ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News, Headlines & Videos (2023)

Alabamafootball coach Nick Saban said Monday that players have to respect what it takes to win after narrowly surviving an upset bid on the road by unranked Texason Saturday.The No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide needed a last-minute field goal to beat the Longhorns in Austin, despite Texas losing starting quarterback Quinn Ewers to a shoulder injury in the first quarter.Saban said there was a lot to learn after the Tide committed 15 penalties -- one shy of a school record which was set in 2002."I think our guys played hard in the game," he said. "They persevered in a game in tough circumstances. They overcame adversity. They showed great resiliency. But it's also about playing smart, having good discipline to execute, focus on what's in front of you and do your job. And not only do your job but do it fundamentally with the correct technique."Saban reiterated that cutting down on penalties comes down to making good decisions."We have officials out there [at...

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Texasfootball coach Steve Sarkisian channeled Nick Saban on Monday, issuing a warning to his Longhorns after their near upset of No. 1 Alabamaon Saturday."First of all, to quote my old boss, we've got to be careful of the rat poison of people telling us how good we are, which is important," Sarkisian said. "A week ago, everyone told us how bad we were. Now this week, everyone wants to tell us how good we are. We've got to be careful to quiet the noise outside of our building and focus on us."Alabama, which had won 53 straight nonconference games, had to kick a field goal with 10 seconds left to beat the Longhorns 20-19 in front of a record crowd of 105,213 fans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas was a 21.5-point underdog going into the game, the largest spread the Longhorns had faced at home since the 1978 FBS/FCS split."I definitely wanted to address it because, you know, I'm getting the text messages too," Sarkisian said. "I'm getting the phone...

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Notre Damequarterback Tyler Buchner suffered a high-grade AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder in the loss Saturday to Marshall, Irish coach Marcus Freeman told reporters Monday.Buchner will undergo surgery Tuesday and Freeman expects the recovery process to take four months, which would put the quarterback out for the remainder of the season."We can all do the math and probably put it somewhere, maybe January," Freeman said. "So, that's where we're at with that. Moving forward, Drew Pyne will be our starter, and as I said when we addressed the quarterback competition in fall camp I had the utmost confidence in both of those guys being able to lead our offense and lead this football team."In the first two games, Buchner was 28 of 50 passing for 378 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.Pyne played in four games during his freshman season in 2020 and two games in 2021. Steve Angeli, a true freshman, will take second-team...

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The Los Angeles Dodgers will have to put the champagne back on ice for at least one more day.Major League Baseball announced an internal error in determining the Dodgers' postseason clinching scenarios, meaning Los Angeles still has a magic number of one to secure a playoff spot as of Monday morning.The Dodgers (96-43), who enter Monday with a commanding 20-game lead atop the National League West, thought they had clinched their 10th consecutive postseason berth Sunday with their 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. Manager Dave Roberts led a postgame toast with sparkling wine, and the players and staff were given caps with the postseason logo.MLB said Monday, however, that it failed to account for a potential scenario in which the Padres (77-64) overtake the Dodgers for the NL West title and Los Angeles finishes in a three-way tie at 96-66 with the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. Milwaukee would win the NL Central in that scenario...

September 12

Stephen Curry told Rolling Stone last month that the Golden State Warriors had internal talks about acquiring Kevin Durant and that he would love to play again with his former teammate, who ultimately reconciled with the Brooklyn Nets."There was a conversation internally amongst us about 'If he was available, would you?' Every team has those conversations, and obviously in our situation, they're gonna call me and ask me, 'How do you feel about it?" said Curry, who did multiple interviews with the magazine as part of its October cover story.Curry said he was "never hesitant" in endorsing the idea of a reunion with Durant, who was his teammate for three seasons in which the Warriors won two championships and Durant won back-to-back NBA Finals MVP awards. Durant's time with the Warriors ended in 2019 when he departed for the Brooklyn Nets in a sign-and-trade deal.Curry also said he talked with his brother, Seth Curry, who is a...

September 12

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said he is expected to have surgery Monday on his right thumb after he was injured in the season-opening 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks and the injury will likely land him on injured reserve, according to multiple sources.Prescott was injured in the fourth quarter when he hit the hand of outside linebacker Shaq Barrett while throwing a pass. Prescott will meet with the Cowboys' hand specialist Monday but, according to multiple sources, he will have a pin and plate inserted into the area to stabilize the joint.Prescott said he initially thought he jammed a finger and didn't believe it was serious. But he went to the locker room for X-rays, which showed a fracture."I was told it was much cleaner than it could have been," Prescott said after the game while wearing a splint on his right hand."It's a significant injury," coach Mike...

September 12

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescottwill be out "several weeks" due to an injury to his thumb that requires surgery, owner Jerry Jones said after Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Prescott jogged to the locker room late in the fourth quarter to get his right hand examined after he hit the hand of Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrettand did not return. Jones said Prescott suffered a fracture near the thumb on his throwing hand.The Cowboys will likely turn to backup quarterback Cooper Rush for next week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals."Yeah, it's very disappointing," Prescott said. "But injuries happen. Can't necessarily control it, just unfortunate, I'm going to miss some time, not be there for my team. And that's what hurts more than anything, especially after the start that we just went out there, wouldn't be able to respond and not necessarily having that opportunity...

September 12

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescottwill be out "several weeks" due to an injury to his thumb that requires surgery, owner Jerry Jones said after Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Prescott jogged to the locker room late in the fourth quarter to get his right hand examined after he hit the hand of Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrettand did not return. Jones said Prescott suffered a fracture near the thumb on his throwing hand.The Cowboys will likely turn to backup quarterback Cooper Rush for next week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.Prescott, who is now 2-5 in season openers in his career, completed 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards and was intercepted once and sacked twice while the Cowboys were held without a touchdown in a season opener for the first time since 2001.The last time the Cowboys scored fewer than 6 points in a season opener was Sept. 10, 1989, a 28-0 loss to the ...

September 11

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys opener went from bad to worse in Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Quarterback Dak Prescott jogged to the locker room late in the fourth quarter to get his right hand examined after he hit the hand of Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrett. It was announced that he was questionable to return with a little more than three minutes remaining, but the Cowboys' night was over even before that.Prescott, who is now 2-5 in season openers in his career, completed 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards and was intercepted once and sacked twice while the Cowboys were held without a touchdown in a season opener for the first time since 2001.The last time the Cowboys scored fewer than 6 points in a season opener was Sept. 10, 1989, a 28-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints, which was the first game of Jerry Jones' tenure as owner and general manager and the debut of Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson.It was the...

September 11

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Brian Daboll didn't think twice about whether his New York Giants should go for the 2-point conversion or kick the tying extra point with 1 minute, 6 seconds remaining in his first game ever as a head coach. He was always going with the aggressive approach.Daboll indeed went for two, which the Giants converted on a shovel pass to running back Saquon Barkley, to upset the Tennessee Titans 21-20 at Nissan Stadium. It was New York's first Week 1 win since 2016, which also happens to be the last time it made the playoffs.Why didn't Daboll flinch when faced with the vital decision late in Sunday's season opener?"Go for the win," he said. "We're going to be aggressive. That is what we want to do. That is the mindset I want the players to have. If it didn't work, I can live with it. I thought that was the right decision."Daboll even went up to some of the defensive players on the bench during the game-winning drive and asked their...

September 11

MINNEAPOLIS -- It was a scene the Minnesota Vikings could only dream of. Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson ran wild Sunday through the Green Bay Packers secondary, hauling in a slew of wide-open passes on the way to the best game of his career.Jefferson had nine receptions for a career-best 184 yards and two touchdowns as the Vikings pounded their NFC North rival, 23-7, at U.S. Bank Stadium. But it was the nature of Jefferson's catches that were so stunning.Jefferson averaged 4.0 yards of separation on his 11 targets, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, and gained 138 of his receiving yards on plays when he had at least 3.0 yards of separation. And on a 64-yard haul that set up a field goal in the second quarter, there was not a defender within 10 yards of him."I was thinking somebody was about to come from behind and tackle me," Jefferson said. "I thought [Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander] had run with me. But he wasn't...

September 11

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- For one game, at least, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs provided a definitive answer about how effective their passing game would be without Tyreek Hill: It would be as dangerous as ever.Mahomes went 30-of-39 for 360 yards and five touchdowns as the Chiefs started their season with a 44-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals."Guys were just ready to go,'' Mahomes said. "They were excited to get out there and show what we had. Everybody's asked us the questions of what this offense, what this team's going to look like. We've always believed that we were going to go out there and put on a show and I thought guys did that."So to go out there and win a game against a really good football team and get the win decisively, it's a good start.'' Mahomes spread the ball to nine different receivers with tight end Travis Kelce leading the Chiefs with 121 yards on eight catches. Kelce's nine-yard catch in the...

September 11

LAS VEGAS -- Generally, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon is not a screamer. She will get her point across, for sure, but if she can do it in the measured, even vocal tones she's known for, that's what she prefers.But sometimes circumstances -- in this case Game 1 of the best-of-five WNBA Finals -- call for a different approach. The Aces won a Finals game for the first time in franchise history, topping the Connecticut Sun 67-64 here Sunday, and they did it with a second half fueled by a halftime torching from their coach."Oh, I was lit," Hammon said of her talk in the locker room with the No. 1 seed Aces. "Because everything we had talked about, we didn't do any of it. And true to form, they just step up and do it then."I don't even yell in my real life. But when you feel so strongly about how you have to play a certain way ... and you don't execute it, it's frustrating. But at the end of the day, they know it. They are smart. They get it."The Aces...

September 11

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs won't miss Tyreek Hill at all if Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals is any indication.Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns in the Chiefs' 44-15 win. It was the Chiefs' eighth straight season-opening win.Mahomes has delivered at least three touchdown passes in the past five season openers. He became the Chiefs starter in 2018.Mahomes spread the ball to nine different receivers. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire caught two touchdown passes, with tight ends Travis Kelce and Jody Fortson and wide receiver Mecole Hardman each getting one.Mahomes now has eight career games with five or more touchdown passes. No other quarterback has more than three such games in that span. Five of those games have come on the road, tying an NFL record held by Peyton Manning and Dan Marino.All of Mahomes' touchdown passes against the Cardinals...

September 11

NEW YORK -- Walking out for his first Grand Slam final at age 19, Carlos Alcaraz bumped fists with fans leaning over a railing along the path leading to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Moments later, after the coin toss, Alcaraz turned to sprint to the baseline for the warm-up, until being beckoned back to the net by the chair umpire for the customary prematch photos.Alcaraz is imbued with boundless enthusiasm and energy, not to mention skill, speed, stamina and sangfroid. And now he's a US Open champion and the No. 1 player in men's tennis.Alcaraz used his combination of moxie and maturity to beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 for the trophy at Flushing Meadows on Sunday and become the youngest man to lead the ATP rankings."Well, this is something that I dreamed of since I was a kid," said Alcaraz, whom folks of a certain age might still consider a kid. "It's something I worked really, really hard [for]. It's tough to talk right now. A lot of...

September 11

LANDOVER, Md. -- Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz defeated his former coach, won his first game with his new team and showed his new one what it's like to have him as a quarterback -- all the bad and the good.In Wentz's first game with Washington, he threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns, including two in the final quarter, to lead a 28-22 comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wentz played five seasons with Jaguars coach Doug Pederson when both were in Philadelphia."It felt great," Wentz said of the win. "To kind of rally together and get it done when it mattered at the end, that was cool. Cool way to start."But the reason Wentz had to rally the Commanders was because he threw interceptions on consecutive plays, leading to 10 Jaguars points. Wentz called it an ugly stretch, made possible by being late on one pick and forcing the second.It was the sort of rollercoaster ride that has come to define Wentz's career -- and it's OK with...

September 11

CINCINNATI -- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sat at his locker, legs outstretched, staring ahead in a room that had mostly emptied.If he was trying to make sense of what happened in Cincinnati's season opener, he wasn't alone. The Bengals endured a day that featured several turnovers, an upended kicking game and a rocky outing in a 23-20 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Cincinnati's first game since Super Bowl LVI, Burrow committed five turnovers, the Bengals missed two chances to win the game and were left with a sour result."We had our chances," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. "To lose the turnover battle five to nothing, to have kick operations ruined on two kicks that both would have won the game, is disheartening in that way."Chris Boswell's 53-yard field goal at the end of overtime allowed the Steelers to escape with a win and snap a three-game losing streak against their AFC North rivals.Burrow threw a career-high four...

September 11

ATLANTA -- New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas wasn't ready to declare himself 100 percent back after his first game on Sunday in almost two years.Thomas had five catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-26 win against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was the first time he had played in a game since a 30-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC divisional round of the 2021 playoffs on Jan. 17, 2021, and it marked his first NFL reception since he had five catches in the Saints' 21-9 win against Bears in the NFC wild-card round of the playoffs on Jan. 10, 2021.Thomas, whose first catch did not come until the 11:58 mark in the third quarter, felt he had more to give and wished he could have contributed even more."I still have a lot more," he said. "When I come into games and the ball's thrown to me, I'm trying to make every play, make every catch. That's definitely not my standard. Little rusty to...

September 11

PITTSBURGH -- Albert Pujols hit his 697th home run, moving past Alex Rodriguez into fourth place on the career list and doing it in dramatic fashion with a ninth-inning drive that rallied the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 Sunday.The NL Central-leading Cardinals trailed 2-1 when Pujols connected for a two-run drive. Pujols had tied Rodriguez with a home run Saturday night.Pujols trails Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the all-time homer chart."When you keep focusing on the game, really good things happen. Finally, at the end of the game, we get that support and see (Albert) doing amazing things, hitting the ball to center field," Cardinals starter Jose Quintanasaid. "It was an unbelievable moment."The 42-year-old Pujols has 21 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues. He has hit 18 home runs this season."There's impressive, and then there's unbelievable," Cardinals...

September 11

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla -- New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones suffered a back injury in Sunday's season-opening 20-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins and required X-rays on it after the game.Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Jones traveled back with the rest of the team.Asked about his understanding of the injury, Belichick said, "I know everybody is hungry for an up-to-the-second update, but honestly, the best way to handle these situations is to honestly give it a little time. See what happens. Run whatever tests or analysis that need to be run, and then go from there. So that's what we always do. That's what we're going to do in this case. That's what we're going to do in every other case with every other injury."Jones finished 21-of-30 for 213 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked twice, taking a big hit in the second quarter on a blindside blitz on which he fumbled the ball and the Dolphins returned it for a...

September 11

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Baker Mayfield didn't get his revenge against the Cleveland Brownsthanks in part to what Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey referred to as "horrid'' roughing the passer penalty on defensive end Brian Burns, but he came close.After looking dreadful for almost three quarters, Mayfield led the Panthers to 17 fourth-quarter points and the lead before the Browns spoiled his revenge party with a 58-yard field goal by rookie kicker Cade York with eight seconds left.The game-winning drive was aided by a roughing the passer penalty on the first play that gave Cleveland a first down at its own 40. Head referee Brad Rogers said the call was made because there was "forcible contact to the head and neck area.''McCaffrey saw it differently."It was a horrid call,'' he said.The 26-24 loss left Mayfield 0-4 in NFL openers, including 0-3 with the Browns."Everybody made this game out to be the...

September 11

The Pittsburgh Steelers believe star pass-rusher and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt suffered a torn pectoral during Sunday's 23-20 overtime win against the Bengals in Cincinnati, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Watt is scheduled to undergo scans Monday to confirm the diagnosis, the source said.The Steelers didn't provide any additional details postgame, with coach Mike Tomlin only saying that Watt was being evaluated for an upper-body injury.Both Watt and running back Najee Harris (foot) exited with injuries in the fourth quarter and were ruled out.Harris suffered a foot injury as the Steelers attempted to run out the clock, and he limped off the field. He was dealing with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot during training camp, but he said earlier this week he was healthy.Watt came off the field a couple of plays later with his injury and went straight to the locker room."Having TJ out there definitely benefits...

September 11

Nebraska fired football coach Scott Frost on Sunday, one day after a 45-42 home loss to Georgia Southern in what had become an untenable situation for the Huskers.Nebraska (1-2) had been a three-touchdown favorite."Earlier today I met with Coach Frost and informed him we were making a change in the leadership of our football program, effective immediately. Scott has poured his heart and soul into the Nebraska Football program both as a quarterback and head coach, and I appreciate his work and dedication," Nebraska vice chancellor for athletics Trev Alberts said in a statement.Associate head coach Mickey Joseph will take over for the rest of the season. Nebraska hosts Oklahoma on Saturday.Frost will receive his full $15 million buyout, Alberts told reporters at a news conference. The buyout amount would have dropped to $7.5 million on Oct. 1. Alberts told reporters he needed to make a change now to be fair to the players and others around the program."We...

September 11

CHICAGO -- For the second consecutive year, the San Francisco 49ers' starting running back departed the season opener with a knee injury.Niners starter Elijah Mitchell departed the 49ers' 19-10 loss Sunday to the Chicago Bears with a knee ailment just before halftime.It wasn't immediately clear how Mitchell got hurt, though his last snap before the injury was receiver Deebo Samuel's 6-yard touchdown run with 10:11 left in the first half. Mitchell was blocking on the outside for Samuel on the play and it appeared a Bears defender rolled into the back of his legs.Mitchell had six carries for 41 yards before exiting. Entering his second NFL season, Mitchell has dealt with myriad injuries, including a hamstring injury that kept him out of the preseason. In 2021, he set a franchise rookie rushing record with 963 yards, adding five touchdowns despite missing six games with multiple injuries (ribs, knee, finger, shoulder and concussion).With Mitchell...

September 11

Nebraska fired football coach Scott Frost on Sunday, one day after a 45-42 home loss to Georgia Southern in what had become an untenable situation for the Huskers.Nebraska (1-2) had been a three-touchdown favorite."Earlier today I met with Coach Frost and informed him we were making a change in the leadership of our football program, effective immediately. Scott has poured his heart and soul into the Nebraska Football program both as a quarterback and head coach, and I appreciate his work and dedication," Nebraska vice chancellor for athletics Trev Alberts said in a statement.Associate head coach Mickey Joseph will take over for the rest of the season. Nebraska hosts Oklahoma on Saturday.Frost played at Nebraska from 1995-97, returning home to play for Tom Osborne after beginning his career at Stanford. In 1997, he helped the Huskers go 13-0 and win the national championship -- becoming the first quarterback in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and...

September 11

After Quinn Ewers' promising debut and one scintillating quarter against Alabama, there is going to be a pause before seeing what the Texas quarterback can do next.Ewers will miss at least a month with an SC sprain to his left shoulder, sources told ESPN. Ewers underwent an MRI confirming the injury Saturday.The recovery period is four to six weeks, which means the earliest he could return is against Oklahoma on Oct. 8. Ewers is experiencing significant pain, sources said, as basic things like breathing and swallowing are difficult.Ewers was injured in the first quarter Saturday on a crushing hit by Alabama's Dallas Turner, who was flagged for roughing the passer as officials said he drove the quarterback into the ground.Ewers was replaced by Hudson Card, who was hobbled in the third quarter by an ankle injury. The injury clearly limited Card's speed and mobility, but he said postgame that he didn't consider leaving the game....

September 11

Marshallfootball coach Charles Huff knew the team he took into Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday wouldn't be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds.Some of the players had been there before. Marshall added 24 transfers to its roster this offseason, including several from Power 5 programs."We've got three guys from Florida State, they all played Notre Dame last year," Huff told ESPN on Sunday. "The team wasn't as caught up in the gold helmets as it was, 'Hey, this is an opportunity to play a good team, and we've got to play really well.' Where college football is now, the intimidation factor probably goes out the window."Marshall didn't flinch against the eighth-ranked Fighting Irish, leading most of the way in a 26-21 victory. The Thundering Herd, who were a three-touchdown underdog coming into the game, recorded their second win ever against an AP top-10 opponent and the first since 2003 against No. 6 Kansas State. Marshall, a first-year member of...

September 11

Marshall coach Charles Huff knew the team he took into Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday wouldn't be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds.Some of the players had been there before. Marshall added 24 transfers to its roster this offseason, including several from Power 5 programs."We've got three guys from Florida State, they all played Notre Dame last year," Huff told ESPN on Sunday. "The team wasn't as caught up in the gold helmets as it was, 'Hey, this is an opportunity to play a good team, and we've got to play really well.' Where college football is now, the intimidation factor probably goes out the window."Marshall didn't flinch against the eighth-ranked Fighting Irish, leading most of the way in a 26-21 victory. The Thundering Herd, who were a three-touchdown underdog coming into the game, recorded their second-ever win against an AP top-10 opponent and the first since 2003 against No. 6 Kansas State. Marshall, a first-year member of the Sun...

September 11

After pulling a historic 17-14 upset at No. 6 Texas A&Mon Saturday, the Appalachian Statefootball team didn't get to celebrate back home in Boone, North Carolina.Mechanical issues with the team charter forced the Appalachian State team to spend the night at the hotel where they'd slept the previous night in College Station, a team spokesperson told ESPN. With the hotel sold out, the team spread out in various hallways, conference rooms and the lobby area.The team spent about three hours on Saturday night at the airport before returning to the hotel around midnight. They had an unofficial 3:30 a.m. wake-up before returning to the airport, where they boarded a flight at 4:30 a.m.The team flew to Charlotte on Sunday morning. They landed around 8:30 a.m., and the five team buses were expected to get to Boone, which is about two hours away, around 11 a.m.While the delay was a slog, it'd be difficult to dampen the spirit of the team. The Mountaineers pulled off...

September 11

After pulling a historic upset at No. 6 Texas A&Mon Saturday, the Appalachian Statefootball team didn't get to celebrate back home in Boone, North Carolina.Mechanical issues with the team charter forced the Appalachian State team to spend the night at the hotel where they'd slept the previous night in College Station, a team spokesman told ESPN. With the hotel sold out, the team spread out in various hallways, conference rooms and the lobby area.The team spent about three hours on Saturday night at the airport before returning to the hotel around midnight. They had an unofficial 3:30 a.m. wake up before returning to the airport, where they boarded a flight at 4:30 a.m.The team flew to Charlotte on Sunday morning. They landed around 8:30 a.m., and the five team buses were expected to get to Boone, which is about two hours away, around 11 a.m.While the delay was a slog, it'd be difficult to dampen the spirit of team and staff. They pulled off what will be...

September 11

Although Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have kept details of their contract negotiations private, the star quarterback turned down a five-year extension offer worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed at signing, sources told ESPN.The extension, which ran through the 2027 season, would have increased the total value of Jackson's deal to just under $274 million over six years, according to sources. Jackson would have played out the $23 million fifth-year option on his rookie deal before the extension started in 2023.The extension years in the Ravens' proposal would have paid Jackson a higher average salary than the deals signed this summer by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and also included more money guaranteed at signing, according to sources.But sources told ESPN that the Ravens also balked at Jackson's wish for a deal that was fully guaranteed at signing, similar to ...

September 11

Although Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have kept details of their contract negotiations private, the star quarterback turned down a six-year offer worth more than $290 million, with $133 million guaranteed at signing, sources told ESPN.The Ravens' proposal would have paid Jackson a higher average salary and more money guaranteed at signing than the deals signed this summer by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, according to sources.But sources told ESPN that the Ravens also balked at Jackson's wish for a deal that was fully guaranteed at signing, similar to Deshaun Watson's, prompting the sides to announce Friday that they had tabled contract talks until after the 2022 season.Wilson signed a $242.5 million deal earlier this month that averaged $48.5 million annually and included $161 million guaranteed, about six weeks after Murray received a $230.5...

September 11

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has become the third NFL player to have a card sell for at least $1 million, with two such sales this past week.A Herbert rookie card -- his 2020 Panini National Treasures Platinum NFL Shield autographed card, numbered 1-of-1 -- sold Saturday night for $1.8 million with buyer's premium via collectables marketplace Goldin.The card was consigned to Goldin by high-rolling collector Shyne150 (whose name is Matt Allen) and was graded an 8.5 by Beckett Grading Services with a 10 autograph grade.A 2020 Panini Prizm Black Finite Herbert rookie card, also numbered 1-of-1, sold for $1.1 million earlier in the week. The card was graded a 9 by Beckett Grading Services and was pulled recently by Vortex Sports Cards, acquired by Boston Sports Cards & Co., and sold to a trio of buyers that included high-end collector Jack Elman.The only other NFL players whose cards have sold for at least $1 million are Kansas City Chiefs...

September 11

Although Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have kept details of their contract negotiations private, the star quarterback turned down what league sources believe was an offer worth about $250 million.The Ravens also balked at Jackson's wish for a fully guaranteed deal similar to Deshaun Watson's, sources told ESPN, prompting the sides to table contract talks until after the 2022 season.Sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the Ravens proposed a six-year contract believed to pay Jackson a higher average salary and more guaranteed money than deals signed this summer by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilsonand Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.Wilson signed a $242.5 million deal earlier this month that averaged $48.5 million annually and included $161 million guaranteed, about six weeks after Murray received a $230.5 million deal that averaged $46 million per year and included $189.5 million...

September 11

Although Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have kept details of their contract negotiations private, the star quarterback turned down what league sources believe was an offer worth about $250 million.The Ravens also balked at Jackson's wish for a fully guaranteed deal similar to Deshaun Watson's, sources told ESPN, prompting the sides to table contract talks until after the 2022 season.Sources told ESPN the Ravens' proposed contract was believed to pay Jackson a higher average salary and more guaranteed money than deals signed this summer by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilsonand Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.Wilson signed a $242.5 million deal earlier this month that averaged $48.5 million annually and included $161 million guaranteed, about six weeks after Murray received a $230.5 million deal that averaged $46 million per year and included $189.5 million guaranteed.But the issue for...

September 11

Tom Brady came out of retirement, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not expecting the same from Rob Gronkowski.Heading into Sunday night's regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, the Buccaneers are not counting on Gronkowski to return, sources told ESPN.The Buccaneers initially had hoped that later this season, if they were in the thick of the race for a playoff spot, Brady could help convince Gronkowski to return. But sources told ESPN that at least for the time being, until they hear differently, the Buccaneers believe that Gronkowski has moved on with his life.In the unlikely scenario that Gronkowski would return later this season, the circumstances would have to be completely right, according to sources. The five-time Pro Bowl tight end would want an opportunity with a Super Bowl contender that needed him and made a return to the NFL worth his while.Gronkowski, 33, publicly announced his retirement in June, ending an 11-year NFL career...

September 11

Had the San Francisco 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo been unable to agree to a restructured contract this summer, the rival Los Angeles Rams were lurking as a possible destination for the veteran quarterback, league sources told ESPN.Garoppolo and the Rams had the makings of a deal if he was released by the Niners, who were unaware that the defending Super Bowl champions were looking into signing him, according to sources.The 49ers didn't learn about the Rams' interest until after they agreed with Garoppolo on a one-year deal worth up to $16 million, sources said."It was going to be such a Rams move to make," a member of the 49ers organization told ESPN. "Sean McVay and Kevin Demoff would have been basking in it."The Rams, who were eyeing Garoppolo as a legitimate backup option to Matthew Stafford, continually have demonstrated the capability to acquire high-profile, skilled veterans such as Odell Beckham Jr. or Bobby Wagner...

September 11

LAS VEGAS -- Khamzat Chimaev missed a major opportunity to take out one of the biggest stars in MMA history Saturday, but he picked up an easy victory at UFC 279.Chimaev (12-0) submitted Kevin Holland (23-8) with a D'Arce choke at 2:13 of the opening round inside T-Mobile Arena. It was a dominant performance by Chimaev, but it came one day after he missed weight for a scheduled welterweight main event against Nate Diaz.After Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds, Diaz refused to fight him at a catchweight, which forced the UFC to shuffle the card and schedule Chimaev against Holland at 180 pounds."Say what now!" Chimaev yelled in the Octagon as boos rained down from the crowd. "Say something! I'm the most dangerous guy here. I'm coming for everyone. I'll kill everybody."Born in Chechnya and now fighting out of Sweden, Chimaev is one of the fastest-rising stars in UFC history. He signed with the promotion in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and picked...

September 11

Although Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have kept details of their contract negotiations private, league sources believe the star quarterback turned down an offer worth about $250 million.The Ravens also balked at Jackson's wish for a fully guaranteed deal similar to Deshaun Watson's, sources told ESPN, prompting the sides to table contract talks until after the 2022 season.Sources told ESPN the Ravens' proposed contract was believed to pay Jackson a higher average salary and more guaranteed money than deals signed this summer by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilsonand Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.Wilson signed a $242.5 million deal earlier this month that averaged $48.5 million annually and included $161 million guaranteed, about six weeks after Murray received a $230.5 million deal that averaged $46 million per year and included $189.5 million guaranteed.But the issue for Jackson...

September 11

LAS VEGAS -- Khamzat Chimaev missed a major opportunity to take out one of the biggest stars in MMA history Saturday, but he picked up an easy victory at UFC 279.Chimaev (12-0) submitted Kevin Holland (23-8) with a D'Arce choke at 2:13 of the opening round inside T-Mobile Arena. It was a dominant performance by Chimaev, but it came one day after he missed weight for a scheduled welterweight main event against Nate Diaz.After Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds, Diaz refused to fight him at a catchweight, which forced the UFC to shuffle the card and schedule Chimaev against Holland at 180 pounds."Say what now!" Chimaev yelled in the Octagon as boos rained down from the crowd. "Say something! I'm the most dangerous guy here. I'm coming for everyone. I'll kill everybody."Born in Chechnya and now fighting out of Sweden, Chimaev is one of the fastest-rising stars in UFC history. He signed with the promotion in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and picked...

September 11

In a boxing match featuring two former star NFL running backs, Le'Veon Bell got the better of Adrian Peterson, rocking him with a hard right hand to score a TKO victory in the fifth round Saturday night at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.Bell and Peterson were the two biggest names on the card, which was dubbed "Social Gloves: No More Talk."After four sluggish rounds in their five-round exhibition, Bell dropped Peterson in the fifth with a straight right that caught him flush on the chin. Peterson was wobbly as he got back to his feet, forcing the referee to stop the bout as Peterson swayed from side to side.Peterson knocked Bell down earlier in the fight, but it a was mostly uneventful affair until Bell's decisive blow in the fifth."I appreciate everybody's love and support, for real," Bell, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, said after the fight. "That's really what kept me going. Honestly, all the hate ... that motivates me."Bell, 30,...

September 11

LAS VEGAS -- When this week started, Nate Diaz's opponent was the dominant rising star Khamzat Chimaev -- a little parting gift from the UFC as Diaz heads out the door.On Saturday night, with Tony Ferguson as the opponent after a bizarre, unprecedented several days, Diaz will leave the promotion as a winner, courtesy of a guillotine choke submission at 2 minutes, 52 seconds of the fourth round in the main event of UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena.And with that, the lore of Diaz -- one of the most popular, unconventional fighters in MMA history -- continues."I told them, 'Give me anybody you got,'" Diaz said in his postfight interview. "At least I got a worthy OG representative of mixed martial arts."Diaz was originally supposed to fight Chimaev, but Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds Friday, coming in at 178.5 for a 171-pound-limit bout. Diaz understandably opted not to fight an opponent who was so overweight. Diaz called Chimaev a "b---- ass rookie" and...

September 11

LAS VEGAS -- Khamzat Chimaev missed a major opportunity to take out one of the biggest stars in MMA history Saturday, but he picked up an easy victory at UFC 279.Chimaev (12-0) submitted Kevin Holland (23-8) with a D'Arce choke at 2:13 of the opening round inside T-Mobile Arena. It was a dominant performance by Chimaev, but it came one day after he missed weight for a scheduled welterweight main event against Nate Diaz.After Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds, Diaz refused to fight him at a catchweight, which forced the UFC to shuffle the card and schedule Chimaev against Holland at 180 pounds."Say what now!" Chimaev yelled in the Octagon as boos rained down from the crowd. "Say something! I'm the most dangerous guy here. I'm coming for everyone. I'll kill everybody."Born in Chechnya and now fighting out of Sweden, Chimaev is one of the fastest-rising stars in UFC history. He signed with the promotion in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and picked up...

September 11

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Kyle Vantrease scored on an 8-yard run with 36 seconds left after Nebraska had taken its first lead, and Georgia Southern defeated the three-touchdown-favorite Cornhuskers 45-42 on Saturday night.The Huskers' Timmy Bleekrode was wide left with a 52-yard field goal attempt as time ran out, and Georgia Southern players ran onto the field to celebrate the program's first win in 13 games against Power Five opponents.It was also the third major upset of the day from Sun Belt Conference programs. Before the Eagles worked their magic, Marshall upended Notre Dame and Appalachian State knocked off Texas A&M. All three wins were on the road.The loss again turns up the pressure on embattled Nebraska coach Scott Frost, who now faces a home game next week against No. 7 Oklahoma."That one hurt," Frost said. "We win as a team and lose as a team, and we got beat today. We got beat on schemes, and I didn't really have an answer."They got after us."The...

September 11

New Orleans Saintsstar wideout Michael Thomas, listed as questionable for the Sunday game in Atlanta because of a hamstring injury, is expected to play, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Falcons wide receiver Drake London, listed as questionable with a knee injury, is also expected to play, a source said.Thomas missed much of 2020 and all of last season because of complications related to left ankle surgery. He practiced for the first time in more than a year when camp opened in late July but was sidelined about three weeks later with the hamstring injury."I'm itching very much [to play]. I think it's kind of obvious," Thomas said Wednesday. "But I don't want to get too excited. It's still a couple days."The 29-year-old Thomas had 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns in 2019, his last healthy season.

September 11

LOS ANGELES -- The Las Vegas Aces tip off Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Connecticut Sun Sunday at 12 p.m. PT in southern Nevada. Some 85 minutes later, and 280 miles away, the Las Vegas Raiders kick off the season at the Los Angeles Chargers.Mark Davis, who owns both Las Vegas franchises, is in Southern California as he chose to attend his football team's season opener. But not without first putting together a list of pros and cons, he told ESPN Saturday night."As I've said before, I feel like a single parent with two children and each one of them have something different to do on the same day at the same time, and you have to make a decision," Davis said with a laugh. "After thinking it through, with Josh (McDaniels) coaching his first game here with the Raiders, and the Aces playing at home, it just made it easier for me to make that decision to come to the Raider game. Because (the Aces) have the home crowd in Las Vegas and they're rabid (fans) and I...

September 10

PITTSBURGH -- St. Louis Cardinalsslugger Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run Saturday night, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list.Pujols, 42, connected in the sixth inning of the Cardinals' 7-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.Pujols trails Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) on the all-time homer chart. Pujols has 22 games left in his 22nd and final season in the big leagues."I don't care who I tied," Pujols said. "At the end of the day, it's about tying (the game) for the team and giving them an opportunity to pick up a win. ... It's pretty special. I think I'm aware of where I am in the history of the game. But at the end of the day, 21 years ago when I make the ballclub, that wasn't something that I was chasing."Twenty-two years later, I don't think I'm going to change my approach. I think I'm going to let things happen and try to enjoy it. If it happens, it happens. If not, at the end of...

September 10

Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl offensive lineman Quenton Nelsonhas agreed to a record-setting, four-year extension that will make him the highest-paid guard in NFL history, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The deal has an average annual value of $20 million and includes $60 million guaranteed, the source said.The Colts announced they had agreed to terms on an extension Saturday night, with owner Jim Irsay calling Nelson "a generational player." Nelson, who was scheduled to make $13.8 million this season, was set to be one of the top free agents in the 2023 class. His deal shatters the previous record for most guaranteed money and annual salaryfor a guard.Drafted sixth overall in 2018 out of Notre Dame, Nelson had been an All-Pro guard in each of his first three seasons before missing four games this past year with an ankle injury.Nelson's 94.1% pass block win rate was 12th among guards last season, and his 71.7% run block win rate was 13th at the...

September 10

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- On paper, there was no reason to believe that Appalachian State would have a chance Saturday against No. 6 Texas A&M.But Mountaineers coach Shawn Clark, who makes 10 times less than the over $9 million Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher receives each season at the Southeastern Conference school, made it clear to his 18 1/2-point underdog team that the game is not played on paper and mindset would mean everything."The key was belief," an exhausted Clark said. "You have to believe in yourself and believe in this program. I told them take the logo off of the helmet, take the logo off the field and let's go play football."And play football they did, with Chase Brice throwing for 134 yards and a touchdown and a stingy defense taking advantage of two turnovers to stun the Aggies 17-14."It didn't feel real at first," Brice said. "I'll be honest, I was just in shock. I just couldn't believe the way we fought and finished. It was just great."Appalachian...

September 10

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Steven Gilmore returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter and Khalan Laborn ran for 163 yards as Marshall shocked No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21 Saturday, making Marcus Freeman the first Fighting Irish coach to lose his first three games.Gilmore, the brother of Stephon Gilmore of the Indianapolis Colts, picked off a pass by Tyler Buchner with 4:35 left, raced to the end zone and then jumped into the stands where Marshall fans were already celebrating the victory.Marshall (2-0), the first Sun Belt Conference team to play at Notre Dame Stadium, beat a team ranked in the top 10 for just the second time in school history. The Thundering Herd beat No. 6 Kansas State 27-20 in 2003."I'm really proud of the way our players competed," Marshall coach Charles Huff said in his postgame, on-field interview. "Notre Dame is a hell of a football team. Hats off to them, but our guys all week just said 'control what we can...

September 10