49ers rout Rams 27-7 in NFL's first Australia game behind Brock Purdy's 3 TD passes
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel caught touchdown passes from Brock Purdy, and the San Francisco 49ers routed the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in the first NFL regular-season game in Australia. Purdy passed for 205 yards against the Rams’ ineffective defense at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 100,021 fans. That's the seventh-largest regular season crowd in NFL history. The San Francisco defense frustrated NFL MVP Matthew Stafford into a 15-for-25 performance for just 155 yards. Kyren Williams scored the NFL’s first Australian touchdown on a 5-yard rush to begin the second quarter. but the Rams’ offense struggled from there.
Myles Garrett acknowledges knee injury is significant after 0-tackle debut in Rams' Australia loss
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Myles Garrett finally acknowledged his knee injury is more serious than he had been letting on following his quiet debut for the Los Angeles Rams in their season-opening defeat in Australia. The reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year made zero tackles and no impact on the game during the Rams’ 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Garrett missed much of training camp and the Rams’ recent weeks of practices to rest his knee, but the injury wasn't known to be as serious as Garrett finally acknowledged it is. Garrett's ineffectiveness was just one problem for the Rams' overmatched defense.
Elena Rybakina beats Coco Gauff and will play Aryna Sabalenka for the US Open women's title
NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka moved a win away from her third straight U.S. Open title, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2. Sabalenka blasted her way out of what was a dead-even match for most of the first set, pouncing on Pegula’s second serves and turning the second set into perhaps her most impressive stretch of tennis in the tournament. The No. 1 seed will face No. 2 Elena Rybakina, a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 winner over No. 4 Coco Gauff, on Saturday, needing a victory to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14.
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold has a muscle injury. His status for Seattle's next game is uncertain
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said quarterback Sam Darnold’s hip injury appears to be muscle-related and his status for next week’s game at Arizona is as yet undetermined. Darnold was injured on Seattle’s first series of Wednesday night’s game against the New England Patriots. Darnold was sacked by New England’s Dre’Mont Jones and shortly thereafter limped off the field. He did not return.
Former hockey players at University of Michigan sue, say they were sexually abused decades ago
DETROIT (AP) — More than a dozen former hockey players are suing the University of Michigan. They say their coach and other staff were aware of sexual hazing that included the forced shaving of their genitals and other abuses by teammates decades ago. The plaintiffs are 16 men who played at Michigan between 1984 and 2001. The lawsuit apparently grew out of conversations among several former teammates in 2024. The university says the allegations are “disturbing,” but denies responsibility. The lawsuit says Red Berenson was aware of the abuse and did not intervene. He was the coach from 1984 to 2017. Berenson says no one complained to him.
Anthony Volpe wins over Yankees fans with grand slam and 5 RBIs in rousing return to majors
NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Volpe’s first night back in the majors was one to remember. Suddenly a fan favorite in New York again, Volpe smacked a grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs during his rousing return from Triple-A as the Yankees beat the Colorado Rockies 10-3 on Thursday. The much-maligned Volpe is getting another chance with the Yankees — this time at a new position — and he’s off to a terrific start. With the Bronx crowd chanting his name on several occasions, Volpe had three hits and a stolen base in his first big league game since Aug. 1.
Solheim Cup is off to a loud start as Korda and US begin bid to retain trophy in party atmosphere
DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — The Solheim Cup is underway to a backdrop of party music, smoke blowers and loud chanting on a boisterous first tee. American golfer Allisen Corpuz held it together to hit the opening drive straight down the fairway at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands as the U.S. began its bid to keep hold of the crystal trophy. The Solheim Cup is the noisiest event in women’s golf. There was star power in the first foursomes match out at 7:40 a.m. local time with Team Europe’s top two players, Lottie Woad and Charley Hull, up against Corpuz and top-ranked Nelly Korda.
No. 7 Miami gains school-record 856 yards, rolls past Florida A&M 77-7
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — No. 7 Miami set a school record for yards and tied the mark for points in a game, with quarterbacks Darian Mensah and Luke Nickel each throwing three touchdown passes in a 77-7 win over lower-division Florida A&M on Thursday night. The Hurricanes finished with 856 yards, breaking the mark of 750 against Ball State in 2024. Miami had 77 points in a game twice previously, both against Savannah State. And the game was so one-sided that the teams agreed to shave five minutes off the fourth quarter, setting the clock for 10 minutes instead of the standard 15. By then, it was 77-0.
Polasek's rise through the ranks to Mountain West rookie North Dakota St. was launched by hard labor
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota State's Tim Polasek built the foundation of his coaching career through the hard labor of logging the woods of central Wisconsin and overnight shifts at a steel mill near his hometown. He worked his way up with valuable stints as an assistant at Iowa and Wyoming. Polasek is 28-3 since being hired in 2024 as head coach of the Bison. North Dakota State moved up this year to the FBS after winning 10 national championships in the FCS. The Bison play their Mountain West Conference opener at Air Force on Saturday night. They won their first two nonconference games.
Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa leaves practice with an oblique injury
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left practice Thursday with an oblique injury. Tagovailoa bent over in obvious discomfort after throwing a pass during a portion of practice open to media and grabbed his right side. He dropped to the ground for a few seconds before getting up and trying to shake off the injury. It’s unclear if he returned to practice. The Falcons listed him as a limited participant. Tagovailoa’s first game with the Falcons is at Pittsburgh on Sunday. It’s the same spot where he made the last start of his rocky final season with Miami.
