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Warren's record 17 catches key PSU rally vs. USC
LOS ANGELES -- Tyler Warren caught 17 passes to tie the FBS single-game record for tight ends, Ryan Barker hit a 36-yard field goal in overtime and No. 4 Penn State rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half for a 33-30 victory over Southern California on Saturday.
Drew Allar passed for a career-high 391 yards and two touchdowns despite three interceptions for Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), which didn't lead in the final 49 minutes of regulation. The Nittany Lions came back three times to tie it in the final 20 minutes, including Nicholas Singleton's 14-yard TD reception with 2:53 left.
Quentin Joyner scored two early TDs for the Trojans (3-3, 1-3), who have lost three of four. USC hasn't beaten a top-five team since it held off No. 5 Penn State in a 52-49 thriller of a Rose Bowl in January 2017.
Warren racked up 224 yards and a touchdown, although his only catch after the third quarter was a 3-yarder in overtime. The senior set a record for the most receptions by an opponent in USC's 137-year football history.
The Nittany Lions started slowly on their long road trip but finished impressively. After going up 3-0 on its first drive, Penn State didn't lead again in regulation and trailed 20-6 at halftime before its offense got moving.
USC's Kyron Hudson caught a go-ahead touchdown pass from Miller Moss with 5:56 left, but Allar converted two fourth downs with desperate passes for Penn State before Singleton was left all alone for his tying catch.
USC drove to midfield in the final seconds, but coach Lincoln Riley curiously used no timeouts to extend the Trojans' drive before Jaylen Reed picked off Moss with 5 seconds left.
USC went 3 yards backward on its first three plays of overtime before Michael Lantz missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. Penn State advanced to the 19, and Barker buried the winner.
Moss passed for 220 yards and two scores, and Joyner rushed for a 75-yard TD in the first quarter and caught a 9-yard TD pass in the second quarter for the Trojans. Woody Marks rushed for 111 yards for USC.
Penn State had a healthy contingent of fans at the Coliseum for its first lengthy road trip in the new Big Ten and its longest trip for any regular-season game since 1991.
But USC's defense kept Penn State out of the end zone in the first half despite playing without injured linebacker Eric Gentry, its sacks leader and second-leading tackler, and starting cornerback Jacobe Covington.
Joyner put the Trojans ahead early when he faked a reverse and rumbled 75 yards through the heart of Penn State's defense. He added his first career TD catch moments later.
Penn State responded to its 14-point halftime deficit with Allar's TD throw to Warren on a double pass. The Nittany Lions made a 90-yard march to tie it on their next drive, with Kaytron Allen taking it in.
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold's interception led to USC's third field goal late in the third, but Penn State tied it again with 10:50 to play after its next drive stalled at the 3.
Follow live: Buckeyes and Ducks trade early TDs
The biggest matchup in Week 7 is in Eugene, Oregon, where the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes face the No. 3 Oregon Ducks. Both are undefeated, but the Ducks have been challenged more in the early part of the season.
The Buckeyes, facing largely overmatched competition, have outscored their opponents 230-34. They've been led by a rushing attack averaging 6.2 yards per carry and freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith, who has six touchdowns this season. The Ducks, on the other hand, had a slower start to the season, needing to outlast Idaho and Boise State in the first two weeks.
Ohio State has won nine of 10 meetings between the schools but lost the most recent meeting when the teams played in Columbus in 2021. This is the second time the Buckeyes have visited Eugene; they won 30-0 in 1967.
Here are the top plays from this top-five showdown:
Tar Heels WR Craft, 23, dies after cancer battle
North Carolina wide receiver Tylee Craft died Saturday morning following a lengthy battle with cancer, the school announced.
Craft, 23, of Sumter, South Carolina, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer on March 14, 2022. The UNC community had rallied behind him with the #TyleeStrong hashtag since his diagnosis. He had undergone numerous treatments, but the cancer spread through his body and brain. Still, he had enrolled in graduate courses toward his master's degree in applied professional studies and graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science/sports administration.
North Carolina's football team released the following statement Saturday afternoon, following its 41-34 loss to Georgia Tech:
"It is with love and fond memories that we announce Tylee Craft has begun his journey on the other side. Tylee meant so much to so many and affected us in ways we'll always be thankful for. He was 1-of-1 and, while he won't be with us in body, he'll be watching over us with his endearing smile and endless positivity. On behalf of his family and the Tar Heel football program, we sincerely thank everyone who supported Tylee during his battle with cancer. It means more than you know."
Craft had been struggling with debilitating back pain, so UNC's athletic training staff took him to the hospital in 2022 for more testing to determine the cause of it. That's when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. He immediately began an aggressive treatment of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
According to UNC, when Craft was diagnosed, his family said doctors told them he was just weeks away from dying.
In 2022, Craft was recognized with the Disney Spirit Award, presented annually to college football's most inspirational individual or team. He was also one of five college athletes named to the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Team that year.
According to the Fayetteville Observer, UNC receiver J.J. Jones wore Craft's No. 13 jersey against Georgia Tech on Saturday and scored a touchdown in the first half.
Iassogna, Miller given nod as crew chiefs for LCS
NEW YORK -- Six umpires will make their on-field League Championship Series debuts this year, and Dan Iassogna and Bill Miller will be the crew chiefs.
Mike Estabrook, Nic Lentz, Gabe Morales, Jeremie Rehak, Chris Segal and Jansen Visconti will work on field for the LCS for the first time, Major League Baseball said Saturday.
Iassogna will be an LCS crew chief for the second straight year. He will work the AL matchup between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. Miller will head the NL matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
Seven-man crews will work each series, with one umpire off each game.
The AL series opens Monday with Estabrook behind the plate, Iassogna at first, Segal at second, Alan Porter at third, Vicsonti in left, Vic Carapazza in right and Morales as the reserve umpire.
Morales will work the plate in Game 2, followed by Iassogna, Segal, Porter, Visconti and Carapazza in Game 7.
The NL series starts Sunday with Rehak behind the plate, Marvin Hudson at first, Lentz at second, Miller at third, David Rackley in left, Jordan Baker in right and Mike Muchlinski as the reserve umpire.
Muchlinski will work the plate in Game 2, followed by Hudson, Lentz, Miller, Rackley and Baker.
Porter will be the AL crew chief in Game 2, when Iassogna is the reserve ump, and Hudson will be the NL chief in Game 4, when Miller is the reserve.
Miller will be working his ninth LCS and Iassogna his eighth. Hudson, Muchlinski and Porter are working their fourth LCS, and Baker and Carapazza their third and Rackley his second.
Scott Barry, Alfonso Márquez and Ben May will be the replay umpires at Major League Baseball's office in New York.
Champions Gloucester-Hartpury maintain 100% start
Defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury maintained their winning start to the season with a 27-18 bonus-point win at Harlequins.
The visitors raced into an early lead at Twickenham Stoop after Amy Dale's converted try in the third minute, but they were reduced to 14 players soon after when Charlie Woodman was sent to the sin-bin.
Quins capitalised as Ella Cromack kicked a penalty before Freya Aucken's try handed the hosts a slender lead at the break.
Gloucester regained the lead after the interval through Emma Sing's try before Ellena Perry stretched their advantage and Woodman secured the bonus.
Quins salvaged a late consolation through Maja Meuller but fell to a second defeat in as many games, while Gloucester remain unbeaten.
Meanwhile, Saracens also kept up their early-season form with a thumping 52-14 bonus-point win at Sale Sharks.
Despite Isla Alejandro's early yellow card, Saracens scored the opening try through Akina Gondwe before May Campbell added a second minutes later.
Alejandro returned to the field to score their third and Jemma-Jo Linkins wrapped up the bonus point inside 35 minutes.
The onslaught continued in the second half when Poppy Cleall crashed over before Leanne Infante scored Sarries' sixth try.
Sale registered their first points in the 55th minute through Sophie Hopkins but the visitors hit back with Linkins' second try.
With the game out of sight for Sale, Nikita Prothero scored a consolation try before Daisy Fitzgerald added an eighth try, providing further gloss to the scoreline for unbeaten Sarries, who top the table by virtue of a better points difference than Gloucester.
Ulster: Ethan McIlroy; Werner Kok, Stewart Moore, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, John Andrew, Tom OToole; Iain Henderson (capt), Kieran Treadwell; David McCann, Sean Reffell, Nick Timoney.
Replacements: James McCormick, Callum Reid, Corrie Barrett, Alan OConnor, Marcus Rea, Nathan Doak, Ben Carson, Mike Lowry.
Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Piers O'Conor, Bundee Aki, Shayne Bolton; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Joe Joyce, Josh Murphy; Cian Prendergast (capt) Sean OBrien, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Temi Lasisi, Oisin Dowling, David OConnor, Caolin Blade, Cathal Forde, Conor Oliver.
Cheika oversees first home win as Leicester beat Saints
Leicester Tigers: Steward; Watson, Kelly, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; Pollard, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Montoya, Heyes; Wells, Chessum; Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.
Replacements: Clare, Cronin, Cole, Joussain, Ilione, Youngs, Shillcock, Wand.
Sin-bin: Reffell (13), Pollard (44).
Northampton Saints: Furbank; Ramm, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Freeman; F Smith, McParland; Iyogun, Langdon, Millar Mills; Mayanavanua, Munga; Kemeny, Scott-Young, Graham.
Replacements: R Smith, West, Davison, Thornbury, Pearson, Pollock, Garside, Sleightholme.
Sin-bin: Langdon (31), Pearson (59)
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.
Bielsa: Luis Suárez's comments affected authority
Uruguay national team head coach Marcelo Bielsa has admitted his authority as manager has been impacted by the public accusations made by Luis Suárez earlier this month.
The former Uruguay forward called out Bielsa for implementing what he called problematic work conditions during the 2024 Copa América, before detailing the lack of communication between the coaching staff and players.
Suárez later revealed he felt hurt over the manager's actions, and urged fans not to turn on the players if "something goes wrong" moving forward.
Bielsa publicly addressed the matter for the first time after Uruguay's 1-0 loss to Peru in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.
"I am not unaware of what happened and I know that my authority is affected in some way," Bielsa said. "But I prepared for the match with the utmost seriousness and the players' response was the same as when I started working here. It did not alter the conviction with which the match was prepared in any way."
Prior to the defeat, Uruguay Football Association president Ignacio Alonso pledged his full support to Bielsa and reiterated that the coach remains a key part of the project leading into the 2026 World Cup, just as he did upon arriving in May, 2023.
"Correct, what Luis said is true, he has told me things, and Jorge [Giordano] as well," Alonso told the De fútbol se habla así show on DirecTV.
"There is a transition from one era to another, with a generation that enters with an incredible legacy and we bet that Marcelo [Bielsa], as a football leader, could be the ideal figure for our team," Alonso said. "We are doing well, the team has shown interesting things.
"Uruguay has the hope of reaching 2026 with an optimal football commitment."
Despite the loss, Uruguay sit in third place of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings with 15 points in nine games.
The top six teams will qualify directly to the World Cup, while seventh place is forced to participate in an inter-confederation playoff match for the chance to secure a ticket to the competition.
First-half goals from Bernardo Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo helped group leaders Portugal to a comfortable 3-1 victory away to Poland in the Nations League on Saturday as they continued their perfect start to the competition with three wins.
Silva put Portugal in front after 26 minutes, netting from Bruno Fernandes' headed assist, before Ronaldo doubled their lead 11 minutes later with a low, first-time shot.
Piotr Zielinski pulled a goal back for Poland in the 78th with a powerful strike into the roof of the net before home defender Jan Bednarek netted an own goal in the dying minutes.
Portugal continue to set pace in League A Group One with nine points, three points clear of Croatia who came from behind to beat visitors Scotland 2-1 earlier on Saturday. Poland are third with three points while the Scots have none so far.