Sports
Top 25 roundup: Late FG pushes No. 3 Oregon past No. 2 Ohio State
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James celebrate a touchdown by Gabriel as the No. 3 Oregon Ducks host the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. A 19-yard field goal by Atticus Sappington with 1:47 to play gave No. 3 Oregon a 32-31 win over No. 2 Ohio State in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday night.
The Ducks drove 74 yards to the Ohio State 1-yard line to set up the game-winning kick. It was the seventh lead change of the contest after a 40-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding with six minutes left put the Buckeyes ahead 31-29.
Dillon Gabriel’s 27-yard touchdown run gave the Ducks a 29-28 lead early in the fourth quarter. Gabriel was 23-of-34 passing for 341 yards and two touchdowns for Oregon (6-0, 3-0), and Evan Stewart had seven catches for 149 yards and a TD. Jordan James ran for 115 yards and a score.
Ohio State (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) reached the Oregon 38 with six seconds left, but on the final play of the game, Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard ran for 12 yards as time expired. Howard was 28-of-35 passing for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 1 Texas 34, No. 18 Oklahoma 3
Quintrevion Wisner ran for 118 yards and a touchdown and the Longhorns defense held the Sooners to just 237 yards as Texas blew out Oklahoma in Dallas in the schools’ first Red River Rivalry game as members of the Southeastern Conference.
The win was just the Longhorns’ second in the past seven meetings with the Sooners. Texas (6-0, 2-0) took control right before the half, breaking open a tight game by scoring 14 points in the final 2:21.
Michael Hawkins Jr. was 19-of-30 for 148 yards and was sacked five times for Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2), which was handed its lowest-scoring output since its 49-0 loss to the Longhorns in 2022.
No. 4 Penn State 33, USC 30 (OT)
Ryan Barker’s 36-yard field goal in OT completed the Nittany Lions’ come-from-behind win over the Trojans in Los Angeles. After losing an early 3-0 lead, Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) didn’t lead again until Barker capped the first extra session with the last of his four field goals.
The Nittany Lions had to battle back from a two-touchdown halftime deficit. Tight end Tyler Warren was on the receiving end of 17 of Drew Allar’s 30 completions, hauling in a 32-yard touchdown catch just after the break to ignite Penn State’s rally. Warren’s 224 receiving yards are the second most by any Penn State player. Allar went 30-for-43 passing for 391 yards and two touchdowns but also three interceptions.
Miller Moss completed 20 of 34 passes for 220 yards and a pair of scores for the Trojans (3-3, 1-3). Running back Quinten Joyner powered USC to an early lead with a monster first half that featured a 75-yard rushing touchdown and a 9-yard TD reception. Woody Marks rushed for 111 yards on 20 carries in the loss.
No. 5 Georgia 41, Mississippi State 31
Carson Beck completed 36 of 48 passes for 459 yards and three touchdowns as Georgia beat visiting Mississippi State in Southeastern Conference play in Athens, Ga.
Beck, who threw two interceptions, set a career high in passing yards as Georgia (5-1, 3-1) won its second straight game. Arian Smith caught five balls for 134 yards and a touchdown for Georgia.
Michael Van Buren Jr. completed 20 of 37 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns for Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3), which dropped its fifth straight game. Van Buren also threw an interception in his second career start. Kevin Coleman Jr. caught eight passes for 103 yards.
No. 7 Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
Quarterback Jalen Milroe rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Crimson Tide rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit and held off the Gamecocks in Southeastern Conference play at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Alabama entered the fourth trailing 19-14 before Milroe led consecutive touchdown drives. South Carolina scored with 43 seconds left and recovered an onside kick after its failed two-point conversion attempt but could not move into field goal range.
Domani Jackson made the game-sealing interception as time expired for the Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1 SEC), who rebounded from last week’s 40-35 upset loss at Vanderbilt. LaNorris Sellers tossed two touchdowns for the Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3) but also lost a key fourth-quarter fumble in addition to his interception on the final play.
No. 8 Tennessee 23, Florida 17 (OT)
Dylan Sampson’s third touchdown proved the game-winner in overtime as the Volunteers rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat the Gators in Knoxville, Tenn.
Sampson totaled 112 yards on 27 carries, while quarterback Nico Iamaleava was 16-for-26 passing for 169 yards and an interception. Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) entered as two-touchdown favorites and but won for only the third time in the past 20 matchups with their former East Division rivals.
Graham Mertz completed 11 of 15 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown for Florida (3-3, 1-2). True freshman DJ Lagway was 9-of-17 for 98 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
No. 13 LSU 29, No. 9 Ole Miss 26 (OT)
Garrett Nussmeier threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Lacy on the second possession of overtime to give the Tigers a victory over the Rebels in Baton Rouge, La.
Nussmeier, who passed for 337 yards, threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Anderson with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime. The Rebels (5-2, 1-2 SEC) committed two penalties on the first possession of overtime before Caden Davis kicked a 57-yard field goal. That left the Tigers (5-1, 2-0) with an opportunity to take their first lead of the game.
Jaxson Dart passed for 284 yards, a touchdown and a pick, Tre Harris caught seven passes for 102 yards and a score and Cayden Lee had nine catches for 132 yards for Ole Miss.
No. 10 Clemson 49, Wake Forest 14
Cade Klubnik fired three touchdown passes as the visiting Tigers notched their 16th straight win against the Demon Deacons with a convincing romp in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Clemson scored touchdowns on four consecutive first-half possessions for a 28-14 halftime lead. Klubnik completed 31 of 41 passes for 309 yards, while running back Phil Mafah racked up 118 rushing yards and two touchdown runs. The Tigers (5-1, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won five straight games.
Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who was replaced midway through the third quarter, had two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He was 12-for-21 for 126 yards. The Demon Deacons (2-4, 1-2) have lost four consecutive home games.
No. 11 Iowa State 28, West Virginia 16
Carson Hansen rushed for three touchdowns and Rocco Becht threw for 265 yards as the Cyclones improved to 6-0 with a win over the Mountaineers in Morgantown, W. Va.
Hansen picked up 96 yards on 20 carries for the Cyclones, who improved to 3-0 in the Big 12 Conference. Becht completed 18 of 26 passes with a touchdown on the night the Mountaineers honored his father, Anthony, by inducting him into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Garrett Greene completed 18 of 32 attempts for 206 yards and a 10-yard touchdown strike to Jahiem White with 1:10 left in the game. But Greene threw two damaging interceptions that Iowa State cashed in to break the game open during the fourth quarter.
No. 11 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 7
Riley Leonard completed 16 of 22 passes for a season-high 229 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, and the Fighting Irish cruised past the Cardinal in South Bend, Ind.
Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams rushed for one touchdown apiece for Notre Dame (5-1), which won its fourth straight game. Kris Mitchell, Jayden Thomas and Eli Raridon each caught one touchdown pass from Leonard.
Ashton Daniels completed 8 of 13 passes for 74 yards and carried the ball 14 times for 42 yards for Stanford (2-4). Justin Lamson scored the team’s lone touchdown.
No. 14 BYU 41, Arizona 19
The Cougars used two turnovers by Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita deep in Arizona territory early in the third quarter to seize momentum in a Big 12 victory in Provo, Utah.
Jake Retzlaff passed for 218 yards while completing 18 of 32 pass attempts with two touchdowns and no interceptions for BYU (6-0, 3-0).
Fifita completed 26 of 52 passes for 275 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions for Arizona (3-3, 1-2).
No. 17 Boise State 28, Hawaii 7
Ashton Jeanty rushed for 217 yards and one touchdown on a season-high 31 carries and also caught a scoring pass to lead the Broncos to a victory over the Rainbow Warriors in Mountain West play at Honolulu.
Jeanty topped 200 yards on the ground for the third time this season and raised his national-best rushing touchdown count to 18. The touchdown catch was his first of the season. The Heisman Trophy front-runner has rushed for a nation-leading 1,248 yards on just 126 carries for the Broncos (5-1, 2-0), who defeated Hawaii for the 10th consecutive time. Maddux Madsen completed 17 of 25 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns for Boise State.
Brayden Schager was 21-of-36 passing for 264 yards and one touchdown for Hawaii (2-4, 0-2). Tylan Hines had a scoring reception for the Rainbow Warriors.
No. 18 Kansas State 31, Colorado 28
Avery Johnson lofted a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jayce Brown with 2:14 remaining to lift the Wildcats over the Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo.
Johnson completed 15 of 23 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and also had a rushing touchdown for Kansas State (5-1, 2-1 Big 12). Brown caught six passes for 121 yards and two scores.
Shedeur Sanders completed 34 of 40 passes for 388 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Omarion Miller led Colorado (4-2, 2-1) with eight catches for 145 yards, while Wester caught two touchdown passes.
No. 21 Missouri 45, Massachusetts 3
Quarterback Brady Cook completed 14 of 19 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers routed the Minutemen in Amherst, Mass.
After suffering a 41-10 loss at Texas A&M in their previous game, the Tigers (5-1) muscled up against the independent Minutemen (1-6) in their final nonconference game. With Missouri’s leading rusher Nate Noel sitting out with back tightness, Marcus Carroll stepped in to run for 91 yards and three touchdowns.
Receiver Luther Burden III rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on two carries and caught five passes for 59 yards for the Tigers before exiting the game in the third quarter with an apparent shoulder injury. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told an ESPN sideline reporter that Burden will “be just fine.”
No. 22 Pittsburgh 17, California 15
The Panthers held on for an Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the visiting Golden Bears moments after Cal’s Ryan Coe missed a potential go-ahead field goal with 1:50 remaining.
Desmond Reid ran 72 yards on a fourth-down play in the second quarter and finished with a game-high 120 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, helping Pittsburgh (6-0, 2-0) remain unbeaten despite going scoreless in the second half.
Fernando Mendoza threw for 272 yards and a score for Cal (3-3, 0-3), which outgained the Panthers 335-277. The Golden Bears forced a punt after Coe missed low and wide right from 40 yards out. Cal got the ball back at its own 20-yard line with 41 seconds left but went four-and-out.
No. 23 Illinois 50, Purdue 49
Linebacker Dylan Rosiek sacked Ryan Browne on a 2-point conversion attempt in overtime to lift the Illini over the Boilermakers in Champaign, Ill.
Luke Altmyer finished 20-of-34 for 379 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 60 yards and another score. Josh McCray added 78 rushing yards, 46 receiving yards and three scores as Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) played without leading rusher Kaden Feagin.
Browne, a redshirt freshman making his first start after Hudson Card’s injury, threw for just 9 yards in the first half. But Browne responded with 288 passing yards and three touchdowns after halftime — along with 118 rushing yards for the game — as Purdue (1-5, 0-3) rallied from a 27-3 third-quarter deficit.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
