The sons of Snoop Dogg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jon Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp all gave big-time football the old college try. None made a big impact on the field.
Maybe Bo Bryan, son of country music superstar and “American Idol” host Luke Bryan, will be the first to do so. A three-star quarterback from a mid-sized private high school in Tennessee, Bryan announced on Sunday that he has committed to Georgia, telling Rivals “it was literally a dream come true.”
Although landing a roster spot at a major college is a noteworthy achievement under any circumstances, Bryan faces steep odds. Georgia, a perennial top-10 program and national championship contender, typically recruits passers of Matthew Stafford-level pedigree. Stafford, the current Rams quarterback and slam-dunk Hall of Famer, was the first pick in the NFL draft out of Georgia in 2008.
Bryan, currently sidelined with a broken collarbone, is ranked No. 141 nationally at his position in the 247/Sports Composite. His scholarship offers were from small-school FCS programs such as Tennessee Martin, Austin Peay and North Alabama.
It’s not surprising that the Bulldogs carved out a roster spot for Bryan. His family has been Georgia fans for decades and his coach at the Franklin, Tenn., Battle Ground Academy is a longtime friend of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. As a child, Bryan attended camps run by Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.
“I remember being at games and my parents holding me,” Bryan told On3. “I’ve always been a Georgia fan.”
Bobo called with the offer, and Bryan gave the answer he had already rehearsed.
“I told myself, are we going to shoot for the stars at a place like Georgia, or are we going to stay in the FCS or potentially a smaller FBS school?” he said. “Eventually, I told myself, just shoot for the stars.”
Bryan is hardly the first child of a rich and famous music superstar to take a stab at high-level college football, with the mid-2010s experiencing a rush of attempts.
Cordell Broadus, son of rapper and cultural icon Snoop Dogg, was a four-star receiver at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High, and his 2015 recruitment by UCLA was considered a coup. However, he quit before the season started, gave it another shot the following spring and quit again before the 2016 season began.
“He’s going to pursue other passions in his life and we encourage that,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said.
Broadus’ attempt came on the heels of a four-year stint at UCLA by Justin Dior Combs, the son of music mogul Diddy. The 5-foot-7, 170-pound defensive back saw limited times on special teams and was credited with four career tackles. Combs graduated from UCLA with a degree in sociology.
Meanwhile, Jesse Bongiovi, son of rock musician Jon Bon Jovi, spent the 2013-2016 seasons as a walk-on defensive back at Notre Dame. He appeared in one game in each of his four seasons and was credited with one tackle.
Still another son of a popular musician to suit up for major college football was Hud Mellencamp, a two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion in Indiana who walked on as a wide receiver at Duke. He appeared in two games in 2014 and one in 2015, making zero receptions, and graduated with a degree in history.
Bryan will be competing against a Georgia quarterback commit with more traditional bloodlines: Colton Nussmeier, whose brother Garrett is a backup quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs after a standout career at LSU. Their father, Doug, is offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.
Whether Bo Bryan eventually fulfills his lifelong dream of succeeding on the Georgia gridiron, he is likely to make a mark in business if his predecessors are a fair indication.
As Netflix grapples with fallout from historic layoffs and upheaval in its senior executive ranks, the streaming giant is facing mounting scrutiny from investors about its growth strategy, diversification plans and response to rising competition from the likes of YouTube.
But the biggest challenge confronting the Los Gatos, Calif., company may be something more fundamental: a clash between the firm’s roots as a technology-driven upstart and its ambition to be a force in Hollywood.
Increasingly, tensions have flared between the L.A.-based executives dedicated to movies and TV shows and its engineers and technologists in Silicon Valley. Internal disputes have erupted over how best to expand the business and promote content on the platform to boost audience engagement, according to former Netflix employees and industry insiders who spoke to The Times.
The friction has deepened since co-founder Reed Hastings stepped away from management, handing the reins in January 2023 to Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, who share the job of chief executive.
The dual-boss structure has at times hobbled the company and contributed to muddled messages and some costly misfires, such as its foray in the games business, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly due to the sensitivity of the topic.
“With two CEOs, it’s hard to have a singular vision,” said a former Netflix executive who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Netflix declined to comment for this article.
But a person close to the company disputed the claim that there was a culture divide in Netflix.
“The idea that this is a power struggle between Hollywood and Silicon Valley misses how Netflix actually operates,” said the person, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “Ted and Greg bring different perspectives to the table, and that’s the point. They debate, make decisions together and recognize that neither great content nor great technology succeeds here without the other.”
Netflix, which laid off 6% of staff this month, has faced rising pressure after losing its status as a Wall Street darling and a Hollywood star.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Only about 1% of the largest 3,000 publicly traded companies in the U.S. have co-CEOs, according to research firm Equilar. But there are high-profile examples of the arrangement, including software company Oracle, Comcast Corp., Spotify and private equity behemoth KKR.
The Larry Ellison family, which this month merged Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery in a $111-billion transaction, installed scion David Ellison as CEO and the former leader of Mattel Corp., Ynon Kreiz, as co-CEO. Hollywood has had prosperous pairings, including longtime Warner Bros. studio chiefs Bob Daly and Terry Semel. Disney achieved tremendous success in the early 1990s when the late Frank Wells worked alongside former CEO Michael Eisner.
“The division of labor is just extremely powerful,” said Henning Piezunka, a management professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “If there is a disagreement between the CEOs, you still have two very smart people that are battling it out, and I kind of prefer that over one single person making the decision.”
But Netflix’s top leaders now face mounting pressure as the company has lost its status as a Wall Street darling and a Hollywood star.
Investors have grown impatient; they want to see better growth metrics, which has become increasingly difficult as the service, which has more than 325 million subscribers, has neared saturation in the U.S.
This month, Netflix laid off 6% of its staff, including several key movie and TV executives. It bounced its chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, replacing her with former Fox and Disney executive Peter Rice, who starts on Monday. Several programming executives were also let go, including film chief Dan Lin and his top deputy, Doug Belgrad, and the director of original TV series, Carolina Garcia.
“They have got to have a plan to reignite revenue growth, and it can’t just be about making better TV content,” said Laura Martin, media analyst with Needham & Co. “Everybody’s trying to make hit content.”
Former Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings, left, and Ted Sarandos attend at 2011 launch party in Mexico City.
(Elizabeth Fuentes/Getty Images)
A dynamic leader
Former CEO Hastings, who co-founded the company in Scotts Valley just outside of Santa Cruz in 1997, was a dynamic leader. The mathematics and computer science graduate, who spent two years in the Peace Corps, launched Netflix by mailing DVDs in red envelopes to customers bothered by Blockbuster Video chain’s practices and late fees. In 2007, Netflix began offering streaming.
Hastings oversaw the creation of a pioneering technology that could offer helpful recommendations to users on what to watch next.
That recommendation algorithm has long been viewed as Netflix’s secret sauce. It quickly became the envy of rival entertainment firms that were late to recognize how disruptive the streaming business would become.
With Hastings, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur at the helm, power at the company was cleanly split between the tech teams who worked at its Bay Area headquarters and the executives who worked with talent and content on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
Hastings established Netflix’s unique left-brain/right-brain culture, where people pitching projects were encouraged to openly debate and disagree.
To prepare for an eventual leadership transition, the company set up a dual CEO structure in 2020 by promoting Sarandos, its longtime content chief, to co-CEO.
Hastings, a 66-year-old billionaire, stepped down in 2023 as co-CEO, leaving his lieutenants in charge.
Hastings did not respond to a request for a comment.
Sarandos, 62, was known for making splashy bets on programming that paid off, including agreeing to pay $100 million for the first two seasons of a political drama, “House of Cards,” starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright that turned into one of Netflix’s first big TV hits.
Peters, 55, who was previously chief operating officer, has a tech background that complemented Sarandos’ entertainment industry insights. He holds a bachelor degree in physics and astronomy from Yale University and was taught code by his mother, a computer programmer.
Under Sarandos’ leadership, Netflix grew its presence in Hollywood and created content teams internationally. With Hastings no longer in the day-to-day mix, the power tilted toward Hollywood and Sarandos, who oversees the bulk of the company’s $20-billion programming budget.
“Over time, the center of gravity moved to L.A.,” one industry executive said.
The company expanded its business, including offering customers a cheaper subscription plan with ads. It also pushed into live sports, which Bajaria championed, and games.
The Dallas Cowboys’ Gene Jones, left, and Jerry Jones chat with Netflix executive Ted Sarandos during a 2025 premiere at the Egyptian Arena Theatre in Hollywood.
(Amy Sussman / Getty Images)
Escalating tensions
But as Netflix expanded and diversified, internal divisions intensified over operations and strategy.
In one instance, tech employees were surprised when Sarandos’ team signed a deal to release 2024 NFL Christmas Day games on Netflix without consulting tech and product executives, whose staffers would be responsible for providing the tech support for such a key event, two people familiar with the matter said. Those concerns were magnified after Netflix experienced widespread technical difficulties during the streaming of the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight that November, though the NFL broadcast was largely free of glitches.
Disputes also emerged over how best to promote and market shows and movies on the platform. Under Hastings, the trailers and thumbnails of programs were overseen by the product team, who analyze consumer behavior. But Sarandos has given the company’s marketing team more control over the promotional assets of programs, leading to disagreements with the product team over how to best to represent programs and engage viewers, two people familiar with the matter said.
Another source of internal friction has centered on Netflix’s aggressive venture into games that Peters championed, as part of a strategy to diversify its business and retain subscribers.
The streamer acquired several game studios beginning in 2021, investing billions into the space, sources said.
But the effort has badly misfired. In August, Netflix announced it was closing Hollywood-based gaming studio Night School and shuttering Finland-based gaming studio Moonloot. It previously shuttered Allen, Texas-based Boss Fight Entertainment.
The focus on games also sparked disagreements between Peters and Sarandos, who believed the tech and product teams were giving too much attention to games, creating confusion among teams over how they should operate, said a source with knowledge of the matter.
The leaders also disagreed in other areas as well, including over a 2025 deal with French broadcaster TF1 to bring its free channels into Netflix in France as a way to draw more viewers to both services.
Peters pushed for the deal, which Sarandos initially opposed, and the debate delayed an effort that could have helped the business sooner, according to three people familiar with the deal who were not authorized to comment. The TF1 partnership was a success that Netflix wants to replicate with other partners.
Sarandos and Peters also raised eyebrows when they appeared to send conflicting signals on the company’s interest in buying Warner Bros. During an Oct. 8, 2025, conference appearance, Peters said Netflix had a deep heritage of being a builder rather than a buyer.
“One should have a reasonable amount of skepticism around big media mergers,” Peters said. “They don’t have an amazing track record over the history of time.”
Netflix executives Greg Peters, left, and Ted Sarandos, right, visit a studio lot with Warner Bros. Discover chief David Zaslav.
(Joe Pugliese and John Nowak / For Warner Bros. Discovery)
A week later, Sarandos called Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to express interest in acquiring Warner’s streaming and studios business, according to regulatory filings. Netflix in December unveiled its $82.7-billion proposal, which Peters also supported, according to knowledgeable sources.
But, after spending months touting the benefits that Warner assets would bring, Netflix abruptly pulled out of the auction in late February when Paramount’s Ellison upped his company’s offer. Warner executives expected Netflix to go the distance, but they soon recognized deep anxiety within Netflix’s board, according to an executive who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Netflix’s stock hasn’t recovered. Its shares traded for $109 before the Warner bid. On Friday, the stock closed at $65.85.
Netflix is profitable, with net income increasing 44% to $3.7 billion in the third quarter and revenue up 12% to $12.87 billion from the third quarter a year ago, but the company remains under scrutiny by Wall Street.
Sarandos in an earnings call last week there is “no need for a fundamental shift in the strategy” but said the company needs to develop more hit shows in the U.S. that can “travel around the world.”
Netflix projected its revenue would come in the lower range of its estimate for the year, citing a lower ad revenue forecast.
“Their advertising growth has been very slow … and the video game business has been disappointing,” Martin, the analyst, said. “The problem is that the market is maturing and they need a Plan B, and they don’t really have a Plan B right now.”
Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in a 35-21 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stafford became the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdown passes by connecting with tight end Davis Allen for two and with Nacua for another in a victory that improved the Rams’ record to 3-4.
“A good step in the right direction,” coach Sean McVay said.
Williams and Corum each rushed for a touchdown as the Rams bounced back from consecutive defeats by the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals to keep alive their turnaround from their third poor start in three seasons.
For the first time in the Rams’ last five games, the outcome did not come down to the final play.
“I like those,” said Stafford, who ranks fourth all-time in fourth-quarter comebacks. “It’s nice feeling a little bit more comfortable in the fourth quarter.”
It was not a perfect performance — Williams lost a fumble and penalties nullified two Corum touchdown runs.
But that did not matter against a Raiders team that served as a welcome antidote for the injury-depleted Rams.
The Raiders (3-4) went into the game having lost three in a row, and they showed no sign that their struggles against quality opponents will end anytime soon.
Next up for the Rams: The winless Chargers.
After that, trips to Washington (1-4-1) and Arizona (2-5) before a bye.
Rams running back Blake Corum tries to fend off Raiders safety Treydan Stukes during the fourth quarter Sunday.
(Candice Ward / Getty Images)
If the Rams keep playing the way they did Sunday, they could begin to round into a semblance of the team they were projected to be when they opened the season as Super Bowl favorites.
They certainly might be healthier.
Edge rusher Myles Garrett and tight end Terrance Ferguson are eligible to come off injured reserve. Cornerback Trent McDuffie, who sat out the last two games because of a groin injury, could make his way back.
Defensive lineman Kobie Turner will be out at least three more games but could possibly return for the matchup against the Green Bay Packers the night before Thanksgiving. Adams also will be back at some point.
In the meantime, McVay needs Stafford to play with the efficiency he showed Sunday.
The 18th-year pro completed 23 of 29 passes for 195 yards. A catchable fourth-quarter pass to tight end Colby Parkinson bounced off Parkinson and into the hands of Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean. Stafford has passed for 14 touchdowns, with seven interceptions.
His second-quarter touchdown pass to Nacua was the 155th since he joined the Rams in 2021, moving him past Roman Gabriel into first on the team’s all-time list. Stafford is also the first player in NFL history to lead two different franchises in touchdown passes; he had 282 with the Detroit Lions.
Nacua was questionable for the game because of a calf injury he suffered during practice. But the fourth-year pro caught eight passes for 68 yards, including his catch-and-run for an 11-yard touchdown.
Williams rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in 16 carries. Corum gained 93 yards and scored a touchdown in 17 carries. He would have amassed more than 100 yards rushing if a 43-yard touchdown had not been nullified by a penalty.
Rams running back Kyren Williams stiff-arms Raiders cornerback Hezekiah Masses in the second quarter Sunday.
(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
“It feels great being able to have a partner back there like Kyren,” Corum said. “It just makes you want to go harder, seeing him do some of the things that he does on the field.
“You’re just like, ‘All right, it’s my time. Let me go do it.’ And so I feel like we just make each other proud and feed off each other’s energy.”
On a day when the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers lost for the first time, the Rams avoided falling further behind and appeared capable of possibly engineering turnarounds similar to the ones they produced in 2023 and 2024.
The Rams led 14-3 early in the second quarter on Stafford’s touchdown passes to Allen.
A few minutes before halftime, Nacua scored. Williams’ 17-yard touchdown run gave the Rams a comfortable 28-6 lead.
The Raiders threatened in the fourth quarter when Kirk Cousins connected with Tre Tucker for a 37-yard touchdown pass and, after Dean’s interception, found Ashton Jeanty for another.
But Corum sealed the victory with a four-yard touchdown run.
The Rams’ performance was more than enough against the Raiders.
In the most complimentary way, I ask: What the heck was that first half, UCLA?
Yes, really. With Saturday’s 28-10 victory over Michigan State, Bob Chesney has the Bruins football team 7-0 for the first time since 2005. Still undefeated and still the only team in the Big Ten — and SEC — conferences that can say so. Ranked No. 9 in the nation and moving on up.
And so I ask: Two lost fumbles before halftime? Two drops? Two holding penalties? A meager 84 yards through the air and a modest 14-7 halftime lead? Against a majorly depleted Michigan State team fielding a freshman third-stringer at quarterback — that also lost two more of its best players to injury in the first half?
These Bruins are too good to be letting the wounded Spartans (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) hang with them for even a half.
And yet, for a hot moment, doubt started to creep back in: Was this the day Chesney’s chariot turned back into a pumpkin? Was the last petal from the enchanted rose about to fall, this beauty of a season due to turn ugly? Was the fairy tale almost over?
No. The nation’s best second-half team gathered itself — “at halftime in the locker room, guys coming over, ‘Let’s go, man. We got you!” quarterback Ty Dieffenbach said — exerted its will and outscored the Spartans 14-0 in the third quarter. They mercifully ran out the clock with a commanding 28-7 lead going into the fourth and improved to a tidy 5-0 in the Big Ten.
It’s what Chesney’s teams do.
Last season at James Madison, the Dukes led the nation in second-half scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game.
And this charmed season at UCLA, the Bruins came into Saturday’s game averaging the second-most second-half points in the nation (20.8).
Being able to bear down and wear down opponents is a sign of a good team.
Being able to jump on them at the outset would be the sign of a great one.
Let’s fast-forward a year. You’ve stopped pinching yourself to make sure you aren’t dreaming and the Bruins — who were unranked and unheralded to start the season after so many years of ineptitude — really are in control of their own College Football Playoff destiny.
UCLA linebacker Donavyn Pellot celebrates with linebacker Sammy Omosigho, left, after a 67-yard interception return against Michigan State on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A year from now, you’ll have been conditioned to expect them to win these games, and you’ll no longer be worried about whether this was all a dream.
But you would be concerned about slow starts. You’d bemoan sluggish opening acts and fret about how that might bite the Bruins in the big games that are looming.
Chesney doesn’t have to make that imaginative leap into the future.
He’s worried about it now. And that’s why his Bruins are legitimately a team to contend with, because he’s coaching them to be that. He expects it: “When you walk on that field on Saturday, you walk out and know that you’ve done it the right way, and that’s how you treat something that’s important. Not special, but important.”
And so I ask: Why didn’t UCLA treat the first half like it was important Saturday?
“Two fumbles, two drops, two holding penalties? You can’t do it, you just can’t do it if you want to win really close games,” said Chesney, the first-year UCLA coach, who said he’d spend the week before the Bruins host Nevada in a nonconference Halloween game by emphasizing ball security at practice and that he’d watch the tape to determine what triggered the holding penalties.
“We’re taking three, four touchdowns off the board by doing that,” Chesney added. “Never going to let this happen again.”
UCLA can’t because it doesn’t have any room for error.
UCLA coach Bob Chesney works with players before a 28-10 win over Michigan State at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
If the Bruins win out, Chesney will have directed an underdog to a surprise CFP berth for the second consecutive season. But if the Bruins lose a game, it gets dicey.
Never mind the rows of recruits at Saturday’s victory, and forget for a moment about the fans who are slowly finding their way back to the Rose Bowl for Bruins football games. UCLA needs to continue to impress the computers and the pollsters and CFP committee members who could eventually determine UCLA’s fate if the Bruins don’t do it themselves.
And though no fault of Chesney’s, UCLA is playing a soft schedule. Per ESPN, the Bruins’ slate was the 51st easiest coming into the season and what remains of it is the 64th easiest.
And UCLA, which is winning behind a backup quarterback, which went 3-9 last season and which had so much ground to cover after starting the season outside of the top 25 — won’t likely get anyone’s benefit of the doubt if a first-half lull leads to a loss.
The Bruins are proving themselves probably the best team in the nation after halftime.
If they can do that, why not aim to be the best team in the nation?
In retrospect, conventional wisdom might not be all that wise. Just check out this postseason.
The Atlanta Braves should have started Chris Sale in Game 2 of the division series against the Dodgers. They didn’t. They won.
The Braves then had an edge with Sale starting Game 3. They didn’t. They lost that game, and they were eliminated in the next game.
The Milwaukee Brewers should have considered trading rookie pitcher Logan Henderson in a package for Tarik Skubal, a win-now proposition for a team that has dominated the regular season but had not appeared in the World Series in 44 years. They didn’t. Skubal and the Dodgers missed the World Series, and Henderson started Game 2 for the Brewers on Saturday, helping them move within two victories from their first championship.
That brings us to Freddy Peralta, who starts Game 3 for the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Peralta was one of the top pitchers in the majors for the Brewers last year, and he has been one of the top pitchers in the majors since the Rays acquired him from the New York Mets three months ago, but in between he performed so poorly for the Mets that he cannot really explain why.
“Sometimes I ask the same question myself,” Peralta said.
So poorly that, when the league’s website ranked the most impactful trades at the deadline, the Peralta deal did not make the top 10, behind trades for six other starting pitchers: Skubal, Casey Mize and Robbie Ray to the San Diego Padres, Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes to the Chicago Cubs, and Jose Soriano to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Conventional wisdom? No big deal.
For the Mets, Peralta put up a 4.99 ERA and a negative WAR. For the Rays, he put up an 0.79 ERA in his last six starts of the regular season and a 1.07 ERA so far in the postseason, honored as American League Championship Series MVP.
“I feel like he’s kind of come back to being Freddy Peralta with us,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 earned-run average for Milwaukee last year, leading the National League in victories and posting 5.5 WAR, third behind Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies and Cy Young winner Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
If you wonder why the Brewers would trade Peralta, well, you don’t know the Brewers.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta throws against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 19.
(Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)
Peralta was approaching free agency, and the Brewers routinely trade All-Star pitchers like that for prospects: Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Devin Williams.
This is how the Brewers restock: The Burnes trade brought two pieces of this World Series team, pitcher DL Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz. The Hader trade brought Game 3 starter Robert Gasser and journeyman outfielder Estuery Ruiz, and within a subsequent three-team trade, the Brewers swiped All-Star catcher William Contreras for Ruiz.
The Mets wanted Peralta for what they considered an inevitable playoff run, with the largest Opening Day payroll of any major league team, the Dodgers included. The Mets finished in last place, and Peralta’s ERA exceeded 6.00 in each of the two months preceding the trade deadline.
“I was feeling bad,” Peralta said, “because I couldn’t do anything.”
The adjustments the Mets asked him to make, he said, were “a little different” than the ones that reversed the course of his season with the Rays.
The Rays let him pitch from the stretch, as he had in Milwaukee. They modified his delivery, including having him start it from the third-base side of the pitching rubber. His fastball got faster: 94 mph with the Mets, hitting 97 mph in the playoffs.
“We see that he’s in his element, man,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That’s Fastball Freddy.”
In Milwaukee, it’s all love for Peralta. The fans even cheered his bullpen session there before Game 1.
He’ll start Game 3 in Tampa Bay and, after that, who knows, but he would be lined up to start a potential Game 7 in Milwaukee.
“I know how special it is to pitch on this mound here in Milwaukee,” Peralta said. “I would like to pitch here during the postseason.”
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta celebrates during Game 2 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians on Oct. 13.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
He would have liked to pitch in New York during the postseason too.
“They had a lot of big expectations for me, the fans too, in New York,” he said. “They were waiting for something great from me.”
Conventional wisdom can boomerang. The conventional wisdom on Peralta’s free agency in the spring: he should make more in free agency than any pitcher besides Skubal; in the summer: this is a bad year to take into free agency; in the fall: he should make more in free agency than any pitcher besides Skubal.
But, given what happened in New York, what were the realistic expectations in Tampa Bay?
“I was able to go to a new team that probably needed me for …” Peralta said, his voice trailing off.
Quarterback Ryan Rakowski of Palos Verdes High was rolling right while being chased. Two defensive backs faced a quick decision. Stick with their receiver or come up to confront Rakowski if he decided to run.
Jalen Flowers was being covered, then saw Rakowski motion with his non-throwing hand to keep going. Soon Rakowski was firing the ball to a wide-open Flowers for a 43-yard touchdown as two helpless Mira Costa defenders gave pursuit.
The roar of Palos Verdes’ Jalen Flowers, a receiver and defensive back.
(Nick Koza / For The Times)
It was a perfect example showing the importance of chemistry between quarterback and receiver. Of course, talent helps lead to touchdowns, but chemistry beats talent like rock beats scissors.
“I think it’s kind of easy to have chemistry with him,” Rakowski said. “He understands the game so well, understands what coverages are.”
Jalen Flowers of Palos Verdes shows off his catching skills.
(Nick Koza / For The Times)
When quarterbacks and receivers are thinking alike, magic happens.
“At the end of the day, it boils down to trust,” said Westlake coach Rick Clausen, who played quarterback as did brothers Casey and Jimmy. “Is the receiver going to be where you need him to be? Is he going to make plays for you? It’s such a reliant position. You could be gifted as a thrower, gifted as a receiver, but one without the other is pretty useless.”
The best passing duos look like they have telepathic powers with the ability to anticipate each other’s next move. That’s why quarterbacks throwing to receivers in offseason practices are valuable as each learns about the other.
“When adversity hits and the finger-pointing begins, it’s your chemistry that saves you,” Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson said.
What’s more important between quarterback and receiver?
When St. Bernard coach Dean Herrington was throwing passes to his No. 1 target, Dale Frack, in 1981 at Hart High, the chemistry between the two was legendary.
“You know where the guy is going to be. You’re on the same page,” Herrington said.
Even though the game has evolved, with sometimes four and five receivers going out for passes instead of two, Herrington said, “Chemistry is just as important, if not more so.”
“Chemistry is higher,” Hart coach Jake Goossen said. “If you have talent but it’s not complementary , it’s not going to be fruitful. I want some talent, too, but you have to have the chemistry.”
Here are duos this season showing off talent and chemistry:
Ryan Rakowski and Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes. Whether praying together before a game or giving high-fives after touchdowns, the Palos Verdes duo keeps producing on short slants or deep posts.
Jaden Jefferson and Quentin Hale,Corona Centennial. This duo grew up together, lived together and played together for years. Jefferson definitely knows what Hale is thinking and vice versa.
Star Thomas III and KJ Woodbury, Orange. They have combined for 16 touchdowns in nine games as juniors.
Jered Smith and Aiden Mejia, Verdugo Hills. Mejia could probably close his eyes and know exactly where Smith would be passing the ball. They have nine touchdowns together.
Grady Long and Landon Armenta, La Serna. Long trusts Armenta like he’s his brother. They’ve combined for 10 touchdowns, with Armenta surpassing 1,000 yards in receiving. They’ve been best friends since kindergarten.
They’ve been best friends since kindergarten. La Serna raised in Whittier. What a game tonight for Landon Armenta and Grady Long in loss to Corona del Mar. pic.twitter.com/aZ4nmN5gUG
Dane Weber and Chase Bonta, Chaparral. An injury left Weber on the sideline to start the season, but he’s back. Weber and Bonta have known each other since kindergarten.
Brady Edmunds and Dylin Bruce, Huntington Beach. In less than two seasons, they’ve combined for 12 touchdown passes.
Koa Malau’ulu and Kuika Moaalii, St. John Bosco. They are cousins who have been playing together since they were 10. Moaalii has nine touchdown receptions and is having a breakout sophomore season.
Corona Del Mar reciever JJ Haley (1) leaps for a touchdown catch.
(Don Leach/Daily Pilot)
John David Annett and JJ Haley, Corona del Mar. Annett sometimes throws the ball up knowing Haley will find a way to catch it. Both are juniors with complete trust in each other.
Hendrix Tucker and Charles Davis, Westlake. Filling in because of an injury, Tucker, a freshman, has discovered the importance of getting the ball to Davis, who has 11 touchdown receptions.
Jordan Spigarelli and Shane McKibbin, Newport Harbor. They’ve been throwing and catching passes from each other since fifth grade and have connected for eight touchdowns this season.
MILWAUKEE — Sal Frelick tied the score with his first home run in three months, Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning and the Milwaukee Brewers stunned the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Saturday night for a 2-0 World Series lead by overcoming a four-run deficit for the second time in the postseason.
Tampa Bay, which won the AL pennant by forcing opponents into mistakes, committed one error, made two other misplays that could have been charged as errors and had a runner thrown out at the plate.
Down 4-0 in the first inning, Milwaukee rallied for its seventh comeback win of this postseason. The Brewers also rebounded from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, completing a four-game sweep.
After losing Friday’s opener 3-2, the Rays burst ahead against rookie Logan Henderson, but the Brewers started to claw back with two runs in the bottom half against Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen.
David Hamilton cut the deficit to 4-3 with a run-scoring grounder in the fourth and Frelick capped a nine-pitch at-bat against Ian Seymour in the sixth by driving a fastball over the center-field fence.
Frelick had gone 103 plate appearances without a home run since his July 11 drive off Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft and had not gone deep against a lefty pitcher since opening day against Tyler Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox. Frelick sped around the bases in 18.72 seconds, half the time of some theatrical trots this postseason.
Screaming fans at the second game of Milwaukee’s first World Series since 1982 were fired up during the seventh-inning stretch, dancing to the “Beer Barrel Polka” played by Mike Schneider, an accordionist from Clinton, Wis.
Brice Turang doubled against losing pitcher Tyler Wells on the second pitch of the bottom half, advanced on Garrett Mitchell’s flyout to right and scored when Pratt, a 22-year-old who debuted in June, looped a sinker from Kevin Kelly into short right field.
Abner Uribe pitched 1⅓ hitless innings for the win.
Jonny DeLuca doubled off Aaron Ashby starting the ninth, then Victor Mesa Jr. struck out when he couldn’t check his swing. Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson’s groundout advanced the runner and Yandy Díaz struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a full-count pitch.
Ashby has three saves in the postseason while not allowing a run.
Milwaukee won its seventh straight game, becoming the fifth team to twice overcome four-run deficits for victories in a single postseason and the first since Philadelphia in 2022.
Game 3 of the matchup between teams seeking their first title is Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. where the Brewers last played in 2023.
Of the 57 previous teams to take 2-0 World Series leads, 46 claimed the championship.
Tampa Bay took a 4-2 lead in the highest-scoring Series first inning since 1993’s Game 4 as teams combined for seven hits, tying the most in an opening inning.
Still, Milwaukee improved to 13-0 in games started by Henderson, dating to his 2025 debut. He followed Jacob Misiorowski in the Brewers’ rotation, the first time teammates 24 or younger started the first two games of the Series since Cincinnati’s Gary Nolan and Ross Grimsley in 1972.
Henderson started on 11 days’ rest and struggled as the Rays fouled off 13 of 35 pitches in the first. He gave up four runs — three earned — in three innings.
Given an extra day of rest, Rasmussen gave up three runs and six hits over 3⅔ innings in his shortest start since July 9.
Pratt made his fourth error of the postseason at shortstop, the Brewers’ ninth in 10 games, bouncing his throw past first baseman Jake Bauers on a leadoff grounder by Díaz. Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero followed with RBI singles, and Liam Hicks hit a two-run homer.
Jackson Chourio and Bauers started the bottom half with singles and first baseman Jonathan Aranda allowed Contreras’ one-out foul pop to bounce out of his mitt near netting in front of the seats.
With Bauers running on a full-count pitch, Contreras bounced an RBI single to the left of second baseman Richie Palacios, who had taken a step toward the base. Mitchell’s two-out single cut the deficit to 4-2.
Hamilton hit an RBI grounder in the fourth that bounced under Aranda’s legs for an error.
Chourio threw out Hicks from left for the final out of the sixth when third base coach Brady Williams waved the slow-footed catcher to try to score from second on Mesa’s single.
Brett Pesce scored the go-ahead goal and Jake Allen made 12 saves as the New Jersey Devils beat the Kings 3-1 on Saturday for their third straight win.
Anthony Mantha and Artemy Gritsyuk also scored for the Devils, who also beat Colorado and the Ducks on their current homestand. New Jersey has won five of six. Allen improved to 5-2-0 this season.
Scott Laughton scored for the Kings, which saw its two-game winning streak snapped. Forsberg made 23 saves.
Pesce beat goaltender Anton Forsberg at 8:08 of the third period after the defenseman found a clear lane through traffic in the Kings’ zone. Luke Evangelista and Gritsyuk assisted on Pesce’s first goal this season.
Before the game, the Devils introduced newly acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The 33-year-old Hellebuyck won 345 games in 11 seasons with Winnipeg and is a three-time winner of the Vezina Trophy.
New Jersey included goaltender Nico Daws, who won against the Ducks on Thursday, in the trade for Hellebuyck on Friday. Remi Poirier, who has yet to play an NHL game, dressed as Allen’s backup on Saturday.
Laughton scored at 15:57 of the second, driving the puck past Allen for his second goal.
Mantha tied the game about three minutes later with his third goal.
Gritsyuk scored his team-leading sixth goal into an empty net at 18:55.
The Kings had a power-play chance when New Jersey’s Timo Meier was called for tripping at 12:59 of the third but were unable to tie the game.
The Kings were coming off road wins over Washington and the New York Islanders to start its four-game trip after losing its first six games.
Up next for the Kings: at the New York Rangers on Monday.
No. 9 UCLA was hosting a Michigan State team with one of the least productive offenses in the country led by freshman quarterback Kayd Coffman, who was taking his first college snaps after the Spartans’ top two quarterbacks were injured.
After forcing three turnovers and four sacks, UCLA trounced Michigan State 28-10 Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins improved to 7-0 for the first time since 2005 after winning just three games last season.
UCLA’s defense carried it after the offense was flat in the first half, dropping two passes, drawing drive-killing penalties and fumbling twice in Michigan State territory. Both fumbles were forced by Spartans safety Devin Vaught and returned 50-plus yards to the red zone.
While UCLA conceded a touchdown after the first giveaway, allowing Michigan State (2-6, 0-5) to score in two plays, the Bruins avenged the second fumble with an interception from linebacker Donavyn Pellot.
Pellot returned his first career interception 67 yards. Wayne Knight scored on a one-yard run five plays later for his 13th touchdown of the season. The score gave UCLA a lead it would never relinquish.
UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach passes in the first quarter against Michigan State at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“Second half [was] much, much better than the first half,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney told CBS immediately after the game. “Mistakes in there and uncharacteristic things that we cannot allow to happen at this point in the year.
“So a little bit disappointed in moments, but at the same point in time we did what we had to do.”
Once the offense found its footing, it did not step off the gas.
The Bruins leaned heavily on their running game as they returned to its usual form after being limited to 3.5 yards per carry and failing to surpass 150 yards the past two weeks. All three starting running backs reached the end zone for the third time this season, as UCLA finished with 245 rushing yards at 5.1 yards per carry. Anthony Woods led the UCLA rushing attack with 112 yards and a touchdown in 14 carries.
The running game loosened up the Michigan State defense, and UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach took advantage of an already depleted secondary on the first drive of the second half, unloading a 63-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr. for his first touchdown of the season.
Dieffenbach made the big play after sustaining an apparent leg injury on a hard hit late in the first half.
With the defense holding the Spartans to just 156 total yards of offense — 73 of which came in the fourth quarter with UCLA in control — Dieffenbach didn’t have to be perfect to secure the win. He completed 18 of 31 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, UCLA refused to allow a forward push at the line of scrimmage, flying into the backfield and holding Michigan State to 1.6 yards per carry.
UCLA running back Wayne Knight scores a touchdown in the second quarter against Michigan State on Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
And when the Spartans tried to pass, the Bruins dug deeper, making it a nightmare for Coffman until Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald turned to fourth-string quarterback Leo Hannan. UCLA finished with four sacks, six tackles for a loss and five quarterback hurries, essentially living in the Spartans’ backfield.
The Bruins sealed their seventh consecutive victory with an interception from safety Malik Hartford, his second forced turnover of the game.
The UCLA defense was one of the team’s biggest liabilities during the past decade, stretching from the Chip Kelly era to last season’s three-win effort.
This season, UCLA hasn’t allowed an opponent to score more than 15 points since Sept. 19.
Those are affirmations Rams players and coaches have utilized during a season of great expectations mired in major underachievement.
The Rams, who opened the season as the Super Bowl favorite, will arrive in Las Vegas for Sunday’s game against the Raiders with a 2-4 record and a two-game losing streak.
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Gary Klein breaks down what to watch for when the Rams face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road Sunday.
And they will be without several key players counted on to reverse their fortunes.
Star receiver Davante Adams is out — and is expected to be sidelined five to nine more weeks because of a hamstring injury. Star receiver Puka Nacua, who suffered a calf injury this week in practice, will be a game-time decision.
Defensive lineman Kobie Turner was placed on injured reserve this week because of a groin injury, joining edge rusher Myles Garrett, who has been sidelined since the season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers following knee surgery. Defensive tackle Poona Ford this week was declared out for the season because of a triceps injury.
Linebacker Nate Landman won’t play against the Raiders because of a concussion, and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie is questionable because of a groin injury.
Meantime, the NFC West-rival San Francisco 49ers are 6-0, and the Rams are last in the division.
The Rams and coach Sean McVay have turned around seasons before. In 2023 and 2024 they overcame slow starts to win 10 games and make the playoffs.
“You can’t sit there and go, ‘Because we did X, we’re going to do Y,’ but we obviously know what it takes to win football games,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “We can’t sit there and look at the big picture and go, ‘OK, we have X amount of games left. These guys are doing that,’ or whatever.
“That’s not the mindset at all around here.”
The Rams have their own concerns, most notably a receiving corps that will be without Adams and possibly Nacua.
Adams, 33, is a three-time All-Pro and probable future Hall of Famer.
“You’re not going to one-for-one sub in a guy that’s going to be wearing a gold jacket one day, in Davante,” Stafford said. “It’s a team effort.”
It became an even more urgent one Thursday when Nacua was unable to finish practice.
Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington, rookie CJ Daniels and Alex Bachman are other receivers on the roster.
“Whether you’re talking about Davante, whether you’re talking about Puka, you don’t ever ask anybody to replace those guys,” McVay said, adding, “I want those players to be their best selves. … It’s a great opportunity for other guys to step up if that’s the situation that we’re dealing with.”
Rams wide receiver Konata Mumpfield catches a pass in front of Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss on Sept. 27.
(Justin Tafoya / Getty Images)
Atwell, Mumpfield and Whittington have combined for only 13 receptions. This could be the first game Daniels will be active.
“We’re all held to a certain standard,” Whittington said. “When you are held to that standard, I think the drop-off shouldn’t be that big. We all have a culture we abide by and everybody displays and embodies that. And I think it will work how it needs to work.”
McVay also could rely more heavily on running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, and tight ends Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen.
“It’s not any more pressure to anyone on the team,” Williams said.
With Turner and Ford sidelined, the Rams’ interior defensive front will include Aaron Donald, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison and Ty Hamilton.
Donald, who ended a two-year retirement to rejoin the Rams, is averaging just over 38 snaps a game.
Will that role grow?
“We have a general snap count that he’s always going to have going into the game,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “I don’t think we would go crazily past that, but it’s going to be hard if it’s a tight game and he’s at that number.
“Just like one of those pitchers in the ninth inning, you’re probably going to leave him in for a few extra snaps.”
Said Donald: “If it’s 30 plays, 40 plays, 50 plays, 60 plays, that’s what it’s going to be.”
The Rams have 11 games remaining, including Sunday’s against the Raiders, a home game against the Chargers and road games at Washington and Arizona before their bye week.
“It’s not over,” Donald said. “Is there a sense of urgency? For sure, because we want to win.
“But as far as curling up and panicking like this is the end of the world, it’s not that. We have a lot of ball to play, a lot of games left.”
Two former teammates sized each other up. Luka Doncic waved off the screen. He wanted the matchup with Rui Hachimura. The crowd at Crypto.com Arena buzzed in anticipation.
Doncic smiled wide.
After four years in which he became a staple in the Lakers’ lineup, Hachimura returned to face his former team for the first time as a Clipper on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. The forward got a warm greeting from the fans, who welcomed him in the starting lineup with a loud roar. The Lakers played a video tribute during the first timeout to honor Hachimura’s four years with the franchise.
But as he started piling up his 16 points in the Lakers’ 125-117 win over their crosstown rival, the crowd started to turn on the sharp-shooting Hachimura.
“Traitor!” one fan yelled when he hit a shot during a tight first half before the Lakers pulled away by outscoring the Clippers 39-26 in the third quarter.
Hachimura, who left the Lakers in free agency, made his love for the team clear. He signed a relatively conservative two-year, $28-million deal with the Clippers, turning down other offers in part because he wanted to stay in L.A.
“It was amazing,” Hachimura said of his time with the Lakers. “I had a great time with them. The organization, yeah, of course I miss them, but it was time to move on. It was special, my four years, four seasons with them. I’m happy with the Clippers right now, and I gotta keep growing my career.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said playing the first game back in an old arena can be disorienting. He experienced it after leaving the Lakers, who drafted him in 1998, and returning with the Washington Wizards in 2002. He had never seen the other locker room in his former home arena.
“Just being on the other side, the other bench, in the other locker room, it was just really weird,” Lue said. “And then playing against guys that kind of taught you the game, kind of molded you as a player, and just sitting across from it, it was really weird for me.”
Hachimura jokingly walked toward the Lakers locker room before the game. Before beginning his pregame shooting routine, Hachimura hugged Lakers assistant Beau Levesque, who was Hachimura’s player development coach, and Lakers guard Austin Reaves, one of his closest friends.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura, right, guards Lakers guard Luka Doncic in the first half Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
When Hachimura was traded to the Lakers in January 2023, Reaves was in his second season with the Lakers. While they became close, Reaves initially spent weeks thinking Hachimura didn’t speak English.
“I’d sit by him on the plane and he didn’t speak to me,” Reaves said this week. “After that, I couldn’t get him to shut up. Great guy, great player and I miss him.”
Hachimura developed into one of the Lakers’ most dependable shooters. A 35.6% three-point shooter while with Washington, where he was drafted ninth overall in 2019, Hachimura shot 44.3% from three during his last season with the Lakers. Lakers coach JJ Redick marveled at Hachimura’s reliable mid-range game that he once compared to “prime Michael Jordan.”
During the playoffs, when the injury-riddled Lakers stunned the Houston Rockets in the first round before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, Hachimura shot a sizzling 56.9% (15 for 31) from three. His career 51.6% postseason three-point shooting percentage is the highest in NBA history.
Hachimura filled a supporting role with the Lakers, where he was overshadowed by Reaves, Doncic and LeBron James. But with the Clippers, he has a leading opportunity. Hachimura had the second-most shot attempts among Clippers players Friday, going five for 14 from the field and three for six from three.
Facing different defenses than he saw while being the Lakers’ fourth offensive option, Hachimura’s efficiency has dipped. He is shooting 29.6% from the field and 38.5% from three while averaging 13 points and seven rebounds for the Clippers (0-2).
“I think understanding some of the actions we’re trying to run from him, like being quicker, being faster, not allowing guys to get back to his body so he can come off open, and just timing things,” Lue said of how Hachimura can adjust to being a focal point of an opposing team’s scouting report. “Little timing things here and there. We know when it’s post up, teams are doubling. So he has to find a way in transition, playing faster, attacking early, attacking faster in transition, but we’ll get him shots.”
During pregame warmups, Doncic sprinted out of the Lakers tunnel and straight to Hachimura, who was warming up in the corner. Doncic wrapped his former teammate in a hug. They laughed and joked all the way to midcourt before Hachimura resumed his shooting.
When the game started, Hachimura hit his first three over Doncic, who was late to close out. The Lakers star waved his hand in mock disgust toward Hachimura.
The energy at The Badlands Stadium on Friday night was too much for Mother Earth to handle. She had to put a temporary stop to it.
Both sets of players for San Juan Hills High and San Clemente were fired up by a full crowd of rowdy fans, and it promised to be one of the best high school atmospheres of the season.
But then everybody was forced into the basketball gym after five minutes and seven seconds of play. For 90 minutes a lightning delay threatened to end the affair all together.
Nothing, however, could force these two teams and communities to give up on this night. After the Norte fire tore through 570 acres across south Orange County, destroying many homes in the process, everybody needed this. The matchup — which hadn’t been played since 2021 — meant so much to both the Stallions and Tritons.
“Between the white lines, for 48 minutes, I expect nothing less than war,” San Juan Hills head coach Robert Frith said before kickoff.
It was San Juan Hills (8-1) that ultimately came through with an 16-0 upset victory, which puts it on the brink of the Alpha League title before next week’s big matchup against Mission Viejo.
This was the Stallions’ first win against San Clemente (7-1) since 2015, and likely knocked the Tritons out of contention for the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. That felt pretty sweet for Arthur Tuverson, who gave a little smack talk to the San Clemente student section after the game, taunting them about the defense’s shutout.
It was the junior defensive back’s 52-yard touchdown interception that sealed the victory. As he ran it down the field, the noise in the stadium reached pre-delay levels.
“I knew they were in desperation mode and needed to pass the ball,” Tuverson said after the win. “I made the play. I was waiting for it.”
Both teams played with backup quarterbacks as Preston Beck for San Clemente and Eiler King for San Juan Hills were out because of injuries.
The Stallions turned to senior Parker Armstrong, who started two years at Scripps Ranch High in San Diego. He finished the night completing 17 for 19 passes for 172 yards, doing enough to manage a low scoring contest and help his team not turn the ball over for the seventh game running.
The Tritons gave freshman Koston James his first taste of varsity action, but it was a tough game to come into as he finished 11-for-16 passing for 60 yards with two interceptions.
San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz knew that points would be at a premium in this matchup.
“We’re going to have to play good defense and not allow the big play,” Ortiz said pregame.
Frith called it a power of wills. San Clemente let gave up only 20 rushing yards, but San Juan Hills’ two interceptions and swarming defensive line swung the game.
Late in the third quarter, San Clemente attempted a flea flicker and San Juan Hills was on James the second he got the ball back. It was exemplary of the home team’s sustained energy during a long and tiring night.
San Clemente often ran two-way star Jaxson Rex out of the Wildcat formation, letting the Brigham Young commit’s athleticism take center stage. A lot was put on the talented senior’s shoulders to get the offense going. He finished with five catches for 42 yards and 32 rushing yards.
His counterpart, Texas State commit Luke Frith, finished with four catches for 48 yards.
Frith noted pregame that special teams would have a big role to play in the night. He was correct, as San Juan Hills senior kicker Trevor Koko knocked through two field goals in the first half, and then nailed a season-long 44-yarder to put the Stallions up 9-0 in the third quarter. San Clemente missed a field goal when down 3-0.
Penalties also hurt the Tritons as they committed 10 for 105 yards in the team’s first loss of the season after last week’s game against Mission Viejo was cancelled because of the Norte fire.
Before the game, first responders were honored and both coaches made sure to express their gratitude for the swift and effective work of those who protected the communities.
The coaches on both sidelines wore Orange County Fire Authority hats as a token of gratitude.
“[The hats] are a sign that it is sometimes bigger than football, and a lot of programs could take note of that,” Ortiz said.
The Lakers appeared to be on their way to almost being whole Friday night when guard Collin Sexton returned to play for the first time this season. Then word came that key role player Jake LaRavia was out because of an ankle injury.
Still, the Lakers pressed on in their second game, a game against the crosstown rival Clippers, a game with meaning for both teams.
Though the Lakers were sloppy with the ball in the fourth quarter, having six players score in double figures helped them pull out a 125-117 win over the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.
Austin Reaves led the way with 28 points and nine assists, but he had six turnovers. Luka Doncic had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds, but he had 11 of the Lakers’ 21 turnovers.
Walker Kessler was a force again, scoring 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking six shots.
The Lakers led by 15 points in the second half after the score was tied at halftime, but kept turning the ball over and saw the lead sliced to six with three minutes and 18 seconds left on a basket by Darius Garland, who finished with 26 points.
But Kessler played big in the final few minutes, making two free throws and blocking a shot late in the game.
Kessler sopened the game with his defensive presence. He stole the basketball and took it the length of the court for a two-handed dunk in the first quarter.
Kessler blocked a shot by Derrick Jones Jr., leading to a three-pointer by Reaves for an 89-77 Lakers lead in the third quarter.
Kessler then went to work on the backboards, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring on a reverse layup while being fouled by Brook Lopez. Kessler flexed and yelled. He missed the free throw, but his basket had given the Lakers a 91-77 in the third quarter and it kept their momentum going.
Kessler kept up his fantastic play in the fourth quarter, challenging a shot on defense by Rui Hachimura and then running on the fast break to catch a lob from Reaves for a two-handed dunk and a 15-point Lakers lead.
It was also the return of Hachimura, who spent 3 ½-seasons with the Lakers before joining the Clippers this summer on a two-year, $28-million deal. The well-liked Hachimura was shown just how much when the Lakers played highlights from when he played with them.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura, playing tight defense on Lakers guard Luka Doncic, returned to Crypto.com Arena where played for parts of three seasons. He had 16 points, six rebounds and two steals.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Hachimura had 12 points at the half, doing his part to help the Clippers stay at 64-64.
Before the game, Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke glowingly of how Hachimura played during the preseason for the Clippers.
“They’re running a lot of the same stuff for Rui that they ran for PG [Paul George] and at times Kawhi [Leonard],” Redick said. “He’s playing free and he’s playing ultra-aggressive right now.”
With three minutes and 52 seconds left in the first quarter, Sexton checked into the game, and his first play was a steal.
Sexton missed the first regular-season game and five exhibition games because of lower leg injury. He played 16 minutes and had five points and three steals.
Etc.
LaRavia didn’t play because of a sprained right ankle. LaRavia played in all 82 games last season for the first time in his career. His goal was to play in all 82 this season, but he’s already missed his first game and might not be available to play until Sunday at Utah or Tuesday at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“We talked last week and mentioned that was one of his goals for the season. He had the same goal last year and he was able to do that,” Redick said. “Play through some stuff at times last year. Wanted to play. We talked to him this morning before shoot-around and I was going to try to give it a go and went to the treatment room and just it’s not there, but he’s hopeful he could be back Sunday, if not Tuesday.”
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee is going absolutely nuts. The Brewers have sold out Game 3 and Game 4 of the World Series.
The Tampa Bay Rays will host those games, but the Brewers invited fans to come to their stadium and watch on the big screen. The Brewers sold more than 31,000 tickets to each of their watch parties at $15 apiece. On Friday morning, StubHub offered them for resale, starting at $168.
There is nothing quite like a city uniting behind a team that never has won a World Series. Ask Logan Henderson.
Henderson, the Brewers’ starting pitcher Saturday in Milwaukee, grew up a huge fan of the Houston Astros. He was 15 when he saw his first World Series game.
“My parents had always said, if we were fortunate enough to be able to watch them go to the World Series, we’re going to do everything we can to get there,” Henderson said. “I was blessed that my parents got tickets to go to the games.
“There’s nothing like it. I’m on the other side of it now. I was a spectator and a fan, now I’m a player. It’s definitely surreal.”
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson follows through on a pitch during Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers in Milwaukee on Oct. 12.
“I went to the one before the crazy one,” he said. “L.A. ended up winning that game.”
In the crazy one, the Dodgers blew two four-run leads, tied the score with three runs in the ninth inning and lost in the 10th.
If we knew then what we know now, Game 4 would be the crazy one: Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood constantly changing his signs, suspicious that the Astros might be up to something, whatever that might be.
Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood delivers from the mound during Game 4 of the World Series against the Astros on Oct. 28, 2017, in Houston.
(Pool / Getty Images)
Wood was vindicated three years later, when a league investigation revealed the Astros had been cheating in 2017, stealing signs from a television monitor next to the dugout and relaying them to batters by banging on trash cans. The practice, according to the report issued by commissioner Rob Manfred, was refined during the regular season and extended “throughout the postseason.”
The scandal outraged the Dodgers and their fans. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to demand Manfred award the 2017 championship to the Dodgers. Their players wanted nothing to do with that. A real championship, after all, would come with champagne and beer in the clubhouse and a parade through the streets.
When the Astros’ team buses arrived at Dodger Stadium for games during the pandemic season of 2020, when ballparks were closed to the public, Dodgers fans gathered outside to boo.
Dodgers fans boo Jose Altuve of the Astros after he struck out in a game on Aug. 3, 2001, at Dodger Stadium.
“That meant absolutely everything to the city. I hope that means what it did for me to the fans in Milwaukee here.”
The Rays also are trying to bring their first championship home to Tampa Bay. In 2017, hard as this might be to believe today, the mighty Dodgers had not won a championship in 29 years.
And now, as a major leaguer, Henderson has an acute appreciation of the little things that can mean the difference between victory and defeat, between a parade and another plaintive chorus of “wait ‘til next year.”
“I would rather face a player that was taking steroids than face a player that knew every pitch that was coming,” Wood tweeted after Manfred’s report on the Astros’ cheating.
Henderson knows how hard this is to do. The Brewers haven’t appeared in the World Series in 44 years, and owner Mark Attanasio said nervous fans already are wondering whether their next appearance will be 44 years away.
So I asked Henderson if, all these years later, the scandal changed how he felt about those Astros.
He paused.
He exhaled.
He paused again.
“Maybe a little bit,” Henderson said. “It’s unfortunate. I try not to think about it or talk on it too much. I think now, being in the game, my perspective on it is a little different.
“I think for the kid in me — and the huge baseball fan I was — that team will always have a special place in my heart.”
It was a potential nightmare scenario. Starting left tackle, Elijah Paige, had been scratched in pregame warm-ups at Penn State. And in his place stepped a true freshman in his first start at USC, forced to find his way in a White Out, surrounded by a hostile crowd of 114,000 strong.
But when Vlad Dyakonov learned he was stepping in, a couple of hours ahead of kickoff, his coaches were surprised by how little it seemed to faze him.
“Some of us [coaches] were like, ‘Does he realize what he’s getting himself into?’” coach Lincoln Riley said, with a grin. “He didn’t flinch, man.”
You could say the same, generally, about USC’s entire front through the first half of this season. After years of shallow depth, unfortunate injuries, and transfer misfires at the position, USC’s offensive line has been the stabilizing force propelling its high-powered attack to a 6-1 record.
USC running back King Miller carries the ball as the offensive line blocks during a win at Penn State on Oct. 10.
(Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)
That’s a testament primarily to offensive line coach Zach Hanson, who, in his fifth season, has now fully rebuilt the room in his image.
“He’s a very steady guy,” Riley said of Hanson. “He’s not a guy who fluctuates a lot day to day, so our players kind of feed off of that. There’s a steadiness to our group.”
USC is also entering the brutal back half of its schedule with that group as healthy as it has been all season. As the Trojans take to the road Saturday looking to build momentum off the big win over Penn State and subsequent bye week, they’ll have all five starters available along the offensive line against Wisconsin. Paige is set to return, as is left guard Hayden Treter, who missed the last two games.
It comes at an ideal time, considering the pass rusher they’ll have to contend with Saturday. The Badgers have just eight sacks as a defense this season, but boast one of the best pass rushers in the Big Ten, senior Sebastian Cheeks. Cheeks leads the conference with 28 quarterback pressures.
Few teams, though, have been better than USC through seven games at protecting the quarterback. The Trojans’ starting offensive line has only given up one more combined pressure (29) than Cheeks has accumulated himself this season, while only allowing seven sacks in seven games.
“We’re a unit,” center Tobias Raymond said. “So everyone is feeding off each other.”
USC offensive lineman Elijah Paige blocks during a game against Oregon at the Coliseum on Sept. 26.
(Ben Liebenberg / Getty Images)
With Cheeks and a handful of other fearsome pass rushers approaching on USC’s upcoming Big Ten slate, right tackle Justin Tauanuu said the Trojans used the bye week to get back to the basics up front.
“Going against great players like that, you have to go back to fundamentals,” Tauanuu said. “Fundamentals will triumph over everything else.”
USC hasn’t looked like a line in need of much instruction this season. Jayden Maiava has faced pressure on just over 20% over his dropbacks, which ranks 10th among all quarterbacks nationally. It’s also a considerably lower rate of pressure than any USC quarterback has faced in recent years. The previous low, under Riley, was 30.5% with Miller Moss at quarterback in 2024.
Part of that success is Maiava’s penchant for getting rid of the ball quickly. But his protection has certainly been a critical aspect of his success this season. Because when pressure has managed to reach him, the USC senior has been much less effective as a passer. According to Pro Football Focus, Maiava has a completion rate of just 39% under pressure versus 79% when he has a clean pocket.
Blitzes also haven’t bothered USC’s passing attack much, either. Another product of the line’s impressive performance to date. Maiava has essentially had the same amount of time to throw when blitzed (2.7 seconds) versus when not blitzed (2.78 seconds).
Creating room in the run game has been a different story. USC has been considerably less effective on the ground this season than in recent years — a fact that Riley said was front of mind during the bye. The Trojans rank ninth in the Big Ten in rush yards per attempt (4.33) and 10th in rush plays of 20-plus yards (5).
“We definitely can run the ball better,” Riley said. “We’re gonna need to run the ball better. Good is not good enough for us.”
As a whole, though, it’s hard to imagine USC being in a better place up front this season. Especially considering where the position stood at the start of Riley’s tenure. The coach tried, at first, to build the room through the transfer portal and saw mixed results. After that, injuries ravaged an otherwise thin room.
But now the depth Hanson has built over the past few years is paying off. USC has already weathered injuries, including a season-ending injury to last year’s starting center, Kilian O’Connor. Meanwhile, several highly touted linemen are still currently buried on the depth chart, among them five-star freshman Keenyi Pepe, whose progression Riley said has been impressive.
“If you just kind of look at the makeup of it, we don’t have transfers,” Riley said. “We have a lot of guys who were kind of homegrown in this program. We have a good healthy young group. Zach has obviously had a big role in putting that whole group together.”
Rams receiver Puka Nacua will not practice Friday because of a calf injury and will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Sean McVay said Friday.
Nacua took part in the majority of practice on Thursday but did not finish it. McVay indicated that tests revealed “a little minor thing in there,” and that Nacua would be a game-time decision Sunday.
“I don’t think he knows exactly when it occurred,” McVay said, adding, “he felt it where he wasn’t able to have some of the power and full explosion … but i don’t think he was aware of any sort of specific play that led to it.”
Nacua played in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers and then sat out two games because of a hip injury that caused abdominal soreness. He returned and produced more than 100 yards receiving in each of the next two games, and then caught six passes for 80 yards in last Sunday’s 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals.
Nacua, the NFL receptions leader in 2025, has 37 catches for 417 yards and a touchdown, and he also has rushed for a touchdown this season.
Nacua’s injury is the latest in a series suffered by a Rams team that opened the season as the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium, but has lost its last two games to fall to 2-4.
Receiver Davante Adams is expected to be sidelined six to 10 weeks because of a hamstring injury suffered against the Cardinals.
Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels are other Rams receivers.
“It’s our job to figure out, all right, what are some of the spots we can put them in that accentuate their skillsets,” McVay said.
Inside linebacker Nate Landman is out because of a concussion, McVay said. So veteran Eric Kendricks, who was signed to the practice squad a few weeks ago, will be activated to the roster against the Raiders.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie, who sat out against the Cardinals because of a groin injury, did not practice this week and will be listed as questionable against the Raiders.
ARE you racking your brain for new ways to entertain the kids this half term, especially given the unpredictable weather?
Do not fear – here we’ve collated a full list of some of England’s best attractions in EVERY county in the UK, from walks in the rolling countryside, to electrifying museum exhibitions, donkey sanctuaries and even a tour of an enormous board game collection.
Discover charming gardens, engaging interactive exhibitions and one of Europe’s largest carriage collections.
Dunstable Downs, Dunstable
Soak in the stunning views of the Dunstable Downs, lovingly sculpted by nature over hundreds of years. Miles of circular walks and beautiful nature make it the spot for an afternoon amble.
The village, Neolithic henge and stone circle, Avebury, WiltshireCredit: Getty
Berkshire
Reading Museum, Reading
Learn all about Reading’s fascinating history by exploring an assortment of exhibitions, with everything from biscuit tins to beetles, Romans and Rodin. The museum also boasts it’s very own version of the Bayeux Tapestry – painstakingly recreated in full by Victorian embroiderers, and a great option if you’ve not been able to get tickets for the sell-out British Museum exhibition.
The Museum of English Rural Life, Reading
With nine distinct themed galleries, the museum walks you around the most comprehensive collection of rural artefacts ranging from huge steam trains to ancient farming tools.
Visit the Museum of English Rural lifeCredit: Alamy
Bristol
Banksy free walking tour, Bristol
Bristol is the hometown of the street artist Banksy. Take a self-guided tour through the artist’s very own stomping ground and admire some of his most famous works.
M Shed Museum, Bristol
The 1950s transit shed, originally called M Shed offers visitors a whistlestop tour of the city’s history.
A Banksy mural in BristolCredit: ReutersArtwork based around a burglar alarm by artist Banksy on the wall of an alley in Albion Docks, BristolCredit: Getty
Buckinghamshire
Wycombe Museum (the chair museum), High Wycombe
Quaint grounds holding a collection of local art and furniture from the 17th to the 21st centuries.
Coombe Hill, Dunsmore
Walk from the town base up to the prominent monument for panoramic views across the Chiltern Hills.
Cambridgeshire
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
View huge collections of global antiquities, master paintings, pottery and a sprawling number of historical artefacts.
The Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Enjoy wandering through the vast array of animal specimens, skeletons, fossils, and taxidermy, as well as several exciting educational displays.
The roman City Walls in Chester, CheshireCredit: AlamyNorthgate and the old Bluecoat Hospital building, City Walls, Chester, CheshireCredit: Alamy
Cheshire
Cheshire Story House, Cheshire
More than just a theatre, this beloved venue on Hunter Street offers free family craft sessions run every weekend.
Walk the city walls, Cheshire
Bring a brolly and good set of waterproofs and set off scaling Cheshire’s historic city walls, which includes two miles of Roman gates, medieval towers and stunning views across the city and Welsh hills.
City of London
The British Museum, Great Russell Street
The UK’s biggest museum, with the world’s largest collection of works – eight million pieces exploring human history, art, and culture.
The Natural History Museum, South Kensington
One of the UK’s most popular museums with 80 million items, including the famous blue whale skeleton.
Cornwall
Falmouth Art Gallery, Falmouth
View a rotating fine art collection and family exhibitions inside the municipal buildings.
Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm, Penhallow
Visitors can access farm animal areas, historic farming equipment, jam kitchens, and even enjoy some free tasting sessions.
Cumbria
Kendal Castle ruinsCredit: AlamyKendal castle at dawnCredit: Alamy
Kendal Castle, Kendal
Bring the dog and pack a picnic to enjoy a scenic stroll around Kendal Castle ruins with stunning views of the town.
Cookhouse Gallery, Windermere
A family run gallery with a wide selection of gorgeous paintings inspired by the local natural beauty.
Derbyshire
Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby
Home to the world’s largest collection of works by Joseph Wright of Derby, it features a range of historic artefacts and stunning artworks.
Pickford’s House, Derby
Pickford’s House is located in a Georgian townhouse and features exhibitions of domestic life from the 18th to 20th centuries.
The Fitzwilliam Museum in CambridgeCredit: PA
Devon
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter
Explore free galleries covering local history, natural history, world cultures, and an Egyptian tomb.
The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth
Enjoy cuddling the 500 donkeys and mules looked after by cheerful charity workers.
Dorset
Tyneham Village, Wareham
Amble through the abandoned village of Tyneham, which was evacuated in December 1943 during WWII and still looks the same as it did 80 years ago.
Tyneham Village, near Wareham, Dorset. Evacuated in 1943 and remains deserted. Church and School only intact buildingsCredit: AlamyTyneham Village, near Wareham, DorsetCredit: Alamy
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Walk down the iconic steep cobbled street featured in the Hovis advert. Enjoy incredible views of the sloping countryside, as well as the village’s quaint shops and cafes.
County Durham
Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham
Discover extensive art and archaeology collections from North Africa and Asia.
Locomotion Rail Museum, Shildon
Home to Europe’s largest undercover collection of historic rail vehicles.
There are a range of activities families in the UK can enjoy at zero costCredit: Getty
East Riding of Yorkshire
Arctic Corsair, Hull
Dive into Hull’s deep-sea fishing industry at this museum that includes a historic deep-sea trawler built in 1960.
Ferens Art Gallery, Hull
A fine art collection with everything from Viking swords and Roman mosaics to a full-sized Woolly Mammoth.
East Sussex
The shops and cafes of The Lanes in Brighton, SussexCredit: AlamyBrighton’s LainesCredit: Getty
The Laines, Brighton
Wander the historic laines of Brighton, with winding cobbled streets that lead to endless jewellers and quaint trinket shops.
Hastings Fishermen’s Museum
A small but mighty museum exploring the history of Hastings‘ fishing industry, featuring boats, videos, and a small shop.
Essex
Clacton Pier, Clacton-on-sea
Europe’s largest pleasure pier has something for all ages, from exhilarating rides to mountains of arcade machines and gorgeous sea views.
Clacton Pier, Clacton on Sea, EssexCredit: GettyFunfair rides and games on Clacton pierCredit: Getty
Pets Corner, Harlow
Pet, stroke and feed the animals at pets corner, with dozens of farmyard friends and even some exotic extras.
Gloucestershire
The Museum of Board Games, Newent
Explore the unique museum’s 600 collection spanning the 19th century through the mid 20th century, including early linen-printed history boards and 1950s TV-themed games.
Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
Enjoy a 4.5-mile stroll through beautiful forest, stopping to enjoy the spectacle of woodland sculptures.
Temporary Scuplture Trail Forest of Dean Gloucestershire.Credit: Alamy
Greater London
Myddelton House Gardens, Enfield
Former home and gardens of the horticulturist, Edward Bowles.
William Morris Gallery, London
Step inside the famous textile designer’s former home and learn about his influence on the design industry.
The skeleton of a Blue Whale above visitors in the Natural History MuseumCredit: Alamy
Greater Manchester
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
Home to 250 years of innovations across science and technology, as well as UK’s oldest surviving train station.
People’s History Museum, Manchester
Learn about the history of the working class in the UK, with displays on the Peterloo Massacre and the women’s suffrage movement.
Hampshire
New Forest National Park
Walk or cycle through the magical New Forest countryside. Pause to watch the friendly free-roaming ponies and spot the cattle and deer munching away in the meadows.
Fort Nelson, Fareham
Explore the huge Victorian fort and view over 700 artillery pieces with free admission via the Royal Armouries.
Herefordshire
The Cat’s Back trail, Craswall
Take a dramatic ridge walk along the border for stunning valley views.
Longtown Castle, Hereford
Explore the overgrown medieval ruins and clamber over rugged stone walls.
Hertfordshire
Natural History Museum of Tring
Enjoy quirky Victorian zoological collections and fossils. The museum houses one of the finest collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects in the UK.
North Hertfordshire Museum, Hitchin
Take in a delightful selection of local history galleries and art, including a woolly mammoth tusk to a pair of Stanley Matthews’s football boots.
Close-up of a cheeky donkey peering over a fence at the Isle of Wight Donkey SanctuaryCredit: AlamyA pony pictured at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary in Ventnor, on the Isle of WightCredit: Alamy
Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, Ventnor
Home to rescued donkeys and ponies, a great day out for animal lovers. Visitors can relax afterwards at the cafe or enjoy browsing the gift shop packed with pony-themed trinkets.
The Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum, Ryde
Enjoy free entry and browse and climb aboard vintage buses and coaches. The museum is home to impressive collection of Island buses and coaches dating from 1927 to modern day models.
Kent
Maidstone Museum, Maidstone
Collection of more than 600,000 artefacts and specimens, exploring fine art, human history, and textiles.
The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury
Housed in a Grade II listed building, the museum is home to some of Canterbury’s best artworks.
Buses at Ryde Bus Museum, Isle of WightCredit: Alamy
Lancashire
Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston
Discover art, culture, and history, with displays on printed textiles, the remains of an elk, and glassblown scent bottles.
Samlesbury Hall, Samlesbury
A stately home dating back to 1185 with a cafe, shepherd huts and UK’s first wafflery.
Leicestershire
New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester
Displays include a 15-metre Rutland Dinosaur and stories about Leicester’s achievements and obstacles.
Newarke Houses Museum, Leicester
Built in 1511, with exhibits on the Leicestershire Regiment and Tudor objects.
Recreated vintage Post Office display at the Museum of Lincolnshire LifeCredit: AlamyVictorian kitchen, Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincoln, England, UKCredit: Alamy
Lincolnshire
Lincoln Museum and Usher Gallery, Lincolnshire
Showcases everything from artefacts from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, to works by Turner, as well as forensic processes of the Anglo Saxons.
Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincolnshire
Home to 250,000 items dating back to 1750, including a World War I tank, as well as a museum trail and playground for kids.
Merseyside
Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool
Uncover artworks across different eras, including archaeological items and oceanography displays.
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
National gallery of the North, with paintings and sculptures from Rembrandt, David Hockney and Rodin.
Norfolk
Wells next to the sea in NorfolkCredit: AlamyWells is famous for its crabbing sceneCredit: Alamy
Crabbing in Wells
Grab a pack of bacon and your crabbing gear and set up camp at Wells’s famous crabbing quay.
Norwich Cathedral
Explore the 44-acre close and join free hourly guided tours from Monday to Saturday.
North Yorkshire
Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough
Discover the town’s history with dinosaur installations and a slice of meteorite from space.
Northamptonshire
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, Northampton
Tour the quaint museum’s fascinating array of displays, including its shoe collection, fine and decorative art and local heritage artefacts.
Wellingborough Museum, Wellingborough
Traverse through Wellingborough’s local social history. Includes artifacts and rotating family-friendly community exhibits inside a distinctive Victorian building.
Northumberland
The Grace Darling Museum, Bamburgh
A unique museum that teaches visitors about the life of Victorian Britain’s greatest heroine, Grace Darling, who risked her life to rescue nine survivors from the wrecked SS Forfarshire in 1838.
The Grace Darling Museum, Bamburgh Northumberland, dedicated to the lifeboat rescue by Grace Darling in 1838 of the crew of the wrecked ForfarshireCredit: AlamyThe Grave of Grace Darling – St Aidan’s churchyard, Bamburgh, NorthumberlandCredit: DHUB_Search_Alamy_NUK
Hardian’s Wall, Brampton
Explore one of England’s national treasures, Hadrian’s Wall, the most heavily fortified and best-preserved land frontier of the ancient Roman Empire.
Nottinghamshire
Sherwood Forest, Mansfield
Wander the forest once home to Robin Hood and discover the history of the legend of the archer and his Merry Men who stole from the rich to give to the poor.
Green’s Windmill and Science Centre, Nottingham
Climb a working 19th-century windmill and explore interactive science exhibits dedicated to mathematical physicist George Green.
Oxfordshire
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
The world’s first university museum, featuring vast art and archaeology collections opened in 1683 thanks to gifts from Elias Ashmole.
Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Famous for its dense Victorian-style cabinets filled with global anthropological and archaeological artifacts. Connected to Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, which is also free.
Oakham Castle Museum and All Saints church OakhamCredit: AlamyHorseshoes displayed on a wall behind the minor courthouse in the Great Hall of Oakham CastleCredit: Alamy
Rutland
Rutland County Museum, Rutland
More than just your run-of-the-mill museum, Rutland offers interactive family-friendly exhibits like an AR iSandBox and a Jurassic Sea Dragon virtual reality experience.
Oakham Castle, Oakham
Travel through time as you explore the 12th-century Norman Great Hall in famous for its unique collection of more than 200 ceremonial horseshoes, and plenty more historic gems.
Shropshire
The British Ironwork Museum, Oswestry
Home to a selection of sculptures, awe-inspiring artworks, and stunning trial walks. Offers free entry during off-peak periods, such as Tuesdays to Fridays during September to February.
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Shrewsbury
Set in a Victorian music hall, Shrewsbury museum features local and international artefacts and art.
Somerset
Cheddar Gorge, SomersetCredit: Getty
The Museum of Somerset, Taunton
Explore 400 million years of Taunton’s history across nine galleries, including an 80,000-year-old Banwell Bear Ice Age skull
Visit Cheddar Gorge
Explore the nation’s biggest gorge on foot, enjoying dramatic limestone cliffs and hiking trails.
South Yorkshire
Preserved industrial chimney at the Kelham Island Industrial Museum SheffieldCredit: AlamyBessemer converted steel making furnace at Kelham Island Industrial museum in SheffieldCredit: Alamy
Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield
Learn about life in Victorian-era Sheffield, with artefacts including a 1760’s chocolate pot and Metrovick milk float.
Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
All things art and design in Sheffield, including one of the finest collections of metalwork in the world.
Staffordshire
Nowton Park in Bury St. Edmunds, SuffolkCredit: Alamy
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Lichfield
Learn about the first lexicographer Samuel Johnson, who created A Dictionary of the English Language.
Stafford Castle, Stafford
Step back to 1100 AD with archaeological artefacts and learn about the history of the castle.
Suffolk
Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich
Tudor brick mansion featuring collection of items from the Tudor period including clothing, children’s toys, and musical instruments.
Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds
A 200-acre park featuring a maze, a totem pole, wildflower meadows, and a large arboretum.
Bury St Edmunds, SuffolkCredit: Alamy
Surrey
Mercedes-Benz World
See up to 100 rare and exotic cars up close, while also stopping to absorb the electric atmosphere from the track.
Guildford House Gallery
Browse free rotating art displays and local craft exhibitions, including antique furniture, fine plaster ceilings, a unique painted closet.
Display at Mercedes-Benz WorldCredit: AlamyMercedes-Benz World at Brooklands, WeybridgeCredit: Alamy
Tyne and Wear
South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, South Shields
Discover the history of South Tyneside inside this historic building with a Victorian tea room, served by costumed staff.
OuseBurn Farm, Newcastle upon Tyne
Located in the heart of Newcastle, the working city farm includes animals, gardens, fields for strolls, and a sensory trail.
Warwickshire
St Nicholas’s Park, Warwick
Parked next to Warwick Castle, the iconic park offers large open green spaces, a great children’s playground, and scenic riverside walks.
Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
Explore a mix of local history and contemporary art. The museum and gallery is home to 220 pieces of 20th-century and contemporary British art and interaction displays of Roman artefacts.
West Midlands
National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas
British site of national remembrance with over 400 memorials and 25,000 trees.
Aston Hall, Birmingham
Grade I-listed Jacobean house with a beautiful public park, as well as collections from the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
West Sussex
Petworth Park, Petworth
Explore 700 acres of free landscaped parkland and spot its historic herd of fallow deer.
Chichester Cathedral
Step inside the 950-year-old landmark and soak in the history, but don’t forget to look out for the resident peregrine falcons.
West Yorkshire
Royal Armouries, Leeds
Historic weaponry and armour, from Japanese samurai swords to modern warfare including Henry VIII’s armour.
A display of a knight in steel armour on horseback and an infantryman at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, Leeds DockCredit: Alamy
Bolling Hall Museum, Bradford
Learn about the lives of the families that lived in Bolling Hallover different time periods.
Wiltshire
Longleat House, Warminster
Explore an Elizabethan manor house with 900 acres of parkland. It features featuring fine art, period furnishings, and 19th-century Crace interiors.
Avebury Stone Circle, Marlborough
Explore the famous standing stone monument and 17th-century stables housing a museum to the iconic monument.
Worcestershire
Malvern Hills
Wander iconic hills, famous for being home to fresh spring water, and enjoy panoramic views of the sloping countryside.
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, Worcester
Enjoy local-history displays, fine art and relics in a Victorian-era brick building with gift shop and cafe.
NEWARK, N.J. — Arseny Gritsyuk and Nico Hischier scored first-period goals, Nico Daws made 16 saves and the New Jersey Devils beat the Ducks 4-1 on Thursday night.
Anthony Mantha restored the two-goal lead with 6:33 left in the third, and Jack Hughes added an empty-netter with 6.1 seconds remaining. New Jersey won its second straight to improve to 6-4-0, while the Ducks dropped their fifth in a row to fall to 4-6-0.
Gritsyuk and Hischier each scored their fifth goal of the season, with Jesper Bratt assisting on both scores. Hughes assisted on Gritsyuk’s goal.
Tim Washe scored for the Ducks on a tip at 8:20 of the third period. Ville Husso made 25 saves for the Ducks.
Gritsyuk opened the scoring at 4:38 of the first, connecting from close range off Bratt’s centering pass. Hischier scored off a rebound on a power play with 41 seconds left in the period.
Up next for the Ducks: at Philadelphia on Saturday.
NEW YORK — Artemi Panarin had two goals, Brandt Clarke scored in overtime and the Kings won their second consecutive game, 3-2, at the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
The Kings have back-to-back victories after losing their first six games. They were the final NHL team without a win before defeating Washington on Tuesday night.
The Kings were outplayed for much of the game and were outshot 43 to 26. Panarin beat rusty backup Semyon Varlamov glove side twice, and Darcy Kuemper kept making stops even as his rebound control was lacking, finishing with 41 saves.
Kuemper cracked for the first time with just under six minutes left in the second period when rookie Victor Eklund’s shot squeezed through on a power play. Matthew Schaefer wired a wrist shot past Kuemper 7:06 into the third.
Clarke scored the winner with 2:18 left in overtime after he and his teammates possessed the puck for several shifts in a row.
Varlamov, the 38-year-old making his first home start since Nov. 25, 2024, after double partial knee replacements, denied Adrian Kempe on a penalty shot and made some big-time saves after giving up the soft goals to Panarin on the Kings’ first five shots.
Panarin has four points in two games after four combined over the first six.
Kings forward Quinton Byfield was out after getting hurt against the Capitals. Byfield did not take part in the morning skate and is considered day to day with an upper-body injury.
Up next for the Kings: at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
The Rams’ injury woes continued Thursday when star receiver Puka Nacua left practice because of a calf injury, a team official said.
Nacua was sidelined for two games this season because of a hip injury, but he has played the last three games for a Rams team that opened the season as the Super Bowl favorite but is 2-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
The Rams are already thin at receiver in the wake of a hamstring injury suffered by Davante Adams during the Rams’ 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. Adams, 33, will be sidelined for six to 10 weeks, coach Sean McVay said.
It remains to be seen if Nacua, who led the NFL in receptions last season, will play against the Raiders.
Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels are other Rams receivers.
After six weeks of filling in as lead NFL game analyst for CBS Sports, Watt has reached a multi-year agreement to continue alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz in the network’s top broadcast booth. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The move assures that Watt will call his first Super Bowl on Feb. 13, 2028, in Atlanta. In a video posted Wednesday on his X account, Watt said it is “humbling” to be in such a position.
From the first meeting in Arizona with David Berson & Ross Molloy, to the brotherhood of the NFL Today desk, an unforgettable year with Ian, Evan, Ken & crew and now alongside legendary Jim Nantz, Tracy Wolfson, Rikhoff and the whole crew.
“It is a true honor and a privilege, and I do not take that responsibility lightly at all,” Watt said. “I appreciate their trust in me, and I have an absolute blast doing it every single week. And I cannot wait to continue to do it.”
The former three-time defensive player of the year wasn’t so sure the news would be that good Monday morning when he saw he had missed a call from parent company Skydance global sports group chairman David Berson.
“I’m thinking to myself, ‘Oh man, missed call from the boss. Am I in trouble for potentially breaking Jim Nance’s hand on the broadcast on Sunday with our with our ball drill?’” Watt joked. “It turns out that it was significantly better news than being called into the principal’s office.”
After a 12-season NFL career (10 with the Houston Texans, two with the Arizona Cardinals) that included five Pro Bowl selections, Watt joined CBS Sports as a studio analyst in 2023, then moved to the broadcast booth to call games with play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle last season.
Watt got bumped up to the top booth this season after Tony Romo, who had been the network’s lead game analyst since 2017, was placed on indefinite leave following his July arrest on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Earlier this month, CBS announced it had “mutually agreed to part ways” with Romo.
“I’ve had a front-row seat to JJ’s growth as a top-tier broadcaster, watching him tackle this role just like he did his hall-of-fame playing career,” Berson said in a statement. “He’s insightful, entertaining, passionate, meticulous in his preparation, and the ultimate teammate. He has a unique ability to see things and communicate to fans of all levels. We are thrilled to have him leading our NFL coverage.”
SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS First Round
DIVISION 1 Pool A #1 Mater Dei d. #8 Harvard-Westlake, 25-13, 25-14, 25-22 #5 Santa Margarita d. #4 Oaks Christian, 25-21, 29-27, 24-26, 25-22
Pool B #7 Marymount at #2 Sierra Canyon, postponed #3 Mira Costa d. #6 Los Alamitos, 3-1
DIVISION 3 Sunny Hills d. Cerritos, 3-2 Santa Ana Foothill d. Oak Park, 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 22-25, 15-10 Cerritos Valley Christian d. Chaminade, 16-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-23 Beckman d. Alemany, 3-0 Newbury Park d. Corona Santiago, 26-24, 25-19, 18-25, 25-13 Redlands d. Rosary, 21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-16 Etiwanda d. Murrieta Mesa, 3-0 Thousand Oaks d. Saugus, 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-14, 15-12 Corona del Mar d. Claremont, 3-0 Flintridge Prep d. Millikan, 25-17, 28-26, 25-20 St. Margaret’s d. Bishop Amat, 3-0 La Salle d. Huntington Beach, 3-1 Crescenta Valley d. Chaparral, 25-16, 22-25, 27-25, 25-21 La Canada d. Crossroads, 25-13, 25-15, 25-21 Lakewood St. Joseph at Marina Windward d. Aliso Niguel, 3-0
DIVISION 5 Marlborough d. West Torrance, 3-0 Liberty d. Academy for Academic Excellence, 3-1 Hesperia Christian d. Peninsula, 3-0 Canyon Country Canyon d. Moorpark, 3-0 El Toro d. Troy, 3-0 Valencia d. Western Christian, 3-1 San Jacinto d. Culver City, 3-1 St. Anthony d. Santa Monica Pacifica Christian, 23-25, 25-9, 25-19, 25-21 Viewpoint d. Southlands Christian, 3-1 Westridge d. Arrowhead Christian, 3-1 Irvine d. Beaumont, 3-2 Paraclete d. Gahr, 21-25, 27-25, 25-21, 26-28, 15-13 Maranatha d. Sultana, 3-1 La Serna d. Burbank Providence, 3-1 Quartz Hill d. Temple City, 3-0 Capistrano Valley d. Palm Desert, 19-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-9
DIVISION 7 Pasadena d. CAMS, 3-2 Tustin d. Immaculate Heart, 3-0 Laguna Blanca d. Brea Olinda, 3-0 Sacred Heart of Jesus d. Chino, 3-1 Placentia Valencia d. South Hills, 25-16, 25-17, 23-25, 25-20 Nordhoff d. Trinity Classical Academy, 3-0 Barstow d. Highland, 25-20, 25-16, 25-21 Webb d. Mary Star of the Sea, 3-0 Pasadena Marshall d. Eisenhower, 25-23, 25-19, 25-22 Beverly Hills d. Whittier, 3-0 Vistamar d. Rialto, 3-1 Northview at Calvary Baptist Fullerton d. Indio, 3-0 Buckley d. Tahquitz, 3-0 Rio Hondo Prep d. Arlington, 20-25, 16-25, 25-23, 25-21, 16-14 Foothill Tech d. St. Genevieve, 3-2
DIVISION 9 Rancho Mirage d. Santa Paula, 3-0 Canoga Park AGBU d. Saddleback, 3-2 San Jacinto Valley Academy d. Cobalt, 3-0 St. Monica Academy d. Anaheim, 25-20, 27-25, 25-19 Nogales d. Carter, 3-2 Santa Rosa Academy d. Carpinteria, 3-0 Westminster d. Vasquez, 3-2 Azusa d. Moreno Valley, 3-2 St. Jeane de Lestonnac d. Santa Clarita Christian, 3-2 Jurupa Hills d. Sierra Vista, 3-2 Desert Christian Academy d. Victor Valley, 3-0 Wildwood d. Hillcrest, 3-2 Buena Park d. Excelsior Charter, 25-17, 22-25, 25-8, 25-10 Milken Community d. Eastside, 25-17, 22-25, 25-8, 25-10 California d. Garden Grove, 3-0 Twentynine Palms d. Shadow Hills, 3-2
DIVISION 11 Compton Early College d. Grove, 3-0 El Monte Arroyo d. Ambassador Christian, 3-0 Mesrobian d. Rubidoux, 3-2 Ramona d. Animo Leadership, 3-1 La Sierra Academy 3, Long Beach First Baptist 0 Pacific Lutheran d. Thacher, 3-0 Grace d. Shalhevet, 3-1 Newport Christian d. New Covenant, 3-0 Tarbut V’ Torah d. Oak Grove, 3-0 Workman d. California Lutheran, 3-2 Santa Clara d. EF Academy, 3-0 Lynwood d. Desert Chapel, 25-17, 25-9, 25-22 Norton Science Academy d. Newbury Park Adventist, 25-21, 25-22, 5-25, 25-22 Joshua Springs d. Liberty Christian, 3-0 Downey Calvary Chapel d. River Springs, 3-1 Silver Valley d. Riverside Bethel Christian, 3-0
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE (Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted) Second Round
DIVISION 4 Portola at Burbank Burroughs Yorba Linda at North Torrance Notre Dame Academy at Arcadia Vista Murrieta at Ventura Ayala at Santa Barbara, 5 p.m. Rancho Cucamonga at Hemet Royal at Glendora Bonita at Linfield Christian
DIVISION 6 Alta Loma at Villa Park Temescal Canyon at Dos Pueblos St. Bonaventure at Temecula Prep Capistrano Valley Christian at Ridgecrest Burroughs Castaic at Santa Fe Rim of the World at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel Mayfair at Schurr Yucaipa at Lakewood
DIVISION 8 Samueli Academy at Bellflower San Gabriel Academy vs. San Gorgonio at Indian Springs Fairmont Prep at San Jacinto Valley Burbank at Riverside Prep Lighthouse Christian at Garden Grove Pacifica Rio Mesa at Jurupa Valley Big Bear vs. Geffen Academy at UCLA SAC gym, 5 p.m. Bell Gardens at Artesia
DIVISION 10 Leuzinger at Glendale Canyon Springs at Orange Adelanto at Orange County Classical Academy, 4:30 p.m. Chaffey vs. New Roads at Park Century School, 5 p.m. La Quinta at Miller Redlands Adventist at Loara Ganesha at Lancaster Cornerstone Christian
Note: Second round (Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) Sat., Oct. 24; Quarterfinals (Divisions 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) Tues., Oct. 27; Second Round pool play (Division 1) Tues., Oct. 27; Quarterfinals (Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9) Wed., Oct. 28; Semifinals (Divisions 2-11) Sat., Oct. 31; Third Round pool Play (Division 1) Sat., Oct. 31; Finals (all divisions) Sat., Nov. 7 at TBA.
