Sports
No. 19 Ole Miss braces for Arkansas
Oct 19, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) passes as LSU Tigers defensive end Paris Shand (0) defends during the second quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images In the always dangerous Southeastern Conference — where seemingly easier, unranked matchups on paper become 60-minute battles on the field — coach Lane Kiffin and No. 19 Ole Miss understand what can happen one state to the west.
Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2) will face one of those situations Saturday afternoon when it meets Arkansas (5-3, 3-2) in Fayetteville, Ark.
Both teams are part of a glut of two-loss SEC teams, as the Rebels and Razorbacks join No. 14 Alabama and No. 25 Missouri as programs that cannot afford a third defeat if the College Football Playoffs remain the end goal.
Like Arkansas, Vanderbilt (5-3, 2-2), one of the season’s best stories, and Florida (4-3, 2-2) have two SEC setbacks. Their third losses overall — non-conference ones — are practically an eliminator when it comes to at-large CFP consideration, however.
Favored Ole Miss should be wary of the Razorbacks on Saturday, and Kiffin need look no further than the plight of one of the schools he coached, Tennessee.
Ranked No. 4, the Vols cruised down to Fayetteville and lost 19-14 on Oct. 5, destroying their top-five position nearly as soon as they achieved it.
Kiffin and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman have been in wild games against each other, including a 52-51 Ole Miss home win in 2021, when the Razorbacks missed a potential game-winning, two-point conversion on the final play.
The home coach has won all four meetings between Kiffin and Pittman.
“We’ve had a lot of really tough matchups over time with them since we’ve been here,” the Rebels’ coach said Monday.
Arkansas has eclipsed last season’s four-win total by winning every other week since opening conference play with a 24-14 win at Auburn in Week 4.
In its 58-25 blowout of host Mississippi State last Saturday, Arkansas was dazzling behind quarterback Taylen Green, who passed for five scores, ran for one TD and led an offense that gained 675 yards.
Green has 2,451 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns — 11 passing, five rushing — and has ignited the offense following the departure of three-year starter KJ Jefferson to UCF.
The Razorbacks rank seventh nationally in total offense — with an average of 482.5 yards per game — while Ole Miss grids second (538.1).
Pittman said these Rebels are different from the past: The defense might be better than the offense. Former Razorbacks linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr. has a team-high 58 tackles.
“I just thought he was physical and played so hard,” Kiffin said of why he added Paul in the offseason. “He got hurt in our game against them a year ago. It was just different when he was in there, a difference-maker. He’s been great for us.”
The difference in Ole Miss’ defense is noticeable.
“They’ve always played well on defense, but you’re looking at the No. 1 rush defense in the country and No. 1 in points allowed,” Pittman said. “Their front is deep, and they’re very good at every defensive position. (Paul) is their leading tackler. He’s playing extremely well. They’re just really good defensively.
“You think about Ole Miss, you (usually) think about offense.”
Pittman said top running back Ja’Quinden Jackson and defensive back Jaylon Braxton are doubtful for Saturday’s game because of injuries, while running back Rodney Hill is probable.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners CF Julio Rodriguez exits vs. Reds after run-scoring single
Jul 19, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) runs the bases after a home run hit by Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) (not pictured) during the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez left Monday’s game after five innings against visiting Cincinnati after appearing to get hit in the left hamstring by a throw from Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
Rodriguez hit a chopper between third and short that De La Cruz backhanded. He double-clutched before making a throw that eluded first baseman Sal Stewart and struck Rodriguez. The Mariners’ star was credited with a run-scoring single to break a scoreless tie.
Rodriguez returned to the lineup Saturday after being on the 7-day concussion list since July 2 when he was hit in the back of the helmet by a throw while sliding into second base.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Remarkable finish helps Mystics snap Valkyries' 9-game win streak
Jul 20, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Mystics guard Alicia Florez (2) controls the ball against Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin combined for 38 points and 27 rebounds, both recording double-doubles, and the Washington Mystics scored 13 consecutive points down the stretch to end the Golden State Valkyries’ nine-game winning streak with a 90-82 triumph Monday night in San Francisco.
Iriafen finished with a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Austin collected a game-high 15 rebounds to complement 15 points for the Mystics (13-12), who trailed 80-73 after a Kayla Thornton three-point play for Golden State with 3:32 remaining.
Cotie McMahon and Sonia Citron ignited the late Mystics flurry with three-point plays, after which Iriafen sandwiched an Austin hoop with four points of her own, with two free throws giving the visitors an 86-80 lead with just 18.8 seconds left.
Citron capped a 17-point night with four late free throws, securing Washington’s first win in three tries against Golden State in the season series.
Michaela Onyenwere chipped in with 12 points and Georgia Amoore nine to go with a game-high eight assists for the Mystics, who had been held to 49 and 69 points in losses to the Valkyries earlier this month.
Washington’s improved scoring total was a direct result of brilliant shooting both from 3-point range (42.9%) and the floor (52.5%). Iriafen dropped in eight of her 12 shots, while Onyenwere and Amoore buried three 3-pointers apiece.
Kaitlyn Chen poured in a career-best 20 points for the Valkyries (19-8), whose last loss had been almost exactly a month ago (June 21) at Las Vegas.
Thornton had 15 points, including four 3-pointers, Veronica Burton added 12 and Janelle Salaun 11 for Golden State, which was outscored 17-8 at the free-throw line.
Burton also found time for a team-high seven assists, while Kaila Charles led Golden State in rebounds with five. Chen added six assists to her team-high point total.
Led by Chen, the Valkyries’ reserves outscored their Mystics counterparts 37-14.
– Field Level Media
Sports
Dillon Dingler homers twice as Tigers beat Cubs in 10
Jul 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) points after he hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Dillon Dingler hit two home runs and added the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning to help the visiting Detroit Tigers survive a comeback by the Chicago Cubs in an 8-6 extra-innings win on Monday night.
Detroit led for essentially the entire game, scoring four times in the first inning, until Ian Happ’s two-run homer off Kyle Finnegan in the eighth knotted the score at 5-5.
With runners on the corners and no one out in the 10th, Dingler hit a chopper deep into the hole at shortstop and beat the throw to first from Dansby Swanson. Spencer Torkelson added on with a two-run single.
Trent Thornton (3-3) took the loss despite only facing one hitter in the frame. He exited the game after Riley Greene’s liner hit him in the left heel, getting replaced by Javier Assad.
Pedro Ramirez got the Cubs one run back after reaching on an RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning and Swanson singled to bring the winning run to the plate, but Tyler Holton got Carson Kelly to ground out to close out the game.
Dingler — the Tigers’ starting catcher — shined on both sides of the plate, starting an inning-ending pickoff play to go along with a 4-for-5 night which included three RBIs.
Greene also homered for Detroit, opening the scoring with a three-run blast to right-center. Dingler tacked on with a solo shot to dead center the next at-bat.
In the third, it was Chicago’s turn to hit back-to-back homers. First, Seiya Suzuki hit a two-run shot off Jack Flaherty to cut the deficit in half. Michael Busch followed up with his 13th long ball of the season to make it a one-run game.
A baserunning snafu cost Chicago a chance to tie or take the lead in the fifth. Ian Happ was batting with runners on first and second with two out when Dingler successfully backpicked Suzuki at second.
Dingler took Tyler Ferguson deep to lead off the eighth, notching his third multi-homer game since June 1.
After Happ’s heroics, the Cubs had the bases loaded with a chance to walk it off in the ninth, but Kenley Jansen (2-4) struck out Alex Bregman to escape the jam.
Flaherty allowed three runs on four hits over four innings, striking out four and walking two. Cubs starter Jameson Taillon lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and four runs with two walks and six strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
