Sports
Big Ten notebook: Ryan Day focuses on small margins for Ohio State
Jul 29, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Ohio State Football head coach Ryan Day speaks during Big Ten Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Ohio State began last season with 12 consecutive victories and ended it with two losses that changed the way the year will be remembered.
Ryan Day is not interested in overreacting to either stretch.
The Buckeyes followed a national championship with a trip to the Big Ten title game last season, where they lost to eventual national champion Indiana. A second defeat against Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals left Ohio State searching for ways to finish better without tearing what worked apart.
“When you’re chasing small margins like you are, you have to identify the things that need to get fixed and fix them,” Day said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. “The easy thing is to do nothing or overreact, where the real work is identifying what needs to get fixed and then make that change.”
One advantage is unusual continuity at quarterback.
Julian Sayin returns for his second season as the starter, making this only the third time during Day’s tenure that Ohio State has brought back its No. 1 quarterback. Sayin won his first 12 starts before the two season-ending losses and will again be paired with star receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Day said Sayin is stronger, more vocal and carrying himself differently after experiencing both ends of a championship chase.
“When you look in his eye now, you see a different person, a different body,” Day said. “He’s worked hard, gotten stronger. He’s found his voice even more.”
The lessons will be tested quickly during what Day called a “monster” schedule which includes a Week 2 road game at Texas.
–Moore passes on NFL to chase history at Oregon
Dante Moore could have been preparing for his first NFL training camp.
Instead, the Oregon quarterback returned to Eugene after being widely projected as the No. 2 selection in the 2026 draft, passing up a lucrative contract.
Moore said his decision was based on development and the opportunity to help Oregon win its first national championship, not concern over which NFL team might select him.
“It was a great decision,” Moore said. “When I first did it, I was a little bit hesitant, but at this point where I’m at right now in the offseason, it’s all full force. There’s no looking back from here. These guys I’m on stage with are for sure people that could’ve went to the NFL last year. For us to come back, we all want to chase history and help us reach our goals.”
Moore completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season while leading the Ducks to a 13-2 record and the CFP semifinals.
Dan Lanning said Moore had unfinished business and described this year’s roster as potentially the most player-led team of his five seasons at Oregon.
“Obviously we have some great returning players that have been big contributors to our program,” Lanning said. “One thing I recognize is last year I felt like we had a team that had a ton of talent. This year, I feel like we have a team with a lot of returning experience. A lot of those young players that played are now guys that have also had great experience, and I’m excited to see what that looks like.”
–Fitzgerald returns to Big Ten with familiar blueprint
Pat Fitzgerald isn’t viewing his first season at Michigan State as a chance to bring over everything that worked during his 17 years at Northwestern.
Instead, the Spartans’ new coach is looking backward for the identity he wants to restore.
Fitzgerald said the traits he has emphasized since taking over have long been part of Michigan State’s most successful teams. His task is turning those familiar ideals into daily habits for a roster still learning what will be demanded of it.
“I said it in my press conference when I got introduced, that this was born at Michigan State, and that’s how we’re going to play,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re going to play smart. We’re going to play tough. We’re going to play with discipline.”
Fitzgerald has spent the offseason increasing competition throughout the roster and establishing a standard he hopes will eventually move the Spartans back into Big Ten contention after four straight losing seasons.
That process will require more than leaning on the program’s history, but Fitzgerald made clear where he expects it to lead.
“We’re looking forward to taking this program back to where it belongs at the highest level,” Fitzgerald said.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres win 5th straight, complete sweep of Rockies
Jul 29, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Luis Rengifo (21) hits a RBI ground out during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Six pitchers combined on a six-hitter, while Jackson Merrill knocked in a run during a three-run fourth inning that lifted the San Diego Padres to a 3-1 win over the visiting Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Bulk reliever Griffin Canning (2-9) earned the win after tossing three shutout innings, yielding only one hit and striking out four. Opener Kyle Hart contributed 2 2/3 scoreless innings, permitting two hits and a walk with three whiffs.
Four relievers mopped up from there, with Mason Miller pitching the ninth to garner his 28th save in as many chances. It was San Diego’s fifth straight win, completing a sweep of the two-game series.
Rookie Gabriel Hughes (0-3) absorbed the loss, allowing six hits and three runs in five-plus innings while walking one and striking out two. It was a familiar result for Colorado, which fell to 1-14 in its last 15 games at Petco Park and lost all six games there this year.
Hughes mowed down nine straight after allowing a leadoff double to Fernando Tatis Jr. but ran into trouble in the fourth. Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado singled to start the inning, followed by Hughes plunking Ty France to fill the bases.
Merrill poked a 2-2 changeup through the left side for a single that scored Cronenworth and Luis Rengifo’s groundout to first cashed in Machado. Gavin Sheets capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to right that plated France.
The Rockies got on the board in the seventh. Willi Castro bunted for a single to start the inning against Wandy Peralta and Tyler Freeman singled Castro to second. With two outs, Brett Sullivan grounded an RBI single to right that scored Castro.
Colorado got the tying run aboard to start the eighth when Cole Carrigg worked a walk but Jeremiah Estrada fanned the next three hitters to quash the threat. It was Estrada’s first game since going on the injured list June 5 with a knee injury.
Sullivan was the only player in the game with two hits.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Daniel Susac hits first two homers, helps Giants torch Brewers
Jul 29, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb (62) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Daniel Susac belted the first two home runs of his career, Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos stroked four hits apiece and the San Francisco Giants captured the season series over the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers with a 16-3 shellacking Wednesday afternoon.
Susac finished with three runs and four RBIs, while Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee collected three RBIs apiece, helping the Giants complete the three-game home series with two wins and the seven-game season series with a 4-3 edge.
Susac’s first homer — a three-run blast in a scoreless game — came in the second inning and was all the Giants’ scoring until the sixth, when a seven-run uprising turned a one-win margin into a 10-2 lead.
The early homer came off Brewers left-hander Thomas Pannone (0-1), who was called up from the minors earlier in the day to allow scheduled starter Shane Drohan to get two additional days off. Drohan was rescheduled for Friday’s series opener in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels.
Pannone, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2023, worked the first three innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and three hits. He walked two and struck out two.
The Giants broke the game open against the Milwaukee bullpen in the sixth, which featured a two-run double by Lee, a two-run single by Ramos and single-RBI hits by Christian Koss and Arraez.
Webb (6-7) was pulled at that point, having limited the Brewers to two runs on five hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out four.
The win improved the 29-year-old’s record against Milwaukee to 6-0 in nine career starts.
Arraez capped his 24th career four-hit game with an RBI single in a three-run seventh, before Susac greeted Andrew Vaughn with his second homer leading off a three-run eighth. Susac had entered the game without a home run in his first 131 big-league plate appearances
Koss joined Susac with three runs scored for the Giants, whose run total was a season-high at home and third-highest anywhere.
Brice Turang had two hits and two RBIs for the Brewers, who hadn’t allowed more than 14 runs in any previous game this season. Jake Bauers also had a pair of hits for Milwaukee, which was out-hit 17-8.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Jackson Koivun celebrates first PGA Tour win by fishing
Jul 25, 2026; Blaine, Minnesota, USA; With ball in hand Jackson Koivun acknowledges applause from the gallery for scoring eagle on hole 18, which made him leader in the clubhouse at -20 after the third round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images Jackson Koivun’s celebration after his first PGA Tour victory required little more than a fishing rod and a quiet pond.
Rather than organize a party after winning the 3M Open on Sunday, the 21-year-old remained at TPC Twin Cities to go fishing after the biggest week of his young career.
“I heard really good things about the ponds on the golf course,” Koivun said before this week’s Rocket Classic. “A couple other players had gone in the previous days and I thought might as well decompress and do some fishing.”
The understated celebration followed a memorable finish. Koivun closed with a bogey-free 66 to reach a tournament-record 25-under 259, holding off world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by three strokes in only his third start since turning professional.
The significance of the victory has started to settle in through a steady stream of congratulatory messages. Koivun heard from friends in California and several established professionals he admired while growing up, some of whom praised how he handled the pressure of the final round.
Koivun entered the professional ranks with immediate PGA Tour status after completing a decorated career at Auburn and qualifying through PGA Tour University Accelerated. He credited the program with creating clearer opportunities for elite college players to move directly onto the PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour.
“PGA Tour U’s been great,” Koivun said. “It’s given a lot of guys a pathway to the PGA Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour, to kind of go out there and prove themselves. Just in the state of college golf right now it’s gotten very, very competitive, guys are getting better and better. Yeah, I think college guys are more and more ready to come out here and compete.”
The victory moved Koivun to No. 70 in the FedEx Cup standings with two regular-season events remaining. He said he will not change his approach, instead focusing on putting together eight solid rounds at the Rocket Classic and Wyndham Championship to secure a playoff berth.
–Field Level Media
Padres win 5th straight, complete sweep of Rockies
Daniel Susac hits first two homers, helps Giants torch Brewers
