Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football after 207 appearances for Argentina. With 125 goals to his name, he is by far the top scorer in his national team’s history.
In the Premier League, Arsenal have rejoined the top of the table. In Spain, Barça put on a show and have regained the top spot. Bradley Barcola is now officially a Liverpool player. Finally, at the US Open, Arthur Fils was knocked out in the first round.
Hull City are continuing to have busy summer window and have now announced Ilyas Ansah as their 13th addition for the season.
The 21-year-old has joined from Union Berlin, in Germany, for an undisclosed fee and has signed a five-year contract, keeping him at Hull until mid-2031.
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After turning professional with Paderborn, Ansah joined Union Berlin last season, making 36 appearances and contributing five goals and one assist.
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Last week, he featured for the German capital club in their opening German Cup match, providing an assist in Union Berlin’s emphatic win over Eintracht Braunschweig.
Argentina legend Lionel Messi announced his international retirement on Monday.
The 39-year-old, widely considered the greatest football player of all time, won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Argentina, bringing the title back to the country for the first time since 1986.
The 2026 World Cup, Messi’s last appearance in the world’s most well-known footballing competition, ended in disappointment for Argentina after defeat to Spain in the final.
Despite being past his prime, the Argentina captain was the second most prolific goalscorer of the 2026 World Cup with eight goals, only being edged out by France’s Kylian Mbappe with ten.
Messi is also second in the World Cup’s all-time goalscorer list, where he is one goal behind Mbappe, with both overtaking Germany striker Miroslav Klose’s 16 goals during the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.
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Retirement comes at ‘right time’
“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul,” Messi posted on his Instagram account, adding that he wrote his international retirement message two days after the World Cup final defeat to Spain.
“But I understand that it is the right time,” he added.
Messi said he “always gave everything, not just in the last few years,” and that he wanted to bring Argentina fans joy and make them “feel proud to be Argentine through football.”
“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of,” he wrote, before concluding with “Vamos, Argentina!”
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“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — alongside my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of,” he added.
Miami contract until 2028
Messi is his country’s most capped player with 207 appearances, in which he scored 125 goals, another all-time record.
With Messi as captain, Argentina also won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024.
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His club career will continue at current club Inter Miami, where he has a contract until the end of the 2028 MLS season, although he did voice “serious doubts” about continuing to play football for “much longer” following the death of his father Jorge in August.
The attacker moved to the US side in 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain and after a 15-year career with Spanish giants Barcelona, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League four times and the Spanish title ten times.
Messi wanted to stay at Barcelona, but the club could not afford to keep him due to financial restrictions. This resulted in his move to Qatar-backed PSG, where he spent two years winning two league titles before moving to Miami.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
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There are few who can currently relate to the feelings of Moses Itauma after his loss to Filip Hrgovic, but one man who went through a similar experience is heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko, and the Ukrainian superstar has now offered his thoughts on the fight.
The disparity in skill between Itauma and Hrgovic was there for all to see in the opening rounds of Saturday’s showdown at the O2 Arena, but at the half-way point, the difference in stamina and experience was even more clear – and it was in favour of the underdog.
As a result, an exhausted Itauma opened the door for ‘El Animal’, who graciously accepted the opportunity to become Croatia’s first heavyweight world champion and hand Itauma the first defeat of his career; bringing the show to a close in round nine.
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Although, whilst the nature of the contest felt bizarre at such an elite level, Klitschko also knows how it feels to suffer a blow early into his career when he was knocked out by Lamon Brewster in 2004, in a challenge for the vacant WBO title.
On X, Klitschko told Itauma that ‘he can bounce back, big time, if he really wants it’, after congratulating former sparring partner, Hrgovic, on an iconic win.
My favorite principle in the /FACE methodology is ENDURANCE, and once again, ENDURANCE beats masterwork and talent, like in the fight last night, Hrgovic vs. Moses. Congrats to my former sparring partner one and only @Filip_Hrgovic; you are the real champ! I’ve been there where… pic.twitter.com/EUBcmRgQB3
“My favourite principle in the /FACE methodology is ENDURANCE, and once again, ENDURANCE beats masterwork and talent, like in the fight last night, Hrgovic vs. Moses.
“Congrats to my former sparring partner one and only @Filip_Hrgovic; you are the real champ!
“I’ve been there where you’re now, you can bounce back big time, if you really want it #MosesItauma.”
Make no mistake, 2026 was a driver year. That’s reflected in the bags of this year’s PGA Tour winners.
Callaway, Ping, Srixon, TaylorMade and Titleist all had drivers released this year win on the PGA Tour this season, with TaylorMade and Titleist’s 2026 models winning multiple times.
But in the end, for the third straight season, it was actually a driver released in 2024 that took the cake as the winningest driver of 2026.
With a whopping eight victories, three of them by Matt Fitzpatrick, Titleist’s GT3 was the winningest driver of 2026.
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But that’s not to say the more updated crop of drivers couldn’t hold their own. Quite the contrary, in fact. The GT3’s successors, the GTS2 and GTS3, each got a pair of victories after being released this spring.
TaylorMade’s Qi4D family of drivers recorded eight victories, making it the winningest 2026 driver release this year. Srixon recorded a major championship victory with their still-to-be-released ZXi RKT line of drivers.
So what does this all mean? There are two real takeaways here.
The first is that the 2026 crop of drivers was truly impressive. From the GTS to the Qi4D to Quantum TD, all of these drivers earned high conversion rates for their respective OEMs and that showed up with a large share of victories this season.
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The second is that Tour pros are a finicky bunch and usually, when something works, even if they can gain a tiny edge from something new, they’ll stick to what they trust. We saw this with Scottie Scheffler, as he used his 2024 Qi10 for most of the season until finally making the switch to the Qi4D in August, leading to two wins at the FedEx Cup.
There’s seeing performance gains on the practice tee and there’s actually trusting that performance under game-time pressure on the course. They are not the same.
With that, keep reading below for the list of the top 5 winningest driver models of the 2026 FedEx Cup season.
The winningest drivers during the 2026 FedEx Cup season
No. 1 Titleist GT3 (8 wins by 5 players)
From left-to-right, the GT3s belonging to Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young and Michael Brennan.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF and Titleist
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Last season, the combined 10 wins by the GT3 and the GT2 drivers made it the winningest driver family on the PGA Tour. This season, even as its successor, the GTS lineup, was introduced, the GT lineup has continued winning.
This year, it was the GT3 doing the heavy lifting, racking up eight wins. Three of those came courtesy of Matt Fitzpatrick, and two more came from Cam Young, who interestingly used an 11-degree GT3 head for both wins this season. The other GT3 winners this year were J.J. Spaun, Michael Brennan and Ricky Castillo. Jackson Koivun also tossed in a GT win, using the GT2 for his debut victory at the 3M Open late this summer.
Given GTS’ quick success on Tour, picking up four wins since June, it’s likely GT’s run at the top is over, but given its popularity and the longevity of Titleist drivers on Tour — Russell Henley won with a six-year-old TSi3 driver this season — it’s probable we see them win again in 2027.
GT3 – Speed-Tuned Distance & Control GT3 offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization. With a speed-tuned design that allows you to precisely match performance to your most frequent contact location, you can make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping. For players with a relatively consistent impact location, GT3 offers a precisely adjustable CG Track to max out distance and directional control. Seamless Thermoform Crown A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence. Split Mass Construction A breakthrough in internal weighting unlocks longer drives and enhanced directional control in GT3. The Adjustable CG Track now sits closer to the face for more dynamic CG control, while additional discretionary mass is pushed to the back of the club to maintain optimal stability through impact. Advanced Aerodynamics GT3 features a new raised tail contour that represents a dramatic shift in driver aerodynamics. Previously impossible to execute due to design constraints, this advanced shaping results in a driver that swings faster while still providing optimal CG control.
From left-to-right, Scottie Scheffler’s, Rory McIlroy’s and Wyndham Clark’s Qi4D drivers.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF and TaylorMade
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With the new Qi4D driver, it felt a little bit like to the return of the TaylorMade of old, with not just TaylorMade staffers gaming their latest driver, but non-contracted players and free agents as well.
It should come as no surprise that Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy picked up half of the Qi4D core model driver’s six wins this season, with Scheffler winning twice since making the switch three weeks ago. But the other half belongs to Wyndham Clark, who picked up the driver as a gear free agent, and it helped power his career resurgence this season.
With McIlroy and Clark collecting the Masters and the U.S. Open, the Qi4D collected half of this year’s major titles. Nelly Korda also won two majors with the Qi4D on the women’s side.
SHAPED FOR SPEED The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations. FACE FOR DISTANCE 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency vs. a titanium face. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight. TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed, and stability.
The drivers of Chris Gotterup (L) and Alex Fitzpatrick.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
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The Ping G440 LST also returns from last year’s list of winningest driver models, powered by Chris Gotterup’s three victories. The 440 LST was also one of the most played drivers on Tour all season, leading the count at multiple majors.
Notably, Viktor Hovland finally switched out of his G425 LST driver after playing it for five+ years, and he started to play the 440 LST just weeks before he won at Travelers. Also earning a win with the G440 LST this season is presumptive Rookie of the Year Alex Fitzpatrick.
The G440 driver family (MAX, LST, SFT) is optimized to deliver more ball speed through multiple advancements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a shallower, thinner face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected from a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control in 9° and 10.5° lofts with the three-position back weight. HIGHLY FORGIVING Lighter head weight allows for heavier back weight. FASTER FACE Shallow, thinner, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch. SOUND DESIGN New shaping, carbon crown and internal ribs produce muted impact experience. FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, increase forgiveness. Allows for more heel-side face flexing for consistent ball speed across face.
T4. Titleist GTS2 and GTS3 (4 wins (2 each) by 4 players)
(L) Bud Cauley’s Titleist GTS2 driver and Tom Kim’s GTS3.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
While the GT3 racked up wins early in the year, by the summer, GTS was all the rage. Titleist’s newest driver quickly earned conversions by over 70 Tour players, and the two main models, GTS2 and GTS3, earned their first wins back-to-back in June with J.T. Poston (GTS3) and Bud Cauley (GTS2).
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Tom Kim (GTS3) and Steven Fisk (GTS2) also added victories the same week at the Genesis Scottish Open and ISCO Championship, respectively, in July.
With Justin Thomas, Cameron Young and several others now playing GTS and with potentially more adding the club over the offseason, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Titleist’s newest driver near the top next season.
(L) Michael Thorbjornsen’s and Collin Morikawa’s Qi4D LS drivers.
Jack Hirsh
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While this list is dominated by more “core model”-type drivers that are more forgiving than the low spin bombers that used to dominate the PGA Tour, one “LS” type driver still earned multiple wins this season.
Both Collin Morikawa and Michael Thorbjornsen captured their respective 2026 victories using the TaylorMade Qi4D LS model drivers, showing that the best driver and the most forgiving is actually the best fit driver.
On the women’s side, Haeran Ryu also won two majors with the LS driver, making it four of five for the Qi4D family at the women’s majors.
SHAPED FOR SPEED Traditional address shape based on feedback from world-class players helps create confidence on every shot. Qi4D LS is the lowest spinning option in the Qi4D lineup. FACE FOR DISTANCE Qi4D LS drivers feature a new and improved roll radius, yielding more consistent spin across vertical impact locations. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight. TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed, and stability.
Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith was shown love by Paige Bueckers, Sophie Cunningham and other members of the WNBA faternity on Monday. The $3.7 million forward received reactions from WNBA stars in her IG recap, with many leaving heartfelt comments.
Smith shared a recap on IG before heading to Berlin for the FIBA World Cup.
“A tiny recap before World Cup kicks off… be back soon 🕺🏼🪽,” Smith captioned the post.
Sharing a nine-slide post, Smith showcased different aspects of her season, including moments both on and off the court. The images quickly caught people’s attention, with many of her teammates, including Paige Bueckers, reacting to it.
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“Miss you already, you little gremlin,” Bueckers wrote.
“Double tap 1k times 🥰🥰🥰,” Alysha Clark added.
“Good luck 🤭🦘, ” Arike Ogunbowale remarked.
“Go be great 😍🤩,” Jessica Shepard commented.
However, her teammates weren’t the only WNBA players reacting to the post, as Fever star Sophie Cunningham also showed love to Smith in the comments.
“Cutie😍,” Cunningham expressed.
Paige Bueckers, Sophie Cunningham and other WNBA stars show love to Alanna Smith on IG (Source: IG@alannas96)
Smith received ample love from her peers on her post as she heads to Germany as part of Australia’s squad at the FIBA World Cup. The forward, who previously won bronze with the Opals at the 2024 Olympics, will hope to help her team go further this time around as they look to take Team USA’s crown.
Smith and Co. have been drawn in Group C alongside Belgium, Turkey, and Puerto Rico and will face the latter in their first group game on Friday.
Sophie Cunningham once praised Paige Bueckers and the younger generation for “changing” the WNBA
Sophie Cunningham once praised Paige Bueckers and her generation of players, including Angel Reese and Cameron Brink, in February. The Fever guard offered praise while discussing their impact on the WNBA.
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During an appearance on the “Like a Farmer Podcast,” Cunningham discussed the difference Bueckers and the rest of the group have made in the WNBA, while highlighting how their social media followings have helped bring more fans to the league.
“Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, like they’re just in that generation that social media was a huge thing and they brought the collegiate fans into the W,” Cunningham said.
“And so it’s like a huge, it’s a great time to be a part of it. And so instead of being jealous, I think people should just be thankful and, you know, go make your money now.”
Despite being a fierce competitor on court, Cunningham remains one of the most outspoken WNBA players and does not shy away from showing love to individuals.
The Australian failed a drugs test at a tournament in Mallorca in June, with the test later found to contain benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. He was suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) from 4 August and later posted on social media to say he made a “huge mistake”.
Tsitsipas was asked about the case on Monday after he produced one of the shocks of the US Open so far, defeating in-form 10th seed Arthur Fils in the first round.
He said: “Pretty much expected, to be honest. I am surprised it came so late, though.
“I mean, to be entirely honest with you, I knew about this before the announcement. Myself, I knew about it.
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“So what can I tell you? I will just tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made, and when I saw it on social media, I was, like, ‘Here we go.’ I kind of expected it, to be honest.”
Tsitsipas and Kyrgios – who has played scarcely over the last few years after a series of injury struggles – have had a fraught relationship in the past. The two had a testy encounter at Wimbledon in 2022, with the Greek calling Kyrgios a “bully” and playing a couple of shots directly at his opponent. Kyrgios reached his only slam final at SW19 that year.
Tsitsipas added: “I knew that those were things that were happening away from the tennis courts. I will tell you that.
“I’m not going to try and cover up someone that I know the truth for. I’ll consider myself a nice person with everyone, but these were behaviors that I personally heard on the tour and heard other people in that same environment saying those sort of things to me.”
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Kyrgios admitted he made a ‘huge mistake’ (Reuters)
Kyrgios said in his post that he would stepping away from public life and social media for 28 days to “focus on getting myself right”, and apologised to his fans, sponsors and nearest and dearest.
He wrote: “I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.
“I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone.
Bayern Munich Frauen got their first home win in their first home game of the season.
The Frauen had not played at the FC Bayern Campus all throughout preseason, and had two away games to start the season. Now, finally returning home, the team defeated Mainz 05 2-0 in the Bundesliga to maintain their strong start.
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Bundesliga newcomers Mainz did not make it easy for Bayern, though. Digging their heels in deep, Bayern had to sweat and toil for their first goal, which did not arrive until late in the first half. Klara Bühl’s cross was just kept alive by Linda Dallmann, who squared it for Giulia Gwinn to smash into the roof of the net. It was Gwinn’s first game back from her shoulder surgery.
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There was another newcomer in the second half, this one much longer overdue. Lena Oberdorf made her first appearance of the season after her ACL injury, her first appearance since last October. Sarah Mattner also made her professional debut for Bayern when she came on alongside Oberdorf.
Despite the overwhelming depth in quality, Mainz still held firm, and Bayern had to wait until stoppage time to fully exhale. Bühl got her second assist of the day when her corner found Vanessa Gilles, who headed home to seal the result.
The result means that Bayern have equaled their record of 44 Bundesliga games unbeaten. Bayern’s next game will come this Sunday when they face Freiburg at the Campus.
Thailand’s women’s national volleyball books a ticket to the LA 2028 Olympics. –THAILAND VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION
BANGKOK– Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team made history after defeating hosts China 3-2 in the final of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Asian Championship, successfully defending their continental title and securing their first-ever place at the Olympic Games.
The five-set victory earned Thailand direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, marking the first time the women’s national volleyball team will compete on the Olympic stage.
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Thailand made an impressive start to the final, carrying their confidence from the previous round into a strong opening set. Solid defence combined with an effective attack allowed them to control the contest and take the first set 25-20.
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China responded emphatically in the second. Thailand began to struggle with their serve reception, while the hosts found greater consistency in both attack and defence. China dominated the set 25-11 to level the match at 1-1.
Thailand regrouped in the third and produced a much tighter contest, taking the lead at stages during the middle and latter part of the set. China, however, raised their level at the decisive moments and overturned the deficit to win 25-23, moving 2-1 ahead.
Needing the fourth set to keep the match alive, Thailand responded strongly. Their attacking rhythm returned, while improved defence created opportunities to dictate play. A 25-18 victory levelled the match at 2-2 and forced a deciding fifth set.
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The two teams remained locked in a tense battle in the decider amid strong support for the hosts. Thailand maintained their composure under pressure and won the decisive points to close out the set 15-10, completing a 3-2 victory.
The result secured another Asian championship for Thailand and, more significantly, delivered direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
After generations of Thai players pursued the Olympic dream, Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team will now compete at the Games for the first time in its history.
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NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka channelled Allen Iverson as part of her US Open debut, and the former NBA superstar liked the look.
Osaka made her usual fashionable entrance for her match against Anastasia Zakharova on Monday night in the first round. The two-time US Open champion emerged from the tunnel onto the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a long, white skirt and a gray, hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her.
She had the hood on when she entered. When she removed that to reveal her black outfit, Osaka had her hair done in cornrows under a headband, just as Iverson did when he was the NBA MVP while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
It fit with her apparel company’s theme for the US Open after the New York Knicks won the NBA championship in June. Aryna Sabalenka is wearing an orange dress, one of the Knicks’ colours.
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“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said following her 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) victory. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
Osaka wore a shirt with Iverson’s picture when she met with the media on the eve of the tournament and called him a trailblazer.
“I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s kind done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” Osaka said Saturday. “I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”
She added that they’d never communicated, but Iverson posted a message to Osaka on his Instagram page Monday, writing: “Wow, what a honour!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.”
We had a heavy dose of West Coast college football in Week Zero and just enough to whet our appetite.
Now in Week 1, everyone gets in on the action.
We even have a conference matchup among potential Mountain West title contenders in Honolulu.
Here are my previews for this weekend’s games.
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San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
Friday, September 4 3:30 PM PT, ESPN+
Line:Eastern Michigan –3.5 Over/Under:56.5
Both teams kicked things off last week with different results.
The Spartans gave up the most points of any team nationally in their Week 0 loss to USC, losing to the Trojans 42-26 in the opener. The 23 fourth-quarter points made it look more respectable on the scoreboard.
The Eagles opened the season with a conference win over new MAC foe Sacramento State 28-17.
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Obviously, we cannot glean too much from those results as the opposition was vastly different.
The issue for the Spartans in the opener was the Trojans’ ability to move the ball at will through the air, and with a lot of first-year players on the receiving end of the majority of the passing yards.
While SJSU does not have to face Jayden Maiava again, EMU has an experienced QB of their own.
SJSU QB Luke Weaver | William Liang/AP
Noah Kim has played plenty of high-level college football. The grad student began at Michigan State, starting half a season for the Spartans before splitting time at Coastal Carolina.
Kim threw for 279 yards in the opener, connecting on 71.1% of his passes.
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The Spartans only saw the ball hit the ground six times as USC torched them through the air. The passing defense will need to be a lot better in Ypsilanti this week.
The EMU ground game was non-existent last week, so if San Jose State can make the Eagles one-dimensional and concentrate on slowing the air attack, they could even their record.
On defense, the Eagles’ weak spot is against the run, and SJSU does not normally commit too much to the ground game. That could play into the home team’s hand in this one.
EMU has not opened a season 2-0 since 2018. For the third time in four seasons, the Spartans will open the season with consecutive losses.
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Winner:Eastern Michigan ATS:San Jose State O/U:Under
UTEP at No. 10 Oklahoma
Friday, September 4 5:00 PM PT, SEC Network
Line:Oklahoma –42 Over/Under:50.5
The Miners’ first game as a Mountain West program will be a challenge as Scotty Walden takes his squad north to meet SEC opponent Oklahoma.
The last time we saw the Sooners, they were falling apart in a painful meltdown against Alabama on their home field in a Playoff loss.
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This season, the Sooners figure to be much better.
UTEP will look to fine-tune their go-go offense ahead of their new conference challenges.
These teams have met five times prior, with the Sooners winning each meeting by a combined 248-41 score.
Miners QB EJ Colson | UTEP Athletics
This one probably won’t be as close. If UTEP’s high-octane offense is producing, it could slow down the Sooner pass rush and keep the defense gassed.
That is a big ask, however, and should the offense get hampered with three-and-outs, the UTEP defense will be getting worked.
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The more likely outcome is that the Oklahoma front four spends a ton of time in the UTEP backfield, and the Miners struggle to gain 50 yards rushing.
On the other side of the ball, John Mateer will put up big numbers and get into a good rhythm before facing Michigan in Week 2.
Winner:Oklahoma ATS:Oklahoma O/U:Over
Wyoming at Colorado State
Saturday, September 5 3:00 PM PT, USA Network
Line:Colorado State –3.5 Over/Under:46.5
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For just the second time ever, a Colorado State head coach will open his tenure in Fort Collins against the Wyoming Cowboys.
Jim Mora Jr will join Julius “Hans” Wagner as the only CSU coaches to start their tenure with the Border War. Back in 1942 it was Wagner and the Rams opening 1-0. Will we see history repeat itself this weekend?
The two former conference foes will approach the season-opening rivalry slightly differently, at least, in announcing a starting QB.
Jay Sawvel has decided on Tyler Hughes under center. At William & Mary, Hughes became the first QB in program history with at least 2,000 passing yards and 600 rushing yards in the same season.
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The Cowboys hope he finds that same dual-threat magic this season.
Wyoming QB Tyler Hughes | Casper Star-Tribune
Jim Mora Jr has made it clear that he has no intention of announcing the winner of the battle between UConn transfer K’saan Farrar and Oklahoma State transfer Hauss Hejny before kickoff.
Both are raw, without much experience at their prior schools, but whoever starts will have the benefit of Juice Vereen at TE. The transfer from UConn is a talented playmaker who should be a big weapon in the Rams’ offense.
The Cowboys will look to run the ball and play solid defense. The Rams were 127th against the run in 2025 and will need to improve. This will be a good test to see where they stand.
Mora’s UConn squad was not much better against the run in 2025, ranking 124th.
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Both programs struggled last season, and this is probably a make-or-break year for the Cowboys. I think UW is much improved, and this one will be an indicator of the progress being made.
Winner:Wyoming ATS:Wyoming O/U:Under
UNLV at Hawai’i
Saturday, September 5 7:00 PM PT, The CW
Line:UNLV –3 Over/Under:58.5
Our lone league game of the week features a pair of teams I feel could be battling for the conference crown.
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It also features a pair of teams that had disappointing losses to open the season last weekend, despite my predictions to the contrary.
Last week I said the Warriors would need to shut down Micah Ford and the Stanford ground attack, and they certainly did not do either. Despite a furious comeback, Hawaii came up short.
In Las Vegas, the Rebels struggled to stop the Memphis ground attack in a 27-21 loss.
So, how do they rectify the opening week woes? Well, simply put, both teams need to limit their opponents’ rushing game.
UNLV looks to have the edge there as the Warriors would not be able to muster much on the ground at all against Stanford. UNLV produced much more rushing, but did not seem fluid.
Jackson Arnold excelled through the air and on the ground in his debut, but the Rebels need to do a better job of protecting him. The six sacks allowed last week were the high for the week.
UNLV also had too many empty trips in the Red Zone in Game One. Hawaii could have the edge in that area, but will need to be tougher up front at the line.
I was leaning toward the Rainbow Warriors, but the more I break it down, I think this one goes the way of UNLV. The Rebels get the early leg up in the MW race.
Winner:UNLV ATS:Hawai’i O/U:Under
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Central Michigan at New Mexico
Saturday, September 5 7:00 PM PT, FS1
Lines:New Mexico –10.5 Over/Under:46.5
As the conference race gets underway on the Islands, the other key player in the conference race gets its season going against Central Michigan.
New Mexico will open with uncertainty at QB, a spot that seemed like a strength just days ago. Jack Layne will miss the season with an injury, which opens the door for one of the trio of senior James Laubstein, junior Luke Moga, and sophomore Toa Fa’avae.
Expect all three to see action against the Chips as the battle for the starting spot will likely continue throughout the game.
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The loss of Layne is certainly big, but the Lobos still have a lot of talent on the roster and the best defender in the Mountain West. Jaxton Eck will anchor a defense looking to limit a CMU squad with a bruising offensive line.
Lobos QB Luke Moga | New Mexico Athletics
Couple a good veteran offensive line with a suddenly injury-riddled Lobos outfit, and this contest offers some intrigue—and puts UNM on upset alert.
This could be a good test for New Mexico. It will be interesting to see who emerges from the QB battle, and how long it takes to decide the clear winner.
CMU was way too inconsistent last season, and they still have a number of the same issues this season. I think the Lobos should pull away late as the offense will be able to produce.
Winner:New Mexico ATS:New Mexico O/U:Under
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Western Kentucky at Nevada
Saturday, September 5 7:30 PM PT, CBS Sports Network
Lines:Western Kentucky –2.5 Over/Under:52.5
Western Kentucky seems like a team poised to take C-USA by storm, and Tyson Helton has them coming off a 9-4 season and New Orleans Bowl win.
But the 2026 version of the Hilltoppers has several holes to fill from the 2025 version. And starting things off with a long road trip is never an easy task for a team looking to gel.
That could be a good sign for Nevada. The Wolf Pack looks to make a big jump in Year Three of the Jeff Choate era. Last season, the Pack traveled to WKU and fell 31-16. They hope to flip the script to open 2026.
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Dylan LaBarbera | Nevada Athletics
If Nevada is, in fact, to make a big jump this season, they will have to get it done on the defensive side of things, and will be tested early by the Tops. WKU averaged 400+ yards per game in 2025 with a balanced attack.
And while they have some holes to fill, Rodney Tisdale has a year under his belt running the offense and will be a dual-threat playmaker under center.
If Nevada is to open with a win, they will have to force mistakes from the QB and create turnovers, which was an issue in 2025. Last season, Nevada was among the worst in the nation in turnover margin and takeaways.
Western Kentucky will spoil the season opener in Reno.
Winner:WKU ATS:WKU O/U:Under
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writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
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Now in Week 1, everyone gets in on the action.
San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
UTEP at No. 10 Oklahoma
Wyoming at Colorado State
UNLV at Hawai’i
Central Michigan at New Mexico
Western Kentucky at Nevada
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