Sports
UCLA faces tall task against host No. 7 Penn State
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) carries the ball in the fourth quarter of a Big Ten football game against Illinois, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in State College, Pa. UCLA coach DeShaun Foster knew to anticipate facing a physical, defensive-oriented style of play with the Bruins’ transition to the Big Ten Conference, and Saturday’s visit to State College, Pa., to face No. 7 Penn State promises exactly that.
Bruins first-year coach Foster shows his team classic heavyweight boxing matches in the lead-up to game day. UCLA (1-3, 0-2 Big Ten) will need to be able to absorb some haymakers from a Penn State defense that has been one of the nation’s best through the first month of the 2024 season.
The Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0) head into the first meeting between Penn State and UCLA since 1968 having allowed just seven points over the last two games. Most recently, they wore down then-No. 19 Illinois en route to a 21-7 win last Saturday.
Penn State allowed just 219 total yards of offense to Illinois, including 34 rushing yards. In overwhelming the Illini’s ground game, Penn State improved to a 72-yard per game defensive rushing yield and ranks seventh nationally against the run.
Opponents are averaging a mere 2.3 yards per carry against the Nittany Lions. Meanwhile, UCLA’s 57 rushing yards per game ranks towards the bottom among all FBS offenses through Week 5.
“It’s mostly the details,” Foster said of UCLA’s offensive struggles. “We’ve had too many penalties. … We’re working on that right now. Play within yourself. Don’t get out there and try to do something out of the ordinary or that you weren’t coached to do.”
The Bruins have yet to reach the century mark on the ground in any game this season, peaking with 96 in a 42-13 Big Ten-opening loss Week 3 to Indiana. UCLA’s rushing low came in Week 4 when the Bruins managed just 14 yards in a 34-17 loss at LSU.
Inability to establish an effective rushing threat is a primary cause for the Bruins having yet to score more than 17 points in any of four outings in 2024. UCLA has also sputtered against an exceedingly challenging early-season schedule.
With the Sept. 21 visit to LSU and Big Ten home contests against Indiana and last Saturday’s 34-13 loss to Oregon, Penn State marks the Bruins’ fourth consecutive opponent ranked in the AP Top 25. Indiana entered the poll on Sunday at No. 23.
But while Penn State is ranked seventh and undefeated, Nittany Lions coach James Franklin sees considerable room for improvement as his team approaches the meat of conference play, and in an area where UCLA has also struggled.
“The obvious one we haven’t got corrected yet is penalties,” Franklin said. “It’s making things harder than it needs to be. … The fans don’t want to keep hearing me talk about it, we just need to get it fixed.”
Penn State is averaging 66 yards of penalty yardage per game. Franklin said the six flags for 63 yards racked up against Illinois allowed the Illini to dictate the tone of the game until late in the second half, especially in limiting the Nittany Lions offense.
UCLA, meanwhile, is averaging 75 yards in penalties a contest.
Being behind the chains some on offense has not hindered Penn State’s rushing attack too much, however. Nicholas Singleton is carrying for 102 yards per game and a whopping 7.7 per rush to lead the Nittany Lions.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New England Revolution blast Atlanta United to climb up East standings
Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Dor Turgeman (11) protects the ball from Atlanta United defense Junior Alonso (6) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Carles Gil and Dor Turgeman each scored a first-half goal while Matt Turner made six saves on Saturday to help the New England Revolution earn a 4-1 victory over Atlanta United in Foxborough, Mass.
Peyton Miller and Brooklyn Raines also scored a goal apiece for New England (9-5-2, 29 points), which passed the Chicago Fire (26 points) for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta (3-11-3, 12 points) extended its winless stretch to six games and fell to 1-6-2 away from home. Miguel Almiron scored a goal in the 85th minute to help the visitors avoid their eighth shutout of the year. Atlanta’s 17 goals scored are the fewest in the league.
New England tacked on to its 2-0 halftime lead in the 56th minute, as Miller tallied his fourth goal of the year to give the Revolution a three-goal advantage. Alhassan Yusuf picked up his second assist of the match in the process.
In the 67th minute, Raines scored the first goal of his MLS career. Assisted by Jackson Yueill, Raines’ left-footed strike marked just the second time New England has scored four-plus goals in a game this season.
After Almiron’s early shot was saved by Turner, New England found the back of the net at the 11-minute mark, as Matt Polster found Gil for his team-leading sixth-goal of the season.
Polster, recording his first assist of the year, left the ball for the New England star, who shook defender Tristan Muyumba and fired in a left-footed shot past the sprawling Lucas Hoyos.
Turgeman threatened to double New England’s advantage in the 26th minute, but Hoyos made his first save to preserve the one-goal deficit.
Turgeman broke through 10 minutes later, however, as the 22-year-old scored his third goal of the season. Yusuf’s perfectly placed cross found Turgeman in the box, where a left-footed shot made it 2-0.
Despite the two-goal halftime-margin, Atlanta put seven shots on goal in the first half to New England’s four.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Agustin Ojeda, NYCFC score early, douse Fire
Jul 25, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City Football Club offense Agustin Ojeda (26) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Fire FC during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images Agustin Ojeda scored a goal and added an assist Saturday night as New York City FC shredded the visiting Chicago Fire’s defense in the first half of a 3-1 win at Yankee Stadium.
Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Malachi Jones also scored for NYCFC (7-6-4, 25 points), which won their second straight fixture despite numbering nine players on the injured list. NYCFC earned an 11-9 advantage in shots as Chicago couldn’t consistently maintain its defensive shape.
Joel Waterman scored the only goal for the Fire (8-6-2, 26 points). Newly-signed striker Robert Lewandowski played the second half in his second match with Chicago and generated a shot.
The storylines for each team prior to kickoff couldn’t have been more diverse. While NYCFC was coming off a solid 2-1 win Wednesday night at Columbus, the Fire suffered a 3-2 loss at Miami that had coach Gregg Berhalter upset because of their poor defense.
It took just 10 minutes for Berhalter to see a rerun of Wednesday night. A failed clearing attempt and weak marking presented Fernandez Mercau space to wire a shot from just past the top of the 18-yard box by goalie Chris Brady. The shot carried a goal expectancy of only 2%.
Chicago equalized in the 21st minute off a set piece. NYCFC deflected a free kick but Waterman pounced on it at the left post, roofing a shot under the crossbar for his first goal of the year.
But Ojeda put NYCFC ahead for good eight minutes later. Andres Perea sent him down the right side and Ojeda angled a sharply-struck shot past Brady that hit the inside of the left post before nestling into the net.
Ojeda played the feeder’s role in the 41st minute as the Fire again lost their defensive structure. Perea found Ojeda on the right side and he passed into the middle, giving Jones a point-blank opportunity that he converted.
Goalie Matt Freese helped protect the lead for NYCFC in the second half, coming up with four of his five saves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orioles blow another late lead, but Dylan Beavers bails them out
Jul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitchin in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images Dylan Beavers singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Saturday night.
Gunnar Henderson homered as the Orioles evened the series at one game apiece after failing to hold a late-game lead for the second game in a row.
Ozzie Albies homered for the Braves, who lost for only the third time in their last 10 games.
Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday doubled with one out in the ninth and moved to third on pinch hitter Colton Cowser’s flyout before scoring on Beavers’ hit off losing pitcher Didier Fuentes (4-1). Yennier Cano (2-2) was the winning pitcher with one inning of shutout relief.
Brandon Young pitched into the seventh inning for the second consecutive strong start for a Baltimore pitcher, but just like Friday night the bullpen couldn’t make it hold up. Young held the Braves to one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Orioles reliever Rico Garcia gave up a game-tying home run in the eighth inning for the second night in a row.
Braves starter Bryce Elder worked five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) with four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts. Victor Mederos threw two shutout innings in relief before Fuentes entered and gave up his only two hits to two of the last three batters he faced.
Holliday and Beavers each finished with two hits as the game’s only players with more than one hit. The Orioles have won nine of their last 12 games.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued to give the Baltimore offense a boost as his two-out single in the third inning drove in the game’s first run.
Henderson homered with two outs in the fifth to make it 2-0.
Atlanta scored in the sixth on Mauricio Dubon’s groundout. Albies’ 17th homer of the season pulled the Braves even on the second pitch of the eighth inning.
–Field Level Media
