San Bernardino vs. Torrance at Redondo Union, 3 p.m.
Norte Vista at Riverside North
Anaheim at San Gorgonio
Whittier at Oxnard
Lakewood at Montclair
Heritage at Hacienda Heights Wilson
California vs. Palm Springs at Palm Springs Swim Center, 4 p.m.
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)
Quarterfinals
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa at Westlake
Mater Dei vs. Buena, site TBA
Huntington Beach at Laguna Beach
Yucaipa vs. Dos Pueblos, site TBA
Note:Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-5) Friday, Nov. 6 at home sites; Semifinals (Open Division) Saturday, Nov, 7 at home sites; Semifinals (Divisions 2-5) Tuesday, Nov. 10 at home sites; Semifinals (Division 1) Wednesday, Nov. 11 at home sites; Finals (all divisions) Saturday, Nov. 14 at Mt. San Antonio College.
Since Joe Root returned as Test skipper, England have not picked a frontline spinner and have instead favoured a four-man pace attack of Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson.
South Africa’s victory in the third Test suggests they will need an alternative before long.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer, who once considered playing for England before opting for the country of his birth, took 10-120 to bowl the Proteas to victory in Cape Town – the venue of the third Test against England.
Newlands is not typically a spinner’s surface but it turned big from the third day. The overall average amount of turn throughout the Test (4.35 degrees) was the fourth-highest in Cape Town on record. The Test a place ahead on the list was last year, against Pakistan.
Harmer was helped by having left-arm pace bowlers Starc and Marco Jansen creating footholes outside the right-handers’ off stump throughout. Starc will not be a factor against England but Jansen will.
England’s spin issues are longstanding, meaning there is no easy answer.
And whether they pick Shoaib Bashir, return to Jack Leach or Mason Crane or hand a debut to Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White – the recent recipient of an England development contract – they will have stiff competition.
Since Harmer returned to Test cricket in 2022, no spinner has a better average anywhere in the world.
Hawkins, 24, and Scarlets partner Eddie James have developed as Wales’ first-choice centre pairing during the past 12 months.
Wales head coach Steve Tandy has selected five different starting centre partnerships in 13 games since taking charge in September 2025.
Hawkins and James are the most prolific pair, having been together for seven games which include victory in an uncapped match against Barbarians.
Tandy did go back to Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn for the 43-0 defeat by South Africa in July, but the Scarlets pair have been the preferred option.
“Eddie and I have a good relationship on and off the field,” said Hawkins.
“That is starting to grow on the pitch with the more opportunities we get together.”
The make-up of the Wales midfield has caused debate with Tandy and attack coach Matt Sherratt wanting a creative ball-playing inside centre like Hawkins or Thomas.
This leaves James as the physical presence at outside centre with Tandy stating he sees his long-term future as a Test 13.
Many observers believe James should be considered as a 12 but Wales are determined to keep their creative options open.
With Thomas missing because of a calf injury, Hawkins appears to be competing for the Wales’ 12 jersey with uncapped Dragons centre Aneurin Owen, although Llewellyn has also featured at inside centre for Gloucester this season.
“The ball-playing stuff is stuff I enjoy doing but you still need to go forward as well and I feel like I can also produce that side of it,” said Hawkins.
“Matt [Sherratt] likes you always in and around that first receiver position so you are always in those decision-making roles.
“You’ve got to be comfortable on the ball and making decisions at high speed.
“But there’s not always going to be opportunities to ball play, so you’ve got to try and have a bit of a rounded game.”
Hawkins has also been employed as an outside-half by Scarlets but he sees his future at 12.
“It gives me a lot more respect for the 10s, having been in there, with all the work they do,” he added.
“It probably helps me when I play centre from being a 10, I know what they need from me a little bit more, so the information and communication I’m feeding helps the whole team.”
Esteban Ocon has denied reports that his being dropped by Haas at the Mexico City Grand Prix was a consequence of a row with team principal Ayao Komatsu descending into a physical confrontation.
The Frenchman, 30, admitted in a statement on social media that “a difference in viewpoints led to a discussion with the parties involved”.
But he said he “categorically rejected any reports or allegations suggesting that any form of physical violence was used to resolve any differences of any nature”.
His statement followed a report in France’s L’Equipe, external which said that a meeting between Komatsu and Ocon “ended abruptly, perhaps even physically”.
The decision to stand Ocon down from the rest of the Mexico weekend came after he had had a dispute with race engineer Laura Mueller about tyre choice during second practice on Friday.
Mueller had informed him that plans to run the soft-compound tyre had been changed and he would now use the medium.
He replied: “No, no. I want to do soft… don’t do that to me, come on.”
The team have not issued any further information what happened after the session.
So far, Haas have only said that Ocon has been dropped for this weekend’s race.
The team announced last month that he would be leaving Haas at the end of the season. He is being replaced by the Brazilian Rafael Camara, leader of the Formula 2 championship and a member of the Ferrari driver development programme.
Neither Haas not sources within Ocon’s management have commented on whether Ocon will drive for Haas again at any of this year’s remaining races.
Ocon’s statement on Saturday continued: “I strongly condemn violence in all its forms and firmly believe that disagreements should always be handled with professionalism, respect, and mutual understanding.
“I kindly ask that speculation be avoided while the matter is being addressed. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Gabby Williams scored her team’s final 11 points of the third quarter and dazzled through the fourth on the way to 30 points, and the Golden State Valkyries captured a championship in just their second season by beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a sensational first WNBA Finals Game 7 on Saturday night.
Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Allisha Gray 16 and Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds for the Dream, denied another championship in the franchise’s fourth try.
Gray made two free throws with 11 seconds left then Atlanta forced a jump ball — Gray against Williams — and Veronica Burton corralled it and converted two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go.
“I’m just so blessed, this is insane!” said Burton, cut by Dallas two years ago.
Rhyne Howard’s layup tied it at 57 with 2:41 left only for Williams to answer once more with a clutch three-pointer. She converted two free throws with 1:40 remaining, then Kiah Stokes scored a late basket. Stokes pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked two more shots to cap her spectacular postseason.
Williams left Seattle with a great feeling about joining Golden State and its close-knit culture, returning to the Bay Area where she played youth basketball to build something special with the Valkyries — and she’s now done that. Fans chanted “Gabby! Gabby!” throughout the fourth quarter.
“All it took was good people,” she said. “All we heard last year was we don’t have no stars. We don’t have no talent. Yeah right! We got good people. We got good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game.”
When the final buzzer sounded, the violet-clad sellout crowd at Chase Center went into a frenzy as players sprinted onto the floor to hug and celebrate as confetti fell from the rafters.
“Ballhalla” had become “Boohalla” for this far-but-haunted Halloween night in the raucous arena. Now, with a women’s championship to its name right alongside the one earned by the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
“We gotta build a bigger trophy case,” co-owner Peter Guber said.
The team that led at halftime in the first six matchups had won every game so far, and the Dream were ahead 30-24 at the break. Atlanta also had been 16-0 this season when Reese made at least one 3. The Dream’s DeWanna Bonner became the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase changed her starting lineup in a move that paid huge dividends after Golden State fell behind 2-1, inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes and bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini off the bench.
The 37-year-old Hayes, who came out of retirement two years ago and spent 10 seasons with the Dream, scored 11 points in the winner-take-all Game 7 and brought energy all series that made Nakase want to win for the veteran guard as much as anybody.
Valkyries owner Joe Lacob guaranteed a championship within the first five years for this franchise three years ago when the Bay Area was granted an expansion team, and in improbable, joyful fashion, his team accomplished it in Year 2. That after becoming the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025.
During the victory ceremony, Lacob shouted out the team and its leaders, while Nakase, general manager Ohemma Nyanin and president Jess Smith hugged. And Lacob thanked the fans who have sold out Chase Center for every game since Day 1.
Match of the Day pundits Danny Murphy and Stephan Warnock analyse Lisandro Martinez’s performance in Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, where the Argentinian defender was sent off.
Hamilton said his pole, on his 43rd start for Ferrari, was “one of the greatest feelings”.
It is not the first time he has qualified fastest for Ferrari – that was when he took sprint pole at the Chinese Grand Prix last year, in only his second race for the team.
But that was followed by a difficult debut season, when he looked a shadow of his former self, and was pretty much taken to the cleaners by Leclerc.
Hamilton’s record is such that his performances last year left many perplexed – not least himself. He was consistently down on himself, even saying at one low point in the summer of 2025 that he was “just useless” and suggesting Ferrari should change drivers.
As this followed a similarly challenging final year for Mercedes, it inevitably led to questions about his future, whether age was catching up with him. After all, he had no explanations for his performances himself.
His form has improved this year, with a car that he finds much more to his liking, and he has a number of times referenced these perfectly valid questions. He did so again on Saturday.
“It’s impossible to rank 105 pole positions,” he said. “They have all been unique in their own way. It feels more special in this period where they’re not every week and it’s the first one with Ferrari in red.
“I’ve now had pole with three different teams, which is pretty phenomenal. And all the questions people had about whether a 40-year-old has still got it, there you go.”
The battle between Hamilton and Leclerc has been much more even this year.
Hamilton leads his team-mate by eight points in the championship and in qualifying there is nothing to choose between them – it is now 12-10 in their head-to-head and Leclerc is ahead on average pace by just 0.037secs, when the gap was 0.15secs last year.
“I have been fortunate to have many great experiences with Mercedes over the years,” said Hamilton. “We have had sprint pole but I have been really dreaming and eyeing for that first pole with the team.
“Charles is very, very quick over one lap. He has had an engineer he has worked with for years. It’s an environment he is very aware of and used to.
“I am still settling in and learning, with new engineers this year. We have really found a good rapport and are really doing a great job. There is lots more to come, we just have to keep on at it, but what an amazing feeling to get that first.”
Hamilton goes into the race with less knowledge than his rivals, a breakdown in second practice meaning he was not able to do his race-simulation run.
“It will will be a massive challenge to find the right balance but I am hopeful, it will be challenging and tough,” he said.
Match of the Day pundits Danny Murphy and Stephan Warnock analyse Brighton’s impressive 1-0 victory over Manchester City, with Warnock praising the balance of the Seagulls squad.
Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira score in the first-half to help AC Milan to a 3-1 victory over city rivals Inter Milan in the first Milan derby of the season in Serie A.
There could have very easily been a different outcome.
This was an afternoon when Manchester City accumulated an xG of 1.92, compared to 1.00 for Brighton, so there was no shortage of chances for the hosts.
Home head coach Enzo Maresca will be all too aware that City will have to rediscover their finishing touch – and quickly – if they are to mark his debut campaign in charge with a first Premier League title since 2024.
Manchester City had 21 shots on target without scoring, their highest number without doing so in the Premier League since November 2024, when they managed 24 in a game and drew a blank.
When Maresca sits down to pick apart his side’s shortcomings, he will look rueful at chances from Iliman Ndiaye, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nunes in particular.
But to say Brighton‘s victory only came because of an off performance from City would be an extreme injustice to Hurzeler’s side, who are quickly becoming one of the most well-rounded in the Premier League.
In addition to being the division’s highest scorers – having found the back of the net 24 times in nine matches this season – Brighton have also kept the most clean sheets (six).
Only Premier League champions Arsenal – who have played one game less and travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday – have conceded fewer goals than Brighton‘s seven. Arsenal have shipped five, going into the Liverpool game.
One of the main reasons behind Brighton‘s solid rearguard has been the signing of Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur.
The 19-year-old has been a transformative figure since arriving at Amex Stadium for a club record fee in July, starting all nine Premier League matches.
The Croatian has formed a rock-solid partnership with fellow centre-back Lewis Dunk and built an understanding with goalkeeper Verbruggen, all of whom played the full 90 minutes at the Etihad.
“It was a good game from all of us,” said Verbruggen. “I’m happy to help the team and make some important saves, but I wasn’t the only one.
“I think there were four or five shots blocked in an amazing way as well. It was a joint effort from everyone. We celebrate and go again.”
Tries: Arundell, De Glanville, Cokanasiga 2, Hennessey Cons: Russell 4 Pens: Russell
Sale (7) 28
Tries: Jibulu, O’Flaherty, Cowan-Dickie, Canakaivata Cons: Ford 4
Joe Cokanasiga scored twice as Bath ended a three-game winless run in all competitions with victory over Sale.
Henry Arundell, Tom de Glanville and Louis Hennessey also got on the scoreboard for the hosts as they took a maximum of five points to go into the international break on a high.
Nathan Jibulu and Tom O’Flaherty crossed for Sale and they were largely outclassed until the final 10 minutes when Luke Cowan-Dickie and Elia Canakaivata added late tries, to ensure the Sharks at least left the Recreation Ground with a point.
The result is the third loss of the campaign for Sale and means they go into the international break eighth, while Bath move up to fourth.
Bath have been hit by a raft of injuries to their backline in the early part of the season and while they are now without Santiago Carreras for the rest of the campaign, De Glanville and Arundell’s return from injuries proved timely.
Arundell needed less than three minutes to bag a try on his first Prem game of the season when he charged through a gap on halfway and used his speed to race into the corner.
Sale then enjoyed their best spell of pressure until the end of the game although were unable to turn frequent entries into Bath’s 22 into more than one try.
Prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour was turned over a few metres out and Joe Carpenter dropped a long pass when he had acres of space ahead, before Jibulu brought them level carrying over from the back of a maul.
De Glanville restored Bath’s lead, as the hosts switched direction across the pitch from a line-out and the full-back dashed through a gap when Tom Roebuck slipped trying to make a tackle.
Cokanasiga added their third with a well-worked team try started when Arundell caught a high ball on halfway, and they whipped it quickly through their backs, and in a two-on-one with De Glanville, Cokanasiga had a simple finish.
The wing had his second and Bath’s bonus-point fourth immediately into the second half, when he jumped to catch Russell’s cross-field kick, side-stepped past Alex Lozowski and stretched over under a tackle.
O’Flaherty replied minutes later at the other end with a superb one-handed dive into the corner as Sale looked for a way back in.
A Russell penalty stretched Bath 15 points clear and Hennessey ran on to a Bernard van der Linde grubber kick a minute after coming on to all-but seal victory.
Yet Sale rallied to end the game on top, with Cowan-Dickie barging through before Canakaivata grabbed another try in the final minute to give Sale a point.
Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Ojomoh, Arundell; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Frost, Griffin, Jeanes, Ewels, Hill, Reid, Bayliss.
Replacements: Dunn, Wheeler, Stuart, Opoku-Gyamfi, Richards, Van Der Linde, Hennessey, Coetzee.
Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Marchant, Lozowski, O’Flaherty; Ford, Warr; Smith, Jibulu, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Tshiunza, B. Curry, T. Curry.
An expectant home crowd in Lahore was on tenterhooks as the 21-year-old all-rounder began his batting partnership with Hasan Nawaz under the floodlights of the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Minhas, who had gone wicketless in Sri Lanka’s innings, showed few signs of the pressure mounting on the young batting pair and began the repair job.
Within a few overs, the run chase swayed back in Pakistan’s favour but the final remained tense.
With the hosts needing 39 runs from 27 balls, Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka bowled a delivery at length, angling the ball into Minhas.
Unnerved by the occasion and his own lack of experience, the batter swung his bat across the line and sent the ball soaring over midwicket for six to ignite the crowd and rekindle lost hope.
Following this defining moment of his innings, Arafat coolly went on to hit four more sixes, finish with 61 runs off 31 balls, help Pakistan clinch the trophy and bag himself the player of the series award.
He ended the series with nine wickets and 149 runs, including two half-centuries.
Commentators on the host broadcast ran out of superlatives for the promising all-rounder, who admitted that he “enjoyed the pressure” of the final run-chase and tried to remain calm.
“The team needed someone to believe that we could achieve the target.”
‘Complete all-rounder’
Before shining with the bat in the final, Arafat produced one of the finest bowling performances of his fledgling international career against England in Rawalpindi on October 10.
After scoring 59 off 58 balls to help Pakistan recover from 81-4 and post 302-9, Minhas took six wickets for 40 runs as England were bowled out for 215, handing Pakistan an 87-run win.
England were at 91 without losing a wicket before Arafat dismantled their batting order.
Among his victims was swashbuckling batter Harry Brook, who was bowled for five by a delivery that turned past his attempted defensive shot and hit the stumps.
The England captain was left stunned at the crease and in the post-match media talk.
“Is he under 21? I didn’t know,” Brook said after the match.
More plaudits poured in as Minhas showed his all-round skills on the field.
“A half-century, six wickets and a run out. Mike Hesson wants all-round cricketers and he’s found one in Arafat Minhas,” former England captain Nasser Hussain said during the broadcast.
The performance made him the third Pakistani to score a half-century and take at least five wickets in a men’s ODI after Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq.
On his ODI debut against Australia in May, Arafat took 5-32, becoming the first Pakistani to claim a five-wicket haul on debut, as well as winning the player of the series award.
“I prefer not to label players as batting or bowling all-rounders,” Minhas later said in an interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). “I’d rather be seen as a complete all-rounder.”
Arafat Minhas scored 61 runs off 31 balls in Saturday’s final against Sri Lanka [Arif Ali/AFP]
An early foundation
Thirteen years earlier, Minhas dreamed of becoming a fast bowler like every other aspiring Pakistani cricketer.
But the then-eight-year-old was handed a leather cricket ball and instructed to take up left-arm spin by his father, Kashif, who spent years helping Arafat develop the all-round skills that are now helping Pakistan win matches.
Kashif had represented his hometown team, Multan, in under-19 cricket but was forced to give up on his dream – “with a heavy heart” – by his father, who urged him to take over the family’s car showroom business.
Years later, watching his sons play with toy eggs and plastic balls, Kashif saw a spark.
“When I observed them, I saw their playing style wasn’t ordinary; it seemed like a natural gift and a blessing from God,” Kashif told Al Jazeera. “I thought: ‘why not train them for professional cricket’?”
He would go on to buy full kits for his sons, setting them on the path towards professional cricket.
“My father handed me a hard ball when I was about eight or nine and I’ve bowled left-arm spin ever since [but] In tape-ball cricket, I used to bowl fast,” Minhas explained when asked about his control on his bowling variations.
Minhas rapidly progressed through Pakistan’s age-group system, becoming the country’s best under-16 player in his final year before breaking into the under-19 team.
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown threatened to interrupt his sons’ development, Kashif built a cricket practice facility on the rooftop of his house in Multan.
A net, a mat pitch and floodlights were installed to ensure that “practice wouldn’t stop”.
In 2024, when Pakistan reached the semifinals of the ICC Under-19 World Cup and lost to Australia by one wicket, Minhas played a key role in the team’s progress in the tournament.
Given his standout performances, the young all-rounder’s elevation to the senior team seemed inevitable.
Arafat Minhas picked up nine wickets in five matches [File: Aamir Qureshi/AFP]
Brothers living a father’s dream
Minhas’s younger brother, Sameer, is a prodigious right-handed opening batter who has also made significant progress.
Last week, he was included in Pakistan’s Test squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka in November.
Playing his first season of first-class cricket, Sameer scored 405 runs in seven matches, following his own promising spell with Pakistan’s under-19 team. Their youngest brother, Abdullah, is also pursuing cricket as a left-handed batter and leg-spinner.
“To move forward, I’ll improve and put in whatever extra work is required,” Minhas said after the England match. “This isn’t the final goal. The ultimate goal is much further ahead.”
Kashif’s ambition extends beyond one son’s career. He wishes for all three boys to play together for Pakistan and win an international trophy – a dream that would give a new ending to the cricketing journey he had to abandon.
“My ultimate dream is to see all three of my sons play together in the Pakistan playing XI and bring home an ICC trophy for Pakistan. That’s the day my dream will be complete, and that void will truly be filled.”
Note:Second Round (Divisions 2-5) Tuesday, Nov. 3, at home sites; Quarterfinals (Division 1) Thursday, Nov. 5 ,at home sites; Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-5) Friday, Nov. 6, at home sites; Semifinals (Open Division) Saturday, Nov, 7, at home sites; Semifinals (Divisions 2-5) Tuesday, Nov. 10, at home sites; Semifinals (Division 1) Wednesday, Nov. 11, at home sites; Finals (all divisions) Saturday, Nov. 14, at Mt. San Antonio College.
Manchester United one place outside EPL bottom three as Coventry City climb with 3-1 win against Sunderland.
Published On 31 Oct 202631 Oct 2026
Joint record Premier League winners Manchester United were plunged to the brink of the relegation zone by their defeat at Chelsea followed by Coventry City’s win against Sunderland.
Ten-man United were beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the early kickoff in the English top flight, leaving them on their first nine-match winless run since 1986. The Red Devils have already made their worst start to a league season in 40 years.
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Despite an improved display in the first-half, in which recalled captain Bruno Fernandes spurned one of many key chances, United were beaten by a brilliant solo goal by Morgan Rogers and a penalty converted by Cole Palmer.
Lisandro Martinez was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Wesley Fofana in an aerial duel from a corner.
United’s day was about to get worse.
Coventry City’s 3-1 home win against Sunderland saw them leapfrog the fallen giants, leaving United just one point and one place outside the relegation zone.
There’s a chance the 20-time English champions, who have won only once in nine league games, could be in the bottom three by the end of Matchweek 9 – a desperate situation for a club widely regarded as the biggest in the country.
Man United’s only two victories from 13 matches in all competitions this season were against promoted Ipswich in the Premier League and tournament newcomer Sabah in the Champions League.
United’s next match is at home to Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday with yet more doubts on whether Carrick will still be in charge.
“I think the mentality was there right from the first minute,” United forward Bryan Mbeumo said. “We still trust everyone.
“Maybe today we just missed some chances. We could have been up early in the game, but that’s a positive to take out of this game.”
Only Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat at Brentford ensured United did not drop into the bottom three.
The pressure regardless is piling onto Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, who is only in his first full season in charge.
The former midfielder remains in defiant mood.
“The two halves of football couldn’t probably be further apart,” said Carrick, who added he expects to be in charge for Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Roma.
“We looked in a good place going into half-time and then found a way of unravelling it second half.”
A point for Crystal Palace in the last Premier League game of the day at Tottenham will see United fall into the bottom three.
“We have similarities running the ball but also differences too,” Williams said. “And I think that’s what makes that 1-2 punch everybody keeps talking about.”
Before the victory over the Raiders, most of the conversation about the rushing attack centered around a question: When would coach and play-caller Sean McVay find a way to effectively use both?
Now the question is whether McVay and the backs can repeat or produce a similar performance Sunday against the Chargers and beyond.
McVay noted that Williams and Corum are interchangeable.
“As a play-caller, the best thing is you just call the plays,” McVay said. “It’s not like I have a specific menu of plays for Blake or for Kyren or vice versa.”
Williams, 26, is 5 feet, 9 inches, and 207 pounds. Corum, 25, is 5-8 and 202 pounds.
Williams wears jersey No. 23, Corum No. 24.
The Rams drafted Williams in the fifth round out of Notre Dame in 2022, and selected Corum in the third round out of Michigan in 2024.
“There’s a difference in their run style,” McVay said. “You’re defending different things. They’re nice complements.”
That was in full effect against the Raiders.
Williams rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in 16 carries. Corum rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown in 17 carries.
Their effort helped the Rams take a 35-21 victory that ended a two-game losing streak and kept alive hope for a team that started the season as the Super Bowl favorite.
The two backs share a “growth mindset,” Williams said.
“It’s a great vibe, where we’re able to play off each other, not just on the football field but also in life,” he said.
Rams running back Kyren Williams takes the field before facing the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 12.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
They also enjoy “a healthy, competitive relationship,” Corum said.
“It’s like I want to see the best for you and he wants to see the best for me,” Corum said. “If he does something great, it’s ‘All right, can I do something greater to help the team.’
“And if I do something great, he’s like, ‘Can I do something greater.’ It’s all love, and all for the team.”
Williams, a 2023 Pro Bowl player, signed a three-year extension before last season that included $23 million in guarantees. He went into this season having rushed for at least 1,144 yards in each of the last three seasons, including more than 1,200 in each of the last two.
The game against the Raiders is what the Rams envisioned — but did not achieve — last season when they aimed to reduce Williams’ workload as a way of keeping him fresh for the latter part of the season and the playoffs.
In 2025, Williams rushed for 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns in 259 carries. Corum gained 746 yards and scored six touchdowns in 145 carries.
So far this season, Williams has rushed for 492 yards and five touchdowns in 96 carries. He also has 32 receptions for 239 yards and a touchdown.
Corum has rushed for 316 yards and two touchdowns in 64 carries. He has 10 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
“I haven’t been a part of that before where you haven’t thought to yourself, ‘OK, we want to lean on these types of plays when this guy’s in and these types of plays when the other guy’s in,’” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “I think you’re really comfortable with both those guys doing everything we ask of a halfback in this offense.”
Offensive linemen said they often are unaware which running back is in the game — until they look up to see who is celebrating in the end zone.
“It’s crazy to say — but legit,” guard Kevin Dotson said. “It feels just like a plug and play. I don’t know who’s really in, and it doesn’t really matter.
Michael Carrick’s stay of execution as Manchester United boss may not last long after his team imploded in a 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.
The visitors wasted a string of chances to take the lead at Stamford Bridge on Saturday before Morgan Rogers waltzed through the heart of the United defence to open the scoring on 50 minutes.
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Lisandro Martinez then ruined any chance of a revival from Carrick’s men with two quickfire yellow cards, the second of which also conceded a penalty converted by Cole Palmer.
Winless in nine games, their defeat leaves the 20-time English champions still just one point above the relegation zone and in danger of ending the weekend in the bottom three.
Many expected Carrick to be axed following last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth.
The former United midfielder was instead given the chance to turn his side’s fortunes around and will lament a lack of ruthlessness during the first half.
Carrick recalled captain Bruno Fernandes after he was left out last weekend in the wake of criticising his manager’s tactics during the 4-1 thrashing at Como in the Champions League.
Fernandes should have marked his return with the opener when he blazed over from Bryan Mbeumo’s inviting cross.
The roles were reversed when Mbeumo could not stretch to meet Fernandes’s delivery at the back post before Amad Diallo was twice denied by Chelsea’s stand-in goalkeeper Mike Penders.
United did finally get the ball in the net when Matheus Cunha turned in Harry Maguire’s header from a corner, but the Brazilian had strayed just offside.
Carrick could not hide his frustration in a half-time interview with broadcasters and his mood soured further with a disastrous start to the second period.
Chelsea’s Rogers credits Carrick for revitalising his career during a spell together at Middlesbrough, but dealt a potentially decisive blow to his former boss.
The England international collected the ball inside the centre circle but was allowed to drive directly towards the United goal before dinking the ball over Senne Lammens.
Martinez also spoke out publicly in recent weeks to criticise United’s lack of spending in the transfer market to bolster Carrick’s squad.
But on this season’s evidence, Martinez is one of those most in need of replacing.
The Argentine international could not cope with Rogers’s strength moments later as he was penalised for hauling back the Chelsea forward.
From the resulting free-kick, Martinez then needlessly crashed into Wesley Fofana with a raised forearm.
After a VAR review, referee Peter Banks awarded a penalty and showed Martinez a second yellow card.
Lammens got hands to Palmer’s spot-kick but still allowed the ball to trickle into the bottom corner.
On a rare start since Xabi Alonso took charge of the Blues, Estevao had a third goal disallowed for offside when he crashed a pass from Palmer into the top corner.
Cries of “sacked in the morning” rained down from the Chelsea fans as their side toyed with United for the final quarter without adding to their lead.
Another big decision awaits the United hierarchy before the massive Champions League clash at home to Roma on Tuesday.
Beaten in two of their three European games so far, United face both the embarrassment and financial shock of an early exit should they fall to another defeat against the Italians at Old Trafford.
Simon Harmer picked a career-best 6-16 as South Africa beat Australia by 176 runs to clinch Test series 2-1.
Published On 31 Oct 202631 Oct 2026
Australia captain Pat Cummins said it was fair to ask questions about his side after they slipped to two heavy defeats in a row against hosts South Africa to lose the three-match series 2-1 at Newlands on Saturday.
Set 288 for victory, Australia were rocked early on and could manage only 111 to lose the third Test by 176 runs, following their defeat by an innings and 31 runs in the second match in the series.
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Australia next host New Zealand, and Cummins said the series loss meant questions were inevitable as South Africa took over from them as the number one side in the Test world rankings.
“We lost two games in a row. I think it’s fair to be asking questions and we’ll be asking them internally as well,” Cummins told reporters. “We are a very good side, but I think we need to get a little bit better if we want to get back to number one [in the world].
“Maybe that’s a change of style, maybe it’s a change of personnel in some instances. We’ll work it out.”
Cummins made the surprise decision to bowl first after winning the toss on the first morning, something that had been done only 11 times before in Tests at Newlands since 1889.
As it proved, batting last was difficult on a wearing surface, and Australia fell to the spin of Simon Harmer, who took career-best figures of 10-120 in the match.
“We knew it was going to be a high-scoring game,” Cummins said. “We probably thought it was going to do a little bit more on day one than it did.
“You don’t win the toss and think you’re going to bowl the opposition out for 100 or 200, but we thought we could get 10 wickets on day one and that would put us right ahead of the game.”
Cummins said poor decisions cost his batters and that their chase was as good as over in the first half-hour of the day.
“Chasing 280-odd was never going to be easy, but we all turned up today and saw a pretty clear path forward. I thought it was achievable, but we never really gave ourselves a chance,” he said.
“There were a few really poor decisions. I know it’s a day-five wicket, but I don’t think it was drastic. There were runs to be scored out there; there were lots of balls to face.
“I think there are a few decisions the boys would like back. We have to get better. It’s happened a few times now.”
In an error-strewn opening half, handling errors would halt Stormers’ momentum on a number of occasions and eventually see them punished midway through the opening half.
McCann pounced on a knock-on to get his side on the front foot and although the TMO ruled out a score for Matthew Devine from the subsequent attack, play came back for an offside in the build-up and it was McCann who bundled over with Murphy converting.
A knock-on at the line by Cormac Izuchukwu saw Ulster spurn a glorious opportunity to grab a second just minutes later as momentum flipped with Ulster conceding four-straight penalties – the last of those resulting in Keynan Knox sent to the bin.
Pressure would eventually tell as JD Schickerling powered over and Ahmed added the extras before Paul de Villiers charged down Murphy’s attempted clearance and took advantage to touch down to give Stormers a 12-7 advantage at the half.
Ulster were on the front foot early in the second period, but a blind pass by Devine was gleefully gathered by Roos, who put on the afterburners and galloped away for a converted score.
It left Murphy’s side with a mountain to climb in the Cape Town heat as they could not make their presence felt in the opposite 22, the game played mostly in their own half as both sides continued to make errors.
However, it would finally stick for the hosts as a perfectly-weighted crossfield kick by Ahmed was fielded by team captain Ruhan Nel, who touched down for the bonus point.
Izuchukwu was denied a consolation score when held up over the line which summed up Ulster’s day as the hosts finished with a flourish, Ahmed crossing for a fifth he would convert.
It put a seal on the win for the hosts, with Ulster now left with much to ponder as the first block of URC games comes to a conclusion.
While they continue to produce moments, Murphy’s side are yet to find a fully-rounded display to get their season fully on track.
Stormers: Willemse; Senatla, R Nel (capt), Muller, Zas; Ahmed, Reinach; Mchunu, Paulo, Louw, Smith, Schickerling, De Villiers, L Nel, Roos.
Although All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. will miss his fourth consecutive game because of a hamstring injury, the winless Chargers are coming off their bye week with some much-needed reinforcements.
“It’s a good thing,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “It’s good to have them back out there. Good work put in. Feel good about the preparation and feel like we’re in a good place, ready to go.”
Harris and McConkey have been the Chargers’ top two receivers when available this season. Harris leads the team in receptions (15), receiving yards (225) and targets (26), while McConkey is right behind him with 13 receptions for 200 yards on 18 targets.
And Alt’s return instantly improves the Chargers’ banged-up offensive line, which has allowed Justin Herbert — who carries a league-worst 29.4 quarterback rating — to be sacked nine times in the two games the offensive tackle has missed.
“Regrouping. Retooling. Thought it was a really good week of preparation,” Harbaugh said.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and his unit desperately need all hands on deck.
The Chargers are averaging a league-worst 15 points per game and are tied for the second-fewest yards per play (4.6).
“I spend all of my time focusing on the best plan for the players that we have available this week, to attack the defense we have,” McDaniel said. “And then you have to illustrate, in a good manner, what the vision is for how we’re going to play and improve the results.”
McConkey, Harris and Alt returning will help McDaniel’s cause, especially as wideout Brenen Thompson (quad/hamstring) remains out alongside key offensive linemen Rashawn Slater (ankle) and Kayode Awosika (fibula).
Meanwhile, the Chargers’ defense, which allows the eighth-fewest passing yards per game (206.2), must hold the fort again without James, who suffered a rehab setback.
“You can’t replace Derwin,” defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said. “It’s not possible. He’s one of the best in the league, if not the best in the league.”
That task will be even harder if cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Rodney Shelley, who are both questionable with hamstring injuries, can’t play.
“For us, our message from the offseason to now is: team defense,” O’Leary said. “Play together. We’re not going to put too much on one guy’s plate. … And that’s really just spiked, now that Derwin’s out.
“It’s just a group effort, and I think the guys have done a great job.”
O’Leary’s defense has bent but rarely broken all season.
McDaniel’s offense, however, could use a breakout performance. And with more of Herbert’s primary targets fully healthy, there’s no better time than Sunday.
