vertical,” Lanning said of the backs. “They’re both different runners. (Singleton) hits it and builds the speed quick. (Allen), he’s playing as good as anybody right now. He’s got great vision, he’s got good patience and he’s able to get vertical as well.”
This season, Allar has passed for 626 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while Allen has rushed for 273 yards and three scores and Singleton has 179 yards and five scores.
Penn State will be relying on more than its run game. It is definitely counting on the atmosphere being a difference-maker.
“It’s going to be extra loud obviously on Saturday, but I don’t think it’s anything we’re not prepared for,” Dennis-Sutton said. “We’ve been practicing for it for the past two to three months since training camp.”
Oregon running back Noah Whittington is expected back after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury. He had 82 rushing yards against Penn State in the Big Ten title matchup.
DEION SANDERS DOWNPLAYS ‘GET-BACK’ ANGLE AGAINST NO. 25 BYU AFTER LAST SEASON’S LOSS IN ALAMO BOWL
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A drizzly morning drove the Colorado Buffaloes inside for practice Tuesday and their coach to some rainy-day musings.
Deion Sanders offered thoughts on a variety of topics, from condensing the transfer-portal window, to providing injury reports for Big 12 games, to fans leaving Folsom Field early, to the Buffaloes (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) possibly playing up the revenge factor as they face No. 25 BYU (3-0, 0-0) this weekend in a rematch of last season’s Alamo Bowl.
Sanders wants no part in using the memories of a 36-14 bowl loss to the Cougars last December as motivation.
“We ain’t with that get-back stuff,” Sanders said. “I ain’t with that get-back stuff. I’m with that let’s get-them stuff. They played their butts off, kicked our butts in the bowl game. Now we have a whole new team.”
Sanders was asked about the NCAA’s FBS Oversight Committee recently recommending the elimination of the spring transfer window and having just a 10-day window starting on Jan. 2. As someone who dabbles in the portal quite a bit, Sanders didn’t seem all that concerned.
“It’s the same rules for everyone, right?” Sanders said. “So we’re gonna get what we want. We always do, and when we don’t get what we want, that means somebody offered more money. That’s it.
“As long as the playing field is level for everyone, I’m good. I have no complaints.”
He also didn’t fuss over the Big 12 requiring injury and availability updates before conference games. He has quite a few this week, with offensive linemen Jordan Seaton and Zy Crisler along with tailbacks DeKalon Taylor and Simeon Price dinged up after a 37-20 win over Wyoming on Saturday.
“That’s for gambling purposes. Ain’t got nothing to do with us,” Sanders said. “That’s my thoughts.”
He understood why a good chunk of Colorado fans bolted from the stands after halftime last weekend. The Buffaloes were up 28-3 early in the third and it was family weekend.
“You would love that to happen, because when they’re leaving, what does that mean? That means the game is over. They’re going to party. I’m cool with that,” Sanders said. “I know where they’re at, so I don’t mind them emptying.”
A week ago, the Buffaloes were unsettled at QB.
Now, they may have just found some stability. Transfer Kaidon Salter threw three TD passes and ran for another against Wyoming.
“I think you just saw a kid hit another switch and say, ‘I’ve got to get this together, and I’ve got to play up to my ability,’” Sanders explained.
Salter’s leadership was on display after running back Micah Welch fumbled with the Buffaloes deep in Wyoming territory. Salter went over and comforted Welch.
“It goes a long way with your teammates when they see, in a time of despair, that you’re able to pick that guy up,” Sanders said.
The Cougars are a team that Sanders respects. Their coach, Kalani Sitake, is someone he admires. But this game holds the same amount of importance.
“Every week is a proving ground,” Sanders said. “We’ve got to win these type of games. We’ve got to be dominant in these type of games.”
Honorary Sanders
Sanders is a big fan of offensive lineman Yahya Attia, who’s from London and only started playing American football a few years ago. Last season, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders took Attia under their wing.
“He wants to change his name to Sanders. He really does. That’s no joke,” Deion Sanders said. “Everyone on the team knows that he’s one of my favorites. Shilo and Shedeur took care of him, looked out for him, treated him like he was the big little brother last year. He’s on private jets. He’s going to Vegas. He’s going to Texas. He was everywhere, and he didn’t have to reach in his pocket for a dime last year. He was taken care of well.
“So he wants to become a Sanders to continue that.”
Podcast guest
Sanders recently went on the “ New Heights ” podcast with the Kelce brothers, Jason and Travis, and offered his thoughts on how Jacksonville is using two-way standout Travis Hunter: “They’re not using him enough.”
Sanders also offered up thoughts on why his QB son, Shedeur, wouldn’t have wanted to be drafted by a team like Baltimore last April and back up Lamar Jackson for 10 years: “I’ve never sat on the bench and said: ‘Wow, I learned a lot today.’”
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NFL NEWS
WEEK 3 NFL CHAOS: BLOCKED KICKS, WALK-OFF FIELD GOALS, AND A 336-POUND HERO
Special teams are sure kicking up a fuss in the young 2025 NFL season.
There were four big blocked field goal attempts in Week 3 to go with four walk-off field goals, including one that sent the Broncos to their second straight loss despite Denver having never trailed in the fourth quarter of either game.
Two of the blocked field goals came in the same quarter of the same game against a kicker who had never been blocked before.
Three of the blocks came in the final two minutes, something that hadn’t happened in the NFL since at least 1990, and the four blocked field goal attempts in the fourth quarter marked the most on a single day since at least 1978.
The defining image of Week 3’s wackiness was Philadelphia’s 336-pound Jordan Davis rumbling 61 yards for a touchdown after blocking a 44-yard attempt by the Rams’ Joshua Karty on the final play of the game that would have won it for Los Angeles.
That gave the Eagles a 33-26 victory in a playoff rematch with L.A., which blew a 19-point second-half lead.
“I don’t know what mph I hit but I’m pretty sure it was something crazy,” Davis said.
Try 18.59 mph, the fastest by a player over 330 pounds since at least 2017, per Next Gen Stats.
Also, at 336 pounds, Davis is the heaviest player in league history to return a blocked kick 50 or more yards for a touchdown.
“A lot of people look at field goal blocking as just another play,” Davis said. “Just another down, put your hands up, get off the field, check a box. The way we talked about it on the sideline, we knew especially off his last kick, we knew his angle, we knew his launch point. We just hit the gap, put our hands up at the right time and I saw the ball on the ground at the right time.”
The Eagles blocked multiple field goals for the first time since Sept. 21, 1975, against the New York Giants.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Karty, who had never had a field goal attempt blocked before, watched Jalen Carter block a 33-yard attempt that helped Philadelphia recover from a 26-7 deficit.
Shortly after Davis’ heroics, the Jets’ Will McDonald jumped over the Buccaneers’ snapper, blocked a 43-yard try by Chase McLaughlin and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown to give New York a 27-26 lead at Tampa Bay with 1:49 remaining.
Baker Mayfield led the Buccaneers down the field to set up McLaughlin’s 36-yarder that won the game as time expired.
Mayfield noted afterward that the victory was especially sweet because the Jets’ defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, once cut him.
“I loved it,” said Mayfield, who joined Matt Ryan in 2016 as the only QBs since 1950 to lead fourth-quarter comebacks in the first three games of a season. “And also their D-coordinator was the one that cut me in Carolina. Lot of stuff was personal today.”
And chaotic.
In Cleveland, Shelby Harris blocked a 43-yard field-goal attempt by Green Bay’s Brandon McManus that would’ve given the Packers the lead with 21 seconds left. Greg Newsome II recovered at the 47, and Andre Szmyt kicked a 55-yard field goal as time expired to give the Browns a surprising 13-10 victory.
“Season 12 chapter 3 #browns#besthandsintheleague ” read Harris’ Instagram post after the game.
Since he entered the league in 2014, nobody has more than Harris’ seven career blocked kicks — six field goals and an extra point.
Eddy Pineiro and Cameron Dicker also nailed game-winners on the final play Sunday as their teams remained unbeaten.
Pineiro’s 35-yarder gave the San Francisco 49ers a 16-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals, and Dicker’s 43-yarder capped the Chargers’ 23-20 comeback over the Broncos, who lost on a last-second field goal in Indianapolis in Week 2.
In neither game did the Broncos (1-2) trail in the fourth quarter, but they trudged off the field with the sting of defeat after watching their opponent nail a field goal with no time left.
“Well, it stinks,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said. “It definitely is not fun, it’s not enjoyable but all you can do is go to the next game. I’ve never been able to figure out how to go back and change anything yet. I’m still working on that, but the most important thing is we have the whole season ahead of us.
“Instead of going back and changing things, all we can do is move forward and change them in the future and do things differently and find a way to not let these close games fall into another team’s hands.”
TEXANS CUT C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON AFTER DISAPPOINTING 0-3 START
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans released starting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday after only three games with the team.
Houston acquired Gardner-Johnson from Philadelphia in the offseason in a trade for offensive lineman Kenyon Green in hopes that his ball-hawking ability would provide a boost to the Texans secondary.
Gardner-Johnson played 96% of the defensive snaps as Houston got off to an 0-3 start. He had 15 tackles but had no interceptions or passes defensed.
The Texans restructured Gardner-Johnson’s contract before the season to give him a $6.6 million signing bonus that he keeps despite getting cut.
Gardner-Johnson had six interceptions for the Eagles in both 2022 and 2024 as he helped Philadelphia reach the Super Bowl both seasons and win it all last season. He played only three games for Detroit in 2023 because of injuries.
Houston can bring back safety Jimmie Ward from the physically unable to perform list after this week’s game.
JAXSON DART TO START AT QUARTERBACK FOR THE GIANTS AGAINST THE CHARGERS, AP SOURCES SAY
More than a few New York Giants fans at the Meadowlands chanted, “We want Dart!” after Russell Wilson threw an interception during a third consecutive loss to start the season on Sunday night.
Now they are getting him.
The Giants are turning to rookie Jaxson Dart to start at quarterback in their next game Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to two people familiar with the decision. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the change had not been announced.
Dart replaces Wilson with New York off to an 0-3 start and the unbeaten Chargers coming to town. Wilson is expected to dress as the backup with journeyman Jameis Winston remaining third on the depth chart.
Coach Brian Daboll was noncommittal Monday about who his QB would be after Wilson threw two interceptions in a 22-9 defeat to Kansas City on Sunday night. Daboll said he and his staff were “evaluating everything,” declining to answer who else might be involved in making a change at football’s most important position.
Dart is set to make his first NFL start after getting a handful of snaps the past two weeks. He has yet to attempt a pass, while Wilson has thrown all of them so far, going 65 of 110 for 778 yards, three touchdowns and three picks.
The Giants traded back into the first round to select Dart with the 25th pick and see the Mississippi product as their quarterback of the future.
“We put him in the game for the last two weeks,” Daboll said Monday when asked about Dart. “We wouldn’t put anybody in a game we don’t feel confident with.”
Dart is in line to be New York’s sixth different QB to start a game going back to 2022, joining Wilson, Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor and Davis Webb.
IT’S RARE TO SEE THE RAVENS PUSHED AROUND PHYSICALLY, BUT THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED AGAINST DETROIT
BALTIMORE (AP) — By the end of the game, the contrast was too obvious to ignore.
Jared Goff could wait patiently in the pocket with time to pick apart the Baltimore defense.
Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson’s legendary elusiveness became less and less effective as the Ravens’ offense broke down against a swarming Detroit pass rush.
When Jackson has been healthy these past few seasons, the Ravens have almost never lost unless they beat themselves in some fashion, be it with turnovers, penalties or other careless mistakes.
Monday night was different, however. Baltimore was simply outplayed in a 38-30 defeat in which the Lions were the dominant team physically, outrushing the Ravens 224-85.
That’s the kind of differential that’s often in Baltimore’s favor.
“Our run defense, it’s been pretty good the whole time I’ve been here, but when a team runs a ball like that, it just demoralizes you more than passing the ball,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “They’re challenging you mentally (and) physically, so it’s on us as a defense just to put that fire out ASAP, and we didn’t do that.”
It’s felt for a while like Baltimore’s injury report only matters if Jackson is on it, but a few other absences are hurting them significantly at the moment. Fullback Patrick Ricard isn’t the first man you think of when discussing the Ravens’ offense, but his calf injury has an impact on Baltimore’s running game, which has been surprisingly ineffective near the goal line. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and pass rusher Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) were also out, and that was a factor in Baltimore’s weak defensive performance.
The Ravens started 0-2 last season and still won the AFC North. Now they’ll have to climb out of a 1-2 hole.
What’s working
Jackson took seven sacks but still finished with a passer rating of 148.1. In the first half at least, he was able to find receivers downfield and kept plays alive when he needed to.
Despite an injury to tight end Isaiah Likely, the Ravens have plenty of people for Jackson to throw to.
“He made some on-time throws, tried to move around in the pocket and make some plays,” coach John Harbaugh said. “They got us on some sacks when you’re trying to throw the ball like that at the end of the game.”
What needs work
Baltimore held Cleveland’s anemic offense to 17 points in Week 2, but the Ravens allowed 41 to Buffalo and 38 to Detroit. They haven’t shown they can hold up defensively against the other top teams in the league. Baltimore’s 57-game sack streak was snapped against the Lions.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We just have to go play football,” Hamilton said. “It’s probably not a good answer, but it’s running and it’s hitting, and we have to run and hit better.”
Stock up
After a slow start to the season, tight end Mark Andrews caught six passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
“It just felt good getting in the end zone, making some plays, getting in a rhythm, and I thought Lamar threw some incredible passes,” Andrews said. “It just felt really good. I’m always excited to help this team and try to help make plays.”
Stock down
Derrick Henry has now fumbled in each of the first three games of the season — twice in big fourth-quarter spots. He was shut down after an early 28-yard touchdown run.
“I didn’t see the guy coming from behind. I just have to hold onto the ball,” Henry said. “He made the play, and I don’t know. You just have to keep working. That’s all I can think of. It sucks right now. I’m not going to lie to you all.”
Injuries
Madubuike’s neck injury sounded ominous when Harbaugh spoke about it last week.
“They’re dealing with the symptoms, and they’re testing right now,” he said Saturday. “So, he will be ruled out for this game, and they’re going to try to get to the bottom of it.”
Key numbers
The Ravens were held under 100 yards rushing for a second consecutive week. The previous time that happened was in September 2018, before Jackson took over as the starting quarterback.
Up next
A tough early schedule for Baltimore continues with a trip to Kansas City to face the Chiefs on Sunday. Both teams are 1-2. After that, the Ravens play at home against two more playoff teams from 2024 — Houston and the Los Angeles Rams.
BRIAN CALLAHAN HANDS TITANS’ PLAY-CALLING DUTIES TO QB COACH
Titans head coach Brian Callahan is passing play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree.
Callahan is just 3-17 in his tenure with Tennessee, including an 0-3 start this season heading into Sunday’s game at Houston (0-3).
“It’s a pretty easy thing to do when trying to help the football team win,” Callahan said Tuesday. “They hired me to be the head coach — and part of that process was being involved in the offense — but my job is to be the head coach of the football team and I think that this (change) allows me to do that job a little bit better, pay more attention to some things that might require my attention and be more present. We’re 0-3. We’re trying to get better.”
Callahan said Tuesday morning he would step back from the in-game play-calling role but will help formulate game plans and have input during the game along with offensive coordinator Nick Holz.
Hardegree, 41, was hired as Tennessee’s quarterbacks coach in 2024 and interviewed to be offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears in the offseason. He crossed paths with Callahan as a quality control coach with the Broncos in 2014. Callahan was an offensive assistant in Denver.
“I lean on him a lot, trust him. He is a really, really good quarterbacks coach,” Callahan said of Hardegree at the NFL Scouting Combine. “There’s two parts to coaching: obviously the schematic part, and the position coaching part, technique and details and fundamentals. I think Bo is excellent at both. I don’t think Bo is going to be with us forever. I think he is going to be calling plays, and I think Bo will be a head coach at some point, too. He’s an excellent football coach.
Hardegree has NFL play-calling experience when he served as interim offensive coordinator for the final nine games of the 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
REPORT: BUCS WR MIKE EVANS (HAMSTRING) OUT MULTIPLE WEEKS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday.
An MRI revealed a mild-to-moderate strain for Evans, who is expected to miss at least two weeks and potentially a third, per NFL Network. Should that be the case, Evans will sit out Tampa Bay’s games against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday), at the Seattle Seahawks (Oct. 5) and visiting San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 12).
While Evans is expected to miss time, fellow wideout Chris Godwin could return for the Bucs (3-0) in their Week 4 game against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (3-0). Godwin has been sidelined since badly dislocating his ankle in Week 7 of last season.
Evans sustained his injury during the fourth quarter of this past Sunday’s 29-27 victory over the New York Jets.
He came up lame after an incomplete pass in his direction with 6:22 remaining and hobbled off the field. He tossed his helmet aside and knocked over a cooler in frustration while on his way to the locker room.
Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said initial tests showed a “low grade” hamstring injury.
Evans, 32, missed three games with a hamstring injury last season and has a history of hamstring ailments during his 12-year career.
He had just four catches for 33 yards against the Jets but did grab his 106th career touchdown reception. He stands ninth in NFL history.
The six-time Pro Bowler is the lone receiver in NFL history to begin a career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons. He is also tied with the legendary Jerry Rice (1986-96) for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at any point of a career.
Evans has just 140 receiving yards through three games so an extended absence could put the streak in jeopardy.
But last season, Evans had just 335 yards in seven games when he when he sidelined. He returned to action in late November for Tampa Bay’s 11th game and racked up 669 yards in seven games to end the regular season with 1,004.
REPORT: FORMER BENGALS RB RUDI JOHNSON DIES AT 45
Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has died at age 45, TMZ Sports reported on Tuesday.
Police told the media outlet that Johnson died by suicide in Florida just after midnight on Tuesday.
A fourth-round draft pick by Cincinnati in 2001, Johnson played seven seasons with the Bengals before finishing his career with the Detroit Lions in 2008. He set the Bengals’ single-season record with 1,458 rushing yards in 2005.
The 2004 Pro Bowl selection rushed for more than 1,300 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in three straight seasons from 2004-06.
Johnson concluded his career with 5,979 rushing yards and 49 TDs plus 113 catches for 676 yards and two scores in 95 games (63 starts). He ranks fourth on Cincinnati’s all-time rushing list behind Corey Dillon, James Brooks and Joe Mixon.
Johnson was named the 2000 SEC Player of the Year after rushing for 1,567 yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games in his lone season at Auburn.
WEEK 4 POWER RANKINGS: DON’T FORGET DETROIT
While the NFL rests on a traditional off-day Tuesday, Field Level Media NFL writers reviewed their notes to rank all 32 teams entering Week 4.
We’re pushing two types of teams to the top of the football-playing pantheon this week: good teams that find a way to win even when they shouldn’t (hello, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and teams capable of getting a defensive stop with the game on the line (Los Angeles Chargers, come on down).
The Packers didn’t make the type of statement we expected in Cleveland, and Micah Parsons summed it up perfectly as Green Bay tries to rally before a headlining gig in Dallas this week.
We’re still buying the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens even if their defenses make us doubt which direction they’re headed after December.
The race is just as intense at the rear of the line and at least five teams appear to have what it takes to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
32. New York Giants (0-3)
Last Week: L, 22-9 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Up Next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers (3-0), 1 p.m. ET
It’s easy to see the draw of throwing Jaxson Dart into the starting lineup. There’s also wisdom in the warning label from WR Darius Slayton about the developmental damage he witnessed when the Giants rushed Daniel Jones into the lineup Week 3 of his rookie season. Slayton’s advice is to let Dart follow the Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson plan of learning the game from the sideline for a year.
31. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
Last Week: L, 44-13 at Seattle Seahawks
Up Next: at Buffalo Bills (3-0), 1 p.m. ET
Spencer Rattler is 0-9 as a starter and the Saints are not one or two pieces away. Early trade calls about Alvin Kamara — from the Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders and others — should be fruitful as New Orleans transitions toward a full reset under Kellen Moore.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-3)
Last Week: L, 41-20 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Up Next: at Houston Texans (0-3), 1 p.m. ET
Titans scored one of their three wins last season at Houston, their fourth road win over the Texans in the past five meetings.
29. Miami Dolphins (0-3)
Last Week: L, 31-21 at Buffalo Bills
Up Next: vs. New York Jets (0-3), 7:15 p.m. ET (Monday)
Showed life at Buffalo in primetime last week until Tua Tagovailoa threw a baffling INT. Back in a spotlight slot Monday, is Miami in win-or-else territory with head coach Mike McDaniel?
28. New York Jets (0-3)
Last Week: L, 29-27 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Up Next: at Miami Dolphins (0-3), 7:15 p.m. ET (Monday)
In an epic week for special teams, the Jets were the only team to block a FG and return it for a score to lose. Aaron Glenn has inspired a competitive environment. That spark won’t be easy to maintain as losses mount.
27. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
Last Week: W, 30-0 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Up Next: at New England Patriots (1-2), 1 p.m. ET
Life is easier for any quarterback with an unabashed commitment to running the ball. The Panthers placed two starting offensive linemen on IR last week, then ripped the heart of the Falcons’ defense by sticking with the run. Carolina put on a team tackling clinic to take away Bijan Robinson.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)
Last Week: L 41-24 at Washington Commanders
Up Next: vs. Chicago Bears (1-2), 4:05 p.m. ET
Chip Kelly’s offensive plan was to feature rookie RB Ashton Jeanty and create an identity around the running game. Offensive line issues are limiting Jeanty’s chances, which might send the Raiders back to the drawing board.
25. New England Patriots (1-2)
Last Week: L, 21-14 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Up Next: vs. Carolina Panthers (1-2), 1 p.m. ET
Two home losses but at least the Patriots aren’t in the AFC East cellar with the winless Jets and Dolphins. New England nosedives in the rankings if it can’t get a victory at home against Carolina.
24. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Last Week: W, 13-10 vs. Green Bay Packers
Up Next: at Detroit Lions (2-1), 1 p.m. ET
All aboard? Not quite. A masterful defensive plan minimized every playmaker on the Green Bay offense and Cleveland still needed a last-second FG to steal the win.
23. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Last Week: L, 31-14 at Chicago Bears
Up Next: vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday)
At this pace, the Cowboys might score 400-plus points this season and give up 500. Don’t look now but Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur own Dallas. They’re bringing Micah Parsons, too.
22. Houston Texans (0-3)
Last Week: L, 17-10 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Up Next: vs. Tennessee Titans (0-3), 1 p.m. ET
Sure they miss RB Joe Mixon but the bigger concern is how uncomfortable C.J. Stroud looks in the new scheme. At this point last season, we were discussing since-fired coordinator Bobby Slowik as a head-coaching candidate.
21. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Last Week: L, 30-0 at Carolina Panthers
Up Next: vs. Washington Commanders (1-2), 1 p.m. ET
Maybe Michael Penix Jr. was “off” last week at Carolina as Raheem Morris stated. Or maybe this is who he is as an NFL QB. A shutout at Carolina is beyond confounding ineptitude.
20. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Last Week: L, 48-10 at Minnesota Vikings
Up Next: at Denver Broncos (1-2), 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday)
Every team clamoring for a backup QB to get more time should review the past six quarters of Cincinnati’s offense transitioning from Joe Burrow to Jake Browning. Life won’t get any easier. Denver’s pass rush, secondary present major problems for the Bengals and their absent running game.
19. Chicago Bears (1-2)
Last Week: W, 31-14 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Up Next: at Las Vegas Raiders (1-2), 4:05 p.m. ET
Hold on with two hands, Bears fans. This is going to be a bumpy ride. Dallas can do a lot for a team’s confidence — see New York Giants. A suspect running game plus injury issues in the secondary imply a rollercoaster of results.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
Last Week: W, 21-14 at New England Patriots
Up Next: vs. Minnesota Vikings (2-1) in Dublin, 9:30 a.m. ET (Sunday)
Jaylen Warren is underappreciated outside of Pittsburgh. He’s been a huge benefit to Aaron Rodgers as both feel their way around a work-in-progress offense.
17. Arizona Cardinals (2-1)
Last Week: L, 16-15 at San Francisco 49ers
Up Next: vs. Seattle Seahawks (2-1), 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday)
No one area of the team is dominant and subtracting James Conner is a step back for Arizona’s offense.
16. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
Last Week: W, 48-10 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Up Next: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) in Dublin, 9:30 a.m. ET (Sunday)
Credit Kevin O’Connell for having Carson Wentz ready to play within weeks of working together. Last week’s win belongs to defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
15. Washington Commanders (2-1)
Last Week: W, 41-24 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Up Next: at Atlanta Falcons (1-2), 1 p.m. ET
Long-term outlook for Jayden Daniels reflects the long-term ceiling of the Commanders. Dan Quinn’s return to Atlanta sets up as entertaining undercard game in Week 4.
14. Denver Broncos (1-2)
Last Week: L, 23-20 at Los Angeles Chargers
Up Next: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1), 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday)
Had a puncher’s chance to spoil home opener for Chargers, left with another one-possession loss. Denver does look to be legit and the best of the three 1-2 teams in the AFC West behind L.A.
13. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
Last Week: L, 33-26 at Philadelphia Eagles
Up Next: vs. Indianapolis Colts (3-0), 4:05 p.m. ET
Went scoreless in the fourth quarter and gave up 26 second-half points to spoil an upset bid at Philly. Looking like a team that can run with anyone in the league.
12. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
Last Week: W, 22-9 vs. New York Giants
Up Next: vs. Baltimore Ravens (1-2), 4:25 p.m. ET
Flickering hope for a full revival of Patrick Mahomes and the passing game emerged in the second half at New York. It’s a good time for the Chiefs to see the flame-fanning Ravens’ defense, which was torched by the Bills (41 points in Week 1) and Lions.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
Last Week: W, 17-10 vs. Houston Texans
Up Next: at San Francisco 49ers (3-0), 4:05 p.m. ET
One defensive stop at Cincinnati away from a 3-0 record, the Jaguars are forming a physical and fiery persona in for a test at San Francisco even without Nick Bosa.
10. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
Last Week: W, 44-13 vs. New Orleans Saints
Up Next: at Arizona Cardinals (2-1), 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday)
This is why the Seahawks wanted Mike Macdonald last year. Defense is turning a corner. Seattle leads league with at plus-6 net touchdown differential.
9. San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
Last Week: W, 16-15 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Up Next: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1), 4:05 p.m. ET
Mission becomes more difficult without Nick Bosa (torn ACL). Injury toll can’t be ignored but San Francisco sits atop NFC West.
8. Indianapolis Colts (3-0)
Last Week: W, 41-20 at Tennessee Titans
Up Next: at Los Angeles Rams (2-1), 4:05 p.m. ET
We’re on board with the Shoe based on offensive balance and the resurrection of Daniel Jones, but Colts MVP candidate might be RB Jonathan Taylor. He’s No. 1 in the league in yards from scrimmage (112.7 per game) and rushing (338 yards). Indy leads the league in point differential (+47)
7. Baltimore Ravens (1-2)
Last Week: L, 38-30 vs. Detroit Lions
Up Next: at Kansas City Chiefs (1-2), 4:25 p.m. ET
For the first time ever, a quarterback lost a game with a passer rating over 140 this season. And Lamar Jackson suddenly has done it twice (at Buffalo, vs. Detroit). Defense has been gutted by Super Bowl contenders.
6. Green Bay Packers (2-1)
Last Week: L, 13-10 at Cleveland Browns
Up Next: at Dallas Cowboys (1-2), 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday)
We might not grasp how good the Browns can be defensively, but the Packers are a step below our top-tier Super Bowl contenders until Jordan Love delivers against a top-tier defense.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (3-0)
Last Week: W, 23-20 vs. Denver Broncos
Up Next: at New York Giants (0-3), 1 p.m. ET
Justin Herbert has excelled with Jim Harbaugh doing the teaching. We’re ready to begin discussing defensive coordinator Mike Minter as a head coach. Even without Khalil Mack, the Chargers limited Broncos to two third-down conversions last week. However, 25 defensive penalties in three games is a potential landmine.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0)
Last Week: W, 29-27 vs. New York Jets
Up Next: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0), 1 p.m. ET
Baker Mayfield’s heroics kept Bucs perfect last week. If this team gets healthy, is Tampa the team to beat in the NFC? Potential statement game up next.
3. Detroit Lions (2-1)
Last Week: W, 38-30 at Baltimore Ravens
Up Next: vs. Cleveland Browns (1-2), 1 p.m. ET
Throwing up 90 points in two games places a Week 1 no-show at Green Bay in the rearview mirror. If the Lions are healthy on the offensive and defensive line, they have an edge in almost every matchup.
2. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
Last Week: W, 31-21 vs. Miami Dolphins
Up Next: vs. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
Establishing a dynamic running game temporarily can boost a Buffalo defense still finding its way.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)
Last Week: W, 33-27 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Up Next: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0), 1 p.m. ET
Ripped a win from the jaws of defeat with a FG block and score. While many of its biggest threats are finding ways to lose, the Eagles stand out for winning at less than their best.
BEFORE REUNION SUNDAY, JERRY JONES RECALLS TEAMS ‘MITIGATING MICAH PARSONS’
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has extra pep in his step this week with Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons returning to AT&T Stadium on Sunday night.
“Yes, I do,” Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Of course, I’ve said this time and time again, I think the world of Micah as an individual and of course know him well. I might say, ‘I wish him well,’ except it’s obvious I don’t this weekend in terms of Green Bay winning the game. And so, it makes for an exciting time.”
The Week 4 prime-time clash between the Cowboys (1-2) and Packers (2-1) comes exactly one month after Dallas made the shocking move to trade Parsons to Green Bay, thereby ending an ugly contract dispute.
Jones said there was “nothing personal” about the decision to deal Parsons, who signed a record-breaking four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers.
“Not at all,” Jones said. “… I told you, I liked Micah. As much as people wanted to make that of it, there was no issue regarding feelings relative to the negotiations. Certainly not on my part. It was just par for the course.”
In exchange for Parsons, the Cowboys received defensive tackle Kenny Clark and first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027.
Parsons, 26, who made the Pro Bowl and recorded at least 12 sacks in each of his four seasons with the Cowboys, has recorded 1.5 sacks and six QB hits through three games with his new club.
Dallas won’t have star receiver CeeDee Lamb (ankle) on Sunday, but Jones suggested that running the ball against Parsons in the Packers might be the Cowboys’ best course anyway.
“Over the years, when I saw Micah mitigated, when I saw teams play him pretty well, which he’s going to make some plays no matter how you play him, but when I saw people play us well with Micah in the game — and it did happen — then obviously we’ll be looking to try to run those kinds of plays,” he said.
Jones also said veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is expected to make his Cowboys debut Sunday night.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick signed with Dallas last week but was not available for the Week 3 loss against the Chicago Bears.
Clowney, 32, has 58 sacks, 108 tackles for loss, 139 QB hits and 15 forced fumbles in 140 career games (127 starts) with the Houston Texans (2014-18), Seattle Seahawks (2019), Tennessee Titans (2020), Cleveland Browns (2021-22), Baltimore Ravens (2023) and Carolina Panthers (2024).
MICAH PARSONS DOWNPLAYS HIS RETURN TO DALLAS, SAYS SACKING HIS MENTOR DAK PRESCOTT WILL BE ‘PAINFUL’
Sacking Dak Prescott would be bittersweet for Micah Parsons.
The two-time All-Pro pass rusher downplayed his upcoming return to Dallas and expressed his feelings about potentially taking down his friend and former teammate in a conversation with The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Parsons and the Green Bay Packers (2-1) face off against Prescott and the Cowboys (1-2) in front of a national television audience on Sunday night.
“It’s going to be painful,” Parsons told the AP about getting a chance to sack Prescott. “That’s my guy. He was always like a good mentor for me. But you know how it is, he always told me if I ever faced him that it’ll be a great matchup, so I’m excited to see what Sunday brings itself.”
Parsons plans to treat it like an ordinary game, though it’ll be his first time inside AT&T Stadium as a visitor.
“I accepted my fate weeks ago when the trade happened,” Parsons said. “So for me, it’s just all about playing another game and just doing what I do best, and that’s just be a disruptive football player. I think the media and the fans are trying to blow it up to be such a big thing. But I just look at it as just another game at AT&T.”
Just a game that was circled on everyone’s calendar after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones traded Parsons to the Packers one week before the NFL’s season opener, ending a lengthy contract dispute.
The Packers increased their Super Bowl hopes with Parsons, and made the 26-year-old the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history by signing him to a $188 million, four-year contract that includes $136 million guaranteed.
The Cowboys (1-2) have struggled without Parsons, especially on defense. They’ve allowed the third-most yards (397.7 per game), most passing yards (288) and sixth-highest points (30.7).
Despite missing all of training camp and arriving in Green Bay a week before the first game, Parsons made an immediate impact on defense in a 27-13 win over the two-time defending NFC North champion Lions in Week 1. The Packers defeated Washington soundly 27-18 four days later. But the offense couldn’t get on track in a 13-10 loss at Cleveland in Week 3.
“Besides the fans, just the teammates, the support staff, I mean they made this transition so great and I’m just extremely honored and blessed to be with such a great group of guys that want to win and that just want to play football and I think we’ve been playing really good football so far, so that helps and I just hope we continue that,” Parsons said.
TITANS TRADE STARTING CORNERBACK JARVIS BROWNLEE JR. AND A DRAFT PICK TO JETS FOR 6TH-ROUND PICK
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans traded starting cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft to the New York Jets on Tuesday for a sixth-round selection next April.
The Titans announced the trade hours after coach Brian Callahan said he was handing over play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree.
Acquiring Brownlee, a fifth-round pick out of Louisville in 2024, helps the Jets (0-3) add some depth in a struggling secondary behind starters Sauce Gardner, Brandon Stephens and nickel cornerback Michael Carter II.
It also reunites Brownlee with defensive back coach/pass game coordinator Chris Harris, who was Tennessee’s defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach last season. The Jets play Miami on Monday night.
As a rookie, the 5-foot-10, 194-pound Brownlee started 14 games and ranked third on the Tennessee defense with 75 tackles. He also ranked fifth among AFC rookies with nine passes defended and led all rookie defensive backs with seven tackles for loss.
Brownlee started the first two games and had two tackles for loss this season. He missed last week’s loss to Indianapolis with an injured ankle and was seen at the stadium pregame with his foot in a walking boot.
The Titans also signed running back Raheem Blackshear to the practice squad.
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
ROBOT UMPIRES APPROVED FOR MLB IN 2026 AS PART OF CHALLENGE SYSTEM
NEW YORK (AP) — Robot umpires are getting called up to the big leagues next season.
Major League Baseball’s 11-man competition committee on Tuesday approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System in the major leagues in 2026.
Human plate umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game and get additional appeals in extra innings. Challenges must be made by a pitcher, catcher or batter — signaled by tapping their helmet or cap — and a team retains its challenge if successful. Reviews will be shown as digital graphics on outfield videoboards.
Adding the robot umps is likely to cut down on ejections. MLB said 61.5% of ejections among players, managers and coaches last year were related to balls and strikes, as were 60.3% this season through Sunday. The figures include ejections for derogatory comments, throwing equipment while protesting calls and inappropriate conduct.
Big league umpires call roughly 94% of pitches correctly, according to UmpScorecards.
“Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The strong preference from players for the challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today.”
ABS, which utilizes Hawk-Eye cameras, has been tested in the minor leagues since 2019. The independent Atlantic League trialed the system at its 2019 All-Star Game and MLB installed the technology for that’s year Arizona Fall League of top prospects. The ABS was tried at eight of nine ballparks of the Low-A Southeast League in 2021, then moved up to Triple-A in 2022.
At Triple-A at the start of the 2023 season, half the games used the robots for ball/strike calls and half had a human making decisions subject to appeals by teams to the ABS.
MLB switched Triple-A to an all-challenge system on June 26, 2024, then used the challenge system this year at 13 spring training ballparks hosting 19 teams for a total of 288 exhibition games. Teams won 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges (617 of 1,182) challenges.
At Triple-A this season, the average challenges per game increased to 4.2 from 3.9 through Sunday and the success rate dropped to 49.5% from 50.6%. Defenses were successful in 53.7% of challenges this year and offenses in 45%.
In the first test at the big League All-Star Game, four of five challenges of plate umpire Dan Iassogna’s calls were successful in July.
Teams in Triple-A do not get additional challenges in extra innings. The proposal approved Tuesday included a provision granting teams one additional challenge each inning if they don’t have challenges remaining.
MLB has experimented with different shapes and interpretations of the strike zone with ABS, including versions that were three-dimensional. Currently, it calls strikes solely based on where the ball crosses the midpoint of the plate, 8.5 inches from the front and the back. The top of the strike zone is 53.5% of batter height and the bottom 27%.
This will be MLB’s first major rule change since sweeping adjustments in 2024. Those included a pitch clock, restrictions on defensive shifts, pitcher disengagements such as pickoff attempts and larger bases.
The challenge system introduces ABS without eliminating pitch framing, a subtle art where catchers use their body and glove to try making borderline pitches look like strikes. Framing has become a critical skill for big league catchers, and there was concern that full-blown ABS would make some strong defensive catchers obsolete. Not that everyone loves it.
“The idea that people get paid for cheating, for stealing strikes, for moving a pitch that’s not a strike into the zone to fool the official and make it a strike is beyond my comprehension,” former manager Bobby Valentine said.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy, a big league catcher from 1978-87, maintained old-school umpires such as Bruce Froemming and Billy Williams never would have accepted pitch framing. He said they would have told him: “‘If you do that again, you’ll never get a strike.’ I’m cutting out some words.”
Management officials on the competition committee include Seattle chairman John Stanton, St. Louis CEO Bill DeWitt Jr., San Francisco chairman Greg Johnson, Colorado CEO Dick Monfort, Toronto CEO Mark Shapiro and Boston chairman Tom Werner.
Players include Arizona’s Corbin Burnes and Zac Gallen, Detroit’s Casey Mize, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and the New York Yankees’ Austin Slater, with the Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ at Detroit’s Casey Mize as alternates. The union representatives make their decisions based on input from players on the 30 teams.
Bill Miller is the umpire representative.
MLB ROUNDUP: MARINERS, YANKEES CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTHS
Josh Naylor’s three-run double with two outs in the eighth inning helped the Seattle Mariners beat the visiting Colorado Rockies 4-3 Tuesday night, clinching a playoff berth in the process.
Dominic Canzone hit a solo homer for the Mariners, who won their fifth in a row and prevailed for the 15th time in their past 16 games to capture at least an American League wild-card spot. With five games left, they lead the American League West by four games over the Houston Astros.
The Mariners had just two hits and trailed 3-1 in the eighth before loading the bases on two hit batters and walk against Mejia (2-2). Naylor lined a 2-0 fastball from Victor Vodnik into the gap in left-center field to put Seattle in front.
Mariners reliever Gabe Speier (4-3) struck out three in the eighth and Andres Munoz fanned two more in a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 38th save.
Yankees 3, White Sox 2
Jose Caballero hit a walk-off single in the ninth inning and New York clinched a playoff berth with a victory over visiting Chicago. The Yankees won for the 20th time in 28 games.
Cody Bellinger’s bases-loaded walk tied the game in the ninth before Caballero gave New York its fifth walk-off win this season. The White Sox had built a 2-1 lead when rookie Colson Montgomery hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Luis Gil.
Yankees reliever Luke Weaver (4-4) threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win over Brandon Eisert (3-7).
Guardians 5, Tigers 2
Gavin Williams posted a career-high-tying 12 strikeouts and Daniel Schneemann drove in two runs as host Cleveland rallied for a victory over Detroit, leaving the teams tied atop the American League Central.
Williams (12-5) allowed two runs on four hits in six innings outduel Tigers ace Tarik Skubal (13-6), who gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits in six innings. With the win, the Guardians secured the tiebreaker between two teams.
The Guardians scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 3-2 lead without hitting the ball out of the infield. The frame included Cleveland’s David Fry getting hit in the face with a Skubal pitch while squaring to bunt. Fry was taken off on a cart.
Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 4
Geraldo Perdomo hit a walk-off single to cap a two-run ninth inning and Arizona rallied from a four-run deficit to spoil Shohei Ohtani’s longest outing of the season in a victory over Los Angeles at Phoenix.
Jorge Barrosa tied the game with a sacrifice fly off Tanner Scott (1-4) before Perdomo lined a single to left to keep the D-backs within one game of the final National League wild-card berth.
Teoscar Hernandez homered, tripled and drove in three runs for the Dodgers, whose NL West lead over the San Diego Padres was cut to 1 1/2 games. Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings, striking out eight.
Athletics 5, Astros 1
Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom each had two hits and one RBI to help the Athletics hand Houston a damaging loss in West Sacramento, Calif.
Jeffrey Springs and three relievers combined on a three-hitter for the Athletics. Wilson also walked twice and scored twice as the A’s won for the eighth time in the past 11 games.
Cam Smith drove in the lone run for the Astros, who lost their fourth consecutive contest. Houston sits one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the final American League wild-card berth and four games behind the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners.
Pirates 4, Reds 2
Oneil Cruz belted a two-run homer and five relievers combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings to lead visiting Pittsburgh past Cincinnati.
Elly De La Cruz homered and went 3-for-3 for the Reds, who hit into double plays to end each of the final three innings.
Left-handed reliever Hunter Barco (1-0) made his major league debut for Pittsburgh, tossing a scoreless sixth inning to earn his first big league win. Dennis Santana tossed a scoreless ninth for his 15th save in 17 chances.
Braves 3, Nationals 2
Michael Harris II hit a pair of home runs and rookie Hurston Waldrep pitched six strong innings to help Atlanta extend its league-leading winning streak to 10 games with a win over visiting Washington. It’s the Braves’ first double-digit winning streak since winning 14 straight in June 2022.
Harris’ homers, both solo shots, were his first home runs since Aug. 27. Waldrep (6-1) allowed one run on five hits. Raisel Iglesias worked around a one-out walk to pitch a scoreless ninth and earn his 28th save.
Nationals starter Brad Lord (5-9) pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He retired 13 straight at one point. James Wood hit a solo homer, his 28th, as Washington lost for the ninth time in 12 games against the Braves this season.
Twins 4, Rangers 1
Kody Clemens had a double, an RBI single and scored a run to back seven solid innings from starter Zebby Matthews as Minnesota defeated reeling Texas in the opener of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.
The loss was a season-high eighth straight for the Rangers and mathematically eliminated them from the postseason. Patrick Corbin (7-11) — the first of six Texas pitchers — lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits. Corbin is 0-2 in five September starts despite allowing two earned runs or fewer in four of those appearances.
Minnesota, which has long been excused from postseason consideration, has won two straight games for just the second time since capturing three in a row Aug. 5-8. Matthews scattered four hits to win for just the second time in eight starts since Aug. 5.
Marlins 6, Phillies 5 (11 innings)
Heriberto Hernandez hit a tying home run in the ninth inning and Xavier Edwards knocked in the decisive run in the 11th as Miami nipped host Philadelphia.
The Marlins opened the 11th with an infield single off Lou Trivino (3-2), putting runners on the corners, and Edwards followed with a sacrifice fly. The Phillies put the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the 11th before Josh Simpson (4-2) retired Weston Wilson and Bryson Stott to give Miami its seventh straight victory. The Marlins have won 11 of their past 12 contests.
Kyle Schwarber and Otto Kemp homered for Philadelphia, which remains 2 1/2 games back of Milwaukee for the top seed in the National League playoffs.
Padres 7, Brewers 0
Ryan O’Hearn hit a grand slam, Luis Arraez and Jose Iglesias also homered and San Diego blanked visiting Milwaukee to gain ground in the playoff race.
San Diego moved within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Dodgers in the National League West. The Padres are also within 1 1/2 games of the Cubs in the chase for the top NL wild card and home-field advantage in a potential first-round playoff series between the teams. Randy Vasquez (6-7) retired the last 14 batters he faced as he gave up just one hit in seven innings.
Bruce Zimmermann, making his first major league appearance since 2023 and his first start since 2022, was charged with seven hits and six runs, five earned, in six innings.
Mets 9, Cubs 7
Francisco Alvarez broke a tie with a two-run homer in the eighth inning after visiting New York had already erased a five-run deficit in a victory over Chicago.
New York’s Brandon Nimmo launched a three-run homer in a five-run fifth inning and Francisco Lindor also went deep to lead off the game. Lindor drove in three runs and Pete Alonso had an RBI single for the Mets, who recorded just the fifth win in their last eight games to move one game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild-card spot in the National League.
Carlos Santana and Ian Happ both had two-run doubles and Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki each added an RBI single for the Cubs, who have lost a season-high five games in a row.
Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 1
Nathaniel Lowe and Carlos Narvaez had two RBIs apiece and visiting Boston defeated Toronto.
Both had key hits in Boston’s three-run sixth inning that broke a 1-1 tie. Lucas Giolito allowed one run and three hits in 4 2/3 innings for the Red Sox, who are trying to secure a playoff spot.
The Blue Jays confirmed their postseason berth with a win on Sunday that ended a four-game losing streak but their lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East was cut to one game. Kevin Gausman (10-11) allowed four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Cardinals 9, Giants 8
Brendan Donovan tied the score with his fourth double of the game in the ninth inning and Alec Burleson put St. Louis ahead with a run-scoring single as the visiting Cardinals rallied for two in the ninth inning to stun San Francisco.
Ivan Herrera and Nolan Arenado hit home runs for the Cardinals, who remained 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the National League wild-card race. Donovan tied the franchise record for doubles in a game. Cardinals starter Andre Pallante was charged with five runs (two earned) on three hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Heliot Ramos launched his 20th home run for the Giants, who were eliminated from postseason contention. Giants starter Logan Webb allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Royals 8, Angels 4
Cole Ragans struck out 10 batters over five innings as Kansas City earned a victory over Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.
Ragans (3-3), making his second start since missing 3 1/2 months with a left rotator cuff strain, picked up his first win since May 5. He allowed two runs on three hits. Maikel Garcia went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs, a walk and an RBI for Kansas City. Salvador Perez went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, moving past Hal McRae into second place on the Royals’ all-time RBI list.
Bryce Teodosio hit his first major league home run and Taylor Ward also homered for Los Angeles, which lost for the 10th time in 11 games. Sam Aldegher (0-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Orioles 6, Rays 0
Dean Kremer pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings as Baltimore blanked visiting Tampa Bay to open a three-game series.
Colton Cowser hit a two-run home run to highlight the Orioles’ offense. Jose Castillo, Colin Selby and Yaramil Hiraldo completed the two-hit shutout by following Kremer (11-10) to the mound.
Cowser, Coby Mayo and Jordan Westburg all posted two hits for Baltimore. Rays starter Ryan Pepiot (11-12) gave up three runs in three innings.
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WNBA NEWS
NEW YORK LIBERTY PART WAYS WITH CHAMPIONSHIP-WINNING COACH SANDY BRONDELLO
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Liberty will not renew coach Sandy Brondello’s contract for next season, the organization announced Tuesday.
Brondello led the Liberty to its first WNBA championship in 2024, but the team struggled with injuries to star players Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu this year. New York earned the No. 5 seed in the playoffs and lost in the first round to the Phoenix Mercury.
“It has been a privilege to have coached the NY Liberty these last four years. Bringing the first ever championship to New York will always be the most amazing feeling. I wish the team and organization more success moving forward,” Brondello said to The Associated Press in a text message.
Brondello went 107-53 in her four seasons with the team, giving her the most wins in franchise history. The Liberty got off to a franchise-best start, winning nine straight games, only to stumble over the next few months as injuries took their toll.
“We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact on the New York Liberty,” Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb said. “Sandy finishes her tenure in New York as the winningest coach in franchise history, and she took us to never-before-seen heights as the first head coach to lead the Liberty to a championship. We wish Sandy the very best in her next chapter.”
he had her players support after the team lost in the playoffs last week.
“To anybody that kind of questions Sandy being here, this is a resilient group,” Stewart said after the Game 3 loss to Phoenix last week. “And she has our back and we have hers. The way that she continued to kind of deal with the cards she was dealt was incredible. It wasn’t easy for anybody but she came in every day with a positive attitude and a mindset to put us in our best positions possible and best foot forward.”
Before coming to New York, Brondello led the Phoenix Mercury to a championship in her eight seasons with that team. She was hired before the 2022 season by the Liberty after she helped the Mercury reach the WNBA Finals in 2021.
New York lost in the finals to Las Vegas in 2023 before winning the championship last year in a decisive Game 5 overtime victory over Minnesota.
A’JA WILSON, ACES COAST TO WIN OVER FEVER TO EVEN SEMIFINAL SERIES
A’ja Wilson scored 25 points with nine rebounds and five steals and NaLyssa Smith added 18 points as the Las Vegas Aces bounced back for a 90-68 victory over the visiting Indiana Fever in Game 2 of their WNBA semifinal series.
Jackie Young scored 13 points and Chelsea Gray had 10 assists as the Aces improved both on defense and ball distribution while turning the tables following an 89-73 loss in Game 1 of the series.
The Aces, who have reached the semifinals for the seventh consecutive season, shot 53.8 percent from the floor and had 22 assists after collecting just 12 in the series opener. Wilson was 10-of-18 shooting after making just 6 of 22 shots in Game 1.
Odyssey Sims scored 18 points and Lexie Hull added 15 for the Fever, who were held to 41 percent from the floor after shooting 50 percent in the opener.
Kelsey Mitchell was held to 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting for Indiana, which is set to host Game 3 on Friday.
The Aces took charge in the third quarter, going on a 9-0 run to take a 63-44 lead. Las Vegas took their first 20-point lead of the game at 67-47 on a layup from Megan Gustafson off an assist from Gray.
The Fever missed nine consecutive shots late in the third, shooting 29.4 percent in the quarter.
The Aces took a 70-52 lead into the fourth quarter and went up 80-56 with 6:55 remaining after Wilson capped a 10-0 run with a fastbreak layup. Las Vegas removed its starters with 4:03 remaining while holding an 84-60 lead.
Las Vegas got off to a hot start, taking a 26-17 lead through one quarter after making 10 of their 20 shots. The Aces led by as many as 18 in the second quarter and took a 46-35 lead into halftime by shooting 55.9 percent and holding the Fever to 41.2 percent.
Wilson led Las Vegas with 13 points in the first half, while Young and Smith each had 10.
MERCURY RALLY FROM 20 DOWN TO FORCE OVERTIME, STUN LYNX
Satou Sabally scored 24 points and pulled down nine rebounds, and the Phoenix Mercury stormed back for an 89-83 overtime win over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
Alyssa Thomas added 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for Phoenix, which evened the best-of-five series at one win apiece. The Mercury trailed by as many as 20 points midway through the third quarter before rallying to force the extra session.
Napheesa Collier scored 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting for Minnesota, while Kayla McBride had 21 points. Courtney Williams scored 20 to go along with seven rebounds and nine assists, and Alanna Smith added 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
The series will shift to Phoenix for Game 3 on Friday night.
Sami Whitcomb (13 points off the bench) provided the tying points for the Mercury just before the end of regulation. After a frenzied possession, she drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 79-all with 4.3 seconds to go.
Collier missed a last-second shot from the left elbow as time expired in regulation.
Phoenix took the lead on a jump shot by Thomas in the first minute of overtime, their first lead since the opening quarter. The Mercury increased their lead to 85-79 when Kahleah Copper knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner with 1:47 to go.
The Lynx appeared headed for a 2-0 series lead after they took a 59-39 lead on Collier’s 3-pointer with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter.
Sabally answered on the next possession with a 3-pointer from 23 feet. That started a determined comeback for Phoenix, which outscored Minnesota 57-35 in the second half and overtime.
Minnesota nearly staved off the comeback in the final few minutes of regulation. Williams brought Lynx fans to their feet with a driving layup that gave Minnesota a 77-72 lead with 1:55 on the clock.
Phoenix refused to go away. Sabally rebounded her own miss and put back a layup to cut the deficit to 77-74 with 46.8 seconds left.
After a five-second violation by the Lynx, Phoenix struck again. Thomas made a pull-up jump shot to cut the deficit to 77-76 with 25.5 seconds to go.
Williams calmly made a pair of free throws with 20.7 seconds left. That increased Minnesota’s lead to 79-76 with 20.7 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Whitcomb’s tying shot.
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NBA NEWS
CELTICS’ JAYSON TATUM (ACHILLES) STILL HOPES TO PLAY THIS SEASON
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum has not ruled out playing in 2025-26 as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
Injured during the playoffs in May, Tatum told ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday not to count him out.
“First thing, I haven’t said I’m not playing this season,” the six-time All-Star forward said, when asked about Boston’s outlook for the season without him.
Tatum, 27, who was spotted at a New England Patriots practice last month wearing a walking boot on his right foot, said he won’t hurry a recovery process that typically takes a full year or more.
“The most important thing is a full recovery. And I’m not rushing it … at all,” he said. “But also, I don’t go to rehab six days a week for nothing.”
Tatum said he has been comparing notes with three other NBA players recovering from the same injuries sustained last season: Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray.
“We’ve all been in communication … Dejounte, Dame, Tyrese … we’re all at different points in our recovery,” he said Tuesday. “I text them all the time to ask what can you do, and what are you doing in your workouts. We’re all in the same boat, just kind of checking in on each other.”
Boston opens the regular season against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 22.
Tatum, who helped the Celtics win the NBA championship in 2023-24, averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and a career-high 6.0 assists in 72 games last season.
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+++TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES+++
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS RELEASE UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART FOR WEEK 4 GAME VS. LOS ANGELES RAMS
OFFENSE
- WR: Michael Pittman Jr., Ashton Dulin
- LT: Bernhard Raimann, Luke Tenuta
- LG: Quenton Nelson
- C: Tanor Bortolini, Danny Pinter
- RG: Matt Goncalves, Dalton Tucker
- RT: Braden Smith, Jalen Travis
- TE: Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
- WR: Josh Downs, Anthony Gould
- WR: Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell
- QB: Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson Sr., Riley Leonard
- RB: Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson OR DJ Giddens
- Taylor had 17 carries for 102 yards and three touchdowns in the Colts’ Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans.
- Jones completed 18-of-24 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown (to Michael Pittman Jr.) against the Titans.
- Pierce left the game with a concussion and is currently in concussion protocol.
DEFENSE
- DE: Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, JT Tuimoloau
- DT: DeForest Buckner, Neville Gallimore, Adetomiwa Adebawore
- NT: Grover Stewart, Eric Johnson II
- DE: Laiatu Latu, Samson Ebukam
- WLB: Joe Bachie, Cameron McGrone, Segun Olubi
- MLB: Zaire Franklin, Chad Muma, Austin Ajiake
- CB: Charvarius Ward Sr. Johnathan Edwards
- FS: Camryn Bynum, Rodney Thomas II
- SS: Nick Cross, Daniel Scott
- N: Kenny Moore II, Mekhi Blackmon
- CB: Xavien Howard
- Moore recorded his fourth career pick-six against the Titans. He later exited the game with a calf injury.
- As a whole, the Colts had four sacks and seven quarterback hits against the Titans. Lewis (2), Paye (1) and Gallimore (1) each recorded sacks.
SPECIALISTS
- P: Rigoberto Sanchez
- PK: Spencer Shrader
- H: Rigoberto Sanchez
- LS: Luke Rhodes
- KR: Anthony Gould, Ashton Dulin
- PR: Anthony Gould, Josh Downs
- Shrader was 2-for-3 on field goal attempts against the Titans, making a 24-yarder and a 36-yarder and missing what would have been a career-long 51-yard kick.
- Sanchez finally punted on Sunday, after 20 straight drives without a punt.
COLTS SIGN VETERAN CB MIKE HILTON TO PRACTICE SQUAD, RELEASE WR TYLER SCOTT FROM PRACTICE SQUAD
The Colts on Tuesday signed cornerback Mike Hilton to the practice squad and released wide receiver Tyler Scott from the practice squad.
Hilton, an eight-year veteran, spent the last four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals playing under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He spent the first four years of his career playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 123 career games (56 starts) Hilton has 13 interceptions, 56 passes defensed, 66 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. Hilton’s career completion percentage when targeted is 70.4 percent and he allows an average of 9.9 yards per catch, per Pro Football Focus.
With Anarumo in Cincinnati from 2021-2024, Hilton recorded six interceptions and 283 tackles, helping the Bengals reach back-to-back AFC Championship Games and Super Bowl LVI in 2021. Hilton, who plays primarily as a slot cornerback, also led NFL cornerbacks with 178 blitzes in those four years.
In 2024, Hilton had one interception, five passes defensed, 12 tackles for loss and one quarterback hit in 16 games played (10 starts).
The move comes after cornerback Kenny Moore II exited Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a calf injury. Head coach Shane Steichen said on Monday that he doesn’t yet have a timetable for Moore’s return, but said placing the veteran cornerback on injured reserve was not currently being considered.
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INDIANA FEVER
GAME RECAP: ACES BEAT FEVER IN GAME 2 TO EVEN SERIES
After the Indiana Fever took Game 1 on Sunday, the Las Vegas Aces responded with a 90-68 win on their home floor on Tuesday night to even the best-of-five WNBA Semifinals series.
A’ja Wilson scored 11 points in the first quarter to propel the Aces to a 26-17 lead after the opening frame. Las Vegas then opened the ensuing frame with an 11-2 run that pushed the margin to 18 points less than three minutes into the second quarter.
The Fever responded with a 14-2 spurt of their own to get back within six at 39-33, but a 7-2 Aces run to close the half gave the hosts a 46-35 advantage at the half.
The Aces pushed the margin to as high as 22 points in the third quarter and ultimately cruised to victory.
Despite battling a back injury, Lexie Hull scored 15 points for the Fever in the loss, going 5-for-11 from 3-point range. Hull’s five 3-pointers tied the franchise record for most threes made in a playoff game, a distinction she now shares with Marissa Coleman, Katie Douglas, and Tangela Smith (Coleman and Douglas each made five threes for the Fever in two playoff games).
After erupting for 34 points in Game 1, All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell tallied 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting (1-of-6 from 3-point range) in Game 2, although she did dish out five assists. Odyssey Sims finished with a team-high 16 points and seven assists, while All-Star center Aliyah Boston tallied 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The Fever held four-time MVP Wilson to 6-of-22 shooting in Game 1, but Wilson scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, pulled down nine boards, and came away with five steals in Game 2.
NaLyssa Smith added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Aces, while Jackie Young finished with 13 points, five boards, and five assists.
The Aces shot 53.8 percent from the field, while the Fever shot just 41 percent on Tuesday. Indiana committed 22 turnovers, which Las Vegas converted into 28 points.
The series will now shift to Indianapolis for the next two games. The Fever will host the Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday at 7:30 PM ET for Game 3 and again on Sunday at 3:00 PM ET for Game 4. If necessary, a decisive Game 5 would take place on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in Las Vegas.
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INDIANA FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: AT IOWA (WEEK 5)
GAME 5
No. 11/12 Indiana (4-0, 1-0 B1G) at Iowa (3-1, 1-0 B1G)
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Kinnick Stadium | Iowa City, Iowa
Setting The Scene
• No. 11/12 Indiana will travel to face Iowa on Saturday (Sept. 27) at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. The matchup between the 4-0 Hoosiers and 3-1 Hawkeyes will air on Peacock.
• This will be the 79th all-time meeting between the two programs and first since 2021, with Iowa leading the series, 46-28-4. Iowa has won the previous four games in the series.
• This Indiana’s first road game of the 2025 season after starting the year with four-straight home matchups. s.
News & Notes
• Indiana is with a 4-0 to start a season for the ninth time in program history after a 63-10 win over No. 9/8 Illinois (9/20) in Week 4. It is the second-straight season Indiana has started 4-0 to mark just the second time in program history consecutive seasons were started at 4-0 or better. The 1985 and 1986 teams each began the season 4-0.
• The victory over Illinois marked the largest margin of victory over an AP top-10 team (53) and the largest overall margin of victory over a ranked opponent in program history. The previous mark was 21 points against Ohio State (31-10) in 1987.
• The 53-point margin of victory is the largest by a team outside the AP top-10 against an AP top-10 team.
• Saturday’s attendance of 56,088 is the second largest crowd in program history behind the 1969 crowd of 56,223 versus Purdue.
• The win over No. 9/8 Illinois was its sixth win over an AP top-10 team all time and improved Indiana’s record to 6-1 all-time in home games where both teams are ranked.
• The Hoosiers are 39-27-1 all-time as a ranked team, which includes a 25-7-1 record at home and a 28-20-1 mark in Big Ten play.
• The 219 points scored over the first four games of the season is the most in any four-game stretch in program history. The previous mark was set in 2024 (213).
• The Hoosier offense has only scored 200-plus points in a four-game stretch three times in program history: 219 points, 2025 (Game 1-4); 213 points, 2024 (Game 2-5), 202 points, 2024 (Game 1-4).
• Indiana’s 63 points marked the most scored by a Big Ten team against an AP Top-10 opponent.
• Indiana has scored at least 31 points in eight Big Ten games since the start of 2024.
• Saturday marked the sixth time since at least 1958 that Indiana held a team to single-digit or fewer yards rushing: 2, Illinois, 2025; minus-36, at Michigan State, 2024; minus-32, William & Mary, 2002; minus-8, Purdue, 2001; minus-1, Iowa,1988; minus-26, Northwestern, 1982.
• Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week Fernando Mendoza had a 21-for-23 passing day with 267 yards and tied a career-high five passing touchdowns against No 9/8 Illinois (9/20). His .910 completion percentage put him at No. 3 on the game completion percentage charts just a week after setting the program’s record of .950 (19-for-20) against Indiana State (9/12). MORE ON PAGE 7
• Elijah Sarratt has a catch in all 42 games of his career and is the nation’s active leader for consecutive games with a reception. MORE ON PAGE 4
• D’Angelo Ponds’ first-quarter blocked punt return for a touchdown was the program’s first since Javon Swinton against Idaho in 2021. MORE ON PAGE 13
INDIANA GAME NOTES: https://static.iuhoosiers.com/custompages/PDF/fb/2025/25-09-27-Notes_at_Iowa.pdf
IOWA GAME NOTES: https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-prod/2025/09/22/dw8oml4HGubcvE4Rf5mKS5axhclTe6dggBzE7PJn.pdf
NO. 11 INDIANA HAS ‘MORE DIFFICULT CHALLENGE’ AT IOWA AFTER ILLINOIS ROUT
What does No. 11 Indiana do for an encore after playing a near-flawless game last week in a 63-10 destruction of then-No. 9 Illinois?
According to second-year coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers’ trip to face Big Ten rival Iowa Saturday will be a more difficult challenge than facing a top 10 foe.
“And the sooner our guys realize that, the better,” he said.
Some might have seen Cignetti’s assertion that Iowa will be a tougher game than Illinois as a shot fired either at the Fighting Illini, who showed practically zero fight for most of the last three quarters, or the pundits who thought they would win.
It’s also the truth, simply because it’s hard to imagine that Indiana (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten), even as good as it has looked so far, is going to be 53 points better than the Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0) in Iowa City. All that crowd noise that boosted the Hoosiers to levels Illinois simply couldn’t match will be working in Iowa’s favor.
This is Indiana’s first road game of the season. Can the Fernando Mendoza-led offense function in one of the league’s louder venues? Will the Hoosiers be able to play their usual air-tight brand of football that Cignetti has established?
“It’s a tough place to play,” he said of Kinnick Stadium. “They sell out almost every Saturday. It’s loud. … Obviously, it will be a big point of emphasis this week in practice. I’m not going to tell you what we will do.”
If Mendoza keeps playing at his current level, Cignetti could give the Hawkeyes the playbook and it might not matter. Mendoza was 21 of 23 for 267 yards and five touchdowns against the Illini, making him 76 of 99 (76.8 percent, second-best among all FBS QBs) for 975 yards with an FBS-leading 14 passing touchdowns and no interceptions this season.
While Indiana is clicking in all facets, Iowa is coming off an encouraging 38-28 win at Rutgers in its conference opener on Sept. 19. Mark Gronowski ran for three touchdowns and threw for 186 yards in his best performance of the year.
The South Dakota State transfer, who led the Jackrabbits to 2022 and 2023 FCS titles, struggled to get the passing game going in the first two games. He connected on just 21 of 39 attempts for 127 yards in a blowout win over FCS foe Albany and a loss at Iowa State.
But he’s looked more like himself in the last two games, giving Hawkeye fans hope they might finally have a competent offense to go along with their usually stingy defense and solid special teams.
“I think with each week, he’s more and more comfortable running the offense and leading the team out there,” said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. “It’s been good to watch him grow confidence. We’re not surprised by that.
“He’s just a really high-quality guy. But you can’t overstate the importance of practice and repetition. I think that’s really, really important for him.”
It doesn’t hurt that the Hawkeyes are averaging 200.5 rushing yards per game, led by six touchdowns from Gronowski and an FBS-best 88.2 run-blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus.
Iowa owns a 46-28-4 lead in the all-time series, including a 34-6 win in the last meeting in 2021.
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INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
HOOSIERS OUTLASTED IN BIG TEN ROAD BATTLE
EAST LANSING, Mich. — No. 3-ranked Indiana men’s soccer (6-2-1, 1-2-0 B1G) suffered setback in the Big Ten Conference race Tuesday (Sept. 23) night, falling to host Michigan State (3-4-0, 0-2-0 B1G), 1-0.
KEY MOMENTS
• 16′ – Michigan State had the first real chance in the match as a shot from freshman midfielder Peter Soudan curved around the back post.
• 38′ – Indiana received a free kick at the edge of the box and nearly took advantage. Senior forward Palmer Ault found the head of sophomore forward Easton Bogard in the six-yard box, but his attempt flew high.
• 49′ – GOAL! Senior midfielder Jack Wagoner passionately protested a given corner after he had attempted to guide the ball out of play. The call favored the Spartans, though, and they took advantage. Graduate goalkeeper Holden Brown cleared the initial cross, but it came to Soudan. A pair of Hoosiers converged to block, but Soudan’s attempt evaded them and clanged off the far post and in. Michigan State 1, Indiana 0
• 71′ – As Indiana poured on the pressure, Ault and sophomore midfielder Charlie Heuer each saw shots saved in quick succession. A cross from junior forward Collins Oduro found Ault flying in, but MSU sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly did well to move from the front post and across goal to save. The ball recycled back to Heuer at the edge of the box, and his attempt found Kelly in the right spot to save.
• 88′ – Kelly was again up to the task with moments remaining as Oduro gave himself space in the box and fired a rocket at the MSU keeper.
NOTABLES
• Michigan State is the first team to shutout Indiana through nine matches this season.
• IU fell to 44-10-5 in the all-time series, its second consecutive loss at DeMartin Stadium.
UP NEXT
Indiana will look to get right Friday (Sept. 26) night, hosting UCLA on Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
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PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON PRIMER
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men’s basketball team will officially start its quest to the 2026 Final Four on Wednesdday, Sept. 24, when it holds the first of 30 preseason practices in advance of its season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 4, against Evansville.
Head coach Matt Painter welcomes back four starters, seven total letterwinners and four highly-regarded newcomers from a squad that reached the Sweet 16 a season ago while posting a 24-12 overall record.
DATES TO KNOW
• Sept. 24 – First official practice
• Oct. 7 – Single-game tickets on sale to John Purdue Club members
• Oct. 9 – Big Ten Media Day (Chicago)
• Oct. 10 – Single-game tickets available to general public
• Oct. 18 – Fan Day / Scrimmage (Mackey Arena)
• Oct. 24 – Exhibition game at Kentucky (Rupp Arena)
• Oct. 29 – Exhibition game vs. UIndy (Mackey Arena)
• Nov. 4 – Season opener vs. Evansville (Mackey Arena)
PRESEASON NOTEBOOK
• 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, 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 are the only sets of teammates nationally to have scored at least 1,250 career points while playing all three years 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 (Edey – 335; Edey – 290; Kaufman-Renn – 289).
• Purdue’s senior class enters the year needing 36 wins to tie the Big Ten record for 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).
DEFENDING MACKEY ARENA: The Boilermakers have won 32 straight non-conference games in Mackey Arena, dating to a loss on Nov. 9, 2019, vs. Texas, going 62-2 in Mackey Arena in non-con home games since the 2015-16 season. It is the longest streak in school history.
WHAT LEFT AND WHAT’S BACK: With four starters back, Purdue returns almost 80 percent of its scoring and the returnees shot 49.1 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range a year ago.
RETURNING STARTS EQUALS SUCCESS: In 2025-26, Purdue will return 138 of a possible 180 starts from the 2024-25 season, marking the seventh time in 21 seasons that Painter returns at least 70 percent of starts from the previous season.
• In six previous years that Purdue returns at least 70 percent of its starts from the previous season, the Boilermakers have posted a 175-45 (.795) combined record, reaching the Sweet 16 and beyond in five of the six seasons and finishing first or second in the Big Ten five times.
AT THE TOP OF THE POLL: Prior to the 2021-22 season, Purdue had never been ranked No. 1. Since then, the Boilermakers have spent 13 weeks at the No. 1 spot (Auburn – 11; Houston – 10), having been ranked No. 1 in parts of three of the last four seasons (2022, 2023, 2024).
POLL POSITION: Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Purdue has been ranked in 152 of 194 Associated Press Top 25 polls. The 59 straight weeks of being ranked (Nov. 21, 2022 to present) is the second-longest streak in Purdue history (Preseason 2007-08 to Final 2010-11).
• Since the start of the 2021-22 season (80 polls), Purdue has been ranked in the top five in 49 of the weeks, the most top-5 appearances in the country (Houston – 44).
NON-CON DOMINANCE: Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue is 41-3 (.932) during regular-season non-conference play (Houston, Kansas — 44-6, .880).
NATION’S BEST SHOOTING TEAM?: Over the last two seasons, Purdue owns the nation’s best combined 3-point percentage, shooting 39.3 percent (615-of-1,566) from deep. Kentucky is second at 39.1 percent.
• Over the last two seasons, Purdue owns the nation’s best 3-point percentage in games played in their home facility at 43.4 percent. UNC Greensboro and Radford are second at 41.8 percent.
25 PER YEAR: Entering the season, head coach Matt Painter is one of five coaches nationally to average at least 25 wins over the last 10 seasons (2016-25).
POWER IN POWER CONFERENCES: Purdue boasts the second-best conference record among all power-conference teams since the start of the 2016-17 season, owning a 126-49 record during conference play, trailing only Duke in winning percentage.
• Purdue’s 126 conference wins over the last eight seasons are the tied for the most among power-conference programs (Duke – 126), and fifth overall (Gonzaga – 135; Houston – 135; Belmont – 133; Vermont – 128).
90 IS AUTOMATIC: Purdue has gone 13,850 days since losing when scoring 90 or more points, having won 128 straight games (66-0 under Matt Painter). Purdue’s last loss when scoring 90 or more points was on Nov. 24, 1987 to Iowa State (L, 104-96).
WINNING WITH TURNOVERS: Since the 2021-22 season, Purdue is 62-7 when forcing 10 or more turnovers in a game. With single-digit turnovers, Purdue owns a 42-6 record in that span.
WINNING AT 80: Purdue is 106-5 since the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points (Illinois, 3-7-25; Wisconsin, 2-15-25; Northwestern, 12-1-23; Notre Dame, 12-15-18; Virginia Tech, 11-18-18).
THE EXTRA-POSSESSION BATTLE: Purdue is 161-15 under Painter when winning both the rebound and turnover battles. On the flipside, Purdue is 6-52 when losing both categories.
70 IS THE LIMIT: A year ago, when Purdue held its opponent to 69 or fewer points, the Boilermakers went 14-1, losing only to Houston in the Sweet 16. When foes score 70 or more points, Purdue is just 10-11.
• Under Painter, Purdue is 354-68 (.839) overall when holding foes to 69 or fewer points. When opponents score at least 70 points, Purdue is 107-147 (.421).
ALL-AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: With Braden Smith garnering first-team All-America honors last season, Purdue has had an All-American in seven of the last nine seasons (2017 – Caleb Swanigan; 2018 – Carsen Edwards; 2019 – Carsen Edwards; 2022 – Jaden Ivey; 2023 – Zach Edey; 2024 – Zach Edey; 2025 – Smith).
NUMBER FIVE?: Purdue’s four straight years of an All-American is the longest streak since Kansas had six straight (2009 to 2014; Duke also had four straight years from 2017-20).
• Both Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn have been named to preseason All-America teams for the upcoming season.
THE QUEST FOR ANOTHER ONE SEED: Purdue has earned two No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament in the last three years. Purdue joined Ohio State (1991, 1992) and Michigan State (1999, 2000, 2001) as Big Ten schools to earn consecutive No. 1 seeds.
• Purdue’s five NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds are tied with Michigan State for the most among Big Ten Conference teams.
STREAKING IN MARCH: Purdue has earned 10 straight NCAA Tournament berths. The streak is the second-longest among Big Ten teams (Michigan State – 27; Purdue – 10) and the fourth-longest streak nationally.
THREE STRAIGHT YEARS AT THE TOP: There are only three power-5 conference teams, Purdue (Big Ten), Connecticut (Big East) and Tennessee (SEC), that have finished in the top four of their conference races in five straight years (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25).
HOW SWEET IT IS: In the last eight NCAA Tournaments, Purdue has reached the Sweet 16 six times, the Elite Eight twice with one Final Four appearance.
• Purdue’s six trips to the Sweet 16 in the last eight tournaments are tied for the second most in the country in that span.
WINNING WAYS: Since the 2016-17 season, Purdue has won 16 NCAA Tournament games, despite having two first-round losses in the process. The 16 wins are tied for the sixth most in the country.
TOP-4 SEED LINES: The Boilermakers have received a top-four seed in each of the last eight tournaments, the only school in America to accomplish that.
• The Boilermakers’ eight straight top-four seeds are tied for the fourth-longest streak in NCAA Tournament history
ALMA MATER SUCCESS: Matt Painter has spent over 25 years at his alma mater with a wide array of success as a player, assistant coach and now head coach.
• Now in his 26th season (four as a player, one as assistant coach, 21 as a head coach), Painter has been involved in 553 wins and 19 NCAA Tournaments.
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PURDUE WOMEN’S SOCCER
SOCCER HOSTS OREGON AND WASHINGTON AT FOLK FIELD
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue hosts back-to-back Big Ten home challengers in west coast foes, Oregon and Washington
First, Oregon at Folk Field this Thursday, September 25, at 7:00 p.m. EST before welcoming Washington to West Lafayette this Sunday, September 28th, at 1:00 p.m.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Oregon Ducks are presently 2-6-2 on the season, while suffering defeats to Sacramento St., New Mexico, GCU, Seattle U, UCLA, and Illinois. Additionally, the Ducks drew with Portland and Northwestern, while securing victories against Weber State and Hawaii.
The Washington Huskies are 5-1-4, only falling to Utah, while coming to a tie with Oregon State, UC Irvine, Seattle U, and Northwestern. The Huskies took wins against Idaho, Long Beach State, Gonzaga, USC, and Illinois. The Washington Huskies are currently tied with Iowa and UCLA at the top of the Big Ten standings.
SERIES HISTORY
This will only be the 4th game between the Ducks and the Boilermakers, with Purdue leading 3-0 series matchup. The two teams’ first match in 2007 concluded with a Boilermaker win, 3-2. Seventeen years later, the Boilermakers clinched a 1-0 victory on the road versus Oregon.
Similarly, this will be the 4th meeting of the Boilermakers and Huskies, with Washington being favored in the series contests, 2-1. The teams first met in Seattle on September 7, 2007, and most recently played in 2024, with a Husky win, 2-0.
PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE
September 25th: Join us for Teacher Appreciation Day as well as for $3 Beers presented by Indiana Packers.
September 28th: Sunday’s game will be Purdue’s Katie’s Save Mental Health Game as well as Kids Takeover Day and the first BKC game.
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
PRICE NAMED HONORABLE MENTION EARL CAMPBELL TYLER ROSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Junior running back Jadarian Price earned honorable mention status from the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award in its Player of the Week honors for his performance in the 56-30 win over Purdue.
The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award recognizes the nation’s top college football offensive player who either hails from Texas or attends a college university in Texas. Price is from Denison, Texas.
Price put on a show in the victory over Purdue, scoring four touchdowns, including a 100-yard kickoff return score, adding three rushing touchdowns on the evening. Price posted 216 all-purpose yards vs. Purdue, with 74 rushing yards on nine carries, adding a 100-yard kickoff return and a 42-yard kickoff return, to boot. Price was the first Notre Dame player to score four touchdowns in a game since running back Audric Estime in 2023 at Stanford.
Price was the only FBS player this weekend to total four touchdowns across different phases. Just three players this weekend posted four touchdowns including Price, and the other two players scored only on offense. Price was also the FBS only player this weekend with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown to also add multiple touchdowns on offense or defense, and had more all-purpose yards than any player with a 100-yard kickoff return this weekend.
His kickoff return touchdown was the second of his career (Oct. 14, 2023, 99 yards vs. Southern Cal.). It’s the fourth kick return for a touchdown of 100 yards in Notre Dame history, and first since Julius Jones against Nebraska on September 9, 2000.
Price alone leads the nation in kickoff return average, as he owns a clip of 47.0 yards per return.
He ranks tied for fifth in the nation in scoring with 12.0 points per game and tied for sixth in total touchdowns (6). He also ranks T-14th nationally in rushing touchdowns (5), T-22nd in total points scored (36), 24th in all-purpose yards per game (125.00) and 24th in combined kick return yardage (188).
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NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER
FERGUSON’S HAT TRICK LIFTS #21 IRISH OVER WRIGHT STATE
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Mitch Ferguson turned in the performance of his Notre Dame career, scoring a first half hat trick to lead the No. 21 Fighting Irish to a 3-2 victory over Wright State on Tuesday evening at Alumni Stadium.
Notre Dame has now won four straight matches and improves to 5-1-2 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish wasted no time opening the scoring against the Raiders, finding the back of the net in the eighth minute off the first look at goal of the night. Luke Burton was brought down in the final third to set up a free kick. Ferguson perfectly placed his effort just inside the bottom right corner to put Notre Dame on top 1-0.
Twenty minutes later Notre Dame doubled its lead, again off the foot of Ferguson but this time from a corner. The senior redirected Alex Rosin’s shot into the roof of the net to make the score 2-0.
Less than five minutes later it was Ferguson again off a corner, completing his hat trick within 32 minutes of play. Nolan Spicer’s corner delivery was flicked on by Diego Ochoa, finding the feet of Ferguson at the back post who poked it in for his third of the evening.
The Irish took the three-goal lead into the halftime break, dominating in possession and shots (13-2).
Notre Dame kept the Raiders’ offense in check for the first 25 minutes of the second half but Wright State pulled on back in the 74th minute off a goal from Sammy Jadid.
The visitors continued to throw numbers forward and made it interesting in the 89th minute off a strike from Edwin Espinal-Elvir that took a deflection into the back of the net to make the final score 3-2.
McFARLAND FAMILY MEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH CHAD RILEY’S TAKE
On the match…
“We are overall happy to get the result. Wright State is a good team. Obviously we built a good lead in the first half and played pretty well. Credit to Mitch for scoring a hat trick in the first half.
“Then the second half wasn’t all bad but we left some of our quality in the locker room and as we look back at it maybe want to do things a little differently. But at the same time I’m proud of the team. They stayed together, saw it out and got the result. Now we’ll take a hard look at it and learn from it.”
On Mitch Ferguson’s hat trick…
“Set pieces are obviously something we focus on a lot. He does a great job knowing his role and paying attention when Coach [Mike] Graczyk is going through it with them. It was great to see him score on a couple of corners and then the direct free kick is something that he has in his wheel housel”
On scoring from seven set pieces this season…
“It’s huge. If you look at most teams that have a positive record right now they are scoring on set pieces. It’s something that we want to do and continue to do.”
ND STAT OF THE MATCH
Ferguson became the first Fighting Irish center back to record a hat trick since current Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey accomplished the feat in a win over Virginia Tech on Sept. 9, 2016.
ND NOTES
Notre Dame improves to 5-1-1 against Wright State in the all-time series
The three goals tie a season high for the Fighting Irish during the 2025 campaign and the team has now scored nine over its last three outings
Notre Dame has scored seven goals off set pieces this season, four from corners and three from free kicks.
Ferguson’s hat trick is the first since Matthew Roou’s against Detroit Mercy
UP NEXT
The Irish will be back at Alumni Stadium this weekend, welcoming SMU to town for an ACC matchup at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 27. Admission to the match is free and it will be streamed on ACCNX.
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BUTLER WOMEN’S SOCCER
PREVIEW: BUTLER HOSTS DEPAUL AND PROVIDENCE; WILL HONOR SENIORS
The Butler women’s soccer team hosts a pair of BIG EAST teams this week as DePaul and Providence visit Indianapolis. The program’s seniors will be honored prior to the latter contest.
The Bulldogs (3-1-4, 0-0-1 BIG EAST) are coming off a draw on the road at Marquette.
Butler vs. DePaul
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, September 24 / 7PM ET
LOCATION: Indianapolis / Sellick Bowl
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com/StatBroadcast
TICKETS: butlersports.com
DePaul has wins this season over Purdue, Chicago State, and Eastern Michigan. Losses have come to No. 23 Xavier, Illinois, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, Loyola, and UIC.
The Series: DePaul leads the overall series, 7-5-4, though the previous two matches have ended in a draw. The most recent meeting was a 2024 BIG EAST quarterfinal in Indianapolis. The teams were all even, 3-3, after two overtime periods, and the Blue Demons advanced on PKs, 8-7. The sides also tied in the 2024 regular season match, 0-0, in Chicago. DePaul’s most recent win was a 2-1 decision in 2023 in Indianapolis, while Butler’s most recent win was a 2-1 victory in 2022 in Chicago. In 11 matches since 2016, the sides are tied, 4-4-3.
Butler vs. Providence
DATE/TIME: Saturday, September 27 / 4PM ET
LOCATION: Indianapolis / Varsity Field
LIVE VIDEO: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: butlersports.com/StatBroadcast
TICKETS: FREE ENTRY
Providence has wins this season over Army, Northeastern, and Sacred Heart and drew with Cornell. Losses have come to Rhode Island and Brown. The Friars will play St. John’s on Wednesday, prior to traveling to Butler.
The Series: Butler leads the overall series, 10-4-2, though Providence won the most recent contest, 1-0, last season in Providence. In 2023, the sides battled to a 1-1 draw in Indianapolis. Butler’s most recent win (2-1) was in 2022 at Providence, and in the most recent ten matches, dating back to 2017, Butler is 7-2-1.
Bulldog Bits
through games 9/21/25
Talia Sommer ranks second in the BIG EAST (24th nationally) with five assists. She is also second (37th) with 3.75 shots per game and is third (37th) with 1.88 shots on goal per game. Sommer ranks third in the conference (70th) with 13 total points.
vs. Marquette
Chloe Brecht’s goal was a career first.
Emily O’Malley’s goal was a career first.
Sydney Longo’s assist was her third this season and the fourth of her career.
Norah Jacomen’s assist was her third this season and the sixth of her career.
The seven saves for Addison Ash were a career high.
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BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER
EVANSVILLE DEALS LOSS TO BUTLER
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Weather delayed the start of the match between the Butler men’s soccer team and Evansville for almost an hour, and once play began, there was still no score after 76 minutes of competition. In the final 14 minutes, three goals were scored, and the host Aces walked off the soggy field with a 2-1 victory.
The Bulldogs (2-7-0, 0-1-0 BIG EAST) lit up the scoreboard first, in the 77th minute, when Sam Pitts-Eckersall scored off an assist from Brendan Cunningham. The Purple Aces (2-2-5, 0-0-0 Missouri Valley) quickly responded, however, scoring a pair of goals, first in the 80th and then in the 86th minute.
Butler Points Summary
GOALS: Sam Pitts-Eckersall
ASSISTS: Brendan Cunningham
Bulldog Bits
Sam Pitts-Eckersall’s goal was his second at Butler.
The assist from Brendan Cunningham ?????
Up Next
Butler returns to BIG EAST competition hosting Akron on Saturday, September 27, in the Sellick Bowl.
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BUTLER VOLLEYBALL
BUTLER SET TO BEGIN CONFERENCE PLAY WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN CINCINNATI
Wednesday evening Butler will take on Xavier at 6pm ET at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati Ohio.
Watch
Live Stats
Recapping Non Conference Play For Butler
The Dawgs are entering conference play with a record of 7-6. This is the first time since 2017 Butler has entered BIG EAST play with a record above .500. The Dawgs started their season sweeping the Big Dawg Kickoff at Hinkle Fieldhouse. They scored wins over Evansville, Middle Tennessee State, and Purdue Fort Wayne. Alaleh Tolliver was named MVP of the Big Dawg Kickoff. The Dawgs then traveled to compete in the Iowa Invitational as well as the Indiana State Invitational. Combining those invitationals, Butler went 2-4, picking up wins over Loyola Chicago and Indiana State. Last weekend, the Dawgs hosted the Butler Invitational. The Bulldogs won their matches against Oakland and Eastern Michigan, but dropped a five set match to IU Indy. Earlier in the month, Butler welcomed Kyle Shondell’s father Dave Shondell and his 14th ranked Purdue Boilermakers to Hinkle Fieldhouse. Purdue left Hinkle with the victory in an extremely close match.
Bulldog Bites
Alaleh Tolliver is second in the conference in kills per set with 4.19 but leads the conference in total kills with 201.
Tolliver also leads the conference in total points
Setter Kaylee Finnegan is second in the BIG EAST in assists per set with 10.22 and leads the conference in total assists with 470.
Kaylee Finnegan was named BIG EAST Setter of the Week on 9/2 after the Dawgs swept the Big Dawg Kickoff.
Zoe McDonald is third in the conference in both blocks per set and total blocks. She has 54 blocks on the season and averages 1.15 a set.
Lauren Evansis third in the BIG EAST in both total digs and digs per set. She has totaled 224, while averaging 4.67 a set.
Elise Ward and Sawyer Jones each scored over 100 kills throughout conference play.
Ward is second on the team in service aces with 19. Tolliver has 21, which leads the Dawgs.
Butler is 1-2 in five set matches.
About Xavier
The Musketeers are entering conference play with an 11-1 record and are undefeated 4-0 in home matches. The 11-1 start for Xavier is their best non conference record in program history. A season ago, Xavier got the best of the Dawgs but in 2023 Butler defeated Xavier in Cincinnati. To start the 2025 season, Emma Grace has led the Musketeers in kills with 154. Junior Macy Hatkevich sets everything up offensively for them, she accounted for 407 assists throughout non conference play. Defensively for X, Margo Kemp leads the team in blocks and Kelsey Niesen leads the squad in digs.
Up Next
Butler will take on #16 ranked Creighton Saturday night at 7pm ET in Omaha Nebraska.
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IU INDY WOMEN’S SOCCER
IU INDY WOMEN’S SOCCER TO HOST WRIGHT STATE
INDIANAPOLIS- The IU Indianapolis women’s soccer team will host Wright State at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night (Sept. 25) inside Carroll Stadium. The Jaguars fell short this past weekend in their conference match against Northern Kentucky, losing 1-0 and starting 0-1 in conference play. And feel free to bring your pups as it is Canines at Carroll Dog Night!
IU Indy and Northern Kentucky had very even scoring opportunities. Still, NKU took better advantage of their scoring opportunities by getting the first and only goal of the match at the 35-minute mark. Each team had 14 shots. NKU had six of those shots on goal, and IU had three. In corner kicks, each team had four opportunities.
Through nine games, redshirt freshman Olivia Hopper and grad student Hannah Roberson each have one goal and assist, and both of them lead the team with three points. Four jaguars have 780+ minutes of play. And senior Emma Frey has played all 810 minutes. Kailyn Smith is right behind her with one minute less of play.
QUOTABLE
“We had a good game plan in place, and if you went through a checklist, our team did really well in that aspect of having defensive things in check. We created opportunities and just weren’t able to put them away.” Head coach Angela Berry White said
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State is 5-5 on the season, 2-0 in conference play. In their last four games, they have produced four shutouts, all 1-0, with two of those victories coming against conference opponents Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne.
Caitlin Burger leads the Raiders in points with three goals and two assists, totaling eight points, and Samara Nunn is right behind her with six points and a goal behind Burger. In the net, Kiera Sarka has registered 36 saves and a save percentage of .735. Five players for Wright State have registered over 650 minutes of game time, and Zara Graff leads the team with 778 minutes played.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Jaguars are 3-9-3 all-time against Wright State. With the last two match ups resulting in 0-0 ties.
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to take on Cleveland State on Sunday (Sept. 28) at 1:00 PM.
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BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL BEGINS OFFICIAL PRACTICE IN PREPARATION FOR 2025-26 SEASON
The Ball State men’s basketball team held its first official practice on Monday in preparation for the 2025-26. A photo gallery can be found above or by clicking here.
Season tickets are on sale for the Cardinals’ 14-game home slate, which is set to begin on Monday, Nov. 3 vs Louisiana in Worthen Arena. Season tickets can be purchased at this link or by reaching the ticket office at (888) BSU-TICKET or bsutickets@bsu.edu.
The non-conference home schedule features matchups with the Ragin’ Cajuns in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge and perennial mid-major power South Dakota State (Dec. 9), while the Cardinals will play at Wisconsin (Nov. 11) and in-state rivals Indiana State (Nov. 22) and Evansville (Dec. 3). The Mid-American Conference slate starts on Dec. 20 with Ball State hosting Miami on a Saturday in Muncie. League newcomer UMass will play the Cardinals twice including on Feb. 24 at Worthen.
Ball State added transfers Elmore James IV (Ohio), Davion Hill (Northwest Florida State), Juwan Maxey (Youngstown State), Kayden Fish (Iowa State), Armoni Zeigler (Saint Peter’s), Cam Denson (Long Beach State), and Devon Barnes (UTEP) to a roster that brings back juniors Joey Hart, Mason Jones and Zane Doughty, sophomore Kody Clancy and redshirt freshman Jai Anthoni Bearden. Preston Copeland, Easton Foster and Alex Farley joined the team as true freshmen.
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BALL STATE WOMEN’S GOLF
WOMEN’S GOLF OFF TO SOLID START AT RED RAIDER INVITATIONAL
LUBBOCK, Texas – – It was another solid day for the Ball State women’s golf squad, which turned in a pair of runs under its program record scoring average to close the 36-hole day of the Red Raider Invitational in fifth place at +18 (594).
“We played with great effort, focus, and discipline today,” head coach Cameron Andry said. “At 6,815 yards, The Rawls Course is the longest course we will play all season, and when you add the complexity of the greens, it presents a great challenge. We rose to the occasion and competed very well!”
Host Texas Tech leads the 15-team event at +5 (581), while Houston Christian is second at +7 (583) and UTSA and Abilene Christian are tied for third at +9 (585). The Cardinals have a seven-stroke edge over sixth-place James Madison (+25, 601).
The Cardinals opened the day with a first-round team score of +11 (299), led by an even-par (72) from senior Sabrina Langerak. Langerak registered four birdies and four bogeys over her opening 12 holes, before finishing the round with six straight pars.
Langerak added four more birdies in her second round, a +2 (74) and is currently tied for 11th among the 84-golfer field with a score of +2 (146). In addition, her eight total birdies are tied for the tournament lead, while her par-5 average of -2 (4.75) is tied for sixth.
Ball State shaved four strokes off its team total in the second round, shooting a +7 (295). It was the team’s third-lowest round of the season, with all eight rounds of the year coming under the program-record scoring average of 301.66 set last season.
Leading the Cardinals in the second round was reigning Mid-American Conference individual champion Jasmine Driscoll who tied Langerak for BSU’s lowest round of the day at even-par (72). After bogeys on her opening two holes of the second round, Driscoll registered three straight birdies and followed with eight consecutive pars.
She added one more birdie to close her second tour of the course’s back nine and is currently tied for 26th overall at +6 (150). Driscoll shot +6 (78) in her opening round, which included one birdie.
Fresh off her victory at the Brittany Kelly Classic, senior Sarah Gallagher shot +7 (151) and is tied for 33rd overall, with both her rounds of +4 (76) and +3 (75) counting in the team score. She carded three birdies, helping her rank second among the field in par-5 average at -3 (4.63), and a team-best 23 pars on the day.
The Cardinals also counted an opening-round +1 (73) from sophomore Sophie Korthuijs and a second-round +2 (74) from junior JJ Gregston. Korthuijs is tied for 26th at +6 (150), while Gregston is 60th at +13 (157).
“We got great play from everybody up and down the line up,” Andry added. “Sabrina was fantastic today with her poise and competitiveness. Sophie, Jasmine, and Sarah were solid all day long, while JJ bounced back with a really solid round after a rough start.”
Despite their length, Ball State continued to excel on the par-5s, tying for second among the 15-team field with a -4 (4.90) average. The Cardinals are also tied for the top spot with 27 total birdies.
The final round of the Red Raider Invitational is set to get underway at 9:15 a.m. ET / 8:15 a.m. CT back at The Rawls course. As the fifth-place team after the first two rounds, the Cardinals should start on holes 5-8 for the third straight round.
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INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
INDIANA STATE RETURNS TO MEMORIAL STADIUM TO FACE FLAMES
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State returns home on Thursday, September 25, as the Sycamores host UIC at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, with live coverage on ESPN+ and live stats through GoSycamores.com.
The Sycamores (4-3-4, 0-0-1 MVC) come into this one riding high off a dramatic 3-3 draw at Northern Iowa this past Saturday. ISU found themselves in a 3-1 hole early in the second half but showed grit down the stretch. Tori Angelo got one back in the 85th minute, and just minutes later, Avery Oergel leveled the match at 3-3, assisted by Alex Lehnert. The final stretch saw ISU keeping up relentless pressure, nearly taking the lead in stoppage time.
Across the match, Indiana State outshot UNI 17-15, and goalkeeper Delaney Timmons made four key saves— including a big one in the 89th minute that preserved the tie. The comeback showed the Sycamores’ resolve, their ability to fight back when trailing, and their depth of attack.
UIC (4-5-1, 0-1 MVC) enters this matchup looking to rebound. Their last few matches have been a mix of performances, and they’ll need sharpness at both ends of the field to take away points on the road. The Flames will likely try to pressure ISU early, disrupt the rhythm, and capitalize on any mistakes.
For the Sycamores, this game presents a chance to build on their comeback mentality. After the fight they showed at UNI, Indiana State will aim to combine that late-game urgency with a full-match performance.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S SOCCER
MEN’S SOCCER STAYS UNDEFEATED WITH SHUTOUT OF USI
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Purdue Fort Wayne surrendered only two shots on goal in a 3-0 shutout of Southern Indiana on Tuesday (Sept. 23) in non-league men’s soccer action.
The Mastodons improve to 5-0-3. The ‘Dons will put their undefeated record on the line on Saturday (Sept. 27) when defending league champion Robert Morris comes to the Hefner Soccer Complex for a 4 p.m. kick.
Tuesday saw the ‘Dons score twice in the first half and once later in contest.
Shane Anderson scored his sixth goal of the season off passes from Iann Topete and Christian Leon in the 21st minute. Anderson was about 10 yards out in front of the goal when he connected on his shot.
The 40th minute saw the Mastodons go up 2-0. Marcos Soria found Ben Hissrich for Hissrich’s first goal as a Mastodon. Soria’s pass from the right side found Hissrich in space in the middle of the field.
Topete added a late goal for the ‘Dons, scoring in the 86th minute to match Anderson’s goal total at six for the season. Anderson assisted on the tally after his initial shot was saved and Topete put the rebound in the back of the net.
Anderson is now at a league-best 18 points on the season. Topete has 14.
Sep Habibi made two saves for his third shutout of the year. The Mastodons out-shot the Screaming Eagles 19-4.
The ‘Dons welcomed second graders from Holy Cross School out to the pitch on Tuesday. Student-athletes from every Mastodon program as well as cheerleading are pen pals with Holy Cross students. The students got to meet their pen pal, walkout with the players for introductions and try to score a goal on the mascot Don at halftime. They also had the pleasure of watching the undefeated Mastodons.
USI falls to 1-6 with the loss.
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EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER
ESCUDERO NOTCHES BRACE, ACES WIN THRILLER OVER BUTLER
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With his team facing a 1-0 deficit with less than 15 minutes to play, Evansville freshman Andres Escudero (San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain/IES Joan Miro) notched his second brace in three matches to power Evansville to a come from behind 2-1 win over Butler on Tuesday night at Arad McCutchan Stadium.
After Butler opened the scoring with a goal in the 77th minute, Escudero scored the equalizer in the 80th minute before delivering the winner in the 86th minute. With the brace, Escudero becomes the first Evansville freshman with multiple braces in a season since MVC Freshman of the Year Nacho Diaz Barragan in 2022.
The first half saw scoring chances for both sides, but neither side was able to convert for a goal. Escudero and Chase Ricker (Albuquerque, N.M./La Cueva HS) put shots on goal for the Aces in the 26th and 28th minutes, while Ben Zec (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) tallied shots on goal in the 34th and 36th minutes.
Action ratcheted up late in the second half, starting with a near goal by Evansville’s Devin Shepherd (Denver, Colo./Arapahoe) in the 70th minute. However, his shot went off the crossbar and the Aces were denied.
In the 76th minute, Butler broke through for the night’s first goal on a header from Sam Pitts-Eckersall.
With their backs against the wall, Evansville responded in the 80th minute. Shepherd started the chance with a long ball down to Ricker who found Zec on the right side. From there, Zec lofted a pass to Escudero near the penalty spot, where he took a touch off the left foot before beating the Butler keeper for the goal.
Less than six minutes later, the Aces struck again. Nacho Garcia (Zaragoza, Spain/UNIR) starting things this time, finding Pablo Calvete (Ponferrada, Spain/UNIR) at midfield. Calvete then delivered a beautiful through ball to a streaking Escudero, who took two touches to the top of the box before ripping a strike into the top left corner for the game-winning goal.
With Butler scrambling for the equalizer in the final minutes, Mroz made a game-saving stop for the second match in a row, leaping to the top left corner to get a hand on would-be goal to preserve the lead. From there, Evansville withstood two more Bulldogs’ shots to come out with their second win of the season.
“It was a battle,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “Conceding late in the second half and then having the resiliency to bounce back and score two goals, I thought we created enough to go ahead. Happy that we battled, I think we need to keep that spirit moving forward because that’s what it takes to win in the MVC.”
“Andres is a relentless runner. He is always looking to get in behind; I think he changes the dynamic of our team with his willingness to run. Obviously, we are excited that he scored another brace and that we got the win tonight.”
Butler held a 12-11 advantage in shots, but Evansville led in shots on goal with six to the Bulldogs’ three. Mroz made three saves in goal for the Aces.
With the win, Evansville moves to 2-2-5 on the season. The Aces will be back in action on Friday to open MVC play, traveling to Bowling Green for a rematch of last season’s MVC title match. Kick-off is set for 6 PM CT.
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SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
EAGLES LOSE NON-CONFERENCE FINALE TO MASTODONS
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer loses the first leg of its two-game road trip 3-0 to Purdue University Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Tuesday afternoon.
The Screaming Eagles’ offense struggled, held scoreless on four shots, two on goal, marking their third match with limited attempts.
The Mastodons opened the match with relentless pressure, finding the back of the net at the 20:42 and 39:57 marks. Giving Fort Wayne a two-goal lead going into the break. Freshman Isaac Weidner had USI’s lone shot on goal in the first half, which the Mastodons’ goalkeeper stopped.
Through the first half, the Eagles’ offense struggled to apply pressure, recording just two shots compared to the Mastodons’ eight. Fort Wayne managed three corner kicks to USI’s zero, allowing extra offensive opportunities.
The second half turned into a defensive battle, where the Eagles limited the Mastodons to a goal in the 86th minute, extending the lead to 3-0. Fort Wayne continued its offensive barrage, tallying 11 shots with six on goal. The Eagles managed two shots in the second half, with Weidner getting his second shot on goal of the match.
For the game, Weidner led the team with two shots, both on goal, while junior midfielder Will Kirchhofer and freshman Brian Novillo each had a shot. Freshman goalkeeper Andre Faerman grabbed five saves in his first collegiate action.
The Eagles are back on the pitch Saturday for the Ohio Valley Conference opener against Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. The team then returns to Strassweg Field for a four-match homestand opening October 2 against Houston Christian University.
_____
UINDY MEN’S GOLF
HOUNDS BATTLE TOUGH FIELD AT UINDY FALL INVITATIONAL
INDIANAPOLIS — The UIndy men’s golf team secured a tie for ninth-place finish at the team’s home tournament for the fall season, the UIndy Fall Invitational, held at Broadmoor Country Club.
“We enjoyed hosting the 2025 UIndy Invitational again at Broadmoor Country Club,” head coach Andy Serketich said. “The staff at Broadmoor is world class and the course was in great shape.”
Freshman Fredrik Rønnov led the way on the week for the Hounds with a shared 11th place finish, while freshman Theo Morris, and junior Alexander Nestun placed 22nd and 24th, respectively.
INS & OUTS
Monday’s first round provided tough weather conditions for everyone, as there was a steady rain for the entire round. The Greyhounds’ had a tough start in the playing conditions, posting a combined +11 team score, and in 10th place after round one.
Andrew Johnson, Jackson Watkins, Joseph Armfield, and Nestun all posted rounds of 74 or better, with three of the four rolling in at least two birdies in their round.
After an hour and a half rain delay, the Hounds were able to rebound in the second round with softer playing conditions, making for better scoring all around. Five of the nine competing for the Hounds shot even par or better, including two even par rounds from Armfield and Nestun, and two 69 (-3) rounds from Morris and Rønnov.
“Fredrik played very solid for his first collegiate event. I’m excited for him as it’s just the beginning. He’ll continue to develop and improve a lot from these experiences,” Serketich said. “Theo, our other freshman, falls into that category as well. After a tough first hole of the tournament, he fought back well and finished the tournament under par. I’m excited to see him compete again soon.”
Drew Rowen also showcased his best stuff for the Hounds, posting the team’s best single round score of the two day tournament, a 68 (-4). Rowen made three straight birdies coming home to close out his second round, which vaulted him to a 38th place finish on the week.
After finishing the final few holes of round two because of the rain delay on Monday, the Hounds produced an overall solid team final round. Every player shot a 76 or better, including four under par rounds from; Morris, Nestun, Rønnov and Watkins. The team did the majority of their damage on the par four 13th hole in the final round, combining to shoot -5 with no bogies.
Nestun shot a bogey free 69 (-3) in the final round, his low round of the week, including a great tee shot at the par 3 fourth that jump started his round on Tuesday, en route to a T22 finish.
“Alex (Nestun) was solid this week, particularly the final round,” Serketich said. “I was happy for him to bounce back after a tough first tournament.”
Armfield and Johnson both ended their weeks with 52nd place finishes, while Isac Fredriksson posted a 60th place finish at +9 over, and Justin Repovs finished the week at +26, bouncing back with rounds of 75 and 76 after a tough first round.
“As a team, we did not have our best showing. We made a lot of pars and with the conditions as they were, we needed to make more birdies to keep up with the top teams,” Serketich said. “There were still positives but at first glance, we need to improve putting and par 5 scoring, and we have a few weeks before we compete again, so we’ll get back to work in preparation for the next tournament opportunity.”
UP NEXT
UIndy will have a few weeks off before they head out to Findlay, OH to compete in the Doc Spragg Invitational on Oct. 13-14. This is an event the Hounds have won twice and competed in the eight seasons prior to this year’s event.
_____
UINDY MEN’S SOCCER
MEN’S SOCCER RANKED #23 IN LATEST COACHES POLL
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The UIndy men’s soccer team slipped to No. 23 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Division II Poll. The Greyhounds recorded three straight results before enduring their first loss of the season last Sunday versus Quincy.
The Hounds remain the lone GLVC in the top 25. The boys hit the road this weekend, starting with a Frdiay night match at William Jewell College.
_____
MARIAN MEN’S GOLF
MEN’S GOLF CONTINUES UNDEFEATED START TO 2025-26 WITH NAIA NATIONAL PREVIEW VICTORY
Silvis, Ill. – For the third week in a row, the Marian men’s golf team earned a victory, as the Knights won the NAIA National Preview hosted at TPC Deere Run. Marian’s third team victory of the season was led by top-10 finishes by Lane Zedrick and Weston Ogden.
Marian scored a 594 as they recorded the victory at TPC Deere Run, running away with their third victory of the season. The 14th-ranked Knights shot a 292 in Monday’s first round, while in round two on Tuesday the Knights shot a 302. Marian defeated (RV) Hastings for the tournament win, while also taking down No. 17 Northwestern and No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan. The Red Raiders finished third and the Wildcats finished fifth, while Missouri Baptist finished the top-five standings with a fourth-place finish. 21 teams in total were in the field, with Crossroads League competition Grace finishing 11th.
The Knights recorded 20 victories in the tournament and are 42-0 on the season.
Individually, Lane Zedrick led Marian for the second consecutive tournament, tying for fifth in the event. Zedrick scored a 73 in round one and 72 in round two, finishing three-over par with a 145 total. Weston Ogden tied for seventh with his 146 total, as the senior shot a 70 in round one and a 77 in round two. Senior Nolan Potter tied for 17th in the event, scoring a 150 total for the two days. Potter scored a 74 in round one while carding a 76 in round two.
Augie Mann completed Marian’s team scoring, tying for 24th with a total of 152 for the two rounds. Mann scored a 75 on Monday and a 77 on Tuesday. Drew Werkley finished Marian’s lineup, as he tied for 60th with his 160 score. Werkley shot a 77 and 83 in the two rounds in his second collegiate tournament, with his score not factoring toward the Knights’ team total.
Marian will finish their fall season on October 6 and 7, traveling to Tennessee to compete in the Music City Collegiate.
_____
INDIANA GYMNASTICS NEWS
NOBLESVILLE, INDIANA, TO SERVE AS THE HOME OF USA GYMNASTICS’ PROPOSED TRAINING AND WELLNESS CENTER
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — USA Gymnastics has selected Noblesville, Indiana, as the site of the organization’s planned Training and Wellness Center.
Noblesville, a northeastern suburb of Indianapolis, beat out several other cities for the project, which USA Gymnastics plans to use as a hub that will touch the sport at all levels and host everything from educational workshops to national team camps to competitions throughout the year across all disciplines.
Fundraising for the project will begin immediately. USA Gymnastics is hopeful to break ground next spring, with the goal of having the project completed in 2028, the same year as the Los Angeles Olympics.
“The city is an incredibly enthusiastic and supportive partner as we look to develop a facility that is the heart and hub for the sport of gymnastics in this country,” outgoing USA Gymnastics president Li Li Leung said in a statement.
+++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 BASEBALL HISTORY+++
_____
Sept. 24
1940 — Jimmie Foxx of the Red Sox hit his 500th career home run off Philadelphia’s George Caster in the first game of a doubleheader at Shibe Park. Foxx’s homer came in the sixth inning after Ted Williams homered. Joe Cronin followed with a homer and, later in the inning, Jim Tabor also homered. The four homers in the inning were a first in the AL.
1969 — The New York Mets clinched the NL East title, with Gary Gentry pitching a four-hitter in a 6-0 victory over St. Louis.
1974 — Detroit’s Al Kaline doubled down the right-field line off Dave McNally of Baltimore for his 3,000th career hit. The Orioles beat the Tigers 5-4 at Memorial Stadium.
1977 — Jack Brohamer of the Chicago White Sox had four extra base hits and hit for the cycle in an 8-3 win over the Seattle Mariners at the Kingdome.
1984 — Rick Sutcliffe threw a two-hitter and led the Chicago Cubs to their first league title since 1945 with a 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
1988 — Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays, one strike from a no-hitter, gave up a bad-hop single to Julio Franco. Stieb settled for a 1-0, one-hit victory over Cleveland.
1998 — Boston’s Tom Gordon set a major league record for most consecutive saves with his 42nd to preserve the Red Sox’ 9-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
2004 — The Atlanta Braves clinched their 13th consecutive division title, winning the NL East with an 8-7 victory over the Florida Marlins. The Braves’ record streak of division championships began with the 1991 NL West title and excludes the 1994 strike-shortened season.
2006 — Trevor Hoffman became baseball’s career saves leader, earning No. 479 to pass Lee Smith and help NL West-leading San Diego beat Pittsburgh 2-1. It was his NL-leading 43rd save in 48 chances.
2008 — Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners to end the season with a major league record 62 saves.
2014 — The New York Yankees were eliminated from postseason contention after losing to the AL East champion Orioles 9-5. The Yankees missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1992 and ’93.
2016 — Jose Bautista hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Yankees 3-0 to send New York to its third consecutive shutout defeat — the first time that has happened to New York since 1975.
2022 — The Braves’ Kyle Wright, who had only won two regular season games in four seasons, becomes the first 20-game winner in the majors this year with a 6 – 3 win over Philadelphia. The win moves Atlanta within one and a half games of the Mets, holders of first place in the NL East.
_____
Sept. 25
1941 — Pete Reiser’s homer and Whitlow Wyatt’s five-hitter helped Brooklyn beat the Boston Braves 6-0 and clinch the Dodgers’ first pennant in 21 years.
1955 — Detroit’s Al Kaline, at the age of 20, became the youngest player to win a batting title, finishing his second season with a .340 average. Ty Cobb was one day older when he won the crown, batting .350 in 1907, also playing for Detroit.
1956 — Sal Maglie of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitched a 5-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.
1960 — The New York Yankees clinched manager Casey Stengel’s 10th and last American League pennant with a 4-3 victory over Boston.
1965 — Satchel Paige, at 60, became the oldest player in the majors, taking the mound for Kansas City and pitching three scoreless innings over the Boston Red Sox. He gave up one hit, to Carl Yastrzemski.
1965 — Willie Mays, who hit 51 home runs in 1955, joined Ralph Kiner as only the National Leaguers to have more than one 50-home run season.
1974 — Dr. Frank Jobe transplanted a tendon from Tommy John’s right wrist to the Dodger pitcher’s left elbow. The revolutionary ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction allowed John to win an additional 164 games, more than half of his career total of 288 victories.
1980 — Oakland’s Brian Kingman lost his 20th game when the A’s were defeated by the Chicago White Sox 6-4. Kingman was the first pitcher to lose 20 games with a winning team since Dolf Luque went 13-23 for the 1922 Cincinnati Reds.
1984 — Rusty Staub of the Mets became the second player to hit homers as a teenager and past his 40th birthday. Staub’s game-winning home run off Larry Anderson to give the Mets a 6-4 victory over Philadelphia at Shea Stadium. Ty Cobb was the other major leaguer to accomplish the feat.
1987 — San Diego’s Benito Santiago set a modern major league record for rookies by hitting safely in his 27th consecutive game in a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1998 — The New York Yankees set the AL record for wins with their 112th, beating Tampa Bay 6-1 to break the victory mark held by the 1954 Cleveland Indians.
2001 — Richie Sexson and Jeromy Burnitz became the first teammates to hit three home runs apiece in a game as Milwaukee defeated Arizona 9-4.
2003 — Toronto’s Carlos Delgado became the sixth player to homer in four straight at-bats in one game as the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10-8 at SkyDome. Delgado tied the game at 8-8 in the eighth with his fourth homer, a solo shot off Lance Carter.
2007 — Prince Fielder, at 23 years, 139 days old, became the youngest major league player to hit 50 home runs in a season, connecting twice in Milwaukee’s 9-1 rout of St. Louis.
2013 — The New York Yankees failed to make the playoffs for only the second time in 19 years, getting mathematically eliminated during their 8-3 loss to Tampa Bay.
2016 — Jose Fernandez, 24, ace right-hander for the Miami Marlins, was killed in a boating accident.
2017 — Aaron Judge broke Mark McGwire’s major league record for home runs by a rookie, hitting a pair for the second straight day to raise his total to 50 and lead the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 11-3.
2018 — Max Scherzer became the 17th pitcher since 1900 to strike out 300 batters in a season, reaching that milestone by fanning 10 in seven innings during Washington’s 9-4 win over Miami.
+++TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY+++
Sept. 24
1930 — The Portsmouth Spartans beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 12-0 in the first NFL game played under floodlights. More than 6,000 fans turn out on an unseasonably warm evening to watch the game at the new University Stadium.
1950 — Philadelphia’s Russ Craft has four interceptions to lead the Eagles in a 45-7 rout of the Chicago Cardinals. Chicago quarterback Jim Hardy sets an NFL record by throwing eight interceptions.
1953 — Rocky Marciano knocks out Rolando La Starza in the 11th round at the Polo Grounds in New York to retain his world heavyweight title.
1967 — Jim Bakken of St. Louis Cardinals kicks an NFL-record seven field goals to give the Cardinals a 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. His longest field goal is 33 yards.
1971 — The World Hockey Association announces its formation with 12 teams to start play in October 1972.
1974 — Detroit’s Al Kaline doubles down the right-field line off Dave McNally of Baltimore in the fourth inning for his 3,000th career hit. The Orioles beat the Tigers 5-4 at Memorial Stadium.
1988 — American heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee sets new world record 7,291 points to win the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; East Germans Sabine John & Anke Behmer take the minor medals.
1988 — American swimmer Matt Biondi sets world record 22.14 to win the 50m freestyle gold medal at the Seoul Olympics; his 4th of 5 gold medals for the Games.
1988 — Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson breaks his own 100m world record with a time of 9.79 at the Seoul Olympics; disqualified 3 days later for use of drug stanozolol; Carl Lewis awarded gold and world record 9.92.
1993 — Juniata’s women’s volleyball team beats Washington of St. Louis to end Washington’s NCAA-record winning streak at 59 matches.
1994 — Washington ends Miami’s NCAA-record home winning streak at 58 with a 38-20 victory against the Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl.
1995 — On the final day of competition, Europe rallies past the U.S. to win the Ryder Cup 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y. Europe takes seven singles matches to win its first Ryder Cup since 1989.
2001 — Green Bay’s 37-0 shutout of Washington ends the Redskins’ NFL record of scoring in 231 consecutive road games.
2006 — The Europeans turn the Ryder Cup into another rout, winning 18 1/2-9 1/2 and becoming the first European team to win three straight times.
2006 — Washington’s Mark Brunell breaks the NFL record for most consecutive passes completed in a game when he connects on his first 22 throws in a 31-15 win over the Houston Texans.
2011 — Dwayne De Rosario scores the quickest hat trick in MLS history, leading D.C. United to a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake.
2012 — Russell Wilson throws a disputed 24-yard touchdown to Golden Tate on the final play of the game, and the Seattle Seahawks rally to beat the Green Bay Packers 14-12.
2013 — Skipper Jimmy Spithill and defending champion Oracle Team USA extend their winning streak to seven to force a winner-take-all America’s Cup finale against Emirates Team New Zealand.
2016 — Daniel Carlson kicks six field goals and Auburn beats No. 18 LSU 18-13 after a ruling that Danny Etling’s apparent last-gasp scoring pass comes after time expired.
2017 — Peter Sagan of Slovakia becomes the first man to win three straight road race titles after holding off Norway’s Alexander Kristoff at the World Cycling Championships.
2017 — Diego Valeri scores twice to extend his MLS-record scoring streak to nine straight games and Portland beats Orlando City 3-0. Valeri moves in front of NYCFC’s David Villa for most goals this season with 20.
2017 — Jake Elliott kicks a 61-yard field goal as time expires to give the Philadelphia Eagles a 27-24 victory over the New York Giants. It is the longest by a rookie in NFL history.
2017 — Laver Cup Men’s Tennis, Prague: Roger Federer is unbeaten as Team Europe dominates Team World, 15-9 in the inaugural teams event.
2018 — Real Madrid midfielder & Croatian World Cup captain Luka Modrić is named world’s best male player at the FIFA Awards in London; Brazil & Orlando Pride forward Marta best female player; France’s Didier Deschamps best men’s coach.
_____
Sept. 25
1866 — Jerome Park, named for its founder Leonard Jerome, opens in the Bronx in New York. Jerome, seeking to emulate the British racing system, also establishes the American Jockey Club, precursor to the present Jockey Club, formed in 1894.
1920 — Molly Bjurstedt Mallory wins her fifth title in six years with a two-set victory over Marion Zinderstein in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships.
1926 — Walter Hagen wins his third straight and fourth overall PGA Championship. Hagen beats Leo Diegel 4 and 3 in the championship match at Salisbury Golf Links in Westbury, N.Y.
1949 — Louise Suggs wins the U.S. Women’s Open by 14 strokes over Babe Didrikson Zaharias.
1962 — Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson at 2:06 of the first round at Comiskey Park in Chicago to win the world heavyweight title.
1966 — Gloria Ehret wins the LPGA Championship by three strokes over four-time champion Micke Wright.
1982 — Ricky Edwards rushes for 177 yards and four touchdowns to help Northwestern end its 34-game losing streak in a 31-6 victory over Northern Illinois.
1988 — Americans sweep the medals in the long jump at the Seoul Olympics; Carl Lewis wins his second gold of the Games with leap of 8.72m ahead of teammates Mike Powell & Larry Myricks.
1988 — Super swimmer Matt Biondi wins his 5th gold medal of the Seoul Olympics anchoring the victorious American 4 x 100m medley relay team.
1994 — Oliver McCall scores a major upset by stopping Lennox Lewis 31 seconds into the second round to capture the WBC heavyweight title in London.
1995 — Jerry Rice has 181 yards receiving in San Francisco’s 27-24 loss to Detroit. It’s his 51st 100-yard game, which breaks Don Maynard’s NFL record.
1997 — WNBA announces it will add Detroit & Washington, D.C. franchises.
2000 — American basketball player Vince Carter jumps over 7 foot 2 Frédéric Weis in 2000 Summer Olympics, known in France as “le dunk de la mort” (the dunk of death).
2004 — Bobby Seck of Hofstra throws eight touchdown passes to tie an Atlantic 10 mark and set a school record in the Pride’s 62-43 victory over Rhode Island.
2005 — Fernando Alonso becomes Formula One’s youngest champion by finishing third in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Alonso, 24, a six-time winner in his third full season in Formula One, ends Michael Schumacher’s five-year hold on the title.
2010 — Collingwood and St. Kilda plays to a 68-68 tie, the first in an Australian Rules football grand final since 1977, setting up a rematch to decide the league title.
2011 — The Detroit Lions snap a 13-game losing streak with a 26-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions, who won in the Metrodome for the first time since 1997, are 3-0 for the first time since 1980.
2013 — Skipper Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USA win the America’s Cup with one of the greatest comebacks in sports history to keep the oldest trophy in international sports in the United States. Spithill steers Oracle’s space-age, 72-foot catamaran to its eighth straight victory, speeding past Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand in the winner-take-all Race 19 on San Francisco Bay. All but defeated a week ago, the 34-year-old Australian and his international crew twice rallies from seven-point deficits to win 9-8.
2016 — Rory McIlroy rallies to enter a three-man playoff and win the FedEx Cup. After trailing by three shots with three holes to play in the Tour Championship, McIlroy holes a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to win the playoff and claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus.
2022 — Laver Cup Men’s Tennis, London: Team World sweeps final day for 13-8 victory over Team Europe; tournament marks retirement of Roger Federer.
_____
+++TV SPORTS+++
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Wednesday, Sept. 24
COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
6 p.m.
ACCN — North Carolina at Notre Dame
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
BTN — Michigan at Nebraska
ESPN2 — Missouri at Texas A&M
SECN — South Carolina at Kentucky
8 p.m.
ACCN — Pittsburgh at SMU
9 p.m.
BTN — Vanderbilt at Northwestern
SECN — Vanderbilt at Texas
MLB BASEBALL
Noon
MLBN — Washington at Atlanta (12:15 p.m.)
4 p.m.
MLBN — Milwaukee at San Diego (4:10 p.m.)
6:30 p.m.
FS1 — Tampa Bay at Baltimore
8 p.m.
ESPN — N.Y. Mets at Chicago Cubs
10:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at Arizona (9:40 p.m.) OR St. Louis at San Francisco (9:45 p.m.)
NHL HOCKEY
6 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Florida at Carolina
10 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Los Angeles at Anaheim
SOCCER (MEN’S)
12:45 p.m.
CBSSN — UEFA Europa League: SK Sturm Graz at FC Midtjylland
3 p.m.
CBSSN — UEFA Europa League: Real Betis vs. Nottingham Forest, Seville, Spain
8:55 p.m.
FS2 — Liga MX: Atlas F.C. at Tigres UANL
9 p.m.
CBSSN — USL Championship: New Mexico United at Colorado
TENNIS
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Beijing-WTA & Tokyo-ATP 1st Round
11 p.m.
TENNIS — Beijing-WTA & Tokyo-ATP 1st Round
6 a.m. (Thursday)
TENNIS — Beijing-WTA & Tokyo-ATP 1st Round
_____
Thursday, Sept. 25
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Army at East Carolina
COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
SECN — LSU at Auburn
10:30 p.m.
BTN — Rutgers at Southern Cal
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
6:30 p.m.
BTN — Washington at Purdue
8:30 p.m.
BTN — Michigan St. at Minnesota
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
12:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (12:40 p.m.) OR Tampa Bay at Baltimore (1:05 p.m.)
3:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at Arizona (3:40 p.m.) OR Houston at Athletics (3:35 p.m.)
7:30 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: N.Y. Mets at Chicago Cubs (7:40 p.m.) OR Boston at Toronto (7:05 p.m.)
NFL FOOTBALL
8:15 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Seattle at Arizona
NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: N.Y. Islanders at N.Y. Rangers
10 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Utah at Vegas
RUGBY (MEN’S)
6 a.m. (Friday)
FS2 — NRL Postseason: TBD
SOCCER (MEN’S)
12:45 p.m.
CBSSN — UEFA Europa League: Brann at Lille
3 p.m.
CBSSN — UEFA Europa League: Bologna at Aston Villa
TENNIS
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Beijing-WTA & Tokyo-ATP 1st Round
11 p.m.
TENNIS — Beijing-ATP 1st Round, WTA 2nd Round
6 a.m. (Friday)
TENNIS — Beijing-ATP 1st Round, WTA 2nd Round
_____
Friday, Sept. 26
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (MEN’S)
12:30 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — AFL Postseason:: TBD
AUTO RACING
8 p.m.
FS1 — ARCA Menards Series: The Reese’s 150 at Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
1:55 a.m. (Saturday)
FS1 — FIM MotoGP: The Motul Grand Prix of Japan – Sprint Race, Motegi, Japan
COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY
4 p.m.
BTN — Michigan St. at Penn St.
6 p.m.
ACCN — Duke at Syracuse
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
ESPN — Florida St. at Virginia
9 p.m.
FOX — TCU at Arizona St.
10:30 p.m.
ESPN — Houston at Oregon St.
COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
BTN — Michigan St. at Michigan
ESPNU — Clemson at Wake Forest
7:30 p.m.
ACCN — NC State at Pittsburgh
8 p.m.
BTN — UCLA at Indiana
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
7 p.m.
SECN — Alabama at Auburn
8 p.m.
ESPNU — Arizona St. at Kansas
GOLF
7 a.m.
USA — 2025 Ryder Cup: U.S. vs. Europe – Day 1, Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, N.Y.
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MLB BASEBALL
2 p.m.
MLBN — St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m.)
7 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at N.Y. Yankees (7:05 p.m.) OR Tampa Bay at Toronto (7:05 p.m.)
7:10 p.m.
APPLE TV+ — Detroit at Boston
11 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at Seattle (9:40 p.m.) OR Arizona at San Diego (9:40 p.m.)
NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Detroit at Pittsburgh
10 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Seattle at Vancouver
RUGBY (MEN’S)
6 a.m.
FS2 — NRL Postseason: TBD
6 a.m. (Sunday)
FS2 — NRL Postseason: TBD
SOCCER (MEN’S)
2 p.m.
ESPN2 — Bundesliga: SV Werder Bremen at Bayern Munich
8:55 p.m.
FS2 — Liga MX: Leon Club Leon at Juarez
TENNIS
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Beijing-ATP 1st Round, WTA 2nd Round
11 p.m.
TENNIS — Beijing-ATP/WTA 2nd Round
6 a.m. (Saturday)
TENNIS — Beijing-ATP/WTA 2nd Round
WNBA BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Playoffs: TBD, Semifinal – Game 3
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Playoffs: TBD, Semifinal – Game 3
_____
Saturday, Sept. 27
AUTO RACING
1 p.m.
TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Practice, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
2:10 p.m.
TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
4 p.m.
CW — NASCAR Xfinity Series: The Kansas Lottery 300, Playoffs – Round of 12, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
12:30 a.m. (Sunday)
FS1 — FIM MotoGP: The Motul Grand Prix of Japan, Motegi, Japan
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon
ABC — Notre Dame at Arkansas
ACCN — Duke at Syracuse
BTN — Rutgers at Minnesota
CBSSN — Bowling Green at Ohio
ESPN — TBA
ESPN2 — TBA
ESPNU — South Alabama at North Texas
FOX — Southern Cal at Illinois
FS1 — UCF at Kansas St.
TNT — Cincinnati at Kansas
12:45 p.m.
SECN — Utah St. at Vanderbilt
3:30 p.m.
ABC — LSU at Mississippi
ACCN — California at Boston College
BTN — UCLA at Northwestern
CBS — Ohio St. at Washington
CBSSN — Rice at Navy
ESPN — Auburn at Texas A&M
ESPN2 — Baylor at Oklahoma St.
FOX — Utah at West Virginia
4 p.m.
ESPNU — TBA
FS1 — Hawaii at Air Force
4:15 p.m.
SECN — Tennessee at Mississippi St.
7 p.m.
CW — Virginia Tech at NC State
ESPN — Arizona at Iowa St.
ESPN2 — TBA
7:30 p.m.
ABC — Alabama at Georgia
ACCN — San Jose St. at Stanford
CBSSN — Washington St. at Colorado
ESPNU — UMass at Missouri
FS1 — Appalachian St. vs. Boise St.
NBC — Oregon at Penn St.
PEACOCK — Oregon at Penn St.
7:45 p.m.
SECN — Kentucky at South Carolina
10:15 p.m.
ESPN — BYU at Colorado
ESPN2 — Idaho at Montana
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
8 p.m.
BTN — Michigan at Michigan St.
GOLF
7 a.m.
NBC — 2025 Ryder Cup: U.S. vs. Europe – Day 2, Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, N.Y.
HORSE RACING
12:30 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
MILB BASEBALL
8 p.m.
MLBN — TBA
MLB BASEBALL
1 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at N.Y. Yankees (1:05 p.m.) OR St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m.)
4 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: Detroit at Boston (4:10 p.m.) OR St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m.)
7 p.m.
FOX — TBA
11 p.m.
MLBN — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at Seattle (9:40 p.m.) OR Kansas City at Athletics (10:05 p.m.)
NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Columbus at Pittsburgh
RUGBY (MEN’S)
6 a.m.
FS2 — NRL Postseason: TBD
RUGBY (WOMEN’S)
7:30 a.m.
CBSSN — 2025 World Cup: TBD, Bronze-Medal Game, Twickenham, England
Midnight
FS2 — NRL: TBA
2 a.m. (Sunday)
FS2 — NRL: TBA
SOCCER (MEN’S)
7:30 a.m.
CBSSN — English League Championship: Norwich City at Stoke City
USA — English Premier League: Manchester United at Brentford
10 a.m.
USA — English Premier League: Burnley at Manchester City
Noon
CBS — Serie A: Atalanta at Juventus
12:30 p.m.
USA — English Premier League: Sunderland at Nottingham Forest
3 p.m.
USA — English Premier League: Wolverhampton at Tottenham Hotspur
6:45 p.m.
FS2 — FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Stage: Chile vs. New Zealand, Group A, Nunoa, Chile
11 p.m.
CBSSN — Liga MX: Pumas UNAM at Club America
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
7:30 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Angel City at Louisville
10 p.m.
ION — NWSL: Utah at Bay
TENNIS
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Beijing-ATP/WTA 2nd Round
_____
Sunday, Sept. 28
AUTO RACING
1:30 p.m.
FS1 — NHRA: Qualifying, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill. (Taped)
3 p.m.
FS1 — NHRA: The NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Madison, Ill.
USA — NASCAR Cup Series: The Hollywood Casino 400, Playoffs – Round of 12, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY
Noon
ACCN — North Carolina at Boston College
COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
BTN — Rutgers at Southern Cal
6 p.m.
ACCN — Notre Dame at Clemson
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
11 a.m.
SECN — Alabama at Auburn
Noon
BTN — UCLA at Penn St.
1 p.m.
ESPN — Arizona at Kansas
SECN — Mississippi at Oklahoma
1:30 p.m.
ACCN — California at Virginia
2 p.m.
BTN — Illinois at Purdue
3 p.m.
ESPN — SMU at Pittsburgh
GOLF
Noon
NBC — 2025 Ryder Cup: U.S. vs. Europe – Final Day, Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, N.Y.
HORSE RACING
1 p.m.
FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
2 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
NFL FOOTBALL
9:30 a.m.
NFLN — Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh, Dublin
1 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Washington at Atlanta, New Orleans at Buffalo, L.A. Chargers at N.Y. Giants, Tennessee at Houston
FOX — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at Detroit, Carolina at New England, Philadelphia at Tampa Bay
4:05 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: Indianapolis at L.A. Rams OR Jacksonville at San Francisco
4:25 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at Kansas City OR Chicago at Chicago at Las Vegas
8:20 p.m.
NBC — Green Bay at Dallas
NHL HOCKEY
3 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Washington at New Jersey
8 p.m.
NHLN — Preseason: Vancouver at Edmonton
RODEO
3 p.m.
CW — PBR: Camping World Team Series, Springfield, Mo.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
9 a.m.
USA — English Premier League: Fulham at Aston Villa
10 a.m.
CBSSN — Scottish Premier League: Rangers at Livingston
11:30 a.m.
USA — English Premier League: Arsenal at Newcastle United
12:30 p.m.
CBSSN — Serie A: TBA
6 p.m.
CBSSN — USL Championship: TBA
6:45 p.m.
FS2 — FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Stage: TBA
6:55 p.m.
FS1 — FIFA U-20 World Cup Group Stage: TBA
WNBA BASKETBALL
3 p.m.
ABC — Playoffs: TBD, Semifinal – Game 4 (If Necessary)
5 p.m.
ESPN — Playoffs: TBD, Semifinal – Game 4 (If Necessary)
