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BC bids to stifle Virginia rushing attack in ACC matchup

Syndication: Wilmington News JournalHodgson senior Xavier Brown (16) looks for an open receiver with senior Jace Hawkins (17) covering against Caravel during the football game at Caravel’s Bob Peoples Stadium in Bear, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. Caravel won 31-6.

Boston College will try to slow Virginia’s resurgent running game when the teams meet on Saturday afternoon for an Atlantic Coast Conference contest in Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers (3-1, 1-0) are coming off a bye week after rushing for a whopping 384 yards in a 43-24 victory at previously unbeaten Coastal Carolina on Sept. 21. It was the highest rushing total for the Cavaliers since they gained 446 yards against San Jose State in 1998.

“We want to run the football,” Virginia coach Tony Elliott said. “We want to be effective running the football. We want to be efficient. And then in games where we have opportunity to lead and dominate with the rush, that’s what we want to do.”

Off to its best start since going 4-0 to begin the 2019 campaign, Virginia ranks third in the ACC with an average of 195 rushing yards per game.

Xavier Brown leads the Cavaliers with 293 rushing yards and tops the ACC with 8.9 yards per carry. Kobe Pace has 210 rushing yards and quarterback Anthony Colandrea has 135.

They will face a Boston College defense that ranks sixth against the run in the 17-team conference, allowing 101.4 yards per game. The Eagles (4-1, 1-0) have surrendered only two rushing touchdowns in five games.

Boston College rallied for a 21-20 home win against Western Kentucky last weekend. Grayson James, filling in for injured quarterback Thomas Castellanos (undisclosed), rushed for a touchdown and threw a TD pass in the final 11:36 to overcome a 20-7 deficit.

“Our guys hung in there,” Eagles coach Bill O’Brien said. “They’re resilient. They’re a tough group of guys. They practice hard. They work very hard. When they came (into the locker room at halftime), they looked in the mirror and self-assessed, and they went out there and played better in the second half. I’m very proud of that.”

As of Tuesday, Castellanos’ status for Saturday’s game at Virginia was unclear.

Boston College leads 7-1 in the all-time series, including a 27-24 win last season in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The only Virginia victory was 43-32 in Charlottesville in 2020.

–Field Level Media

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New England Revolution blast Atlanta United to climb up East standings

Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Dor Turgeman (11) protects the ball from Atlanta United defense Junior Alonso (6) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Dor Turgeman (11) protects the ball from Atlanta United defense Junior Alonso (6) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Carles Gil and Dor Turgeman each scored a first-half goal while Matt Turner made six saves on Saturday to help the New England Revolution earn a 4-1 victory over Atlanta United in Foxborough, Mass.

Peyton Miller and Brooklyn Raines also scored a goal apiece for New England (9-5-2, 29 points), which passed the Chicago Fire (26 points) for third place in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta (3-11-3, 12 points) extended its winless stretch to six games and fell to 1-6-2 away from home. Miguel Almiron scored a goal in the 85th minute to help the visitors avoid their eighth shutout of the year. Atlanta’s 17 goals scored are the fewest in the league.

New England tacked on to its 2-0 halftime lead in the 56th minute, as Miller tallied his fourth goal of the year to give the Revolution a three-goal advantage. Alhassan Yusuf picked up his second assist of the match in the process.

In the 67th minute, Raines scored the first goal of his MLS career. Assisted by Jackson Yueill, Raines’ left-footed strike marked just the second time New England has scored four-plus goals in a game this season.

After Almiron’s early shot was saved by Turner, New England found the back of the net at the 11-minute mark, as Matt Polster found Gil for his team-leading sixth-goal of the season.

Polster, recording his first assist of the year, left the ball for the New England star, who shook defender Tristan Muyumba and fired in a left-footed shot past the sprawling Lucas Hoyos.

Turgeman threatened to double New England’s advantage in the 26th minute, but Hoyos made his first save to preserve the one-goal deficit.

Turgeman broke through 10 minutes later, however, as the 22-year-old scored his third goal of the season. Yusuf’s perfectly placed cross found Turgeman in the box, where a left-footed shot made it 2-0.

Despite the two-goal halftime-margin, Atlanta put seven shots on goal in the first half to New England’s four.

–Field Level Media

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Agustin Ojeda, NYCFC score early, douse Fire

Jul 25, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City Football Club offense Agustin Ojeda (26) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Fire FC during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City Football Club offense Agustin Ojeda (26) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Fire FC during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

Agustin Ojeda scored a goal and added an assist Saturday night as New York City FC shredded the visiting Chicago Fire’s defense in the first half of a 3-1 win at Yankee Stadium.

Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Malachi Jones also scored for NYCFC (7-6-4, 25 points), which won their second straight fixture despite numbering nine players on the injured list. NYCFC earned an 11-9 advantage in shots as Chicago couldn’t consistently maintain its defensive shape.

Joel Waterman scored the only goal for the Fire (8-6-2, 26 points). Newly-signed striker Robert Lewandowski played the second half in his second match with Chicago and generated a shot.

The storylines for each team prior to kickoff couldn’t have been more diverse. While NYCFC was coming off a solid 2-1 win Wednesday night at Columbus, the Fire suffered a 3-2 loss at Miami that had coach Gregg Berhalter upset because of their poor defense.

It took just 10 minutes for Berhalter to see a rerun of Wednesday night. A failed clearing attempt and weak marking presented Fernandez Mercau space to wire a shot from just past the top of the 18-yard box by goalie Chris Brady. The shot carried a goal expectancy of only 2%.

Chicago equalized in the 21st minute off a set piece. NYCFC deflected a free kick but Waterman pounced on it at the left post, roofing a shot under the crossbar for his first goal of the year.

But Ojeda put NYCFC ahead for good eight minutes later. Andres Perea sent him down the right side and Ojeda angled a sharply-struck shot past Brady that hit the inside of the left post before nestling into the net.

Ojeda played the feeder’s role in the 41st minute as the Fire again lost their defensive structure. Perea found Ojeda on the right side and he passed into the middle, giving Jones a point-blank opportunity that he converted.

Goalie Matt Freese helped protect the lead for NYCFC in the second half, coming up with four of his five saves.

–Field Level Media

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Orioles blow another late lead, but Dylan Beavers bails them out

Jul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitchin in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn ImagesJul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitchin in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images

Dylan Beavers singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Saturday night.

Gunnar Henderson homered as the Orioles evened the series at one game apiece after failing to hold a late-game lead for the second game in a row.

Ozzie Albies homered for the Braves, who lost for only the third time in their last 10 games.

Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday doubled with one out in the ninth and moved to third on pinch hitter Colton Cowser’s flyout before scoring on Beavers’ hit off losing pitcher Didier Fuentes (4-1). Yennier Cano (2-2) was the winning pitcher with one inning of shutout relief.

Brandon Young pitched into the seventh inning for the second consecutive strong start for a Baltimore pitcher, but just like Friday night the bullpen couldn’t make it hold up. Young held the Braves to one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Orioles reliever Rico Garcia gave up a game-tying home run in the eighth inning for the second night in a row.

Braves starter Bryce Elder worked five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) with four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts. Victor Mederos threw two shutout innings in relief before Fuentes entered and gave up his only two hits to two of the last three batters he faced.

Holliday and Beavers each finished with two hits as the game’s only players with more than one hit. The Orioles have won nine of their last 12 games.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued to give the Baltimore offense a boost as his two-out single in the third inning drove in the game’s first run.

Henderson homered with two outs in the fifth to make it 2-0.

Atlanta scored in the sixth on Mauricio Dubon’s groundout. Albies’ 17th homer of the season pulled the Braves even on the second pitch of the eighth inning.

–Field Level Media

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