The Green Bay Packers (5-3) overcame an ugly start and an unnecessarily stressful finish by dominating the Carolina Panthers (3-4) for the rest of the contest, and Jordan Love's three touchdown passes allowed Matt LaFleur's team to escape with a 27-19 win on "Thursday Night Football" to open Week 8.
Instant ***** ysis of the Packers' win over the Panthers on TNF:
It was over when...
Christian Watson, who missed time while getting precautionary tests at a local hospital, moved the chains on third down late in the fourth quarter, allowing the Packers to kill off most of the remaining clock and end any chances of a final comeback attempt.
WR Christian Watson: His 10 targets created eight catches and 113 yards, including a 53-yarder that sparked a scoring drive. He had a scary injury coming down with the deep ball, had to go to the hospital for testing and still returned to make an impact in the second half.

#carolina #jordan

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — On a night when the Dallas Cowboys' beleaguered defense finally showed signs of life, their star-studded offense let them down.
Dak Prescott threw two interceptions in the Cowboys' 23-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. The Cowboys were scoreless in a first half for the first time since Nov. 7, 2021, when they trailed 16-0 at the half of a 30-16 loss to the Denver Broncos.
The Cowboys trailed 7-0 and faced second-and-8 from Green Bay's 17 when Prescott took a big hit from Zaire Franklin. On the next play, Evan Williams intercepted Prescott's pass that was intended for CeeDee Lamb.
Dallas trailed 10-0 on its next possession and had first-and-15 from Green Bay's 28 when Lamb fell on a route, enabling Packers rookie Brandon Cisse to make his first career interception.
Prescott went 34 of 54 for 258 yards. His only touchdown pass – a 6-yarder to Ryan Flournoy – came in the final minute of the game.

#packers #loss

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker has made it a weekly tradition to surpass the already-high expectations of Chiefs Kingdom. If he didn't blow our minds enough by gashing the Denver Broncos for 173 yards on the ground in the season opener, he doubled down against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4 with 177 yards and a 76-yard run that turned the game in the second half.
Coming out of the bye week, there was reasonable speculation that rookie running back Emmett Johnson would spell Walker to keep the talented lead back fresh. Instead, Walker took the load again, gaining 139 yards from scrimmage on 21 touches.
None of his carries matched the long touchdown run that gave the Chiefs an early 9-0 lead over the Los Angeles Chargers.
On third-and-1, quarterback Patrick Mahomes came out of an under-center formation to hand off to Walker off counter action; right guard Trey Smith and second-year tight end Jake Briningstool made the key blocks to spring him in the first quarter.
"The 33-yarder was pretty open," Walker said in his post-game press conference. "(Tight end) Jake (Briningstool) came across and kicked out; there left was open."

#walker #back #week

The 20th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes roll into Week 3 after claiming the Cy-Hawk Trophy with a 16-13 win over Iowa State from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.
After falling behind 10-0 early, Iowa knotted the game back up by halftime thanks to a 1-yard Hank Brown touchdown run and a Caden Buhr field goal. Buhr would add two more field goal makes in the second half, including his game-winning, 42-yarder with just 15 seconds remaining.
As Iowa turns its attention to its final nonconference date, the Hawkeyes released their Week 3 depth chart vs. UNI:
No. 1: Hank Brown OR Jeremy Hecklinski
No. 3: Jimmy Sullivan

#brown #buhr #goal #hawk

Daron Wilkins scored three different ways as Reading High defeated Lebanon 54-12 in a non-league football game on Friday night, the Red Knights' first win of the season.
Wilkins scored on a 17-yard run, 54-yard punt return and 72-yard kickoff return. He rushed for 62 yards on just four carries.
Reading High (1-2) led 32-0 at halftime. Jahleer Nunn had touchdown runs of 7 and 5 yards, Wilkins his 17-yarder, Makye Lias an 11-yard TD scamper and Jason Reyes a 24-yard TD run in the first half. Reyes gained 50 yards in the game on just three carries.
Reading opens its Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 season on Friday at home (Shirk Stadium at Albright College) against Penn Manor.
Lebanon is 0-3 and hosts Elizabethtown on Friday in its LL Section 2 opener.

#wilkins #reading #yards #reyes

Blake Roskopf threw five touchdown passes and Goodyear Desert Edge's defense stifled Scottsdale Notre Dame's offense in a 46-7 5A football rout on Thursday night, Sept. 10, at Desert Edge.
Roskopf quickly carved up Notre Dame's defense, finding open receivers all over the field. He threw two touchdown passes to Jhaheem Brown and two to Zerek Sidney, including a 61-yarder that gave the top-ranked Scorpions (3-0) a 40-7 lead with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Roskopf, a Washington commit, has quietly thrown 12 touchdown passes in Desert Edge's first three games.
But the story of its season so far has been the defense, led by electric junior edge rusher Jalanie George, who had another monster game.
When Notre Dame's Austin Bush ran 3 yards for a score with 7:21 left in the second quarter, it was the first time this season that Desert Edge allowed a touchdown. The score came after Desert Edge twice lined up offsides on two Notre Dame field-goal tries. With short yardage, the Saints picked up first downs both times, leading to the score and a 7-6 lead.

#notre #touchdown #first

GLASTONBURY - Eli Showerda kept the ball on an option from 1 yard out with 20 seconds remaining to lift the Maloney football team to a 35-28 season-opening victory over Glastonbury on Thursday night.
The senior quarterback did damage through the air, too, throwing two first-half touchdown passes before delivering the game-winning score on the ground.
His first touchdown pass, a 15-yarder to senior running back Devan Bacote, tied the game 14-14 in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Showerda connected with Jayden Soto over the middle for an 83-yard touchdown that gave the Spartans a 21-14 lead.
The game, however, was far from over.
Leading by eight with 4:41 remaining, Maloney watched Glastonbury put together a game-tying drive after Shane Santora returned the kickoff past midfield to give the Guardians excellent field position. Quarterback Matthew Cartwright capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run before Glastonbury converted the 2-point conversion to tie the game 28-28 with 3:31 left.

#yard #showerda

The 49ers have a big lead in the fourth quarter, having dominated the first three plus quarters. The Rams will need a big comeback for a season-opening win.
San Francisco leads 24-7 with 12:57 remaining.
The 49ers took control by stopping Matthew Stafford on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter. Fred Warner and rookie Gracen Halton stopped the Rams quarterback short of the gaol line.
The play was upheld on replay.
The 49ers then drove 99 yards in 11 plays, with Deebo Samuel catching a 15-yard touchdown. It was Brock Purdy's third touchdown pass, following a 39-yarder to Demarcus Robinson and a 5-yarder to Mike Evans.

#Third

Florida State, despite forcing four turnovers on Monday night, was unable to pull off an upset vs. No. 19 SMU in a 27-24 loss.
It's the third straight year that FSU has lost its ACC opener. Mike Norvell is now 39-35 at FSU, with a 22-27 record in ACC play.
FSU was outgained 585-324, a large part of which was due to the Seminoles' inability to shut down the Mustangs' passing attack. Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for 430 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a 72-yarder.
What are the main takeaways from yet another disappointing Florida State loss? The Tomahawk Nation staff breaks it down below.
What was the turning point of tonight's game?

#Florida #state #down #seminoles

The Wisconsin Badgers fell short 41-13 to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a competitive first game of the season at Lambeau Field, inspiring confidence for 2026 while showing the key areas of improvement needed.
The Badgers kept Notre Dame in check through the first 30 minutes, trailing 13-10 at halftime, and continued to fight throughout the game, although an early third-quarter stretch from the Fighting Irish was the leading force to them winning the game.
Wisconsin started with the ball, but had a quick three-and-out, as they were stuffed on first down and couldn't recover. The defense had a strong opening drive, though, as the run defense started off on a good note and Sebastian Cheeks got home on a strip sack on Notre Dame's first third down, but the Fighting Irish recovered.
Wisconsin blocked the punt, getting field position in plus territory, and that led to the first points of the game. Wisconsin had a nice Abu Sama III run on 3rd & 6 with good blocking and got to the red zone, where they eventually settled for a field goal.
Notre Dame overcame tough field position on its next drive, converting a fourth down, while finding a hole in Wisconsin's off coverage to the field side with a couple of short passes. They eventually got into field goal range and drilled a 52-yarder to tie the game up there after the defense got a stop.

#field #first #game

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — DeJuan Williams scored on a 94-yard run in the first quarter, the first of six rushing touchdowns for Maryland in a 62-0 rout of Hampton on Saturday night.
Williams and Iverson Howard scored twice each for the Terrapins in their season opener, and Harry Dalton III and Jianni Davis had a touchdown apiece. Malik Washington and Cardell Williams each threw for a TD as well.
Maryland outgained the Pirates (1-1) 646-85 in Hampton's first-ever game against a Power Four team.
Williams' long run to open the scoring was the second-longest in Maryland history, topped only by a 98-yarder in 1978 by Steve Atkins against Clemson.
Williams also had an 8-yard scoring run and finished with 116 yards on three carries.

#park

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jadan Baugh ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns, juking defenders nearly every time he touched the ball, and Florida opened the Jon Sumrall era with a 66-21 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.
Aaron Philo added 275 yards passing and four total scores as the Gators won their seventh consecutive home debut for a new coach. This one was the highest-scoring season opener for Florida since 1994.
Sumrall entered the sold-out Swamp amid fire, smoke and strobe lights. He delivered a fiery pregame speech on the field and then really showed what he's about with a dominant win that was never in doubt. He even had his team throwing — and scoring — in the final minute, reminding some of Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier.
Florida scored on its first six possessions. Philo connected with Vernell Brown III for a 49-yard score and then found former Georgia Tech teammate and current roommate Bailey Stockton for a 12-yarder.
Philo scrambled for a score on fourth down to make it 24-7. Brown finished with 117 yards on six receptions.

#baugh

An offensive penalty followed by a sack moved Tennessee State football back to the 20-yard line on fourth down, but still well within reach of kicker Preston Hurless, who had a 47-yarder against Jackson State earlier in the John Merritt Classic at Vanderbilt's FirstBank Stadium on Aug. 29.
Hurless never got the chance to attempt what would have been a 37-yard field goal. Holder Truette Tumey had trouble handling a bad snap by Jaydon Vester, and Hurless was unable to even attempt to kick the ball.
Jackson State (1-0) held on for a 26-24 win in front of a near-capacity crowd of 32,467 in the season opener for both teams.
Second-year TSU coach Reggie Barlow said all three facets in the field goal kicking game failed on the bungled play.
"I think the snap was a little bit low and the holder had a little issue with timing to actually get it down," Barlow said. "And when he got it down, you know, for those kickers once they've got that rhythm before the ball gets placed, it kind of threw off production there."

#state #jackson #barlow #holder

An offensive penalty followed by a sack moved Tennessee State football back to the 20-yard line on fourth down, but still well within reach of kicker Preston Hurless, who had a 47-yarder against Jackson State earlier in the John Merritt Classic at Vanderbilt's FirstBank Stadium on Aug. 29.
Hurless never got the chance to attempt what would have been a 37-yard field goal. Holder Truette Tumey had trouble handling a bad snap by Jaydon Vester, and Hurless was unable to even attempt to kick the ball.
Jackson State (1-0) held on for a 26-24 win in front of a near-capacity crowd of 32,467 in the season opener for both teams.
Second-year TSU coach Reggie Barlow said all three facets in the field goal kicking game failed on the bungled play.
"I think the snap was a little bit low and the holder had a little issue with timing to actually get it down," Barlow said. "And when he got it down, you know, for those kickers once they've got that rhythm before the ball gets placed, it kind of threw off production there."

#hurless #yard #field

The Eagles completed their preseason with a 30-13 loss to the Bengals, giving several roster hopefuls one final opportunity to influence Philadelphia's decisions.
Here is the stock report from the finale.
Steele continued making his case for a role as Philadelphia's fullback and reserve running back. He caught eight passes for 52 yards and a touchdown while rushing eight times for 24 yards. His ability to contribute without requiring a traditional rushing workload strengthens his value.
Dalton steadied the offense after Tanner McKee struggled. The veteran completed 12 of 19 attempts for 104 yards and directed Philadelphia's only touchdown drive. He saved his strongest stretch for his final preseason appearance.
Elliott made both field-goal attempts, including a 56-yarder. He accounted for seven of Philadelphia's 13 points and provided one of the few dependable performances of the night.

#yards #eight #attempts

Last season, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little drilled a 68-yard field goal that became the longest field goal ever made in an NFL game. That kick was actually shorter than the 70-yarder he hit during the preseason. Then, just last week, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker hit a 69-yarder of his own.
Absurdly long field goals are becoming a pattern in the NFL, and it's almost surely going to continue this year.
Over the past few seasons, the NFL has quietly made some changes to its kicking **** that seem to have made things noticeably easier on kickers. That, coupled with the recent kickoff changes that have made a drastic impact on starting field position, has led to an increase in incredibly long field goals.
Ahead of the 2025 season, the NFL quietly passed a resolution that allowed teams to prepare their kicking **** – known in the league as "K-balls" – before game day, rather than during game day. The change got very little publicity, likely because **** ody really expected the change to make a drastic difference. But it seems to have, and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio took notice.
Following a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which kicker Chase McLaughlin hit a 65-yard field goal and a 58-yard field goal, Fangio brought up the quiet rule change, saying that it made a "drastic" impact on the kicking game. Fangio said the impact has been so drastic that he compared it to the steroid era of Major League Baseball.

#game #drastic #yard #kicking

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Veteran Josh Johnson threw for 156 yards in the first half, Evan McPherson kicked a 56-yarder for one of his three field goals and the Cincinnati Bengals capped a perfect preseason with a 30-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night.
Ke'Shawn Williams had a touchdown catch for the Bengals (3-0).
Andy Dalton completed 12 of 19 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown for the Eagles (0-3).
Neither team played its starters in the final tuneup for the regular season, but there were some roster spots up for grabs.
Tanner McKee struggled in the competition with Dalton to back up Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts. McKee completed 12 of 22 passes for 55 yards with an interception in five ineffective first-half series. Dalton took the snaps after halftime and looked better.

#half #touchdown

Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke with reporters before practice on Tuesday. He recapped kicker Harrison Butker's performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Saturday.
"(Harrison) Butker, highest of highs, lowest of lows, really, in the same game. Really encouraged about the kick he made, I mean that first 58-yarder and the other one, too, but the 69 yarder–to know that we can do that, in that situation with three seconds left in a half or a game, a possible game winner." said Toub, "You have to sit there and weigh the odds as a Hail Mary, or is it that? Which gives you the best chance to get points, you (can) possibly win a game with that, I mean that's pretty encouraging."
Butker converted on three field goals, one of which was a long of 69 yards, marking the longest preseason field goal in franchise history.
"He had a little bit of a different step on that," said Toub. "If you notice, he has a little hop step into it to get his momentum going on a kick that long. He hit that thing great. It was very impressive."
Butker missed a PAT and field goal attempt in the second half, slightly souring his record-breaking night.

#field #kick #yarder #three

Louisville ended last year with one of the best kicking games in the country while also being one of the worst punting units in all of college football. At this point, one could argue that the goal this season is to just have a kicking game that can get the bare minimum done. The staff was tasked with replacing the starters at both kicking positions, and at this point in fall camp, I'm not sure they are satisfied with the choices they have in the kicking game.
The only returner on the team who kicked last year is Nick Keller, and he is the likely frontrunner to take over the positions. Keller hit on half of his kicks last season as the long field goal option as well as the kickoff specialist. Keller has a massive leg, which brings real value to the team, but his accuracy is a real issue as well. If he can be more consistent with his kicks, he should be fine.
Garth White appears to be the challenger for the kicker spot, with a real chance to win the job. White has been consistent with his short kicks when fans and media have been able to check out practice, but he didn't connect on the longer kicks in our limited time seeing him. White finished last season 14-for-18 on kicks, with a long of 54 yards as well as a 52-yarder. If there is a position where a step up in competition should be smooth, it's at kicker.
While field goals have a clear path to being a solid position, there is not a punter on the roster right now who has shown promise to be an ****** et to the team. Jeff Brohm's first press conference this fall was a clear message about his feelings about the kicking game. That same message continued to be repeated by media who attended practice, as well as by my own eyes.
The entire punting operation appeared to be broken a couple of weeks into fall practice. Snaps were bad; punters had trouble handling snaps; punts either didn't have enough hang time, or they didn't have enough distance. The only punt I saw that looked the part took so long to get off that I think the punter would have been tackled by the rush. The good thing is that the staff has time to address the issue. Personnel is what it is, but I was impressed by the improvised competitions the staff put on during camp. Putting these guys in tough spots each day should help to find the right guys for the job.

#keller #fall

Through two preseason games, the Green Bay Packers have seen plenty of encouraging signs from the players who should have key roles in the regular season. The first game saw the third and fourth string units get exposed in the second half, but in both contests, the starting offense and defense looked solid at worst.
Is it too early to get excited about this team, though? That's certainly the message from one of its coordinators about one of his players, namely rookie kicker Trey Smack. Yes, he's 7-for-7 on field goals with three coming from 51 or more yards (plus another 58-yarder that was taken off the board due to a penalty), but Cam Achord isn't letting him get complacent, nor is he encouraging fans to get too hyped up yet either.
Likewise, MarShawn Lloyd has put in a couple of good performances in his bid to be the Packers' RB2, but we've seen some flashes from him in the past in preseason action. This year feels different, but he still needs to go out and do it in the regular season (and do it consistently), something we haven't yet observed.
So for now, let's be encouraged by some of these performances, but keep expectations in check. This team is still young and still coming together. While the expectations should still be to compete for an NFC North ***** le and make a Super Bowl run, there will surely still be some ***** ps along the way.
Game notes: Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd relished long-awaited return to end zone | Packers.com
Lloyd's last touchdown in a competitive game came almost three years ago, in November 2023. It helps the Packers to see him performing well in these preseason games, but he still has yet to get through a regular season game unscathed.

#preseason

There was a time when Evan McPherson making a 50-plus-yard field goal barely registered as news. That was the expectation.
The Bengals' kicker had established himself as one of the NFL's most dangerous long-range weapons, and there was a stretch early in his career when anything from beyond midfield felt almost automatic. He was incredible as a rookie in the team's 2021 run to Super Bowl LVI, and became one of the best young kickers in the league.
After a couple of uneven seasons, however, McPherson entered 2026 with something to prove. So far, he's doing exactly that.
McPherson continued his outstanding training camp and preseason Saturday night against the Chicago Bears, drilling both of his field-goal attempts—including a 58-yarder—and all three of his extra-point attempts in Cincinnati's second preseason game.
And that 58-yarder? It looked extremely easy, and Mike Watts on the Bengals preseason telecast referenced "Thor's Hammer" when referring to McPherson's leg.

#mcpherson #super

The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 2-0 in the preseason Saturday night, taking down the Chicago Bears 27-9 at Paycor Stadium. With Zac Taylor choosing to rest Cincinnati's starters following Thursday's joint practice, the game was primarily about giving the players fighting for roster spots another opportunity to make their case. They certainly took advantage of it. The Bengals' backups held their own against a Bears team that played a number of its starters, and Cincinnati eventually pulled away for a convincing victory.
One of the biggest stories was Dohnte Meyers, who continued his remarkable push for a roster spot, while Colbie Young also made an impact with a touchdown reception. The defense did its part as well, limiting Chicago to three field goals and nine total points, with rookie Landon Robinson among those making noise up front. Evan McPherson remained automatic, hitting both of his field-goal attempts—including a 58-yarder—and all three extra points.
But here's the discussion topic: what do we make of Josh Johnson?
The 40-year-old veteran quarterback turned in one of the better performances of the night, completing 15 of 23 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He connected with Young for a 17-yard touchdown and later found Tanner Hudson for a six-yard score, helping Cincinnati take a 17-9 lead into halftime.
Obviously, **** ody is suggesting Johnson is going to challenge Joe Burrow for the starting job. But the Bengals brought him back because of his experience, knowledge of NFL offenses and ability to step into a difficult situation if needed. And if Cincinnati is looking for a veteran No. 3 quarterback who can keep the offense functional in an emergency, Johnson's performance Saturday certainly didn't hurt his case.

#Chicago #bears #johnson #roster

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Rookie Jalon Daniels led three second-half scoring drives to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rally for a 16-15 preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night.
Daniels tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Ko Kieft, Sean Tucker scored on a 1-yard run and B.T. Potter kicked a 46-yard field goal for the Bucs (2-0), who trailed 9-0 at halftime.
Harrison Butker kicked three field goals for Kansas City (0-2), including a 69-yarder on the final play of the first half. But what appeared to be a stellar performance soured when he missed an extra-point in the third quarter and then was wide right on a 43-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Chiefs the lead in the closing minutes.
Baker Mayfield, entering a contract year after leading the Bucs to the playoffs two of the past three seasons, started and played two series in his first preseason action since 2024. He was 2 of 4 for 10 yards before being replaced by backup Jack Browning late in the first quarter.
With three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes sitting out, Justin Fields opened at quarterback for the Chiefs, who have not said whether Mahomes will play in next week's preseason finale against Seattle. The two-time league MVP is coming back from a knee injury suffered last December and has been a full participant in training camp practices.

#chiefs #first #kansas #city

To end Thursday's joint practice, the Indianapolis Colts' first and second team offenses took part in a two-minute drill against the Atlanta Falcons' defenses.
Of course, Daniel Jones led the Colts starters, and taking the second-team snaps was Anthony Richardson, after Riley Leonard took the bulk of the snaps on Wednesday.
According to Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports, there was 1:05 on the clock with the Colts starting at their own 25-yard line down by a point.
Richardson would complete 4-of-5 passes on that drive, per Arthur. Richardson also prevented a negative play by corraling a wild snap from Dalton Tucker and throwing the ball away.
With three seconds left after moving the ball down the field, Richardson spiked the ball to stop the clock, and Spencer Shrader knocked through a 52-yarder for the win.

#colts #team #clock

The Ohio State kicking game has been the brunt of jokes over the last few seasons because of some clutch misses, but the OSU coaching staff is hoping that comes to an end after dipping into the transfer portal to land former Baylor placekicker Connor Hawkins.
And while it doesn't mean anything about how things will ultimately go on the field, Hawkins was one of the names appearing on the Lou Groza preseason watch list when it was unveiled last week.
Originally out of Liberty Hill, Texas, Hawkins spent the last two years at Baylor, but was redshirted after very limited action in 2024. Last season, Hawkins made 18-of-22 field goals (81.8%) and was successful in all 37 extra point attempts. What might be news to Buckeye fans is the fact that his longest was a 54-yarder, something OSU hasn't seen in a long, long time. He led the Big 12 in field goal percentage last season.
The Lou Groza Award has been around since 1992 and is awarded to the top college football placekicker annually by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former OSU and Cleveland Browns kicker Lou Groza. Mike Nugent is the only Ohio State player to have won the award, and that occurred back in 2004 when Nugent was a consensus All-American.
These watch lists can -- and will -- change throughout the college football season, with the winner being announced on December 11 as part of ESPN's Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

#award #Football #season #state

All eyes were on Ty Simpson for his NFL debut on Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium. It was the first preseason action for the Los Angeles Rams' top pick in the 2026 draft, giving fans a glimpse at what the future could hold once Matthew Stafford retires.
Simpson entered the game against the Chiefs at the end of the first quarter after Stetson Bennett played two possessions, much to the excitement of the Rams' faithful around the country. Though there were probably some pre-game jitters for the rookie quarterback, the moment certainly didn't look too big for him.
His first completion was a 7-yard dump-off to Max Klare on a roll-out to his right, getting the ball into the hands of a fellow rookie. It wasn't a highlight-reel play, but he took what the defense gave him, and that was an easy completion.
Simpson was just 1-for-2 on his first drive, which was a brief one that ended in a punt, but he found a rhythm on the second drive. He went 4-for-4 for 41 yards during drive No. 2, capping it off with a Harrison Mevis field goal from 40 yards to put the Rams up, 6-3.
His best throw on the drive was a 23-yarder to Mark Redman, once again on a boot out to his right. He layered the ball nicely to the tight end for a big gain.

#first #rookie #ball

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The decision by the San Francisco 49ers to draft De'Zhaun Stribling with the first pick of the second round in April raised some eyebrows with more accomplished college receivers still on the board.
The way Stribling has performed so far in practice and his exhibition debut have quieted those criticisms for now. Stribling caught seven passes for 63 yards in less than one half on Thursday night against Tennessee, outplaying the top receiver taken in this year's draft in No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate.
Stribling is well aware of the five receivers drafted ahead of him, but is more focused on his own play so far this summer as he hopes to play a big role for the 49ers as a rookie.
"I know who was taken ahead of me, but I just see it as this is my journey," Stribling said after the game. "My journey is my journey. I'm not going to look at someone else's journey, Because once I do that, I'm not going to be grateful or happy of where I'm at. So I'm just making the most out of my opportunities and what's given to me."
Stribling caught a pass on his first snap in an exhibition game with a 6-yarder from Kurtis Rourke. He couldn't catch a slightly off-target throw on third down later in that drive and also lost 5 yards on a pop pass.

#pick #exhibition

GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers are waiving their franchise record holder for longest field goal made in a game.
The Packers are moving on from Lucas Havrisik on the eve of training camp, a source told PackersNews. Havrisik kicked in only three games last season, but among his four field goals was a franchise-long 61 yarder last October in Arizona.
Havrisik, initially signed as an injury replacement for veteran Brandon McManus, made all four of his field goal attempts. He was 7-of-9 on extra points, both misses coming on a blustery day at the New York Giants.
The Packers signed Lenny Krieg earlier July 28. Krieg will get a chance to compete with Trey Smack, a rookie drafted in the sixth round this spring.
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers to waive kicker Lucas Havrisik | source

#field #green #krieg

Here's a terrifying thought for you: one day in the distant future college football fans may forget just how amazing Brock Bowers was during his Georgia Bulldogs career.
I know, it's difficult to imagine. Bowers played three seasons of college football and was named All-SEC and All-American in each of them. He won the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end two years running. Over 50 catches every season, 2538 receiving yards, and 26 receiving touchdowns. Every honor and number is truly impressive.
But a picture is worth a thousand words. Just ask the South Carolina Gamecocks.
In 2022 Bowers could have beaten Shane Beamer's squad all by himself, scoring three touchdowns, one on the ground and two through the air, including a 78 yarder in which he made the Gamecock defense look like it was stuck in concrete.
Unfortunately for the Garnet and Black Bowers had teammates, on both sides of the ball. The Gamecocks ran only 34 plays on offense in a first half that saw them shut out while the Bulldogs cruised out to a 24-0 halftime lead. Somehow it got even worse in the second half, with Georgia veritably tap dancing to a three more touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 45-0 lead into the fourth quarter. The Dawgs would tack on one more field goal before the 'Cocks got on the board late to avoid a shutout, losing "only" 48-7.

#bulldogs #Football

Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
Today, we look at former USC kicker Alex Stadthaus.
Position: Kicker
Years played at USC: 2018-2022
Career highlights: Stadthaus served as USC's kickoff specialist for the majority of his time with the Trojans.bIn 2021, he also attempted six field goals and 10 extra points, making all of his attempts. His career-long was a 40-yarder in a 41-34 victory over Arizona that year.

#Trojans