Sports
No. 25 UNLV begins tough stretch by hosting Syracuse
Sep 13, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom looks on during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Children’s Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Every team faces challenges over the course of a long season, but No. 25 UNLV absorbed a major dose of adversity last week.
The Rebels passed their first test following the departure of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka and will look to ace another challenge Friday when Syracuse visits Las Vegas for an intriguing nonconference matchup.
UNLV (4-0) is ranked for the first time in program history, but it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Rebels.
They won their first three games behind Sluka, who racked up six passing touchdowns while running for a team-high 253 yards. However, Sluka left the team last Tuesday after a disagreement over unfulfilled NIL promises.
The sudden departure left UNLV coach Barry Odom scrambling to get Hajj-Malik Williams ready to start against Fresno State, although that contest turned into a one-sided affair with the Rebels prevailing 59-14. Williams, a transfer from Campbell, threw three touchdowns and ran for a score. He finished 13-of-16 for 182 yards and added 12 carries for 119 yards.
“It’s tough any time you’re playing against someone like Hajj who can run and throw,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “It’s a nightmare for the defensive coordinator and the head coach. You think about it all week.”
Odom, meanwhile, does not want his team to be satisfied with sitting at the end of the rankings. After Friday’s contest, the Rebels play three of their next four games on the road with the only home date being a matchup against No. 21 Boise State.
So UNLV has little margin for error with the tough stretch looming.
“I think it is exactly where UNLV football should be,” Odom said, referring generally to the national rankings. “That’s our goal — one of our goals — is to be in the top 25 and continue to climb and have a position where every single week, on the national stage, we have a place (in the rankings).”
Ricky White has been up and down through UNLV’s first four contests. In Weeks 1 and 3 against Houston and Kansas, respectively, he totaled five catches for 15 yards without a score. In the other two games vs. Utah Tech and Fresno State, he racked up 15 catches for 238 yards and five touchdowns.
White certainly will be part of the focus as Syracuse (3-1) develops its game plan defensively. The Orange limited Holy Cross to 203 total yards and 2-of-14 third-down conversions in last week’s 42-14 romp.
Still, Brown — like his UNLV counterpart — isn’t close to satisfied.
“I don’t think we’re nowhere near where we can be,” Brown said postgame. “We’ve just got to keep growing.”
Kyle McCord has been picked off twice in each of the last two games, but he has generally been impressive in his first season with Syracuse. The Ohio State transfer had 1,459 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through four contests, throwing for at least 339 yards in every game.
Trebor Pena leads the team in catches (26), receiving yards (316) and touchdown grabs (five), although various Syracuse receivers have taken turns shining offensively over the last month.
Jackson Meeks was in the spotlight against Holy Cross, registering 10 grabs for 161 yards and a score.
“My mentality is always the same — attack, attack, attack,” Meeks said.
This is the first ever meeting between the teams.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers jump ahead early, hold off Mets to win fourth straight
Jul 25, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing (68) talks to starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) after the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Kyle Tucker homered for a second straight game and Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed just a run over six innings Saturday for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won their fourth straight game by beating the host New York Mets 4-3.
The Dodgers outfielder, who on Friday went deep for the first time since June 27, led off the third with a 392-foot shot off Nolan McLean (7-7) that hit the right field foul pole.
Andy Pages (1-for-4) drove in two, and Freddie Freeman had three singles in four at-bats for the Dodgers.
Bo Bichette went 2-for-5, and Tyrone Taylor hit a pinch-hit, two-run double for the Mets.
Yamamoto (11-6) could not match his last start, a complete-game victory last Sunday against the New York Yankees. Still, he was able to secure his eighth win in his last 10 starts. The right-hander struck out five against five hits and three walks.
The Dodgers staked Yamamoto to a three-run lead in the third thanks to Tucker’s power and some errant Mets defensive play. First baseman Brett Baty threw wild after fielding a Shohei Ohtani chopper. Rather than starting a possible inning-ending double play, it gave the Dodgers runners at the corners.
Pages grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice, and then went to third on a Freeman single and scored on a passed ball by catcher Francisco Alvarez.
McLean went six innings, and only two of the four runs he allowed were earned. The Dodgers got seven hits and two walks off the righty, who struck out seven.
Pages added to the lead in the fifth with a single to right that scored Teoscar Hernandez, who led off the frame with a double.
The Mets, who have lost three straight, were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 on base. They got two runners on base against Yamamoto three times but only capitalized once, when Bo Bichette’s two-out single got Baty home in the fifth.
Dodgers reliever Edgardo Hernandez hit Carson Benge and walked Luis Robert Jr. to start the eighth. He retired the next two before giving way to Tanner Scott. Taylor welcomed him with his two-bagger to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Brock Stewart threw a perfect ninth to record his third career save, the first for the 34-year-old right-hander since 2023.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Defenses rule as Minnesota United, Whitecaps play to scoreless draw
Jul 25, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota United FC midfielder Wil Trapp (20) and Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Oliver Larraz (8) battle for the ball during the first half at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Minnesota United goalkeeper Drake Callender made five saves in a 0-0 draw with the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night at Saint Paul, Minn.
The performance was a big upgrade for the United, who were blown out by Vancouver earlier this season.
Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped three shots, but the Whitecaps (10-3-3, 33 points) remained winless in two matches since returning to action this month.
Even though there was improvement, Minnesota (6-6-5, 23 points) had its winless streak grow to six matches (0-3-3).
United forward Mamadou Dieng compiled a match-high three shots on goal.
Despite a nice advantage in possession for the Whitecaps (60.3%), they weren’t crisp and that cost them repeatedly when they were attempting to push forward.
Each team produced two shots on goal in the scoreless first half. Later, there were rushes for both teams in the added time, but nothing that mounted to a breakthrough. Vancouver finished with 11 shots, five on target, to 10 and 3 for Minnesota.
The Whitecaps, who dropped Wednesday’s outing at Cincinnati by 4-3 following the layoff for the World Cup, have been shut out in two of their last four matches.
The Whitecaps drubbed visiting Minnesota 6-0 in March.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jonquel Jones leads Team Spoon to All-Star Game defeat of Team Coop
Jul 25, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Team Spoon forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) celebrates with center Jonquel Jones (35) in the first half during the 2026 WNBA All Star Game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Jonquel Jones had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and Olivia Miles added 11 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to boost Team Spoon to a 129-122 victory against Team Coop on Saturday in the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Jones, a star with the New York Liberty, garnered MVP honors, helping outpace a 28-point effort from Kelsey Mitchell of Team Coop.
Allisha Gray (19 points), Caitlin Clark (17), A’ja Wilson (12), Courtney Williams (12), Nneka Ogwumike (11) and Kiki Iriafen (10) also scored in double figures for Team Spoon.
Marina Mabrey added 23 points for Team Coop. Gabby Williams chipped in 18 points, while Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga had 12 each. Malonga added 13 rebounds for a double-double while Breanna Stewart (six points) also had 13 boards.
A league All Star Game-record 19,783 fans attended the game at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
That more than doubled the attendance when Chicago hosted the annual midseason showcase in 2022. A crowd of 9,572 looked on at Wintrust Arena, where the Chicago Sky play their home games.
With the WNBA saluting its 30th anniversary season, Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the teams and served as general managers. They also were part of a rotating contingent that was “mic’d up” during an interactive broadcast on ABC.
Minnesota Lynx bench boss Cheryl Reeve coached Team Spoon while Becky Hammon, coach of the reigning league champion Las Vegas Aces, guided Team Coop.
Team Spoon rolled to an 81-64 advantage at the half behind 55.7% shooting compared to 42.6% for Team Coop. The teams combined for 24 makes from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, with Mabrey (five) edging Clark (four) for the most treys before the break.
Mabrey, who entered the All-Star break as the league leader in made 3s with 82, led all scorers with 23 first-half points. Still, Malonga provided arguably the most memorable first-half basket with a dunk off a pass from Angel Reese with 6:24 to play in the second quarter.
It marked the first dunk in an All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022.
Skylar Diggins remains the only player to record an All-Star triple-double, accomplishing the feat last season.
–Field Level Media
Dodgers jump ahead early, hold off Mets to win fourth straight
Defenses rule as Minnesota United, Whitecaps play to scoreless draw
