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João Klauss and Justin Haak scored following a second-half own goal by Colorado’s Reggie Cannon and the Galaxy rallied to beat the Rapids 3-2 on Saturday night.
Rookie Donavan Phillip scored his second goal four minutes into his fourth start to give Colorado (11-13-3) the lead. Phillip got assists from Josh Atencio and Jackson Travis in making his eighth appearance.
Paxten Aaronson came through with his career-high seventh goal for a 2-0 lead in the 39th minute with assists from Rob Holding and Loïc Williams.
The Galaxy (9-10-9) cut it to 2-1 in the 53rd minute on Cannon’s miscue, and Klauss scored his sixth goal — unassisted in the 66th to tie it.
Haak scored for the first time this season to give the Galaxy the lead in the 74th minute. It was his third career goal after scoring twice in 81 appearances with New York City FC from 2019-2025.
JT Marcinkowski finished with two saves for the Galaxy, which went 3-1-1 this month.
Nico Hansen saved four shots for Colorado in a 1-2-2 September.
The Galaxy improve to 5-4-5 at home after starting play eighth in the Western Conference.
The Rapids entered in seventh place before falling to 2-10-2 on the road.
Up next for the Galaxy: at St. Louis City on Oct 11.
Netflix and Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh’s fight announcement was striking for who it included – and who it did not. The event was presented as a collaboration involving Alalshikh’s The Ring and White.
There was no mention of Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who has promoted Joshua throughout his professional career, or Queensberry’s Frank Warren, Fury’s long-time promoter.
White’s involvement was not entirely unexpected.
The Zuffa Boxing promoter has been saying for weeks he would be involved in Fury-Joshua.
Hearn has been equally adamant he would not. After Thursday’s announcement, Hearn said Joshua’s contract specifically prevented White and American sports entertainment company TKO from having a promotional role, claiming Netflix had not been made aware of that provision.
Hearn said there had been breaches of the agreement which needed to be resolved and cast doubt on whether Wednesday’s news conference would go ahead.
Fury says a similar restriction originally appeared in his own contract but was removed because he wanted White involved.
Warren has taken a more pragmatic position. Speaking to BBC Sport before the latest dispute escalated, he said his understanding was White had helped secure the Netflix deal and compromises had been necessary to get the fight made.
On Saturday, White was generally non-committal on the future of the contest but much clearer in his criticism of Hearn. “The guy who is supposed to be helping the fight has been hurting the fight,” White said. “He hasn’t done the fight any favours.”
The 7,500-capacity Copper Box was some way short of full, with the upper tier closed and empty seats dotted around the arena.
But Fisher’s “Bosh Army” did their best to fill the gaps with noise, giving the “Romford Bull” a raucous reception.
Alongside his social-media star father “Big John”, Fisher has built a loyal following through an unusually unfiltered glimpse into family life, training camps and the pair’s well-documented enthusiasm for Chinese takeaways.
Fisher started with intent, swinging heavy hooks and reddening Pirotton’s eye in the opening round.
The little-known Belgian was unfazed by the home support or Fisher’s pressure, but his eye was cut by the second.
“I can see, don’t stop the fight,” Pirotton told the referee before a doctor examined him in the fourth.
Allowed to continue, he came out firing, but Fisher responded with a flurry to head and body.
Blood stained Pirotton’s white shorts, yet he rallied in the fifth – his best round – as Fisher began to look tired and static.
Among those in attendance were British fighters Derek Chisora, Conor Benn and Caroline Dubois, alongside WWE stars AJ Styles and LA Knight.
WWE is owned by American sports and entertainment group TKO, which is also behind Zuffa Boxing.
The doctor took another look at Pirotton before the seventh but allowed the bout to continue.
Neither man was offering much by the latter stages until a short right hand from Fisher staggered Pirotton in the 10th.
For a moment, a 13th stoppage victory appeared within reach, but Fisher could not find the finishing burst as Pirotton slipped to his third loss in 15 fights.
It was nearly a half decade ago now that Lincoln Riley, dressed in a slick blue suit and glossy cardinal tie, stood atop the Coliseum’s rooftop deck, grinning as he gazed out across the field below. He’d just been introduced as USC’s new head coach, and in that moment, anything felt possible for the future of Trojan football. Riley, at the time, was one of the most renowned young coaches in college football. And as he surveyed the scene, he painted the picture of a day when the Trojans were back on top and the Coliseum was hallowed ground once again.
But less than five years later, as final seconds ticked away on a 41-27 loss to Oregon on Saturday, fans trudged towards the exits, and that very same stadium sat in hushed disbelief. The Trojans’ season wasn’t over by any means — not after a single loss to No. 20 Oregon — but in that moment, the future that Riley had envisioned felt as far away as ever.
There would still be chances for Riley and his Trojans to make their statement this season. But the stakes on Saturday had arguably never been higher for USC’s coach, who spent all off-season explaining how this season would be different. There were no more excuses, no more explanations for why USC was still falling short — even he seemed to agree to that. Everything he’d been pointing towards in the distance was now here, culminating all at once.
With a gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule ahead, there was no better time for Riley to prove he had USC moving in the right direction and no better matchup to help catapult the Trojans into College Football Playoff conversation than Oregon, its newest — and still maybe most bitter — rival. The whole college football world was watching, waiting to see if USC’s coach could deliver in the most critical of moments.
Instead, the Trojans found themselves in an all-too-familiar, all-too-painful position, one they’d experienced many times before during Riley’s tenure. Mistakes piled up. Ill-timed penalties, too. And worst of all, USC’s defense still couldn’t get a stop. It gave up 505 yards to Oregon, the third-most it had allowed over the past three seasons.
The Ducks would score on six of their last seven drives, almost all of which featured their backup quarterback at the helm. That was after Oregon star quarterback Dante Moore was knocked out of the game early in the second quarter following a brutal hit by USC linebacker Desman Stephens. The hit started a shoving match between players from both teams.
Stephens, who was seen celebrating after the play, was kicked out of the game, but remained on the sideline in the second half.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is taken off the field on a stretcher before being transported to the hospital after taking a hit from USC linebacker Desman Stephens in the second quarter. Stephens was ejected from the game.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
The play would cast a pall over the whole game, but Raiola managed to throw for 289 yards and two touchdowns against USC’s defense. Jayden Maiava, meanwhile, had 326 yards and two touchdowns, but completed just 23 of 42 passes.
The rushing attack wasn’t much better, as the Trojans averaged a mere 3.6 yards per rush.
The afternoon began on a bitter note for USC. After marching down the field on a 13-play opening drive, a third-down sack forced the Trojans to settle for a field-goal attempt. But Caden Chittenden missed an easy kick wide right. It was just the latest in a string of recent special teams slip-ups for the Trojans.
The defense, however, would hold early. Even after Oregon running back Jordon Davison burst out of the backfield for a 45-yard run on the Ducks’ first play. Oregon finished that drive with a field goal, the only points either high-scoring offense managed in the first quarter.
Unable to get anything going on the ground, the Trojans turned to their stud freshman receiver to pace the offense. Five of Maiava’s first seven completions went to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, one of which came on a 31-yard strike down the seam to the freshman, who reeled in a touchdown in spite of tight coverage.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passes during the first quarter against Oregon on Saturday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Oregon was mounting a response when Moore took off on a quarterback scramble. But as he slid, Stephens decked Moore with a direct hit to his helmet, even after he already gave himself up. Moore spent several minutes on the field before being loaded onto a cart and taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center by ambulance.
Raiola, the backup, would take the reins of Oregon’s offense in Moore’s place, leading the Ducks to the doorstep of the goal line. But once again USC’s defense stood tall in the red zone, holding Oregon to a field goal.
It wouldn’t have as much luck in the second half, as Raiola found a rhythm. He led the Ducks on two consecutive touchdown drives in just 11 total plays.
But USC responded with three straight scoring drives of its own, and even added a stop from its defense in between. The third — an 11-yard strike to Tanook Hines — tied the score 27-27 with less than 13 minutes remaining.
USC looked to have Oregon stopped in its tracks on the ensuing possession. Then, on a third-and-long incompletion, defensive tackle Jide Abasiri was flagged for rushing the passer. The penalty gave Oregon just the opening it needed. The Ducks scored five plays later, as Raiola lofted a prayer to the corner of the end zone that was answered by one of his wideouts, Dakorien Moore.
A failed fourth-down attempt for USC would all but end it, as Maiava’s desperation pass was swatted away, along with the Trojans’ hopes.
The International team need five points on the final day to secure a first Presidents Cup in 28 years after holding off a United States fightback on day three in Medinah.
The Internationals were behind in every match at one stage but will go into Sunday’s singles holding a 10-5-7.5 lead.
The hosts had the better of the morning session, winning two and tying one of the four-balls.
But the teams split the afternoon foursomes, with Canada’s Corey Conners saving par at the 18th to win the final match on the course and preserve the Internationals’ three-point lead.
The International team have only won the President’s Cup once since its inception in 1994 and never on American soil.
“We were down in every match, and to come back and get one and a half points out of this morning, we felt that was a little victory because we were down everywhere,” said team captain Geoff Ogilvy.
“This afternoon, the same thing happened. Team USA played so well all day. They played some really high-level foursomes, especially this afternoon.
“For the boys to somehow come back and pinch two points out of that and split the session was amazing.”
Sunday sees 12 singles games take place, with each side needing 15.5 points to seal victory.
SAN FRANCISCO — The result of Blake Snell’s final pitch Saturday, a fastball that San Francisco Giants third baseman Shay Whitcomb lined into left field, mattered far less than the fact that the left-hander had passed the 75-pitch mark without incident.
Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández threw out Whitcomb at second. And Snell walked off the field to complete a four-inning start in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win.
“Definitely needed to pitch today,” Snell said of his first start in a week and a half. “Definitely showed that. I was trying to go up and in, I was missing up and away. Even the last pitch of the game, I try to go up and in and miss right down the middle. I don’t know the last time I did that. It’s been a while.”
The Dodgers (99-62) entered locked in as a No. 2 seed for the playoffs. So, the stakes of their last two games of the regular season boiled down to health and preparation for the postseason. There was no better example of that give-and-take than Snell’s five-hit, one-run start.
Because Snell left his previous start with tightness in his left groin, the Dodgers planned for a short outing Saturday, prioritizing his health for the postseason.
“We were confident,” Roberts said of Snell’s recovery from the injury. “But it’s still good to see it. And it’s good also that we got it out of the way, that rust off — versus whatever game in the postseason, then he’s rusty, and you’ve got to kind of pick up the pieces in a playoff game. So I thought today it was really best-case scenario.”
The only run Snell gave up was the result of a double, stolen base and sacrifice fly in the third. He had three strikeouts and no walks.
Snell’s changeup was about two miles per hour faster than usual, something he wants to address before his next start. And he wants to hone the release on his curveball. But his slider, the pitch he would be most worried about if his groin injury wasn’t resolved, had promising velocity and shape.
“To throw a 92 [mph] with good horizontal break, and to see the trust I had in the back leg when throwing that, that’s a really good sign,” Snell said.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell throws against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning Saturday.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Snell said he thinks he’s fully past the injury, and didn’t even think about it during the start.
“Definitely happy about where I’m at,” he said. “Now, it’s a big week for me. Catch has to be great, bullpens have to be great. I’ve really got to focus on getting in my legs, and the consistency of every throw. So to be able to pitch today and learn all of that is bigger than I could ever really express.”
Snell, who missed time because of a late spring training build-up and arthroscopic surgery in May to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, finished the regular season with just 42⅔ innings pitched. But he posted an impressive 1.90 ERA in that time.
The team considered replacing Snell’s start Saturday with a live batting practice session, Roberts said, which would have still given Snell feedback from hitters, but in a more controlled environment.
“We gave him and the training staff every out to do so,” Roberts said. “But there was a lot of confidence that he’s in a great spot.”
Snell’s recent workload was another reason for the Dodgers to be conservative with his workload Saturday. Over the past two weeks, he’s only thrown one inning.
“So there’s a balance between getting your work in, making sure you feel good coming out of it,” Roberts said. “Even for example, I could’ve pushed Tarik [Skubal in his start Friday], given his efficiency. But to me, to what end?”
Snell should be full-go for the playoffs, Roberts said. But count Snell among the Dodgers players who can benefit from the wild-card bye.
“This is still an important one,” Roberts said of Snell’s start Saturday, “to go into it feeling good, to then take that extra six, seven, eight days.”
Six to eight days off would line Snell up to start Game 2 or 3 of the National League Division Series. But Roberts declined to tip his hand on rotation order. The days off give the Dodgers extra flexibility to line up their pitching.
Mookie Betts celebrates after hitting a home run for the Dodgers in the third inning Saturday against the Giants.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
“You’re looking at, the first series, who could pitch on regular [rest], who needs extra, how potentially the next series lines up,” Roberts said. “How you can … maximize those four guys. And I do think with those four guys, it doesn’t matter the opponent, so that’s not a variable.”
Roberts also said alternating between right- and left-handers was not a variable.
“To be honest with you, you could put them all in a hat, and you could make a case for any order you put them in,” Roberts said.
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the stalwart of the rotation, certainly has performed to the level of a Game 1 starter, both this season and in a heroic World Series run last year.
For Game 2, it would make sense to choose a pitcher who’s comfortable starting on four days rest. Then, thanks to a pair of off days built into the series, both the Game 1 and Game 2 starters could be available to throw in an if-necessary Game 5.
Skubal has pitched on regular rest this season more than any of his rotation mates, making him a strong option to take the ball in the second game.
If the Dodgers do, indeed, go in that direction for Games 1 and 2, Snell would then be the natural choice for Game 3, on eight days’ rest. And right-hander Tyler Glasnow could take an if-necessary Game 4.
The Dodgers, however, don’t need to finalize their pitching decisions just yet.
“I love our starters,” Snell said. “I love the staff, the way we push for each other to be great and support each other. So, I can’t wait. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for, and now it’s time to prove it.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen is likely out for the postseason, after injuring his right shoulder warming up in the bullpen Saturday.
“I don’t know if it was a complete blowout, but really unfortunate,” manager Dave Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 4-3 win against the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers plan to put Treinen on the injured list Sunday, Roberts said. And he’ll undergo imaging to diagnose the injury.
“It just popped up,” Roberts said.
Treinen, 38, is the longest-tenured Dodgers pitcher on the roster. He spent over two months on the IL earlier this season with inflammation in his right elbow. But in 36 appearances this season, he posted a 3.64 ERA.
Treinen has a history of shoulder injuries and underwent right shoulder labrum and rotator cuff repair surgery after the 2022 season.
Colin Simmons tied the program record with five sacks as top-ranked Texas held off No. 14 Tennessee 20-17 Saturday with President Donald Trump on hand in the Longhorns’ first visit to Neyland Stadium.
Raleek Brown ran for 67 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and his four-yarder with 5:41 left gave the Longhorns the winning margin in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams. Giannis Spetic had a pair of field goals.
It was a defensive day with Texas (4-0) dominating with 10 sacks. Simmons’ big day will be remembered for his vulgar celebration after one sack. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct with the referee saying Simmons was “simulating” using the restroom.
“We took him out, we addressed it and put him back in,” Sarkisian said of Simmons. “At that point, I’m not going to give the guy a death penalty over an unsportsmanlike conduct. We got to fix it though. That can’t continue.”
Quarterback Brandon Faizon of Tennessee (3-1) made it interesting late, capping an 80-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mike Matthews with 1:22 left. Linebacker Arion Carter recovered the onside kick, and Jelani McDonald batted away Brandon’s pass to Travis Smith Jr. on the final play in the end zone.
Texas’ Arch Manning threw for 201 yards while being sacked six times. He also was intercepted once with the Longhorns needing the smothering defensive performance to help on a day with too many penalties, including two illegal forward passes by Manning.
at No. 2 Georgia 41, Oklahoma 13: Chris Cole scored on a 85-yard fumble return as the Bulldogs (4-0) took advantage of three first-half turnovers by John Mateer and overwhelmed the struggling Sooners in the SEC opener for both schools.
Mateer lost two fumbles, each recovered by Cole, and and had a pass instercepted as Oklahoma, which finished with four turnovers, fell behind 28-0. K.J. Bolden picked off a pass from Mateer in the second quarter.
Gunner Stockton was almost perfect in the first half for Georgia. Stockton completed his first nine passes, including a 35-yard touchdown throw to Talyn Taylor.
No. 3 Notre Dame 49, at Purdue 10: CJ Carr threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score and linebacker Drayk Bowen scored his first career touchdown on a 15-yard fumble return for the Fighting Irish.
Carr was 14-of-22 passing for 237 yards with his first interception of the season.Aneyas Williams carried 14 times for 80 yards with one TD as Notre Dame (4-0) produced a season-high 177 yards rushing. Notre Dame has won 14 straight and will start October with a perfect record for the first time since 2021.
at No. 7 Ohio State 42, Illinois 19: Jeremiah Smith tied an Ohio State record with four touchdown catches and also had career highs with 12 receptions and 217 yards in the rout of the Illini.
According to Sportradar, it is the 23rd time since 2000 an FBS player has had double-digit catches for at least 200 yards and four scores in a game. The last to do it was Western Michigan’s Sky Moore against Northern Illinois in 2021.
It is the fifth time an Ohio State receiver has had four touchdowns. The last time it happened before Saturday was Noah Brown at Oklahoma in 2016.
at No. 11 Texas Tech 49, Sam Houston 14: Red Raiders linebacker Austin Romaine returned two interceptions for touchdowns on consecutive passes thrown by different Sam Houston quarterbacks in the first half of what became a rout.
Texas Tech led only 7-0 before fellow linebacker Brock Gowlas leaped to deflect a pass thrown by Brett Holloway. Romaine, who had also jumped, then grabbed the ball out of the air and ran 15 yards for a touchdown with 14:54 left in the first half. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Bearcats starting quarterback Landyn Locke was back in the game, and his pass on first down was picked off by Romaine. That 31-yard return made it 21-0.
Wake Forest 30 at No. 16 Louisville 27: Connor Calvert kicked three field goals, including a 32-yarder with 6:20 remaining, to lift the Decons (3-1, 1-1 ACC) to the upset.
Gio Lopez threw for 225 yards and a touchdown. on 12 of 19 passing for the Demon Deacons (3-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) against Louisville (2-2, 1-1). Carlos Hernandez caught nine of those for 194 yards, just three yards off the career best he set last season against Delaware. Ty Clark III carried the ball 21 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 17 Iowa 20, at No. 18 Michigan 19: Hank Brown threw a game-ending, 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee to lift the Hawkeyes to the win in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Iowa (4-0) went 91 yards on the final drive — boosted by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Michigan on a third down at midfield. Brown’s 29-yard pass to Addison Ostrenga set up the final play with two seconds on the clock.
Bryce Underwood threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan early in the fourth quarter — their second scoring connection of the game — but the Wolverines (3-1) could not make enough plays on both sides of the ball to hold on for the win.
Etc.
Wayshawn Parker broke a 54-yard run on the game’s opening play from scrimmage for the first of his three touchdowns and No. 15 Utah (4-0) held off host Iowa State (2-2) in the second half for a 31-17 win on Saturday in a Big 12 opener for both teams. … Conner Weigman threw four touchdown passes and ran for two scores, leading No. 25 Houston (3-1) to a 42-28 win over visiting Georgia Southern.
Lee Beebe Jr. rushed for 203 yards, including a 70-yard burst that set up Josh Hoover’s game-sealing one-yard touchdown run with 1:56 to play, and No. 5 Indiana (4-0) held on for a 29-23 over surprising Northwestern (2-1) in the Big Ten opener for both schools on Friday night. …
Mason Heintschel passed for 403 yards and six touchdowns, and host Pittsburgh (4-0) remained perfect by rolling past Bucknell 59-0 on Saturday. … Jeffrey Overton Jr. ran for a 76-yard, go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter as Virginia Tech (4-0) rallied for a 21-14 victory at Boston College (2-2) in an ACC opener for both teams that was played in a nor’easter. …
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Bob Chesney’s friend nicknamed “Juice” led the effort to bus in supporters from the first-year UCLA coach’s hometown of Kulpmont, Pa., to watch the Bruins put the squeeze on Maryland in a 54-3 victory on Saturday.
Thomas Letcavage, the man known as “Juice,” brought four buses filled with 160 Chesney fans to watch their friend cook the Terrapins.
With the victory, Chesney became the second UCLA head coach to win his first four games at the helm, matching the start by College Football Hall of Fame inductee Red Sanders in 1949. But Chesney accomplished something Sanders couldn’t: beating Maryland on the road. Saturday marked UCLA’s first game here since the No. 1 Bruins fell to the fifth-ranked Terrapins in September 1955.
It was clear by halftime that another Terrapins upset wasn’t likely as the hot seat for Maryland coach Mike Locksley warmed as light rain fell consistently at SECU Stadium. After opening the season 2-0, the Terrapins’ home losses to Virginia Tech and UCLA will no doubt lead to more calls for the dismissal of Locksley, who is coming off consecutive 4-8 seasons and has an overall record of 39-51.
After failing to score on their first three possessions that included their first lost fumble of the season, the Bruins’ offense reeled off touchdowns on their next three possessions. The first was set up by UCLA defensive back Mason Rivera’s interception late in the first quarter.
Three plays after Maryland’s first turnover of the season, Wayne Knight opened the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown run. Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas followed with short touchdown runs as the Bruins scored 20 unanswered points to open the game. Troy Leigber added a 63-yard rushing touchdown with four minutes left in regulation.
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington tossed three more interceptions in the second half, the first two returned for touchdowns as Ta’Shawn James and Scooter Jackson scampered in from 39 and 65 yards, respectively.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava put a scare into the Bruins’ cheering section as he was slow to get up after he was hit delivering a pass to Aidan Mizellfor an 83-yard touchdown.
Iamaleava didn’t appear to be injured on the play, although with a huge lead, backup Madden Iamaleava took over the offense and helped the Bruins coast to the victory.
The rout marked the first time the Bruins have scored 50 during back-to-back games since 1993.
Rams coaches and personnel executives call it “the moment of truth,” the split second when a defensive back, usually on the run in full stride next to a receiver, must decide how he is going to play a pass that is already in the air.
Top NFL cornerbacks remain calm. They do not panic.
“It’s those guys that just kind of — their blood pressure never rises,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.
The Rams traded for the All-Pro cornerback in March, sending the Kansas City Chiefs the 29th overall pick and three other draft picks for the four-year veteran. They quickly signed McDuffie to an extension that includes $100 million in guarantees.
Last Monday, McDuffie intercepted a pass in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants, a win that helped erase some of the sting from their embarrassing season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
In McDuffie, a two-time Super Bowl winner, the Rams got even more than expected, coach Sean McVay said.
“He just has an amazing emotional intelligence of how to uplift and lead his teammates and challenge them in a way that’s authentic to his personality,” McVay said. “He loves the opportunity to be able to have some of the hard downs that a lot of corners sometimes don’t want, but this guy wants them.”
McDuffie, 26, is looking to make more plays Sunday night when the Rams play the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
With the Chiefs, McDuffie played against the Broncos six times, and he is still looking for his first interception against the former AFC West rival.
But mainly, he aims to help the Rams continue their momentum after giving up only two field goals against the Giants.
“It was one of those attitude games, where we didn’t have the greatest Week 1 performance,” McDuffie said. “So there was a little chip on our shoulder, a little attitude we brought.”
McDuffie began his rise to NFL stardom during a high school career that featured stops at Santa Ana Mater Dei, Anaheim Servite and Bellflower St. John Bosco, before playing in college at Washington.
Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie walks off the field after a win over the New York Giants on Sept. 21.
(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
The Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft, and he helped them make three Super Bowl appearances, winning two.
McDuffie said he learned a tough but valuable lesson against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona in 2023.
With the ball at the Chiefs’ 45-yard line, the 5-foot-11 McDuffie lined up against 6-1, 225-pound receiver AJ Brown. As they ran downfield, McDuffie saw the ball in the air. But he did not know which way to turn his head. He did not know how he wanted to play the ball.
Brown caught the pass for a touchdown.
“Too much thinking in my head to where I didn’t make the play,” McDuffie said.
McDuffie turned the experience into a positive while developing into one of the NFL’s top players at his position.
“From then on, it was almost like, ‘All right, the ball’s in the air, it’s not so much a panic, it’s like you get an opportunity now,’” McDuffie said. “When you’re a DB in the NFL, there’s only so many times they’re going to throw the ball your way. There’s only so many times you’re in a position to make a play, so just kind of calming myself down.
“When the ball’s in the air, don’t panic — just become the receiver. Get back to the basics. You know how to play football. You know how to catch the ball. Just go make a play.
“And really, it’s the fear of failure that I don’t have anymore. Like if they make a play, they make a play. Let’s just line up and let’s keep attacking.”
The next season, despite not intercepting a pass, McDuffie earned All-Pro recognition. He forced five fumbles and had three sacks.
It did not take long for McDuffie to make an impression on his Rams teammates. During offseason workouts and training camp, he established himself as a leader and was voted a team captain.
His first interception for the Rams was the fourth of his career.
“I was in the right place at the right time to make the play,” said McDuffie, who also broke up three other passes, “but I think overall as a group we really took a step in the right direction, which looking back at the film was the most exciting part for me.”
Rams receiver Davante Adams raved about McDuffie during training camp. This week, he said McDuffie had been the “best-kept secret” in Kansas City.
“I’m just glad to see him making plays on guys that aren’t our receivers now,” Adams said. “Go out there and do his thing, show the world.”
Defensive lineman Aaron Donald did not see McDuffie up close until he came out of retirement to rejoin the Rams last month. McDuffie made an impression in Donald’s first game against the Giants.
“I usually don’t watch the DBs,” Donald said, “but he caught my eye. He’s something special.”
On Sunday, McDuffie won’t be the only elite cornerback on the field. “There’s a ton of great corners in the league,” McDuffie said, but he regards Patrick Surtain II of the Broncos, the 2024 NFL defensive player of the year, as the best.
“It’s always fun just being able to see him in person and work his craft,” McDuffie said.
McDuffie intends to showcase his own against a Broncos team that features quarterback Bo Nix operating coach Sean Payton’s offense.
The Rams are seeking another dominant performance.
“Now that we did it once,” he said, “now we have to prove it again.
Great Britain’s Beth Potter claimed silver at the World Championship Triathlon Series behind Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand of France.
The final event of the series took place in Pontevedra, Spain, where Potter needed a win to overhaul Beaugrand in the overall standings.
But she finished fourth, with team-mates Georgia Taylor-Brown and Kate Waugh finishing second and third behind Beaugrand.
Beaugrand won comfortably, completing the 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run in one hour 50 minutes 52 seconds, which was over a minute quicker than Taylor-Brown.
Potter, who won the World Series at Pontevedra in 2023, remained in contention at the end of the cycle, but Beaugrand stretched clear of the three Brits in the second lap of the run and held firm.
It concludes a dominant season for Beaugrand, who has won all five of the World Championship circuit races she entered.
Taylor-Brown won the Czech Republic leg of the series earlier this month, which was her first win on the tour since 2023.
That’s why the seventh-year quarterback cut off a reporter’s question about whether the team’s locker room needs heightened vocal leadership as the Chargers carry an 0-2 record into Sunday’s road game against the unbeaten Buffalo Bills.
“I think I’m going to stop you right there,” Herbert said. “We’ve got great leadership on this team. I trust those guys in that locker room, so I don’t think anyone has panicked or worried because that’s not going to do us any good.
“It’s [about] moving on to the next play and understanding we’re close, we made mistakes, how do we fix it and how do we move on?”
Herbert’s intense messaging was surprising. The quarterback usually speaks in emotionless platitudes during news conferences.
But that response, or leadership — a trait teammates and coaches see far more from Herbert than the public — is one of several reasons why the Chargers are supporting their quarterback despite the offense’s sloppy start to the season.
“Ain’t anybody giving up on anything,” wide receiver Tre’ Harris said. “Everybody’s still on the same page. Everybody has extreme belief in 10 — I know I do — and extreme belief in [offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel] as well. We’ll go out there and do what we need to do.”
The Chargers are averaging just 14 points per game, above only the winless Miami Dolphins (13) and the 1-1 Pittsburgh Steelers (11.5).
And Herbert is partially responsible.
He ranks 27th in completion percentage (59.3%) through two weeks and is 23rd in passing yards (401) with the second-most interceptions (3).
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is sacked by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Jordan Burch on Sept. 13.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Herbert just hasn’t looked comfortable in yet another new scheme. But, as usual with him, context is key.
With a revolving door at left guard and rookie Jake Slaughter starting at center, the Chargers have allowed the league’s second-highest pressure rate (45.5%), according to Pro Football Focus.
Herbert’s pass-catchers have been inconsistent, too, struggling with pre-snap communication, frustrating — sometimes comical — drops and, of course, injuries.
The offense overall is having too many fumbles (7), penalties (15 for 109 yards) and other self-inflicted wounds. So while Herbert’s stats aren’t pretty, the Chargers’ woes go beyond his performances.
They have Herbert’s back, though, as they collectively sort things out.
“He’s been locked in [and] dialed in, man,” safety Derwin James Jr. said. “He’s working hard in the weight room [and] making all his throws out there. So, I can’t wait to try to get him some stops on Sunday.”
Then, there’s the McDaniel factor.
He admitted that he thought the Chargers would score more than 28 points thus far. As a result, he is considering “everything” moving forward, including shrinking the playbook.
McDaniel added that he and Herbert are “much closer” than they were two weeks ago as they work through the offensive struggles.
“It can be a lonely world as a starting quarterback — that’s a franchise quarterback — when you have successive losses,” McDaniel said. “It can be lonely as a playcaller [or] offensive coordinator. And the only way to approach it is that you’re not alone.”
The Chargers and their turbulent offense are on the verge of starting 0-3 for the first time since 2017.
Many outsiders are looking to Herbert to save the franchise from an abysmal season not many projected.
But to those in the building? They just want Herbert to be Herbert.
“One thing that separates him from a lot of other leaders … he’s the same person, each and every day, consistently great at everything he does,” said reserve quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
After all, when Herbert’s comfortable, he’s arguably among the league’s top signal-callers.
“Since I’ve been with Justin, there’s not a thing I’d change about Justin,” coach Jim Harbaugh said.
Scotland suffered a third successive defeat in the WXV Global Series as clinical Australia proved too strong in Edinburgh.
After losses against Canada and New Zealand – ranked two and three in the world – hopes were high the Scots could get off the mark against the side one place below them in the world rankings.
Despite leading 10-5 at the break, Scotland could not live with the rampant Wallaroos, who ran in three tries in a devastating eight-minute second-half spell to secure a comfortable win.
The sides meet again in Sydney next weekend.
Evie Gallagher, following her two tries against New Zealand last weekend, gave Scotland the lead on 15 minutes, dotting down to round off a period of pressure on the Australian line.
The hosts were on top, with Meryl Smith in midfield and lock Holland Bogan carrying hard and asking questions of the Australian defence, but loose work at the line-out cost Dave Butcher’s team some promising attacking positions.
The Wallaroos grew into the game as the half wore on and hit back with a well-worked try. Scotland repelled a rolling line-out maul close to their own line, but the visitors remained patient and spun the ball wide for Georgina Friedrichs to put Desiree Miller over in the corner.
The Scots hit back immediately when Australia were penalised for holding on straight from the restart, and Helen Nelson banged over a penalty to give her side a five-point lead at the break.
However, Australia flew out of the blocks after the interval and turned the game on its head with three tries in quick succession.
The first came when a rolling line-out maul was halted just short and scrum-half Samantha Wood was on hand to dive over. She converted her own try to nudge the visitors in front for the first time, and it was a double blow for Scotland as Gallagher was sin-binned for illegally bringing down the initial maul.
With the numerical advantage, the Wallaroos came on strong as Brianna Hoy and then Faitala Moleko cut through to score and put the visitors in charge at 24-10.
Wood knocked over a penalty to put Australia beyond two scores and added another late on to cap off a dominant second half from the Wallaroos.
Tries: Iosefa-Scott, E Roots, Varney, Gulley Cons: Slade 2
Gloucester (26) 45
Tries: Loader 2, S Atkinson, Lake 2, Joseph, Denny Cons: C Atkinson 4, Barton
Gloucester delivered an outstanding performance on the first weekend of the new Prem season to stun Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.
The Cherry and Whites only once won on the road last term as they finished eighth, but they matched that immediately with this superb showing.
Summer arrival, and new captain and Wales skipper, Dewi Lake led the way with two of their seven tries.
Winger Ben Loader helped himself to two, while Seb Atkinson, a fine solo effort from Will Joseph and a debut try from Junior Denny completed their try haul.
Exeter finished as runners-up last season after losing to Northampton Saints in the final in June, but they were well beaten.
Josh Iosefa-Scott and Ethan Roots grabbed their first-half scores before Stephen Varney and then Louie Gulley ensured they at least managed a bonus point.
After a few years in the doldrums, Exeter had a thrilling spring and summer with their unexpected run to The Prem final at Twickenham. With new American investment at Sandy Park, hopes are high about the direction of travel in Devon but this was a rude awakening to the new season for Rob Baxter’s team.
The Cherry and Whites had a miserable campaign in limping home in eighth and they have not reached the play-offs for seven years, but the acquisition of Wales pair Lake and Jac Morgan has increased belief for the new campaign.
That was in evidence in their positive start as they worked the ball from one corner to the other, with Ben Redshaw’s kick bouncing up perfectly for Loader to finish.
A sustained spell of phases eventually resulted in Iosefa-Scott driving over from close range for the hosts before a smart kick over the top from scrum-half Caolan Englefield allowed England centre Atkinson to win a foot race and touch down as Gloucester regained the lead.
Loader’s second try extended that advantage as he showed impressive footwork to conjure up another fine kick towards the left corner and dive over.
Gloucester had produced an impressive opening half, but Roots grabbed a second try for the hosts as the flanker found himself on the wing with nobody able to stop his charge.
However, there was still time for the men from Kingsholm to secure a bonus point by the break as captain Lake brilliantly went over in the corner after he had turned down a kick at goal to earn a 26-12 interval lead
Lake’s influence in his new team was there for all to see as he was at the back of a driving maul to grab his second try for a dominant Gloucester.
Joseph then scored the try of the game with a brilliant burst of speed from inside his own half that took him outside and inside three defenders.
Varney quickly grabbed Exeter’s third try and with visiting flanker Freddie Thomas sin-binned for the final 10 minutes, replacement hooker Gulley went over on his Prem debut to ensure the Chiefs at least claimed a bonus point.
However, that debut try was matched by 18-year-old winger Denny, who scored with the last play of the game to seal Gloucester’s first win in Devon since 2015.
Gloucester: Redshaw; Jospeh, Cokanasiga, S Atkinson, Loader; C Atkinson, Englefield; Rapava-Ruskin, Lake (capt), Fasagbon, Kleyn, Clark, F Thomas, Morgan, Trenholm.
Sebastien Pocognoli’s first match in charge of Scotland ends in a goalless draw against Slovenia as they are made to rue several missed chances in Ljubljana.
World champion Lando Norris has called for Alpine’s Franco Colapinto to be banned for causing an accident at a restart at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Norris was taken out in a chain reaction when the Argentine locked up his brakes and slid into team-mate Pierre Gasly, who then hit Norris. All three cars retired as a result of the incident.
Norris told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Give him a ban. It’s quite simple.”
Colapinto said: “I can be sorry to everyone. It’s been a big mistake, of course. I just locked up and then I was very out of control.”
Briton Norris said he believed governing body the FIA should take such incidents more seriously because of the impact it has on other drivers who are blameless, and the cost in terms of damaged parts.
“The FIA should be more strict and start handing out bans for this kind of stuff,” Norris said.
“It’s careless from people. It costs a lot of money. All my parts are in the bin now, so people should just get banned for this kind of driving. (They) don’t deserve to be in Formula 1.
“If you cause a crash on a restart like this, yeah, you should have at least a one-race ban.”
Russell appeared on course for a comfortable win as the race unfolded with few incidents of note in the opening stages.
Piastri moved up from third on the grid to second by passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the start but the Australian lacked the pace to chase Russell, who edged away into a comfortable lead.
Behind, Piastri soon found himself holding off Hadjar, who won an early battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris and then passed Leclerc to challenge the McLaren.
Meanwhile, Verstappen was making his way up from eighth place after a qualifying session in which a cascade of problems had prevented him qualifying second to Russell.
By lap seven, he was past Hadjar into third place after the Frenchman did not fight him.
The three cars circulated together in a stalemate, with no-one able to pass and the teams all waiting for the expected accident that would lead to a safety car and a cheap pit stop.
That happened on lap 30, when Williams’ Alex Albon crashed at Turn Five.
On the restart, six laps later, Verstappen passed Piastri into Turn One to move into second place.
But the race was almost immediately put back under caution after a pile-up at the first corner caused by Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who cannoned into team-mate Pierre Gasly, who in turn clattered into Norris.
Behind them, the two Racing Bulls also came together, Arvid Lindblad tipping Liam Lawson into a spin, leading to a sarcastic response from the New Zealander on the radio.
That put Verstappen on to Russell’s tail for another restart but the Briton handled the situation coolly, accelerating early and catching the Dutchman somewhat unawares.
He was unable to shake Verstappen, who was always about 0.5secs behind but never quite close enough to try a move into Turn One, the only significant overtaking place.
There was one last chance for Verstappen on the final lap.
Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac at Turn 15, and after backing off for the yellow flags, Russell lost his turbo which in turn cost him electrical boost.
Verstappen closed in on the run to the line and there was just 0.196secs between them as they crossed the line, the closest green-flag finish to a grand prix since the 2002 United States Grand Prix.
Russell has now finished on the podium in three of the four races since the summer break and asked what has changed for him since then, he said: “I think it’s just having more experience with this new driving style I’ve adopted and every race since the break I feel like I’ve gone from strength to strength. I feel more like myself again.”
Watch highlights as Warrington Wolves earn a thrilling narrow Super League semi-final win over Leeds Rhinos to reach their first Grand Final for eight years.
Manchester City‘s legal fight with the Premier League has the potential to “spiral out of control”, a former top club executive has warned.
Christian Purslow, a former Liverpool managing director and Aston Villa chief executive, who also held a senior role at Chelsea, said the case could begin a chain of events that would be “appalling for the game”.
City have been found guilty of the vast majority of 115 charges brought forward by the Premier League.
The club were accused of a wide range of rule breaches which centred around claims that they inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made other “off the books” payments to circumvent football’s financial rules.
Premier League clubs are seeking legal advice about compensation relating to the charges, while BBC Sport has been told that City will appeal.
Sanctions on the club are yet to be announced, but repercussions could include a points deduction, expulsion from the Premier League or a huge fine.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Purslow appeared alongside football law expert Paul Gilroy KC, who described the case as a “seismic moment for world football”.
Purslow said: “It’s a sort of ‘where does this end?’ because if you look at every single season – the nine seasons which we now know Manchester City breached rules – then all of their 19 Premier League rivals in that season, to differing extents, suffered easy-to-compute loss. Whether it was a place in the Premier League – every place was worth £3m.
“Teams that came fifth who didn’t make the Champions League maybe lost tens of millions of pounds – and of course teams that were relegated. Let’s say the team that finished 18th would’ve finished 17th if Manchester City weren’t there. And they, of course, suffered huge loss.
“If you add all those claims up, over nine years, and that’s just in the Premier League, you can see that the potential here for this to spiral out of control is huge.
“I really hope that common sense prevails here and that there is a comprehensive solution between the authorities and Manchester City that looks at all these issues and tries to draw a line in the sand.
“Because a never-ending waterfall of legal claims and uncertainties for another four or five years would be absolutely appalling for the game.”
Gilroy added that, so far, four clubs have put in protective claims “reserving the right to claim compensation if City are found guilty”.
Sitting on the Hart High bench as the final seconds ticked off the clock in a Foothill League game against Saugus on Friday night, Matix Frithsmith, with his blond hair full of sweat, was asked if he was tired.
“I’m good for anything,” he said.
He wasn’t joking.
Turning in an individual performance that caused Saugus coach Jason Bornn to call him a “generational player” for the Santa Clarita Valley, Frithsmith rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns to rally Hart to a 34-17 victory.
His 90-yard touchdown run immediately after Saugus turned over the ball on downs at the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter clinched the victory. Frithsmith switched from running back to quarterback late in the third quarter because of an injury to Camren Ketner. The play hadn’t been practiced in two weeks. He took the snap out of shotgun formation and just ran left until he reached the end zone. He got a key block from his baseball teammate, Josh Rogozik, and his legs did the rest.
“It was just fun to go out there and do something we haven’t really practiced a lot,” he said. “I told my offensive line we need something big right here and that’s all on them.”
Frithsmith also caught four passes and pulled off perhaps the biggest save of the night thanks to his coolness under pressure. Hart faced a fourth and one in the first half. Then came a bad snap to the quarterback. Frithsmith, at running back, saw the ball on the turf, picked it up and threw it to Rogozik for a 14-yard gain and first down.
“I knew I had to make a play,” he said. “I just threw it up hoping he’d catch it, trying to make something out of nothing.”
On Harts first offensive play at College of the Canyons, Frithsmith lost the ball on a fumble. Everything after that was him refusing to go down without two or three Saugus players pulling him down.
“He’s pretty special,” Bornn said. “He’s one of the best to come out of the Santa Clarita Valley.”
Helping Hart (4-1) was a strategy to deny the ball to Saugus’ best player, receiver Landon Lattimore, who came in with 12 touchdowns. He had returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against Hart coach Jake Goossen over the past two years, so Goossen was determined to not let it happen again. There was a kickoff that went out of bounds and two punts of 11 and three yards, trying to keep the ball away from Lattimore, who was limited to a 29-yard touchdown in the third quarter on a shovel pass to give Saugus its last lead at 17-14.
The first half was all about keeping the ball out of the hands of Frithsmith and Lattimore. Hart held a 14-10 halftime lead by getting the ball more times in the hands of Frithsmith, who rushed for 83 yards and caught three passes for 24 yards. Lattimore had only one reception until late in the half when he turned short passes into gains of 17 and 26 yards.
Saugus opened the third quarter with an effective drive capped by Lattimore’s touchdown. Frithsmith answered with a one-yard touchdown run and 21-17 lead. Hart’s defense came through with its stop at the 10, and Frithsmith broke off his 90-yard scoring run with 7:29 left.
Silas Tucker of Hart makes a great catch for a 40-yard reception against Saugus.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
By winning, Hart takes over as the league title favorite waiting for its clash with longtime champion Valencia.
The Hart sideline had royalty wandering around. Former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney and former Hart coach Mike Herrington, both Hall of Famers who had more than 300 coaching victories, were providing support to Goossen, who played for Rooney. Also there was former St. Bonaventure coach Jon Mack.
Julian Ward’s appointment gives Liverpool‘s hierarchy some much-needed stability after a summer of transition.
Ward has done the sporting director job before – and bar a spell between the summers of 2023 and 2024, has been at the club since 2012.
Liverpool did speak to external candidates but Ward was seen as the stand-out choice.
One source described him as: “Calm, well-spoken and with a clear opinion and vision.”
Ward’s previous spell as sporting director came under Jurgen Klopp, where he oversaw the signings of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez – he has a global contacts network and plenty of experience when it comes to negotiations.
He was also influential when Mohamed Salah renewed his contract in 2022 – flying to see Salah on holiday to seal the deal – and his relationship with the agent Jorge Mendes helped Liverpool in their pursuit of Diogo Jota.
There will be plenty of jobs for Ward to tackle – including the securing of Rio Ngumoha on a long-term deal now that he is 18 and determining whether new contracts are offered to Alisson and Virgil van Dijk before their current agreements expire this summer.
As FSG’s technical director, Ward played a role in Liverpool‘s push to recruit younger talent. And he has a good relationship with Mike Gordon, who oversees the day-to-day running of the club.
Under Klopp, Ward left 12 months into a three-year deal, but should have more of a say now, given how the head coach role has been structured under both Arne Slot and his successor Andoni Iraola.
Time will tell if Ward’s appointment proves successful – but in the here and now, he looks a more-than-sensible choice.
