Sports
Top 25 roundup: Vanderbilt takes down No. 1 Alabama
Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Jeffrey Ugochukwu (12) celebrates after knocking off the Alabama Crimson Tide 40-35 at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns as the Commodores shocked top-ranked Alabama, 40-35, at First Bank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday.
Pavia connected on 16 of 20 throws, with six going to tight end Eli Stowers for 113 yards.
Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1 SEC), a 23 1/2-point underdog in its own building — one populated mostly by Alabama fans — jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the game’s first 7:57 and never trailed.
Jalen Milroe threw for 310 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Alabama (4-1, 1-1), which earned the No. 1 ranking last week after its victory over then-No. 2 Georgia.
No. 3 Ohio State 35, Iowa 7
Jeremiah Smith once again provided a highlight catch and Will Howard threw four touchdown passes to help the Buckeyes beat the Hawkeyes in Big Ten play in Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) held a 7-0 lead early in the third quarter when Smith made a one-handed catch in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. The score came one play after his 53-yard catch on a throw by Will Howard. Smith had four catches for 89 yards and Emeka Egbuka had nine grabs for 71 yards and three scores. Howard was 21-of-25 passing for 209 yards and an interception.
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes defense forced Iowa QB Cade McNamara into two fumbles and an interception. He was 14-of-20 passing for 98 yards. Running back Kaleb Johnson, who had a career-high 206 yards against Minnesota on Sept. 21, was limited to 19 yards on eight carries in the first half for the Hawkeyes (3-2, 1-1). He had a 28-yard TD run to make it 35-7 in the fourth quarter and finished with 86 yards on 15 carries.
Arkansas 19, No. 4 Tennessee 14
Backup quarterback Malachi Singleton scored on an 11-yard keeper with 1:17 remaining to lift the Razorbacks to an upset of the Volunteers in Fayetteville, Ark.
Singleton replaced injured starter Taylen Green and capped a four-play, 59-yard drive with his scoring run. Braylen Russell had runs of 24 and 11 yards on the drive for Arkansas (4-2, 2-1 SEC). Tennessee reached the Arkansas 20-yard line on its last-ditch drive, but after not finding an open receiver on a fourth-and-5, quarterback Nico Iamaleava scrambled and was knocked out of bounds a yard short of the first-down marker.
Iamaleava completed 17 of 29 passes for 158 yards for the Volunteers, who led the nation in scoring at 54 points per game entering the contest. Dylan Sampson rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries for Tennessee (4-1, 1-1).
No. 5 Georgia 31, Auburn 13
Carson Beck completed 23 of 29 passes for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Bulldogs topped the visiting Tigers.
Trevor Etienne rushed for a team-high 88 yards and two scores, helping Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) bounce back from last week’s loss to then-No. 4 Alabama.
Payton Thorne completed 16 of 27 passes for 200 yards, as Auburn (2-4, 0-3) dropped its third straight game and eighth straight against the Bulldogs. Jarquez Hunter rushed for a game-high 91 yards, adding a score on the ground. KeAndre Lambert-Smith tallied seven catches for 95 yards for the Tigers, who never led.
No. 7 Penn State 27, UCLA 11
Drew Allar passed for a touchdown and ran for another, and the Nittany Lions cruised past the visiting Bruins in State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) started slow offensively for the second consecutive week of league play. But after almost 25 minutes of a scoreless stalemate, Allar broke through with a goal-line touchdown carry in the second quarter.
His score capped a 16-play, 82-yard drive that consumed 8:36. Penn State tacked on another touchdown just before halftime. Allar connected with Tyler Warren on a 5-yard TD catch with 20 seconds on the clock. Allar’s 237 yards on 17-of-24 passing buoyed the offense.
Quarterback Justyn Martin, making his first college start in place of an injured Ethan Garbers, went 22-of-30 passing for 167 yards and threw a 1-yard touchdown to Logan Loya for UCLA (1-4, 0-3).
No. 8 Miami 39, Cal 38
Cam Ward threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Arroyo with 26 seconds left and the Hurricanes recovered from a 25-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the Bears in Berkley, Calif.
Ward completed 35 of 53 passes for a season-best 437 yards, along with two touchdowns and one interception for Miami (6-0, 2-0 ACC), which scored 21 unanswered points in the final 10:28. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Damien Martinez rushed for scores before the fourth quarter, Xavier Restrepo caught seven passes for 163 yards, and Isaiah Horton had nine catches for 83 yards and the first of the final three touchdowns for Miami.
Francisco Mauigoa intercepted a pass from Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza with five seconds left to seal it. Mendoza, a native of Miami, completed 11 of 22 passes for 285 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Golden Bears (3-2, 0-2).
No. 25 Texas A&M 41, No. 9 Missouri 10
Le’Veon Moss rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns and Conner Weigman threw for 276 yards as the Aggies dismantled the Tigers in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) amassed 512 total yards, including 236 on the ground, in winning their fifth straight game. Their defense had six sacks, including 1 1/2 by Nic Scourton, and limited Missouri (4-1, 1-1) to 79 yards in the first half and 254 for the game. The Aggies had seven plays that went for more than 20 yards, including a 75-yard burst by Moss that widened the blowout to 31-0 on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter.
Brady Cook, who threw for at least 226 yards in each of the Tigers’ first four games, managed 186 yards on 13-of-31 passing. A big chunk of those yards came on a 59-yard touchdown strike to Theo Wease with 5:06 left in the third quarter.
Washington 27, No. 10 Michigan 17
Jonah Coleman scored on a 1-yard dive with 6:22 remaining as the Huskies topped the Wolverines in Seattle in a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff championship game.
Will Rogers was 21-of-31 passing for 271 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Huskies (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten), who scored the game’s final 13 points nearly nine months after a 34-13 loss to the Wolverines in the title game on Jan. 8 in Houston. Coleman rushed 18 times for 80 yards.
The Wolverines (4-2, 2-1) rallied from a 14-point, first-half deficit behind backup quarterback Jack Tuttle. But Tuttle was stripped of the ball on a 1-yard run by Voi Tunuufi with 8:02 remaining. The Huskies’ Logan Sagapolu recovered at Michigan’s 32-yard line to set up the go-ahead drive.
Minnesota 24, No. 11 USC 17
Quarterback Max Brosmer punched in the third of his three rushing touchdowns with 56 seconds left in the game and the Golden Gophers held on to upset the visiting Trojans in Minneapolis.
USC (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) drove back down the field in an effort to tie the score, but Koi Perch sealed the win by out-jumping 6-foot-6 Trojans receiver Duce Robinson in the end zone to intercept Miller Moss’ deep ball thrown into double coverage.
Minnesota (3-3, 1-2) limited Moss to 200 yards on 23-of-38 passing and picked off the USC quarterback twice. Darius Taylor finished with 144 yards on 25 carries and caught a team-high five passes for 56 yards in the win.
No. 12 Mississippi 27, South Carolina 3
Defensive tackle JJ Pegues rumbled for two rushing touchdowns, and the Rebels rolled past the Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C.
After losing 20-17 last week at home to Kentucky, the Rebels (5-1, 1-1 SEC) got back on track behind a trio of first-half rushing TDs, two by Pegues and one by Henry Parrish Jr., who notched 81 yards on 21 carries and his team-leading ninth score.
In losing to a ranked team for the seventh straight time, the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-2) saw LaNorris Sellers return after missing a game. He went 20-of-32 for 162 yards with an interception.
No. 15 Clemson 29, Florida State 13
Cade Klubnik threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns and Phil Mafah ran for 154 yards on 25 carries to lead the Tigers past the Seminoles in Tallahassee, Fla.
Clemson (4-1, 3-0 ACC) defeated Florida State (1-5, 1-4) for the eighth time in the past nine meetings and fourth consecutive time on the road.
Seminoles quarterback Brock Glenn made his first start of the season in relief of injured starter DJ Uiagalelei. Glenn completed 23 of 41 passes for 228 yards and threw two touchdown passes and an interception.
No. 16 Iowa State 43, Baylor 21
Rocco Becht completed 16 of 25 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and the Cyclones finished strong to beat the Bears in a Big 12 Conference matchup in Ames, Iowa.
Jaylon Jackson finished with 15 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns for Iowa State (5-0, 2-0), which has won its first five games of the season for the first time since 1980. Jayden Higgins had eight catches for 116 yards and a touchdown, and Benjamin Brahmer also caught a touchdown pass.
Sawyer Robertson completed 25 of 44 passes for 258 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for Baylor (2-4, 0-3). Ketron Jackson Jr., Michael Trigg and Josh Cameron hauled in one touchdown pass apiece for the Bears.
No. 21 Boise State 62, Utah State 30
Ashton Jeanty scored the first of his three touchdowns on his first touch en route to his fifth straight 100-yard game, carrying the Broncos to a conference-opening blowout of the Aggies in Boise, Idaho.
Almost a four-touchdown favorite, Boise State (4-1, 1-0 in Mountain West) also won for the third straight time behind a strong start from quarterback Maddux Madsen. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 256 yards and three scores, two to Austin Bolt and one to Cameron Camper.
Entering the game with the 115th-ranked rushing defense (196.8 yards per game), Utah State (1-4, 0-1) fell behind by 32 points at halftime and dropped its fourth straight game.
SMU 34, No. 22 Louisville 27
LJ Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 6:39 remaining in the fourth quarter lifted the visiting Mustangs to the win over the Cardinals in an Atlantic Coast Conference game.
SMU (5-1, 2-0 ACC) drove 89 yards in 11 plays for the winning score. Quarterback Kevin Jennings, who accounted for 394 total yards, converted a key third down with a 6-yard run. Jennings hit 21 of 27 passes for 281 yards and added 113 yards on the ground.
Louisville’s last possession ended when Isaiah Nwokobia intercepted quarterback Tyler Shough’s pass in the end zone with 2:29 remaining. Shough completed 22 of 35 passes for 329 yards with two touchdowns and the late pick. Ja’Corey Brooks had three catches for 121 yards and Ahmari Huggins-Bruce had five grabs for 82 yards for the Cardinals. Isaac Brown rushed for 117 yards for Louisville, which fell to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC.
No. 23 Indiana 41, Northwestern 24
Kurtis Rourke passed for 380 yards and three touchdowns and Elijah Sarratt had seven receptions for 135 yards to boost the Hoosiers to victory vs. the Wildcats in Evanston, Ill.
Indiana (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) became bowl-eligible while securing the program’s first 6-0 start since the 1967 Hoosiers began their season 8-0. After a turnover on downs and punt on their first two possessions, the Hoosiers found their offensive groove, scoring on their next seven possessions. Rourke was 25 of 33 through the air. Ke’Shawn Williams added four receptions for 87 yards. Justice Ellison rushed for 68 yards, and Ty Son Lawton added 52 rushing yards and a TD for the Hoosiers.
Indiana needed the firepower to hold off the Wildcats, who had 336 total yards after managing just 112 in a 24-5 loss at Washington on Sept. 21. Northwestern (2-3, 0-2) cut its 14-point deficit in half with 3:13 remaining in the third quarter on the first of two TD passes from Jack Lausch to A.J. Henning. Lausch was 23 of 38 for 243 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats. Bryce Kirtz had 10 receptions for 128 yards, while Henning made six catches for 67 yards and two TDs.
–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
