Connect with us

Sports

Free agents, Osimhen transfer and January plans – Man United questions answered

Published

on

The transfer window is shut and it ended with some frustration for Manchester United, who couldn’t add a left-back to their squad in the final hours of deadline day.

The club also blocked a loan move for Joshua Zirkzee to Everton and United ended the window without making a new addition on deadline day for the first time since 2019.

On the pitch, fortunes at least improved from the opening weekend as Ipswich Town were swept aside 5-2, with Bruno Fernandes the star of the show once again.

Even with the window now closed, we will continue to run Q&A sessions every week. Simply add your question here and our Manchester United Correspondent, Tyrone Marshall, will get back to you.

Here are the answers to some of the latest questions:

Why don’t we sign a free agent? Ramos, Carvajal and Alaba are better defenders for the Champions League.

From what I have been told, United aren’t looking at the free agent market. Many of these players available are past their best, Ramos and Carvajal certainly fit that description. Others have been released because their games have regressed, such as Alaba.

Advertisement

Essentially, they are free agents for a reason, but they are also players who in the past have been paid very handsomely. They don’t fit the recruitment model that Ineos have introduced at Old Trafford.

The only possible way this changes is if Luke Shaw picks up a significant injury and United are left with no left-back at all, but even then it’s far from guaranteed.

Why did United not sign Victor Osimhen?

Because he would have cost the best part of £100million and earns an absolute fortune in Turkey, where the low tax rate means the take-home pay for players is huge.

Advertisement

Osimhen has done very well for Galatasaray but the fact that he is still there says a lot. There doesn’t appear to have been much interest from Europe. His performances in that league are hard to judge, and the finances involved are difficult for other major European clubs.

If United had signed a forward this summer, it would have been a much lower-key addition and someone considerably cheaper than Osimhen.

Are we going to sign a defender and a back-up striker in January 2027?

This depends entirely on how the season is going at that point, I feel. If Shaw has stayed fit and others have stepped in at times, then a left-back is unlikely. There might be a desire to look at the loan market again, but the priority is to sign a left-back for the long-term and that is only likely to happen next summer.

Advertisement

Zirkzee’s future could be looked at again in January, but United have Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford who can play through the middle, so a replacement might not be needed.

Will Kobbie Mainoo still get a fair share of minutes when Carlos Baleba is fit?

I think last weekend provided us the answer to that. Carrick has excellent options in midfield now and if Mason Mount can stay fit for more than a few weeks, there are five good players to pick from.

There are plenty of games to go around as well. United will have a lot of weeks where they play three times, starting this week, so rotation will be key.

Advertisement

But I would expect Baleba and Mainoo to be the partnership that starts the biggest games and to emerge as United’s No. 1 midfield duo.

What do the coaches think we will achieve this season?

Good question. Carrick is only ever optimistic when facing the media and the vibes behind the scenes are bullish as well. He firmly believes United should be challenging at the top of the Premier League table.

But you can sense he wanted more in the transfer window and he must realise that sustaining a title challenge or a deep run in Europe is now going to be a lot harder than it should have been.

Advertisement

Carrick is genuinely happy with the three midfielders signed and does believe he has a deeper squad than last season, but he will need some luck with injuries to get close to achieving his ultimate goals this time around.

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

Duleep Trophy Final LIVE Score, East Zone vs South Zone: East Zone Aim For Recovery As Second Session Begins

Published

on


Duleep Trophy Final LIVE Score, East Zone vs South Zone Live Updates: Abhimanu Easwaran was caught in a mix-up and was run out for 72 on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy final between East Zone and South Zone.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Prince Naseem Hamed sums up Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight taking place in the US over the UK

Published

on

Prince Naseem Hamed is struggling to wrap his head around the value of a stateside showdown between British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

The pair agreed separate deals for a 2026 contest earlier this year, before entering respective warm-up matches against Mariusz Wach and Kristian Prenga in July.

It then emerged that November 20 is the targeted date, with Fury having stopped Wach in seven rounds and Joshua surviving two knockdowns to score a second-round finish.

Advertisement

Since then, though, the location of their long-awaited clash has become a major talking point, with Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn claiming that ‘AJ’ has agreed to collide on British soil.

The particulars of Fury’s contract remain a little more hazy, meanwhile, yet the 38-year-old has expressed no issue with facing Joshua at the proposed venue of Madison Square Garden, New York.

For the past month or so, this has seemed the most likely destination, with Netflix and Turki Alalshikh preferring to take advantage of a wider audience in America.

While speaking with IFL TV, however, Hall of Famer Hamed argued that the appetite for a Fury-Joshua encounter is far greater in the UK.

Advertisement

“That fight should be at Wembley [Stadium, London], and that fight should be enjoyed by the whole of the UK first.

“Firstly, that fight is literally six or seven years too late. Secondly, that’s a British fight. For them to go to America and fight at Madison Square Garden, or wherever … in my eyes, it doesn’t make no sense.”

While an announcement is yet to emerge, Hearn has most recently confirmed that talks have reopened for Fury and Joshua to lock horns at Wembley.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Rivers United Hold San Pedro to Draw in CAF Champions League

Published

on

Rivers United began their CAF Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw against San Pedro of Côte d’Ivoire in the first leg of their first preliminary round tie at the Laurent Pokou Stadium on Saturday.

The two teams created several chances in the first half but neither side could find the back of the net before the break.

San Pedro eventually took the lead 11 minutes into the second half when Issouf Dosso scored to put the home side ahead.

Advertisement

Rivers United responded well and found their equaliser in the 69th minute through substitute Iyowuna Douglas.

The Nigerian side held on to secure a valuable away draw ahead of the return leg.

Rivers United will host San Pedro in the second leg at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo next Sunday.

Advertisement

The Nigerian club will be hoping to use home advantage to secure a place in the next round of the CAF Champions League.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s other representative in the competition, Rangers, will begin their campaign against SOBEMAP FC of Benin Republic at the Moshood Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

College football rankings: LSU set to rise, Oregon’s status as No. 2 in doubt

Published

on

The college football rankings have a slightly different release schedule in Week 1, allowing voters in the AP Top 25 poll to take in all of the action across a five-day game week before resorting their ballots. So while most of the action from the first full weekend of the 2026 season has completed, we still have four more games before the full post-Week 1 picture is complete. 

And since the action remaining includes multiple ranked teams, we don’t have a full top 25 projection just yet on Saturday night. Usually, here in the Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today space, we can give a full rundown of what we think the new top 25 will look like on Sunday. With the unique schedule, we’re left to wait until Monday night for the full top 25 projection and stick with some rankings-focused takeaways here on Saturday night.

Week 1 included some lopsided results on the top 25 scoreboard that will keep many voters stuck in their preseason opinions about top teams, but we’ve identified a few performances that could have voters rethinking their stance and shaking up the rankings heading into Week 2. The ranking adjustments in these situations may be just a few spots in the top 25, but it would signal a change in how teams have or have not lived up to expectations in their first game of the season. 

With no concern about Ohio State’s No. 1 status following a 53-point win against Ball State, the conversation begins at No. 2 with some potential fallout from the Ducks surviving an upset scare.  

Advertisement

No. 2 Oregon — Down

The margins are simply too thin at the top to think that AP voters won’t reshuffle the top of their ballots in a way that results in the Ducks giving up at least a spot or two following the 34-27 win against Boise State. Oregon was one of five teams that received first-place votes in the preseason balloting, and that group doesn’t include No. 3 Georgia, which is not too far off the pace in voting points. The Ducks had a strong argument for No. 1 and didn’t play their best on a big stage in their first game of the season. Dan Lanning will take a win and a strong performance from star quarterback Dante Moore as positives, but there’s a lot of room for improvement in terms of Oregon meeting the expectations that they have for themselves, much less the expectations of the AP voters. Before Week 1, there was a solid argument for Oregon being the best of those national title contenders in the top seven of the rankings. But given the quality of Saturday’s performance, some voters will be changing their position on the Ducks.   

No. 11 LSU — Up

The primary question is how high LSU will climb after an absolute throttling of a Clemson team ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll and finishing 26th in the AP poll voting in the preseason. Lane Kiffin’s Tigers looked faster at every turn and simply in a different weight class from the visitors from the ACC, and it’s sensible to predict that any voters doubting LSU’s standing as a potential College Football Playoff contender had some of their concerns alleviated with the blowout win. Now there is still probably a ceiling for how high LSU can climb with that top seven group still holding strong in their own tier, a fact that’s backed up by the first-place votes and the voting points, but an AP poll move into the top 10 should be expected and depending on Ole Miss‘ result on Sunday night the Tigers could find themselves as high as No. 8 when the new college football rankings reset on Tuesday.

No. 13 Alabama — Up

AP voters were relatively cautious with Alabama on their preseason ballots, resulting in the first set of preseason rankings since 2007 that the Crimson Tide were not ranked inside the top 10. There were fair reasons for caution, or even concern, as Kalen DeBoer’s squad was turning over its quarterback position and looking to bounce back from a sub-standard season running the football. Alabama seemed to answer both the quarterback and ground game questions in a 48-10 win against ECU, with Keelon Russell flashing his dual-threat ability (team-high 86 rushing yards) and three combined rushing touchdowns between Daniel Hill and five-star freshman E.J. Crowell. Beating a Group of Six opponent at home as a four-score favorite is not going to draw enough attention for a major move up in the rankings. But given the tight voting margins between Oklahoma at No. 10 and Alabama at No. 13, it’s likely that the Crimson Tide will have a chance to move up closer to that top-10 cut-off.   

No. 14 USC — Up

This Trojans team has done about everything you would want through 120 minutes of action, holding a +55 combined scoring margin with one bad garbage time showing in Week 0 as the only complaint. USC kept its boot on Fresno State’s back in a 39-0 win on Friday night, giving new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson his first shutout as a Trojan. Like Alabama, USC is not as far from the top 10 in voting points as its ranking may seem. So while a lot hinges on No. 9 Ole Miss’ performance on Sunday night, it’s likely the Trojans’ two wins have done enough to change the mind of some of those lower-end opinions of Lincoln Riley’s 2026 squad. Most voters are fairly locked in on having USC between Nos. 12 and 15, but 17 different voters have USC ranked No. 16 or lower, including four voters who have the Trojans slotted in the 20’s. If those tail-end voters even move USC up to No. 15, it could cause the kind of changes that have USC moving up a couple spots. 

No. 16 Michigan — Down

While Oregon might have lost some stock in the debate to be the No. 1 team in the country, it’s fair to review Michigan’s status as a top 25 team after Saturday night’s showing against Western Michigan. The Wolverines may have survived an upset scare in epic last-second fashion, but that doesn’t change the nearly three-and-a-half quarters of disappointing play from a team that was projected to be a College Football Playoff contender. The offense could not get out of its own way early, and the defense couldn’t get off the field in key moments late. Bryce Underwood underwhelmed after an offseason that provided narratives about his improvement, but he gets credit for stepping up to deliver with the final throw in the 13-12 win. In terms of voting points, Michigan was closer to USC and BYU (both tied for 14th) in the preseason balloting than it was to No. 17 Washington. But after this close call, it’s fair to wonder if the Wolverines could slip closer to Penn State at No. 18 … or lower. 

No. 23 Houston — Down

A double-digit home win that included powering through a weather delay should not, in theory, be penalized in the rankings. But if there’s a team that needs to get bumped from the top 25 to make room for a new arrival, the Cougars’ closer-than-expected victory against Oregon State could put them on the chopping block. Houston played well in a 33-20 win and largely controlled the game, but Oregon State was able to hang around enough to cut the lead to six points midway through the fourth quarter. Perhaps the Beavers are better than the betting markets perceive, but the fact that Houston was favored by nearly three touchdowns and found itself in a dogfight late could impact the team’s perception just enough to cut through those small margins on the edge of a top 25 ballot. Houston might not fall out of the top 25 entirely, but dropping a spot or two as voters shuffle teams in the 20s would not be a surprise.    

No. 26 Clemson — Down 

The Tigers were ranked No. 23 in the Coaches Poll in the preseason and checked in as the first team in “Others receiving votes” for the AP Top 25 poll, falling just five voting points behind No. 25 Missouri. Clemson appeared on 35 of 69 ballots as a top 25 team in the preseason, checking in as high as No. 15 on one ballot. However, after their woeful performance in Baton Rouge, it’s fair to project that any voter will have a tough time arguing for Clemson as one of the 25 best teams in the country heading into Week 2.

No. 28 Boise State — Up

The AP Top 25 preseason poll was released on Aug. 17, and at the time, I don’t think there was too much thought about Boise State as a contender on the national stage. Fifty-four voters left Boise State off their ballot, and while the Broncos were slotted as high as No. 18 (on two ballots), there was nothing close to majority support from the AP Top 25 poll electorate. We project that while moving up in the rankings with a loss is counterintuitive, Boise State exceeding expectations against Oregon will embolden voters who already ranked the team and may draw attention from others who didn’t consider them a top-25 team in early August. The Broncos will enter Week 2 as a favorite to win the newly expanded Pac-12 and seem to have a team good enough to contend for a return to the College Football Playoff. They’re probably not going to be ranked quite yet after the seven-point loss at Oregon, but that performance against a top-two team on that stage will be favorably remembered by AP voters the rest of the season. Look for Boise State to remain in the “Others receiving votes” category, but with a few more votes. 

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

‘Shouldn’t have closed door on Mohammed Shami’: Ex-India coach questions Ajit Agarkar-led selectors | Cricket News

Published

on

‘Shouldn’t have closed door on Mohammed Shami’: Ex-India coach questions Ajit Agarkar-led selectors
Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo)

Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has questioned the way Mohammed Shami has been treated by the current selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, insisting that the veteran pacer still has plenty to offer despite being out of the national setup.Shami has not played for India since the Champions Trophy campaign in March 2025, when India went on to win the tournament. Since then, the 36-year-old has remained outside the national team despite putting together a series of strong performances in domestic cricket.His continued absence has fuelled speculation that Shami’s international career could be nearing its end. However, Arun believes India should not have shut the door on one of their most experienced fast bowlers.

Bharat Arun unhappy with Shami’s treatment

Shami’s omission has been particularly noticeable when Jasprit Bumrah has been unavailable, with the Indian management opting to invest in younger pace options rather than recall the experienced Bengal seamer.There was also a public exchange between Shami and Agarkar last year. After the selectors left Shami out of the Test squad for the series against the West Indies, Agarkar raised questions about the pacer’s fitness.Shami responded by making it clear that he would not have been playing Ranji Trophy cricket for Bengal had he not been fit.With Shami continuing to perform strongly on the domestic circuit, Arun believes age should not automatically count against him.“They shouldn’t have closed the door on Shami. There is still plenty of cricket left in him. When someone is performing, age shouldn’t be a factor. You see his durability. It is an outstanding number for the kind of talent he possesses. It is actually befitting for Shami. 100 first-class matches with what he loves most, the red ball,” Arun told the Indian Express.Shami is currently representing East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone in Chennai, giving him another opportunity to make his case with the red ball.

Ishan Kishan also sees hunger in Shami

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan has also noticed a different level of intensity from Shami during the current domestic season.Speaking ahead of the Duleep Trophy final, Kishan said the veteran pacer has shown a strong desire to make an India comeback and praised the effort he has been putting into his domestic cricket.“As a captain, looking at the effort, I felt very nice, because Shami bhai coming in, asking me for those extra overs to get the wickets, it always gives confidence,” Ishan said.Kishan added that Shami’s attitude has stood out to him, particularly given that he is no longer a regular member of the Indian team.“Looking at Shami bhai this season, I feel he has been very different. I’ve seen him in the past, but his approach towards the game, his intensity, his energy has been very different. When you are not regularly playing for the Indian team and to again have that same kind of motivation for your domestic games, it is tough but I feel I see that hunger in him. I think he has that hunger and that motivation right now like he wants to do that comeback, he wants to be part of Indian squad again and which you can see in him,” he added.

Advertisement

Shami reaches 100 first-class matches

The Duleep Trophy final has also provided Shami with another significant milestone.The East Zone pacer has featured in his 100th first-class match against South Zone in Chennai, adding another landmark to an accomplished career.Shami also played an important role in East Zone’s semi-final victory over defending champions Central Zone, claiming three wickets in the second innings.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Paul Casey makes emotional charity vow at European Masters

Published

on

It has been a while since Paul Casey was in this spot, holding a 54-hole lead with a chance to add to his trophy case. But after firing a 7-under 63 on Saturday at Crans-Sur-Sierre Golf Club, Casey will enter Sunday at the Omega European Masters with a three-shot lead.

The last time Casey won a tournament of any sort was the 2021 Dubai Desert Classic. A lot has changed in pro golf since the last time Casey hoisted a trophy. The former World No. 3 left for LIV Golf in 2022. As a member of the Bryson DeChambeau-fronted Crushers, Casey won $31.8 million but never won a solo title, losing twice in a playoff. His last major championship appearance came at the 2022 Open Championship, and his last DP World Tour top 10 was at the Porsche Singapore Classic in 2024.

Casey is now 49 and battling wrist and back issues. But he opened this week at the European Masters in Switzerland, where he now lives, with a 67 and backed up with a 64 on Friday. On Saturday, Casey blitzed the field with six birdies on the front nine. He dropped a shot at the 14th but got it back with a circle on 15 before closing with a birdie on 18 to take a three-shot lead over Eugenio Chacarra, Nacho Elvira, Erik van Rooyen and Maximillian Steinlechner.

“The birdie on 18, that was the highlight of the day, with the great Swiss crowd,” Casey said after his round. “I love this place, I really do, so it’s a wonderful day.”

Advertisement

A win Sunday would be Casey’s 16th DP World Tour title, but one of the more meaningful in a career that is reaching the setting sun.

After finishing with a closing birdie, Casey became emotional thinking about what a win on Sunday would mean, especially at a place that is now embedded in his heart.

“This is now home. I now live in Switzerland, so it would mean an awful lot. It feels like a home week for me,” an emotional Casey said.

Then, he made a vow. Win or lose on Sunday in the mountains of his new home, Paul Casey vowed that any winnings that come his way will all be donated to help the victims of the fire at Le Constellation bar that killed 41 people and injured 115 in the early hours of New Year’s Day in the Crans Montana, where the event is being hosted.

“And tomorrow, whatever happens, I hope I win, and I’ll be playing really hard,” Casey said. “But I’ll make sure that all my prize money as well is going to the charity and the victims of the fire here in Crans Montana, so I’ve got a lot to play for tomorrow.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

These handy stickers can help you become a better ball striker

Published

on

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Mali shocks Spain in Fiba Women’s World Cup

Published

on

Fiba Women's World Cup Mali vs SpainFiba Women's World Cup Mali vs Spain

Mali teammates celebrate defeating Spain after the women’s World Cup basketball match between Mali and Spain, in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

BERLIN — Mali pulled off the first stunner of the Women’s Basketball World Cup by shocking Spain 82-73 on Saturday.

It was only the second win ever in tournament history for the African country, which beat Senegal in overtime in 2010.

Article continues after this advertisement
Advertisement

Mali was down two at the half, but outscored Spain 31-19 in the third quarter to take the lead. Mali went on a 16-4 run in that period after it was down 45-44 to take command. Sika Kone, who finished with 19 points, had two 3-pointers during that game-changing run. Kone, who plays for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA, also had 10 rebounds.

READ: Record-setting Japan, US start Fiba Women’s World Cup with wins

Mali (1-1) scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, including another 3-pointer by Kone, to put the game away as Spain could get no closer than nine the rest of the way.

Advertisement

Djeneba N’Diaye also had 19 points for Mali, which is 2-10 in its World Cup history.

Article continues after this advertisement

Iyana Martin scored 20 points for Spain (1-1), which was one of the top teams in the world.

Host Germany slows down Japan for first win

Germany got off to a fast start and slowed down Japan in a 74-58 win.

Advertisement

In front of a sold-out crowd that was loud for the entire game, Germany outscored Japan 28-11 in the first quarter. Japan, which beat Mali 102-97 in its opener Friday, couldn’t find any rhythm against the hosts. A day after hitting a World Cup-record 20 3-pointers, Japan was just 3-for-27 from behind the arc. Two of those makes came in the final 1:38 of the game.

Article continues after this advertisement

“We know Japan shoots more 3s than 2s, so we took away the 3,” said German star Leonie Fiebich. “Our goal was to be physical with them.”

READ: Germany hopes to defy injuries, losses at home Fiba World Cup

Frieda Buhner scored 19 points and Nyara Sabally added 18 for Germany (1-1).

Advertisement

Kokoro Tanaka led Japan (1-1) with 15 points.

All four teams in Group A are tied at 1-1.

Hungary posts first World Cup win in 28 years

Dorka Juhasz had 19 points and 16 rebounds to help Hungary edge Nigeria 71-67.

Nigeria (0-2) was down 66-52 with 3:57 left before getting within two with 3 seconds left on Elizabeth Balogun’s basket. Nigeria fouled Reka Lelik with just over a second left and she calmly knocked down both free throws to seal the win.

Advertisement

It was Hungary’s first victory since 1998 when the team topped China in the quarterfinals. Now they’ll play Korea next to close out pool play.

Virag Takacs-Kiss added 17 points for Hungary (1-1). Juhasz, who plays for the Minnesota Lynx, had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the first half.

Amy Okonkwo scored 17 points to lead Nigeria, which finishes off pool play against France.

France recovers to rout South Korea

Marine Johannes scored 14 of her 17 points in the first half as France rallied from a slow start to beat South Korea 95-69 in the final game of the day.

Advertisement

South Korea (1-1) got off to a hot start and led 31-24 after the first quarter. Then Johannes and France got going, scoring the first 14 points of the second quarter. Johannes had nine of those as the French (2-0) led 43-37 at the half.

France put the game away at the start of the third quarter with a 24-4 run dominated by Dominique Malonga and Gabby Williams. Malonga had 10 points and Williams nine during that spurt.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.
Advertisement

South Korea could never recover.

Malonga and Williams each finished with 14 points.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

LSU dominates Clemson to open Kiffin era

Published

on

BATON ROUGE, La. — Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut was delayed, but by no means derailed.

Sam Leavitt complemented his 113 yards and two rushing touchdowns with 230 yards and a TD passing, edge rusher Jordan Ross returned an interception for a score, and No. 11 LSU rode the “Lane Train” to a resounding 51-10 victory over Clemson on Saturday night.

“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin said lightheartedly at the end of a brief TV interview at halftime, by which time LSU led 31-3, had outgained Clemson 336 yards to 54, and had 21 first downs to Clemson’s one.

Kiffin has gotten commitments from two of his former Mississippi players — tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris — who spent part of this offseason with NFL teams. A Louisiana court ruling cleared the way for him to place them on his roster this week. But in the face of fervent opposition from the NCAA and SEC, he elected not to do so. At least, not yet.

Advertisement

A sellout crowd at 102,000-seat Tiger Stadium was scattered by a downpour and a lightning delay that pushed kickoff back nearly two hours. Still, Death Valley was packed when the game began — and fans didn’t have to watch more than one quarter to see Kiffin’s up-tempo offence live up to its reputation, running 23 plays for 140 yards.

LSU finished with 644 yards of offence while handing Clemson its worst loss in about 30 years.

Dilin Jones, a transfer from Wisconsin who finished with 113 yards and two TDs rushing, gave LSU the lead for good with a 1-yard run that made it 10-3. Ross’ 30-yard interception return made it 17-3 before Leavitt’s frenetic scoring runs of 8 and 13 yards put LSU up by four TDs late in the second quarter.

Clemson’s offence struggled so much that coach Dabo Swinney subbed starting QB Christopher Vizzina out of the game in favour of freshman Tait Reynolds late in the second quarter.

Advertisement

LSU pulled farther away when Leavitt found Ole Miss transfer Winston Watkins Jr. for a 32-yard TD down the left sideline in the third quarter. Jones’ 12-yard TD made it 44-3.

Leavitt was given the rest of the night off after that, giving reserves Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet a chance to play.

Clemson: Swinny could be in for a tough season. Clemson hasn’t taken a loss this bad since falling 41-0 to Syracuse in the 1996 Gator Bowl). A promising start to the game on defence belied how tough of a night it was going to be for Clemson, which briefly led 3-0 after cornerback Ashton Hampton intercepted Leavitt’s second pass of the game.

LSU: After ranking 126th nationally in rushing with 104 yards per game in 2025, LSU is benefiting from improved play by the offensive line, the addition of Jones and Leavitt’s legs. LSU rushed for 213 yards in the first half alone, more than in any game last season. Meanwhile, coordinator Blake Baker’s defence picked up where it left off, producing four sacks and a defensive score while holding Clemson to below 100 yards and without a TD until less than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Advertisement

Clemson: Hosts Georgia Southern on Sept. 12.
LSU: Hosts Louisiana Tech on Sept. 12.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Michigan-Western Michigan: Broncos robbed of win after Hail Mary controversy

Published

on

No. 16 Michigan beat Western Michigan 13-12 on a Hail Mary pass on the game’s final play Saturday night after the officiating crew put one second back on the clock. JJ Buchanan reeled in the 47-yard bomb from Bryce Underwood to lift the Wolverines to a controversial victory that left college football buzzing over the following question.

“As I watched the first Hail Mary and the ball sailed out of the back of the end zone, I glanced at the clock, and I was pretty sure there was one second left,” Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham said. “That, obviously, is not up to me. The refs went to replay, and they confirmed it and gave us one more opportunity.”

Should the play have ever happened?

The Broncos appeared to have secured a historic upset just moments earlier when a prior Hail Mary attempt from Underwood sailed out of the back of the end zone with the clock on the NBC television broadcast showing 0:00 when the play ended. However, the officiating crew went to the monitor and determined that one second remained.

Advertisement

A historic throw and catch ensued as Michigan avoided what would have been a catastrophic beginning to the Kyle Whittingham era. The outcome left Western Michigan distraught and left the Big Ten officiating crew with questions to answer about a confounding call that appeared to have no justification in the moment.

According to a statement released by the Big Ten after the game, officials got the call right: it was determined that Western Michigan defender Micah Davis made contact with the ball while out of bounds with one second remaining.

“Following video review, it was determined Western Michigan’s #18 started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position (left foot) and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock,” the statement read. “As shown in the provided video of what was viewed during the replay process, a side-by-side view of the play and the game clock, using a direct shot of the game clock in the stadium, was used to determine the final ruling.

“Eighty-five minutes prior to the game, all broadcast cameras used for the replay system, including the camera on the game clock, are synced using a strobe system to ensure all cameras are aligned.”

Advertisement

Watching the play in real time, it’s even more confounding how a second was placed back on the clock. Western Michigan’s sideline had already begun emptying onto the field in celebration and chants of “fire Kyle” could be heard in the background.

The review felt like nothing more than than a crew checking the box. But the crew came back with a monumental decision, opening the door for Michigan to escape.

After the initial mayhem, NBC went to rules analyst Terry McAulay, who relayed that the broadcast and stadium clocks were, in fact, in sync. Given that fact, he struggled to explain what the officiating crew may have seen that led them to place a second back on the clock.

“The ball isn’t even close to touching a player when it goes to zero,” McAulay said on the NBC broadcast. “Their system, their hawkeye system, apparently either had a different sync or whatever, and they came up with one second when it touched a player. I don’t see that happen. Assuming our clock is correct, it is clearly not touching a player. The ball is clearly still in the air when the clock goes to zero on our screen. The Big Ten is going to have to tell a lot of us how did they get to one second on this play.”

Advertisement

WMU coach handles saga graciously 

Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor said in his postgame press conference that he believed MAC leadership had alread reached out — presumably to the Big Ten — for clarification on the call.

“I know when I looked up at the clock, it was past zeroes before we touched it,” Taylor said. “I knew that they would review it. It’s the last play of the game. And because we defended it so well, I wasn’t worried or concerned about our guys going out and defending it a second time. Unfortunately, we did not defend it as well the second time.”

President seeks review

In an unorthodox move, Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna addressed the media after the game, saying the school we’ll work through official channels to seek a review of the game’s ending.

“We’ll talk to our commissioner and we’ll try to see if there’s anything that we can ask for a review on,” he said. “Frankly, I don’t know if we can. I just want everyone to know that this football team deserves a second look, if that’s possible.”

Advertisement

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025