Sports
Bryce Young, Panthers prevail in OT as Falcons miss playoffs
Jan 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) runs for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images ATLANTA — Miles Sanders rushed for the game-winning 1-yard touchdown in overtime and the visiting Carolina Panthers beat the Falcons 44-38 in the season finale on Sunday, eliminating Atlanta from playoff contention.
Bryce Young completed 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, adding two more scores on the ground, as Carolina (5-12) scored a season-high 44 points.
Michael Penix Jr. threw for 312 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Falcons (8-9), who needed a win paired with a Tampa Bay loss to New Orleans in order to win the division. Bijan Robinson ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns, while Drake London caught 10 passes for 187 yards and two scores.
The Panthers won the first possession of overtime and never let it go, driving 70 yards to end the game with a touchdown and keep the ball out of Atlanta’s hands.
Trailing 24-17 at halftime, Carolina tied the game after Mike Jackson intercepted Penix’s pass, leading to Young’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Tremble with 10:43 left in the third quarter.
After Riley Patterson missed a 52-yard field goal, Carolina regained the lead with Young’s 9-yard touchdown pass to David Moore with 1:02 remaining in the third.
The Falcons matched the score with Penix’s 21-yard touchdown strike to London at the 9:50 mark of the final quarter, tying the game at 31.
Carolina then scored on its third straight drive, as Young’s 10-yard rushing touchdown stamped a nine-play, 70-yard drive with 4:01 left in the game.
Robinson’s second rushing score, this time a 4-yarder, tied the game at 38 with 46 seconds remaining.
The teams traded field goals on their opening drives. After the Falcons turned the ball over on downs at the Panthers’ 42-yard line, Carolina scored the game’s first touchdown on Young’s 2-yard scramble with 10:47 left in the second quarter.
Atlanta answered with a 70-yard drive that included London’s 24-yard reception and Robinson’s 15-yard rush, before Penix ran it from 5 yards out to knot the score at 10 with 5:27 left in the half.
Carolina then took a 17-10 lead on Young’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Sanders, but Robinson tied the game again with a 3-yard rushing score.
Following a Carolina punt, Penix led Atlanta on an 81-yard drive in 37 seconds, culminating in a 20-yard touchdown pass to London with three seconds left for a 24-17 halftime lead.
–Jack Batten, Field Level Media
Sports
Final-hole eagle gives Nelly Korda 3-stroke lead at Riviera
Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Nelly Korda hits a tee shot on the 10th hole during the final round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images World No. 1 Nelly Korda took sole possession of first place through three rounds of the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba with her second straight 5-under-par 67 on Saturday in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Korda, who moved back atop the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings with her victory last week at the Chevron Championship, has just one bogey through three rounds at El Camaleon Golf Course, taking a three-stroke lead into the final round at 14-under 202.
Korda had just one birdie through 12 holes of action Saturday before birdies at Nos. 13 and 15 before finishing the day with a bang by carding an eagle at the par-5 18th after hitting her approach shot within a few feet of the hole to cap off the low round of the day.
“Just really happy with my game. Played some solid golf today,” Korda said. “Made a good par save on nine, and that’s the only kind of time in the round that I really put myself into trouble. I’m just trying to play safe with the ones that I wasn’t wanting to be too aggressive with. Overall, really happy with my round.”
Arpichaya Yubol of Thailand is in second place at 11 under after shooting a bogey-free 6 under with three birdies on both the front and back nine. That included birdies on each of the final two holes to claim sole possession of second place. The 23-year-old has five career top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour but is seeking her first championship.
She’ll be in the final group Sunday, celebrating her 24th birthday while playing alongside one of her idols, Korda, for the first time.
“It’s like my dream come true,” Yubol said. “My life is complete right now.”
Japan’s Minami Katsu (69) is in third at 10 under following after a 2-over front nine with a 5-under back nine highlighted by an eagle at the par-4 17th.
Brianna Do, who was a co-leader after each of the first two rounds, is now tied for fourth at 9 under after an even-par finish to the third round. Joining her in that fourth-place group is China’s Yu Liu (69).
Carlota Ciganda (71) of Spain and Round 1 co-leader Melanie Green (73) are tied for sixth at 7 under.
Colombian amateur Maria Jose Marin (69) and Russia’s Nataliya Guseva (70) are tied for eighth at 5 under.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby hires attorney to protect NCAA eligibility
Brendan Sorsby runs with the ball during the Texas Tech football team’s spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium. Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, under investigation for sports gambling, has hired attorney Jeffrey Kessler to protect his college eligibility, ESPN reported on Saturday.
Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason, is entering a treatment program for a gambling addiction and taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team, the quarterback and his current school announced on Monday.
Kessler was lead attorney in the House vs. NCAA case, which was approved in June 2025 and led to revenue sharing in college athletics. Schools were able to share $20.5 million with athletes beginning last July 1, with the amount increasing annually.
A prominent antitrust attorney, Kessler has represented the NFL Players Association on behalf of players such as Tom Brady, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice.
NCAA rules forbid collegiate athletes from betting on any sport (collegiate or professional) for which the NCAA sponsors a championship. Sorsby reportedly bet on college football and MLB games.
This could lead to him being deemed ineligible for the 2026 season, pending the NCAA’s active investigation.
Sorsby has placed more than 10,000 sports betting wagers since 2022, according to a report from On3. He was averaging as many as 20 bets per day on a variety of different sportsbook apps across multiple states, per On3.
This reportedly included betting on Indiana games in 2022 when he was redshirting during his first year of college. ESPN reported Monday that all of the bets were on Indiana to win and none were on the game he played in — a 45-14 loss to 16th-ranked Penn State.
Sorsby, ESPN’s top-ranked transfer in this year’s class, threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the last two seasons for the Bearcats. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kimi Antonelli on Miami GP pole; race moved up due to forecast
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli during Miami Grand Prix qualifications at the Miami International Autodrome on May 2, 2026. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli earned his third consecutive pole by edging Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during Saturday’s session ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Antonelli, who leads the drivers’ standings, posted a time of 1 minute, 27.798 seconds that held up even though the 19-year-old Italian was unable to improve upon the time on his final lap at the Miami International Autodrome. Verstappen threatened but ultimately finished a little more than a tenth of a second behind.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris will start fourth for McLaren, followed by Antonelli’s teammate George Russell.
With Sunday’s forecast calling for heavy thunderstorms and rain, Formula 1 moved the start of the race up three hours from 4 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. following discussions with the FIA.
“This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritize the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff,” read a statement by the FIA, Formula 1 and the Miami Grand Prix.
Even with the new start time, weather could prove to be a significant factor in the 57-lap race. According to F1 rules, a race can have a maximum active run time of two hours, and Sunday’s race could see multiple start and stops.
The Miami GP follows a lengthy break in the schedule with races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia canceled due to the war in the Middle East. It also saw several teams introduce significant upgrades as they continue to adjust to the 2026 regulations.
Verstappen qualified and finished fifth in Saturday’s Sprint and has shown increasing pace throughout the week.
“I think over those last few weeks the team has been pushing flat-out to try and bring upgrades to the car, and making me feel more comfortable with a lot of things in the car,” Verstappen said.
“It really pays off. I feel more in control of the car again, then I can push a bit more, then the upgrades are working. To be on the front row is way better than I expected heading into the weekend.”
Verstappen said his first priority is to get off to a good start on Sunday, hopefully before weather impacts the race.
“We’ll try to have a look at that, for sure, and see what the weather will do tomorrow, but I’m already very happy with where we are,” Verstappen said. “From here there’s like light at the end of the tunnel, and we can just push on and try to close the gap further.”
He’ll have to find a way past Antonelli, who rebounded from a poor start and a time penalty during the Sprint to earn the pole for Sunday’s race.
“I’m super happy with the recovery,” Antonelli said. “This weekend has obviously been a little bit more difficult for us, but we’re keeping all this together and we’re maximizing the performance.”
–Field Level Media
