Sports
No. 5 Notre Dame beats USC, eyes playoff bye
Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) carries the ball against Southern California Trojans defensive end Braylan Shelby (34) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Despite surrendering a season high in points, No. 5-ranked Notre Dame’s defense came through in the clutch with pick-sixes of 99 and 100 yards, and the Fighting Irish closed the regular season with their 10th consecutive win in a 49-35 defeat of host USC on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Notre Dame (11-1) pulled ahead by two touchdowns late in the third quarter when Riley Leonard connected with Mitchell Evans for a 23-yard score. It was the second of Leonard’s two touchdown passes on a 17-of-23, 155-yard day, and his third score overall after a 2-yard end-zone rush earlier in the third quarter broke a 21-21 tie.
Leonard’s scoring strike to Evans also gave the Fighting Irish the first two-possession lead of the game, but it did not last long. USC (6-6) capitalized on favorable field position when Jayden Maiava threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Kobi Lane to finish a 45-yard Trojans drive and make it 35-28 with 8:43 to play in the fourth quarter.
USC regained possession less than three minutes later after forcing a Notre Dame punt, and Maiava completed passes of 16, two and 22 yards before Quinten Joyner rushed 23 yards to position the Trojans at the Irish 21-yard line.
Maiava targeted Kyron Hudson on a pass near the pylon, but Christian Gray snagged the underthrown ball and returned it 99 yards down the sideline for a score to put the game away.
Notre Dame snuffed out any hope of a last-ditch USC comeback effort when, on the next Trojans possession, Xavier Watts intercepted Maiava and went 100 yards to make it 49-28 with 1:18 to play.
With the win, the Fighting Irish likely sewed up a berth in the College Football Playoff. Coupled with Ohio State’s loss earlier in the day, Notre Dame is in position to move into one of four first-round byes.
Jadarian Price led Notre Dame’s 258-yard rushing attack with 111 yards on 12 carries. Jeremiyah Love ran for 99 yards on 13 carries, and Leonard carried for 50 yards on 12 attempts. All three scored a touchdown.
Evans led the Irish with five receptions for 59 yards, and Eli Raridon caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Leonard in the second quarter.
Maiava went 27-for-49 for 360 yards with three touchdown passes, all of which went to Lane. Maiava also rushed for a pair of touchdowns.
Makai Lemon caught nine passes for 133 yards and Joyner rushed for 83 yards on 10 carries in the loss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Ben Shelton shows love of clay, wins BMW title
Ben Shelton connects with the ball during his second-round match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026. Ben Shelton rolled to his second title of the year, winning the BMW Open with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli at Munich, Germany.
Shelton won 85% of his first-serve points on the clay surface and saved all six break points he faced to win his fifth career title and first since Dallas earlier this year. Shelton showed his form early when he broke Cobolli’s serve twice in the first three games of the match.
With the second set tied 5-5, Shelton broke Cobolli again and won on serve on his first match point. Shelton became the first American man since 2009 to win three ATP 500 titles.
“I have big ambitions for the clay courts,” Shelton said in his post-match interview. “It is a surface I want to get better on each year. It is slowly becoming one of my favorite surfaces to play on.”
Barcelona Open
Arthur Fils of France held off a late charge from Russia’s Andrey Rublev to record a 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory in the final of the tournament.
Fils won his first title since returning in February after missing eight months because of a back injury.
Fils was well on his way to victory after cruising in the first set and leading 5-2 in the second before Rublev dug in his heels. Rublev broke Fils’ serve to pull within 5-4 in the second set, then staved off one match point to make it 5-5.
Rublev broke serve again to lead 6-5 in the second set before Fils finally regained control and finished off the match in a tiebreak.
“The end of the second set was just about the mental (pressure),” Fils said. “The whole match was a bit tough because I was a bit tight. I played well for a set and a half, but when I had to close, I started to think a little. But I’m very happy with the way I played the tiebreak.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
WTA roundup: Elena Rybakina wins at Stuttgart for second time
Aug 31, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in action against Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic in the fourth round of the women’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Second-seeded Elena Rybakina won 25 of her 32 first-serve points (78.1%) and needed just 78 minutes on Sunday to post a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Karolina Muchova to win the championship match of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, had three aces while winning her 13th career title and second in Stuttgart. She also won the event in 2024. This victory marks the first time she has won multiple titles at a tournament.
The Czech Republic’s Muchova, the No. 7 seed, was much less efficient on her first serves, winning just 52.3% (23 of 44). She saved four of eight break points.
Muchova trailed 5-2 in the first set before winning three straight games to knot the match. But Rybakina won the final two games and then sailed through the second set to win her fifth clay court title.
Rouen Metropolitan Open
Top-seeded Marta Kostyuk hit 34 winners against 23 unforced errors while claiming a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Veronika Podrez in the first all-Ukrainian WTA final at Rouen, France.
Kostyuk converted 6 of 9 break points against the 19-year-old Podrez to win her second singles title. Podrez, a qualifier, was playing in her first final.
“This match today was not just a match,” Kostyuk said during the trophy presentation. “It was a historical moment for Ukrainian tennis. First time two Ukrainians playing in the final. I know how much work, sacrifice, tears and sweat goes into this sport and to be able to be on this stage. So I’m incredibly proud of Ukrainian tennis right now.”
Podrez had just one ace while committing seven double faults.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Former Georgia WR Zachariah Branch arrested
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) takes questions from the press during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals Media Day at Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, La., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. Players and coaches from Ole Miss and Georgia took questions from the press. Wide receiver Zachariah Branch, a Georgia standout who was expected to be selected in the NFL Draft later this week, was arrested early Sunday in Athens, Ga., according to Athens-Clarke County jail records.
Branch, 22, was charged with obstructing public sidewalks/streets and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, both misdemeanors. He was booked at 1:26 a.m. and released on bond at 3:44 a.m.
Widely projected as a Day 2 NFL draft pick, estimates show Branch going as high as the second round on Friday.
In his first season at Georgia, following a transfer from Southern California, Branch led the Bulldogs with 81 receptions for 811 yards and six touchdowns last season. Georgia went 12-2 and lost 39-34 to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
In three college seasons, the first two at USC, Branch had 159 receptions for 1,634 yards and nine touchdowns in 37 games.
–Field Level Media
ATP roundup: Ben Shelton shows love of clay, wins BMW title
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