Back-to-back losses knock Lane Kiffin and Kentucky out of College Football Playoff contention
Kentucky and LSU played their way out of the College Football Playoff with consecutive losses. The No. 13 Wildcats and 24th-ranked Tigers suffered their third and fourth losses of the season, respectively, in Southeastern Conference action. Arch Manning threw a touchdown pass with 3 seconds remaining, rallying No. 8 Texas to a 22-21 win against slightly favored LSU in Baton Rouge. The Tigers lost to Alabama last week at home. Unranked Florida, one of the most up-and-down teams in the country, dealt Kentucky a second straight loss, 21-14 in Lexington. The Cats lost last week at Tennessee.
Arch Manning leads No. 8 Texas to a late score and a dramatic 22-21 win over No. 24 LSU
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Arch Manning — like his grandfather and uncle before him — has a Death Valley comeback to his name. Manning found Raleek Brown for a 4-yard touchdown pass along the left sideline with 3 seconds left, and No. 8 Texas escaped Tiger Stadium with a 22-21 victory over No. 24 LSU. Manning overcame three interceptions in the state where he was raised to keep Texas firmly in contention for a College Football Playoff spot. LSU is virtually eliminated with its fourth loss this season and second straight at home. In 1968, Manning’s grandfather, Archie, led Mississippi to a comeback victory at Tiger Stadium. So did his uncle, Eli, in 2001.
From Oktoberfest to the NFL: How Munich crowd made ‘Country Roads’ a stadium ritual
MUNICH (AP) — Tom Brady called it “pretty epic.” In Munich four years ago, the Buccaneers beat the Seahawks. But he wasn’t referring to the game. The now-retired quarterback was talking about how the German fans memorably belted out the lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” late in the fourth quarter and then stuck around after the final whistle to sing “Sweet Caroline.” The full-stadium karaoke has become a tradition at each NFL game in Germany and no doubt will be a highlight Sunday when the Detroit Lions face the New England Patriots at Allianz Arena in Munich.
Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown wears lederhosen on arrival to Munich stadium for game vs Patriots
MUNICH (AP) — Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown tapped into his German roots by wearing lederhosen on his arrival at Allianz Arena for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. Even though his mother is not from the region — she hails from Leverkusen — St. Brown and some teammates still got into the local custom by sporting the iconic Bavarian attire. Lions long snapper Hogan Hatten and wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa also wore lederhosen — typically deer leather shorts with suspenders.
Kaya Harrison is a winner, a UFC champion, and has a major career decision ahead after beating Nunes
NEW YORK (AP) — Kayla Harrison made a triumphant return to the octagon by defeating Amanda Nunes in a highly anticipated fight at UFC 334. The former MMA champion and two-time Olympic judo gold medalist choked out Nunes in the fourth round. This victory marks her first title defense at 135 pounds. Harrison, who recently underwent spinal fusion surgery, is now contemplating her future in the sport. Despite her success, she faces the challenges of weight cutting and past injuries. Harrison has also become an advocate for survivors of abuse, drawing from her own experiences to inspire others.
Ole Miss defends handling of travel issues after Oklahoma AD blasts postponement
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference has announced that Mississippi’s game at Oklahoma will be delayed to Sunday. The FAA’s decision to ground all flights prevented the Ole Miss team from leaving Oxford on Friday night. The SEC said a late-night departure couldn’t be arranged. The Rebels will now travel to Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon. The game, originally set for Saturday, will kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Oklahoma’s athletic director criticized the decision, saying it was unfair to their athletes and fans. He said the SEC threatened Oklahoma with a forfeit if they didn’t agree to the change.
McIlroy claims season-long title on European tour for record-tying 8th time as Hatton wins in Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy has captured the season-long Race to Dubai golf title on the European tour for a record-tying eighth time by finishing second at the World Tour Championship won by Tyrrell Hatton. McIlroy joined Colin Montgomerie atop the all-time list of winners of the previously named “Order of Merit” award. It adds another significant achievement to the resume of a player who has done pretty much everything in golf, notably the career Grand Slam. Hatton shot 6-under 66 to win the season-ending event by five strokes on 15-under par. McIlroy shot 67 and got past young Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra on the year-long points list.
Dampier accounts for 4 TDs, No. 2 Utah remains undefeated with 40-39 win over No. 22 Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Devon Dampier hit Creed Whittemore on a 70-yard touchdown pass with 2:25 left, Daniel Bray ran for 197 yards and No. 2 Utah remained undefeated with a wild 40-39 victory over No. 22 Arizona early Sunday. The Utes (10-0, 7-0 Big 12, No. 2 CFP) didn’t arrive in Tucson until just after noon due because of the FAA ground stop Friday and got off to a slow start, falling into an early 11-point hole in a game pushed back three hours to 8:30 p.m. The Wildcats (7-3, 4-3, No. 23 CFP) pulled off a midnight miracle against TCU last week and found themselves in another late-night game against the highest-ranked opponent to play in Tucson since No. 2 Oregon in 2007.
US sports scramble back to normal after FAA ground stop upends team travel
Sporting events across the country are slowly returning to normal after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationwide for several hours. Friday’s disruption affected travel plans for professional and college teams. Most college football teams playing Saturday travel the day before their games. A number of games were delayed by hours to give visiting programs more time to arrive and prepare. Utah’s game at Arizona and Arizona State’s game at Central Florida were both pushed back three hours. NFL teams playing Sunday typically travel the day before their games. They were expected to fly as planned on Saturday.
No. 7 Alabama survives a sloppy 21-6 win over Vanderbilt behind Keelon Russell
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Keelon Russell threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns and No. 7 Alabama beat Vanderbilt 21-6 in an ugly game that did little to help the Crimson Tide’s stock for the College Football Playoff. Alabama came in third in the CFP rankings but struggled in the first half against a team that recently snapped a five-game skid in the Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide led only 7-3 at halftime. Alabama finished with five sacks and held Vanderbilt to a season-low in total offense. Vanderbilt forced two turnovers. The Commodores also turned it over on downs on three of its final four drives, twice inside the Alabama 15.