Kevin O’Connell has virtually never leaned into the idea that a running game matters. He doesn’t need to go run only and act as a coach still stuck in the 90’s, but a level of balance would be more than welcome at this point.

It remains uncertain what Aaron Jones’s plan is. Last season, the Minnesota Vikings swung a trade for Jordan Mason to supplement their backfield as well. At this point, though, it’s clear they need to invest draft capital into a young asset at the position. Jeremiyah Love would be plenty of fun if the Vikings had a top ten pick.

Midwest Prospect Aligns With Vikings Draft Needs

They don’t, though, and they aren’t using the 18th overall pick to reach for a running back either. If they want to use a second-round selection on someone else, though, bringing Emmett Johnson home makes a whole lot of sense.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote up the Minneapolis native and Nebraska product as he showcases his skills at the Draft Combine.

Johnson is a hard-charging, gap-scheme runner. He brings a steady dose of urgency, decisiveness and fairly predictable run tracks. Johnson’s production and game-by-game consistency stand out despite average size and top-end speed. He steps on the accelerator once he touches the ball, but the run becomes segmented when he attempts to cut laterally. He struggles to create for himself when the point of entry is cloudy. Johnson can beat linebackers to the run fit but won’t usually run through them with power. He’s able to help as a pass-catcher and projects as a solid backup best suited for downhill concepts.

Lance Zierlein

Last season with the Huskers, Johnson led the Big Ten in both attempts (251) and yards (1,451). He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and racked up 12 touchdowns. The hometown Gophers held him in check (63 yards), but he rushed for more than 150 yards on three different occasions.

Johnson is a dual-threat back that can also be involved in the passing game. He hauled in 46 receptions for 370 yards and scored three touchdowns through the air as well. At 5’11” and 200 pounds, he’s got a similar frame to former Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook.

It remains to be seen where teams will value Johnson. A second-round pick may be tough to stomach for the Vikings, given their plethora of needs. If he falls to the third round, though, that should be a no-brainer from both a fit and value perspective.

At some point, the Vikings need to commit to the run game. O’Connell has to give in on that front, and investing in it seems like a good place to start.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

UConn men’s basketball pulled out a come-from-behind win against a Seton Hall team that was fighting for its postseason life, winning 71-67 thanks to 23 points from Alex Karaban on Senior Day. The four-year Husky hit 5-of-6 threes and two clutch free throws at the end to ice the contest.

This win improves UConn’s record to 27-3 and 17-2 in the Big East. The Huskies remain as the No. 1 seed ahead of St. John’s in the conference, with the Johnnies having Villanova, Georgetown, and Seton Hall still to play.

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Karaban played his best game of the year, after a pre-game ceremony where he earned the distinction of being added to the Huskies of Honor. The 23 points are a career high as he played all 40 minutes. Solo Ball put up 14 points while Tarris Reed Jr recorded his third double-double in four games with 10 points and 11 boards.

For Seton Hall, AJ Staton-McCray led the Pirates with 20 points on 4-for-8 from downtown, and Najai Hines posted an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double off the bench. They led for 20 minutes in a game that saw 11 ties and 18 lead changes.

UConn was missing Jaylin Stewart for the second straight game, allowing for more opportunities from the bench unit. Jayden Ross was a spark, scoring 7 points and making a big three-pointer.

Up 68-65 with 15 seconds to go, Silas Demary got away with a foul as Bud Clark timed a three-point shot with the take foul nearly perfectly with a shot. The referees didn’t see enough contact as Clark threw up an airball. UConn then won the game from the line, making 20 of their 29 free throws.

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The game had a slow, foul-ridden start, unlike Wednesday night against St. John’s, with just 23 combined points in the first 10 minutes. Reed Jr. got going early on the defensive end and picked up a block. Seton Hall showed why they lead the Big East in blocked shots, picking up 3 in the first 10 minutes. UConn had multiple open looks from Braylon Mullins, but the freshman just couldn’t get them to fall.

The game picked up the pace when Jayden Ross came off the bench, making his first shot from downtown and followed it up with a wide-open slam down low. Seton Hall stayed right in it, as Tajuan Simpkins hit a three-pointer of his own. Karaban made his first shot from beyond the arc with 6:30 to go, burying another just two minutes later, putting himself in double figures, scoring eight straight for the Huskies.

Both teams were matching each other’s pace, with 16 lead changes in the first half. Both teams were holding strong defensively, each forcing 6 turnovers.

A late bucket by Najai Hines put Seton Hall up 33-32 at the halftime break. Karaban had 15 points on 3-of-4 from long distance and 6-of-8 overall.

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Solo Ball got it going early in the 2nd half after a scoreless, 0/3 first half. He hit a pair of threes, but UConn’s 9 turnovers a few minutes into the 2nd half kept Seton Hall in the game, giving them a 42-40 lead with just over 15 minutes to play. After hitting his threes, Ball got ahead of himself, making questionable shooting decisions and turning the ball over.

It’s been an ongoing problem this season. Ball makes a few shots and decides to get loosey goosey. We saw it in the Arizona loss, shooting a heavily contested three late, which led to a score on the other end.

The Pirates held UConn without a field goal for over four minutes with an and-one from Eric Reibe to stop the drought. Mike Williams responded on the other end, nailing his third triple to go up 51-46 with 10:30 remaining. Seton Hall extended their run in the second half to 12-3 from a Staton-McCray long-range bucket, giving the Pirates an 8-point lead. It was the senior’s fourth three-pointer to put him up to 16 points on the day.

At that point, Seton Hall was 8-of-12 from three, a 67% mark, the complete opposite of its first meeting with UConn, when it went 1-of-16.

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Out of the UConn timeout, Karaban got his first points of the half, hitting his fourth trifecta to cut the Pirates’ lead to 4, forcing a Seton Hall timeout.

The senior refused to lose, launching a heat check with 6 minutes to go, cutting the lead to one, and who else but Braylon Mullins, hitting another three to give UConn the lead. Seton Hall missed eight straight shots until Staton-McCray made a tough layup over two Huskies’ defenders.

Elijah Fisher stepped up big for the Pirates, making a clutch corner triple with 3:23 to go and a smooth jumper to tie the game at 63 with 2 minutes to play.

With a minute to go in what seemed like a broken possession, Solo Ball was fouled and got to the charity stripe, making both to go up 66-65. Silas Demary forced a tough shot from Adam Clark. Karaban then made two from the line to make it a 68-65 lead with under 25 seconds to play.

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The one knock on the afternoon was the turnovers. Seton Hall scored 14 points off of the 15 UConn turnovers. When gearing up for March, you have to fire on all cylinders, and not being able to hold onto the basketball could cost the Huskies a late run in the NCAA tournament.

UConn will get the week off and will visit last-place Marquette on March 7. Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m. on FOX. The Huskies will then go to the Big Apple for the Big East Tournament, which starts March 11.

Amir Khan targeted blockbuster fights with both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao during his career, and has now offered a prediction for their rematch on September 19.

It was announced last week that the two pound-for-pound legends will square off at the Sphere, Las Vegas, with their professional contest being streamed live on Netflix.

Their first encounter, back in 2015, saw Mayweather claim a convincing points victory, coming away with the WBC, WBO and WBA world welterweight titles.

Since then, though, the Hall of Famer has amassed just two professional wins – against Andre Berto and Conor McGregor – while also being involved in several exhibition matches.

Pacquiao, too, has kept himself ticking over with the odd exhibition, but also fought professionally when he tied with Mario Barrios, the then-WBC welterweight champion, in July.

This came after a near four-year hiatus from the professional ring, with his previous title fight resulting in a unanimous points defeat to Yordenis Ugas.

It is the 47-year-old’s apparent lifestyle choices, though, that have largely inspired Khan to give him the edge over Mayweather in their rematch.

Sharing his opinion on Facebook, the former world champion highlighted Pacquiao’s consistency in the gym as a significant factor against his 49-year-old opponent.

“I like Manny Pacquiao in the second one, because I think Mayweather’s slowing down a little bit.

“Age catches up on you, and I think with Manny always looking in good shape – obviously he’s not partying, not drinking; Mayweather’s always partying, chilling, enjoying himself – I think there’s a different way of living for both fighters.

“Mayweather’s still like a 20-year-old kid, whereas Manny Pacquiao’s very intelligent and he’s on the right path.

“I’ve got Manny Pacquiao winning that fight. But who knows? Mayweather always ends up pulling it off. But I feel that Manny Pacquiao [is] the favourite.”

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While Mayweather was always known for his tremendous discipline and work ethic, the lack of a professional contest since 2017 could have a bearing on his overall performance against Pacquiao.

Many would argue, too, that his 10th-round stoppage victory over McGregor hardly merited the status of a professional bout.

The opening day of the 123.ie National Senior Indoor Championships at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena saw headline wins for Sarah Lavin, Adam Nolan, Sophie Becker and Mark Smyth.

Eighth title for Lavin

Emerald AC’s Sarah Lavin won her eighth national indoor 60m hurdles title as she beat world silver medallist Kate O’Connor of Dundalk St Gerard’s.

Lavin produced a smooth 60m hurdles run to win in 8.07 seconds, finishing ahead of Kate O’Connor who ran a huge personal best time of 8.21 seconds to go third on the Irish all-time list behind Derval O’Rourke and Lavin.

Commenting on her victory this afternoon, Sarah Lavin said:

“I’m happy, I would have liked a season’s best but to run sub eight is a difficult task. There were things I did really well there, and some things I need to tidy up but overall, it was a positive run. I want to carry the speed and intent through the race, sprinting is one thing, working on technique for the hurdles is another, and trying to bring those together”.

Orlaith Mannion (South Galway AC) rounded out the 60m hurdles podium in third in a time of 8.45 seconds.

Adam Nolan wins men’s 60m hurdles

The men’s 60m hurdles was claimed by Adam Nolan from St Laurence O’Toole AC, as he successfully defended his 2025 gold in a time of 8.03 seconds. Leevale’s Seán Carmody took second in 8.19 seconds, with 2025 high jump champion Ciarán Connolly of Le Chéile AC taking third spot in a time of 8.45 seconds.

Becker takes first senior 200m title 

Sophie Becker won her first national senior indoor 200m title with an indoor PB time of 23.43 seconds. Racing in the sixth lane, Becker utilised her opening 100m speed to break clear of the field to cross ahead of Molly Daly (Kilkenny City Harriers), who clocked 24.07 seconds for second place, with DSD’s Mollie O’Reilly finishing third in 24.14 seconds.

Becker spoke of her delight post-race in claiming the 200m title:

“I’m delighted with that. My first 200m title and an indoor PB to go with it so two boxes ticked and I’m thrilled to have taken the title. I’ve been lacking a little bit of confidence and the 200 really helps my 400 because I’m more of a speed-based athlete, so to know I have that time over 200 will give me plenty of confidence”.

Third national title for Mark Smyth

Raheny Shamrock’s Mark Smyth took a third national indoor title following a titanic tussle with defending champion Marcus Lawler of Clonliffe Harriers. The Raheny clubman held off the strong finishing Lawler to cross the winning time in 21.11 seconds. Lawler was second in 21.24, with Adam Murphy (Tinryland AC) third in 21.68 seconds.

Finals Results

Women’s 200m

1 Sophie BECKER Raheny Shamrock A.C. 23.43

2 Molly DALY Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. 24.07

3 Mollie O`REILLY Dundrum South Dublin A.C. 24.14

Men’s 200m

1 Mark SMYTH Raheny Shamrock A.C. 21.11

2 Marcus LAWLER Clonliffe Harriers A.C. 21.24

3 Adam MURPHY Tinryland A.C. 21.68

Women’s 60mH

1 Sarah LAVIN Emerald A.C. 8.07

2 Katherine O`CONNOR Dundalk St. Gerards A.C. 8.21

3 Orlaith MANNION South Galway A.C. 8.45

Men’s 60mH

1 Adam NOLAN St. Laurence. O’Toole A.C. 8.03

2 Sean CARMODY Leevale A.C. 8.19

3 Ciaran CONNOLLY Le Chéile A.C. 8.45

Women’s High Jump

1 Aoife O’SULLIVAN Liscarroll A.C. 1.75

2 Sommer LECKY Finn Valley A.C. 1.75

3 Lauren DUFFY Bohermeen A.C. 1.65

3 Maeve FLEMING Leevale A.C. 1.65

Men’s High Jump

1 Mohammed IBRAHIM HALIL Raheny Shamrock A.C. 1.93

2 Darragh KELLY Craughwell A.C. 1.90

3 Emmanuel OSAS Ratoath A.C. 1.90

Men’s WFD

1 Michael HEALY Leevale A.C. 9.11 NR

2 David TIERNEY Leevale A.C. 7.99

3 Robert HIGGINS Na Fianna A.C. 7.08

Women’s WFD

1 Kotryna PACERINSKAITE Fanahan Mc Sweeney A.C. 8.70 NR

2 Laura DOLAN Ferbane A.C. 6.46

3 Bridget MC DYER Finn Valley A.C. 6.29

Men’s Triple Jump

1 David ONWUDIWE Ennis Track A.C. 13.96

2 Darragh FAHY Loughrea A.C. 13.94

3 Joseph GILLESPIE Finn Valley A.C. 13.75

Women’s Triple Jump

1 Daphni DOULAPTSI TEEUWEN Raheny Shamrock A.C. 12.54

2 Caoimhe MC DONAGHSouth Sligo A.C. 12.21

3 Anna RYAN Moycarkey Coolcroo A.C. 11.4

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Group D delivered its first three matches on Day 3 of the BGIS 2026 Quarterfinals. Madkings finished first with 37 points and one Chicken Dinner. Second-placed Meta Ninza also had a great start and amassed 26 points and one Chicken Dinner. GenXFM and Nebula scored 25 points apiece.

Frostrex sat fifth with 24 points, including 15 eliminations, followed by Team H4K with 23 points and one Chicken Dinner. GodLike Esports had a slow start to the BGIS Quarterfinals and accrued 19 points. The Manya-led lineup got only one position point. Higg Boson finished eighth with 17 points.

Further down, Godz Officials and Esports Socials sat ninth and 10th with 16 and 14 points respectively. Sovereign, Rising, and Riotnation scored 13, 12, and 11 points, respectively. K9 Esports suffered a poor start and could only muster seven points, leading to a 14th-placed finish. OSH and Empire Officials amassed four and three points, respectively.

Day 3 highlights of BGIS 2026 Quarterfinals Group D

Match 1 – Erangel

Meta Ninza, led by Shadow, won its first game with 16 eliminations. Meanwhile, Genxfm accumulated 16 points and 10 eliminations. Frostrex finished with an 11-point tally. Esports Social and GodLike grabbed nine points apiece.

Higg Boson amassed seven points and six kills, followed by H4K, Nebula, Rising, and Sovereign with four points each. Marking and K9 Esports grabbed only two points each. Godz Officials and Empire failed to earn any points.

Match 2 – Miramar

Team H4K emerged victorious in its second encounter of the BGIS Quarterfinals with 18 points. Madkings posted 14 points, including nine eliminations. Godz Officials scored 13 thanks to star player ICYOP’s five kills. Frostrex also collected 13 points.

Rising and Genxfm garnered seven points apiece. Nebula, GodLike, and Higg Boson grabbed only four points each, followed by Meta Ninza with three. K9 Esports had another poor game and earned only two points.

Match 3 – Miramar

Madkings clinched a phenomenal 21-point Chicken Dinner in the third game. Syrax and ClutchGod from the squad delivered four kills each. Nebula also displayed top-notch performances and achieved 17 points, followed by Riotnation with 10 points.

Sovereign and Meta Ninza scored eight and seven points, respectively. Higg Boson and GodLike got six points apiece. K9, Empire, Esports Social, and Godz Officials finished with three points each.