But this week in Switzerland, Rafa Cabrera-Bello is making the most of it, especially by taking the opportunity to play some of the rarest irons in golf.
The four-time DP World Tour winner’s clubs didn’t arrive in time for this week’s Omega European Masters, so he had to scrounge together a replacement set for the first two rounds at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.
Cabrera-Bello borrowed some clubs from a member at the host club, but for his irons, he found some Titleist 681.AS irons on the Tour truck, according to the DP World Tour. The 681.AS were designed specifically for Adam Scott in 2021 as an updated version of the legendary 680 MBs, and he recently revisited them last season.
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There’s only a handful of these irons in existence, but the Titleist Tour truck happened to have a set and Cabera-Bello took advantage.
The Spaniard had only made one cut in his last six starts on the DP World Tour, but with the replacement set of clubs, Cabera-Bello fired rounds of 65-66 in the first two rounds to go into the weekend four off the lead.
“I guess there’s obviously muscle memory, there’s brain memory and then now I guess there’s irons memory, because yesterday I was ranked second in the shots gained approach, so that’s probably thanks to Adam Scott for his clubs,” he said on Friday.
By Friday night, Cabrera-Bello was finally reunited with his gamers, which notably feature Titleist’s T100 irons, a fairly different profile from the 681.AS. After his best two rounds since May, he wasn’t sure what he’d actually do.
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“I will probably play with mine tomorrow, but it’s been funny playing with Adam’s. It made want to go back to blades again, who knows,” he said. “I try not to be superstitious, but you know, the way I think about it is: if I play bad with someone else’s clubs, that’s fine.
“I am playing good with someone else’s clubs [at the moment], but there’s no guarantee I will play good with someone else’s clubs tomorrow. If I don’t play good tomorrow, I will always have the question: what if I would have played with my clubs? Again, you can say the inverse, but I think it makes sense to use my clubs.”
That was ultimately the decision he made for Saturday.
Read more about the Titleist 620 MB Custom Irons at Golf.com Designed for low handicaps, the MB is the modern choice for those desiring a traditional forged blade look and feel. The new Titleist 620 MB is the definition of a true forged player’s blade. The muscle-back design is perfect for players that are seeking total shot-making capabilities and an incredibly soft feel. Strategically designed CG locations deliver responsive feedback, allowing you to hit any shot you desire.
“There’s a lot of engineering and hard work from the Titleist guys and I know these will be better,” he said Friday before a third-round 69. “I have more trust in my clubs than in Adam’s, although I’m very grateful.
“I will take the same scores again,” he added while laughing.
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Cabrera-Bello will need one of those scores or better on Sunday as he trails Paul Casey by six shots.
But, given his performance with Scott’s blades, some testing during his next off week might be in store.
Kentucky’s CJ Baxter runs it in for a touchdown against Youngstown State at Kroger Field.
Sept. 5, 2026
Kenny Minchey threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns to lead Kentucky to a 45-13 season-opening victory over Youngstown State on Saturday in Lexington, Ky.
The Will Stein coaching era at Kentucky got off to a rousing start by dominating one of the top teams in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Wildcats posted 506 yards of total offense — just the second time since the 2021 season that they topped 500 yards. They also had their highest-scoring opener since posting 45 points against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 4, 2021.
Minchey, a Notre Dame transfer, completed his first six passes and nine of his first 10 in his first collegiate start. CJ Baxter, a former Texas running back, amassed 45 yards and two scores on six first-quarter carries.
Kentucky scored touchdowns on its first three drives, then recovered a fumble at the Penguins ‘ 28 after punting on its fourth. That led to a 2-yard touchdown pass from Minchey to Willie Rodriguez, making it 28-0 with 1:51 left in the half.
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The Penguins (1-1), ranked seventh in this week’s FCS coaches poll, converted 7 of 10 third downs in the first half but did not find the end zone until Beau Brungard hit Lynn Wyche-El for a 6-yard score with 20 seconds to go before halftime.
Minchey finished 18 of 27 and sat out the final three minutes. He was not as accurate (8 of 14) in the second half, but did toss a 37-yard touchdown to Kenny Darby that made it 42-13 with 12:48 remaining in the game.
Jason Robertson ran 11 times for a team-best 78 yards as eight Wildcats combined for 205 rushing yards on 34 carries.
Brungard, last season’s Walter Payton Award winner as the top offensive player in the FCS, completed 23 of 35 passes for 243 yards. Wyche-El caught seven of those passes for 111 yards.
Metropolitan hopeful Thebudgiesmugla is undefeated in five attempts over 2400 metres and will seek to make it six when he contests the Drinkwise Cup at Randwick.
The six-year-old was a revelation of the off-season, winning three of his four starts between May and July. These victories included the Winter Cup at Randwick and the Caloundra Cup in Queensland, both contested over the same distance as Saturday’s race.
With the benefit of a recent fourth-place finish behind Boniface over a middle distance, Thebudgiesmugla is expected to be a strong contender at Randwick.
“He was great first-up and he’s five from five at the 2400 and gets 2400 again on Saturday,” trainer Bjorn Baker’s racing manager, Luke Hilton, remarked.
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“It wasn’t always in our mind to run Saturday. We were going to give him a bit of time into the Newcastle Cup, but this race came up, and it looked so good for him we decided to run him.”
“He is obviously a bit better with his toe in the ground, but he’s putting together some good performances on better ground as well.”
Thebudgiesmugla is currently positioned on the fourth line of early markets for The Metropolitan at $11 and is the $2.25 top pick for the Drinkwise Cup.
His most significant challenge might come from stablemate So You Are.
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So You Are, a recent addition to the Baker stable, was less than a length behind Thebudgiesmugla in both the Winter and Caloundra Cups. Furthermore, So You Are finished ahead of his stablemate in their last starts.
However, Hilton suspects that the horse, known colloquially as “Thebudgie”, possesses more scope for improvement.
“So You Are had a little bit more residual fitness than TheBudgie first-up,” he stated.
“He’s going to strip a bit fitter as well, but I’d say TheBudgie has got a bit more improvement to come.”
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Interestingly, Baker only achieved his first city winner of the season on Wednesday with Appeared at Warwick Farm. The leading trainer had experienced a challenging start to the new term, with seven second-place finishes, two of which were recorded by the speedy filly Blue Door in stakes races.
Betting markets for the race are already heating up at Australian betting sites.
Kidambi Srikanth’s run at the China Masters Super 750 came to an end in the quarterfinals here on Friday as the former world No.1 was outplayed in straight games by Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.
The 33-year-old Indian, who had shown flashes of his vintage best while finishing runner-up at the US Open Super 300 earlier this year, went down 16-21, 16-21 to the 25th-ranked Lee Cheuk in a 39-minute contest.
Srikanth had looked sharp in the previous round, dispatching world No.9 Victor Lai of Canada 21-18, 21-19 in the Round of 16.
But against Lee Cheuk, the Indian found himself chasing the game for long stretches, particularly after surrendering the momentum midway through the opening game.
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Srikanth made a brisk start, racing to a 3-0 lead, but Lee Cheuk was quick to settle into a rhythm. The Hong Kong shuttler reeled off three points to level at 3-3 before turning the screws with a six-point burst that took him to 14-6.
Srikanth tried to claw his way back, but the deficit proved too steep as Lee Cheuk kept his composure to pocket the opening game.
The second game produced a much tighter battle. Srikanth again came out firing, moving 4-0 ahead, only for Lee Cheuk to draw level at 4-4. Thereafter, the rallies grew longer and the margins thinner, with the lead changing hands several times as the two traded points all the way to 15-15.
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Just when Srikanth appeared to be within touching distance, Lee Cheuk found another gear. He strung together three points to surge 18-15 ahead and then shut the door with another three-point burst, wrapping up the match in straight games.
Lee Cheuk, 30, who had produced one of his standout performances at the Singapore Open in May, recovering from a difficult position to stun All England champion Lin Chun-yi, will next face world No.2 Christo Popov of France in the semifinals.
As the 2026 NFL season approaches, bettors will race to sportsbooks to make NFL predictions on the spread, in addition to bets on the money line, total or with player props. However, another wager one could make is a Week 1 NFL score prediction, where you guess what the exact score will be for a given game. This is a high-risk, high-reward NFL bet but one that could produce a massive payout. Hitting on the exact score for the Chiefs vs. Broncos contest on Monday night could have a return of anywhere from +6000 to +15000. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:
Looking at previous matchups and the score history could help with making these Week 1 NFL bets. But even those well-versed with wagering on traditional football predictions could utilize some NFL betting advice with an exact score. Before making any Week 1 NFL picks, be sure to see the exact NFL score predictions from SportsLine expert Eric Cohen.
A SportsLine expert and host, Cohen is evaluating the entire Week 1 NFL slate and delivers score predictions and logic for each matchup. He finished the 2025-26 season with a 188-96-1 straight-up record (66%) with his picks at NFL betting sites. Anyone who followed Cohen’s NFL predictions on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
After diving into all 16 games from the NFL Week 1 schedule, Cohen recommends backing the Texans (+1.5 44.5) to defeat Buffalo at the best betting apps. A Houston win would return -105 on the money line. Week 1 road games have been Josh Allen’s Kryptonite as over three away starts, he has 10 turnovers, compared to just five passing touchdowns. None of those previous defenses he faced were as good as this Texans one as they sacked him eight times, and notched two picks, versus Allen and the Bills last year. Also, Cohen points out the notable scoring trends of this matchup.
“Houston has won four of the last five meetings against Josh Allen and Buffalo, each by a single possession. Expect the same in Week 1 between two of the AFC’s top contenders. The Texans have the best defense in the NFL and should stifle Allen, while on offense, Houston QB C.J. Stroud needs to make amends for a dreadful finish to last season. Dating back to 2020, each of Houston’s three victories over Buffalo has seen them score 22 or 23 points, while Buffalo has scored 19 or 20 in each of those games. History has a funny way of repeating itself. Texans 23, Bills 20.”See his other Week 1 football score predictions at SportsLine.
How to make Week 1 NFL score predictions
In addition, Cohen is calling for a road team to win by double-digits, making the alternate lines very appealing. Nailing this result is key to making profitable Week 1 NFL picks. You can only see it at SportsLine.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 05: Coco Gauff of the United States reacts against Cristina Bucsa of Spain during their Women’s Singles Third Round match on Day Seven of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 05, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Coco Gauff is into the US Open fourth round after beating Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday, continuing her impressive run in New York. The victory is Gauff’s ninth straight win and puts her into the second week of the US Open for a fifth consecutive year.
Gauff arrived in New York after winning the Cincinnati title and has now won 17 consecutive sets. She had to work through an inconsistent start against Bucsa, who broke her early in both sets, but the fourth seed recovered each time and took control from the baseline.
“Today was mainly defence, honestly, in the first set,” Gauff said. “Once I got my rhythm I was able to swing through a little more.”
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She also explained how she responded after falling behind in the opening set:
“Once I was down that break I just told myself I need to accelerate through my shots.”
Gauff then closed out the match without allowing Bucsa back into the contest.
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“I’m just happy with how I fought through, even when I wasn’t playing my best.”
Gauff will face either fellow American Iva Jovic or Philippines’ Alexandra Eala next in the fourth round.
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates head coach Kevin O’Connell after his touchdown reception during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
If the Vikings fizzle in the upcoming season, then change will be afoot. 3 Vikings stand out above the rest.
Most notably, there’s going to be the quarterback position to consider. Does anyone within the quartet — Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer — get kept around in the event of underperformance? Others from within the organization seem like candidates to take off if there isn’t true success in the upcoming season.
3 Vikings Set to Depart if 2026 Flops
No. 1 — WR Justin Jefferson
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Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) catches the onside kick against the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Not very often, folks, does a receiver who is so tremendous show so much patience.
There’s no sense of exaggeration when saying that Justin Jefferson is a historic talent. What he has done in his opening six seasons has been phenomenal — the yards most prominently — especially since the passers have been so varied.
Presumably, there’s going to be an expiration date on his patience. Jefferson is moving into his seventh NFL season and has yet to win a playoff game. The pair of good passers in his career, Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, have been allowed to walk. There’s a pile of pressure on the Vikings to get things figured out in 2026.
A brutal truth: Jefferson probably should ask out if Minnesota can’t elevate to his level.
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No. 2 — HC Kevin O’Connell
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
Truth be told, Kevin O’Connell is sitting on the hot seat. The Wilfs, like Jefferson, are patient, but they’ll want actual results at some point.
O’Connell can commonly be found doing what a company man does: saying the correct things. He’s good in front of the microphone as he praises the fans and compliments the ownership. So, too, does he make a consistent effort to praise his guys as he maintains an upbeat, positive personality.
The cold reality: he’s 0-2 in the playoffs.
Kevin O’Connell is a good football coach. The Vikings will fire him in a year or two if he can’t show that he’s a great football coach who can win in the playoffs.
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No. 3 — A Pile of Veteran Mainstays
Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) reacts with linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and linebacker Blake Cashman (51) after a sack against the New York Giants during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel is a football cyborg. He’s moving into the final year of his contract. Extending him after a failed season would be odd given that he’s an older player.
Consider some others working in a contract year:
LB Blake Cashman
CB Isaiah Rodgers
WR Jauan Jennings
QB Kyler Murray
RB Aaron Jones
TE T.J. Hockenson
C Blake Brandel
LB Ivan Pace Jr.
RB Jordan Mason
Other players would be plausible cut candidates, such as S Theo Jackson, S Josh Metellus, CB James Pierre, and various others. In short, the final player isn’t a player at all. Rather, the final player is a collection of guys in their prime or a touch later in their careers who could get moved out in favor of a rebuild.
Sep 5, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Southeast Missouri State Redhawks safety DJ Delmore (23) looks to tackles Iowa State Cyclones running back Easton Miller (25) at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Jaylen Raynor threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns Saturday and Iowa State’s defense logged 12 tackles for loss during a season-opening 38-10 rout of Southeast Missouri State in Ames, Iowa.
Raynor, a transfer from Arkansas State, completed 8 of 16 passes and rushed for two scores in the Cyclones’ first game under new coach Jimmy Rogers. The former Washington State coach had to recruit a mostly new roster of 83 newcomers after previous coach Matt Campbell left for Penn State after last year.
Braylen Ragland hit 17 of 22 passes for 142 yards and an interception for the RedHawks (1-1), an FCS program that opened their season last week with a win at Indiana State. But Ragland absorbed six sacks for 62 yards.
SEMO managed just 209 total yards and 13 first downs, going 5-of-16 on third downs. It committed three turnovers that led to 10 points for Iowa State.
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The Cyclones used a spate of short fields to build up a 28-7 halftime lead. Raynor started the scoring at the 10:08 mark of the first quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run, then made it 14-0 with 2:27 left on a 24-yard scoring strike to Vince Benetti. That came two plays after a 36-yard punt return by Aiden Flora teed up a 24-yard field.
The RedHawks’ best drive of the day resulted in their first score. Chance Wilson capped a 75-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes with a 7-yard scoring jaunt with 10:39 remaining in the half.
Most of the game’s remainder was Iowa State’s. Flora’s 11-yard touchdown run at the 4:54 mark of the second quarter upped the lead to 21-7, and Raynor found Easton Miller for a 10-yard strike just over two minutes later for a 21-point margin at intermission.
Kyle Konrardy made it 31-7 Cyclones with a 33-yard field goal at the 1:47 mark of the third quarter. Justin Keller kicked a 40-yard field goal for SEMO with 13:20 left in the game and Raynor polished off the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run less than three minutes later.
We have a new pole sitter in the Formula 1 history books.
Pierre Gasly earned his first pole position at the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday, Sept. 5. Monza is the same circuit where the French driver got his maiden F1 win in 2020.
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With two minutes left in Q3, the 10 remaining drivers took a moment in the garage and Gasly was sitting in third place. Once back on the track, George Russell was in the provisional pole and improved his time to 1:21.846. As the last driver to complete the circuit after time expired, Gasly bested the Brit and posted a lap of 1:21.786, giving him his first pole position.
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“Let’s go! I’ve been waiting for that one!” Gasly yelled into the team radio after crossing the finish line.
Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, came and gave Gasly a handshake after pulling into parc fermé. Then, the Alpine driver climbed out of his car and raised a fist in the air.
“It was amazing. Thank you everyone. It was an incredible quali,” Gasly said in his post-session interview. “From the first lap in Q1, I felt very good in the car. Trying to chip a little bit away every single session and then, yeah, in the end, it felt like a very good lap.
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“But I’m so happy. It’s been nine years trying to chase and get the opportunity to get a pole position. Win my first race in Monza, get my first pole position on this track I think is something special.”
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Aug. 23: Lando Norris (McLaren), Grand Prix of Netherlands
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Aug. 23: Lando Norris (McLaren), Grand Prix of Netherlands
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July 26: Lando Norris (McLaren), Hungarian Grand Prix
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July 19 – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Grand Prix of Belgium
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July 5 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Grand Prix of Great Britain
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June 28 – George Russell (Mercedes), Grand Prix of Austria
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June 14 – Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), Grand Prix of Barcelona-Catalunya
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June 7 – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Monaco Grand Prix
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March 29 – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Japanese Grand Prix
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March 15 – Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Grand Prix of China
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March 8 – George Russell (Mercedes), Grand Prix of Australia
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Sept. 6 — Italian Grand Prix (Autodromo Nazionale Monza)
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Sept. 13 — Spanish Grand Prix (Madring)
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Sept. 26 — Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku City Circuit)
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Oct. 11 — Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay Street Circuit)
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Oct. 25 — United States Grand Prix (Circuit of the Americas)
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Nov. 1 — Mexico City Grand Prix (Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez)
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Nov. 21 — Las Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas Street Circuit)
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Nov. 29 — Qatar Grand Prix (Losail International Circuit)
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Dec. 6 — Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina Circuit)
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Russell will start Sunday’s race in second on the grid next to Gasly. The Mercedes driver revealed that he and Gasly were playing a game of chess moments before the qualifying session.
“He beat me there, and I thought, ‘Well, I think I’ll beat you in qualifying’ and here we are. He’s ahead of me again,” Russell laughed. “So huge congrats to him.”
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McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified for third, but will start in sixth place after receiving a grid penalty for impeding. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes qualified in seventh and will race from the pit lane due to an engine penalty. Piastri’s Alpine teammate, Franco Colapinto, will be in seventh, one place in front of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who has won the last two races.
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Gasly’s accomplishment came a day after his Monaco podium was taken away three months after the race. Initially, the French driver finished third in the historic grand prix. Moments after the podium celebration, he was given two 10-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. He dropped to seventh place and Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar was elevated to third. Alpine requested for the penalties to be reviewed and they won their petition, reinstating Gasly to third place. Red Bull Racing and McLaren filed their own petition to have the penalties reinstated, and they won.
Gasly has been racing for Alpine, a French outfit, since 2023. A year ago, he signed a contract extension through 2028. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2017 at the Malaysian Grand Prix as a replacement for Daniil Kvyat on the Toro Rosso team (which became AlphaTauri and is now Racing Bulls).
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Does Pierre Gasly have a Formula 1 win?
Yes, Pierre Gasly’s lone F1 win came at Monza, the same circuit where he captured his first pole position. He won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix for AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls).
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How many F1 podiums does Pierre Gasly have?
Pierre Gasly has five podiums in Formula 1, including his lone win at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.
2nd place – 2019 Brazil Grand Prix with Toro Rosso
1st place – 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri
3rd place – 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with AlphaTauri
“Efficient” is defined as being “productive of desired effects,” especially “capable of producing desired results with little or no waste.” A thesaurus says that Josh Hoover’s debut for the Indiana Hoosiers suffices.
Making his first start at quarterback for the defending-champion Hoosiers on Saturday afternoon against the North Texas Mean Green, Hoover threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns, posted a 285.0 passer rating and completed 81.2% of his passes (13 for 16). According to FOX Sports Research, it’s the first time in the 21st century a quarterback threw for four-plus touchdowns in their first start for Indiana.
Hoover even played through blood gushing out of his face following a second-quarter sack.
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“Our goal today was to come out, operate, just compete and play our game at a high level, not hurt ourselves and take advantage of the opportunities we got, and I thought we did that today,” Hoover told FOX Sports Reporter Jenny Taft after the 52-16 Indiana win.
“Obviously, there’s going to be things to clean up, like there is every week, but I thought it was a good start for our guys. And I’m happy for everybody.”
So, who is the fifth-year senior quarterback?
Josh Hoover’s Recruiting Background
Hoover, who grew up in Heath, Texas, was a consensus three-star recruit in the Class of 2022. He ranked 42nd among quarterbacks in his class, per 247Sports.
Ironically, Hoover originally committed to play for Indiana in 2021 before ultimately going to TCU.
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Josh Hoover’s TCU Stint
Hoover transferred to Indiana in January after four years with the TCU Horned Frogs (2022-25).
After sitting behind Max Duggan in TCU’s run to the national championship in 2022, Hoover became the Horned Frogs’ primary quarterback for three seasons in the wake of starter Chandler Morris suffering a knee injury in Oct. 2023. Last year (2025), Hoover totaled 3,472 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 153.4 passer rating, while completing 65.9% of his passes.
Over Hoover’s three seasons as TCU’s starting quarterback, he averaged 3,209.0 passing yards, 23.7 passing touchdowns, 11.0 interceptions and a 147.8 passer rating per year, while completing 65.1% of his passes. The Horned Frogs went a combined 19-12 in the games Hoover started.
Josh Hoover Continues Indiana Transfer Trend
In each of Curt Cignetti’s three seasons as Indiana’s head coach (2024-26), the Hoosiers found their starting quarterback in the transfer portal, a pattern that Hoover’s arrival continues.
In 2024, Indiana had Ohio Bobcats transfer Kurtis Rourke under center for a season that saw the Hoosiers go 11-2 and reach the College Football Playoff. Rourke led the Big Ten with a 176.0 passer rating and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Then, Indiana turned to former California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who went on to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy, lead the Hoosiers to their first-ever national championship and become the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Croatia legend Luka Modric will be continuing his international career after the FIFA World Cup, making himself available for UEFA Nations League fixtures against Czechia, FIFA World Cup champions Spain, and England, confirmed the country’s football governing body on Saturday. Croatian Football Federation confirmed the availability of the 40-year-old football legend on their official X handle. “Croatia captain Luka Modric will be included in the upcoming national team squad for Nations League encounters with Czechia, Spain, and England!” posted the federation’s account on their X handle.
“Modric has confirmed to head coach Slaven Bilic and HNS president Marijan Kustic his availability for the Nations League and is ready to continue his fascinating international career, with 202 caps and historic achievements,” they added.
Speaking about Modric’s decision to continue, coach Bilic said, “Of course, this Luka’s decision makes me extremely happy, we are all aware what he brings to Croatia, both on and off the pitch. I am looking forward to working with him again, after 14 years, and we both share a strong ambition to keep Croatia a top, successful team, shoulder to shoulder with the best teams in the world”
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Currently playing for AC Milan in Serie A, he has made two appearances in the new season, not having made any goals and assists so far.
In the FIFA World Cup this year, Modric captained his side to a round-of-32 finish, losing to Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal. In four matches, he produced five chances and delivered one assist.
UEFA Nations League 2026/27 will start from September 24 onwards. Croatia, the 2018 FIFA World Cup runners-up, finished as runners-up in the competition in 2022-23 edition, losing to Spain.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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