Sports
College Football’s Biggest Week 4 Disappointments: Oklahoma’s SEC Debut, the State of North Carolina
Oklahoma waited 38 months between its announced departure from the Big 12 Conference and its debut in the SEC. The culmination of more than three years of eager anticipation resulted in a sluggish 25-15 loss at home, one that was uglier than the final score suggests.
The Sooners kicked off their SEC membership under ideal conditions: a top 10-ranked opponent coming into Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the return of a prodigal son as the visiting head coach, and a prime-time television kickoff.
However, Oklahoma managed only 222 total yards—just 36 on the ground—and went the game’s first 51:45 without a touchdown. Meanwhile, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, who quarterbacked Oklahoma to its last national championship, watched as his Vols built a 19-3 halftime lead.
Under Heupel, Tennessee has been known for its explosive offense, and they showed flashes of that in Norman, particularly with Nico Iamaleava’s 66-yard touchdown pass to Dont’e Thornton Jr., which ignited a run of 19 unanswered points.
But it was Tennessee’s swarming, physical defense that stole the spotlight. This was perhaps an appropriate welcome to the SEC, given the conference’s reputation for defensive toughness.
With the setting and Heupel on the sideline, Tennessee evoked memories of Oklahoma’s 2000 Bowl Championship Series title team. That it was the Sooners’ inability to move the ball against a team coached by a former OU assistant, fired from his offensive coordinator post in 2014, only compounds the disappointment of an underwhelming SEC debut.
Tennessee’s emphatic win wasn’t disappointing for everyone in the state of Oklahoma, though. Heupel’s mother, Cindy, who drove from Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Norman for Sooners games during the Vols coach’s playing days, died in May.
“She was looking forward to this game. She’s got a lot of friends across the state who knew she was looking forward to it,” Heupel said in his postgame press conference. “It was unique for this to be a road game for me but a home game for a lot of my family.”
Carolina Blues
If Hubert Davis’ North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team faced fellow 2024 NCAA Tournament qualifier James Madison, it’s likely the UNC hoopers would hold JMU to fewer points than the 70 Mack Brown’s gridiron Tar Heels allowed on Saturday.
“Embarrassing day. Shocking day,” Brown said in his postgame press conference. “You shouldn’t be at North Carolina and lose to a Group of Five team, period.”
It wasn’t just that the Tar Heels lost, especially to a program fresh off a Top 25 season. North Carolina allowed 611 yards, effectively launching a Heisman Trophy campaign for JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett III.
Barnett passed for 388 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for another 99 yards and two more scores. Not since Dalton Knecht dropped 37 points at the Dean Dome last basketball season had a visitor made such an offensive impression on Chapel Hill.
North Carolina’s anemic defensive showing, combined with NC State’s dismal outing at Clemson, made North Carolina college football the epicenter of disappointment in Week 4.
While the Wolfpack’s rout at Death Valley wasn’t surprising—NC State came into the game as a 17-point underdog—the 59-35 final score was one touchdown and an extra point more than that spread.
Saturday marked a low point in what has been an all-around disappointing start to NC State’s season. The Pack opened the year ranked in the Top 25, looking poised to break into the upper echelon of the ACC after several solid seasons under Dave Doeren.
Instead, NC State has backslid. A 41-point loss to Tennessee in Week 2 paled in comparison to Saturday’s debacle. Had Dabo Swinney not called off the dogs with Clemson ahead 52-7 in the third quarter, the final score could have been even worse.
Things deteriorated to the point where ESPN color commentator Greg McElroy lamented that the Pack’s “terrible” tackling was “unrecognizable” compared to past Doeren-coached teams.
Sports
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images The Boston Red Sox are trading rookie left-hander Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The Red Sox reportedly are seeking help at shortstop ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and were looking at Mead’s teammate, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Boston’s Trevor Story, out since May 14, has played only 41 games because of a sports hernia.
Early, 24, hasn’t pitched since June 30, going on the injured list July 1 due to left elbow inflammation. The starting pitcher is expected to return in August.
Boston selected Early in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Early is 7-5 this season with a 3.44 ERA, 34 walks and 93 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings over 17 starts. He appeared in four games (all starts) last season and went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA over 19 1/3 innings.
Mead, a 25-year-old native of Australia, is batting .254 with a .352 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage after going 0-for-3 with two walks and one run after playing third base in Washington’s 5-3 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. He has 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in 87 games.
Mead, who has played first, second and third base as well as designated hitter this season, is a career .244 hitter with 22 homers and 79 RBIs in 239 games for the Tampa Bay Rays (2023-25), Chicago White Sox (2025) and Nationals (2026).
He signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 and was traded to the Rays in November 2019 for left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who was selected to his second All-Star Game this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
Jul 25, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Timbers forward Felipe Mora (9) high-fives fans before a game against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Felipe Mora, playing in what was announced as his final match with host Portland, scored twice in the second half as the Timbers defeated 10-man Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper James Pantemis made three saves for the Timbers (6-8-3, 21 points), who improved to 2-0-1 under interim head coach Jack Cassidy.
Juan Manuel Sanabria tallied for Salt Lake (8-6-2, 26 points) and Rafael Cabral made five saves.
RSL’s Victor Olatunji put the ball in the net from just inside the top of the penalty area in second-half stoppage time but was ruled offside.
Mora got the equalizer in the 56th minute off a corner kick from Ariel Lassiter on the right wing. Lassiter found Mora at the top of the 6-yard box and his header took one bounce off the turf and into the far upper corner of the net.
Mora scored again in the 67th minute off a left-wing corner from Kristoffer Velde. Mora’s glancing header from the top of the 6-yard box reached the far upper corner of the net.
Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy announced Friday this would be the final match for Mora, the third-leading goal scorer in franchise history with 48, but didn’t indicate where the native of Chile would be going.
Reports on Saturday indicated Mora, who scored the tying goal in second-half stoppage time in a 2-2 draw with visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday, would head back to Liga MX.
Mora came off for substitute Alexander Aravena in the 72nd minute to a raucous standing ovation from the crowd at Providence Park, with fans chanting his name for a couple of minutes.
RSL opened the scoring in the 18th minute, Sanabria played a nifty give-and-go with Morgan Guilavogui, getting the ball back at the top left of the penalty area. Sanabria dribbled toward the top of the 6-yard box before putting a low toe punch into the far side netting.
Guilavogui was ejected in the 31st minute for a foul on Jimer Fory after both players tumbled to the ground while battling for the ball along the sideline. Guilavogui seemed to kick Fory in the chest as he rolled over and was originally issued a yellow card by referee Elijio Arreguin, but a video review showed he made contact with Fory’s chin and it was upgraded to a red.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PK save in final minutes helps Galaxy earn tie vs. Earthquakes
Jul 25, 2026; Stanford, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfield Nick Fernandez (20) and LA Galaxy midfield Lucas Sanabria (8) battle for the ball during the first half at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images James Marcinkowski saved a penalty shot five minutes into extra time as the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy preserved a 1-1 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes in the latest installment of the California Clasico rivalry at Stanford, Calif.
Marcinkowski, who is in his second season with the Galaxy after five seasons with the Earthquakes, made a dive to his left to stop a shot from the spot by the Earthquakes’ Timo Werner. Marcinkowski finished with five saves.
Joseph Paintsil scored a goal in the first half for Los Angeles (5-7-6, 21 points), who earned a point for the first time in three matches since the World Cup break ended.
Reid Roberts scored a goal in the 62nd minute for the Earthquakes (10-4-3, 33 points), who were unable to convert the go-ahead goal late in the match after Ousseni Bouda earned a penalty on a foul from Marcinkowski.
Angus Gunn, who played for Scotland in the World Cup, made one save in his second match since joining San Jose during the break.
The Galaxy opened the scoring in the 13th minute when 19-year-old Harbor Miller took the ball up the right side and found Marco Reus in the middle of the field. Reus sent Paintsil forward on a breakaway and the forward slid home his fourth goal of the season.
The Earthquakes got even in the 62nd minute after the Galaxy nearly coughed up an own goal on a clearance header that clanked off the crossbar.
The rebound came to the feet of San Jose’s Benji Kikanovich, who fired a shot that was knocked down in the penalty area. Roberts cleaned up a loose ball on the goal line for his second tally of the season.
Paintsil nearly gave Los Angeles the lead in the 83rd minute before Gunn used his right hand to swat away a shot headed toward the upper right corner of the goal.
While the Galaxy were without defenders Jakob Glesnes (yellow-card accumulation) and Emiro Garces (red card on Wednesday), the Earthquakes were without forward Preston Judd (yellow-card accumulation).
–Field Level Media
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
