Kotsay fought tears, just like so many others Thursday, as the Oakland Athletics bid an emotional farewell to their beloved Coliseum they’ve called home since 1968, complete with all its quirks like plumbing problems and rally possums — and those stray cats who helped inspire Hall of Famer Tony La Russa’s former Animal Rescue Foundation.

The A’s beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 and Kotsay took the microphone afterward for a heartfelt thank you to a sellout crowd of 46,889 before leading one last chant of “Let’s go Oakland!” Third baseman Max Schuemann grabbed a huge A’s flag and ran it around the field, stopping to wave it in front of different sections.

“I’ve never been to a World Series before,” Kotsay said. “But I feel like today is one of those days that you can kind of experience the emotion of that, the magnitude of it. Driving in the gates today and seeing the fullness of a parking lot, feeling the energy and the emotion is something I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.”

Longtime supporters and kids alike stole away from work or school to be here for the matinee finale under a cloudless September blue sky. Oakland’s last team standing, the A’s follow the NFL Raiders and Golden State Warriors basketball team out of town.

Spontaneously, Schuemann grabbed the flag held by mascot Stomper moments earlier, and took off running.

“I wanted to enjoy it with them, for sure,” he said of the fans.

Quickly, home plate was dug up and the mound rubber removed. Head groundskeeper Clay Wood’s sweet dog Reba made one final run through the outfield to her master’s office beyond the fence.

Kotsay made one request for a memento: He’s taking home three bases, which were changed out every inning so 27 were available as keepsakes — with longtime, outgoing groundskeeper Clay Wood gifted the first-inning bags.

From Kotsay’s days of playing outfield and way back to the 1989 earthquake-interrupted World Series when the A’s swept the Giants, to Bash Brothers Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire and that special 20-game winning streak of 2002 and the Big Three of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito before “I Believe in Stephen Vogt” later became a battle cry, this building has been home to so many glory moments transcending eras and spanning stars of different generations.

Zito sang the national anthem to huge applause, while Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart tossed out ceremonial first pitches.

Not far from the A’s dugout, Kelly Mattson of the grounds crew let fans scoop dirt right out of his shovel.

Hours before first pitch, A’s bullpen catcher Dustin Hughes and his Oakland scout father John played catch in left field before hiking up to Mount Davis and then exploring the inside of the scoreboard and other hidden spots below the center-field stands.

Hundreds of fans spent recent days walking through the concourse snapping photos or taking videos of all the pictures and memories spanning the decades. The parking lots were filled before breakfast with tailgaters taking it all in just once more.

Former A’s fan favorite and current Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien expected 10 to 15 family and friends — including his parents and grandparents — in the stands for the special occasion.

“Thank you to all the security guards, concession workers everyone who made this place a major league stadium,” Semien said on the field. “I really appreciate you welcoming me as an East Bay kid to your place of work. I feel very sorry for anybody who can’t continue on with Oakland but keep on grinding like you always have been.”

Longtime manager and former catcher Bruce Bochy became emotional in the visiting dugout. The Coliseum matters so much to him, too.

The A’s plan to play the next three years in Sacramento with hopes of opening a new ballpark in Las Vegas ahead of the 2028 season.

“Big day,” said Bochy, a former catcher who guided the San Francisco Giants to World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ’14. “Memorable day for I think so many people but for me, it’s starting to hit me now that baseball’s done here. It’s kind of sad. Because I love this place, love the field and everything.”

He added of his team: “I think they’re really appreciating what this place is.”

Kotsay planned to soak in everything.

“It’s a day that will come and go pretty quickly,” he said, “and you just don’t want to miss any opportunity to express your gratitude toward the fans, toward the people that mean everything, the workers in the stadium. Sharing moments with them today was tough. There’s a lot of people here that have invested their lives and their souls into this organization and into this stadium and into the game of baseball. The love for the game of baseball but more for the love for the people and the relationships that have been built over 57 years in this stadium.”

Even his players understood the magnitude of saying goodbye.

“It’s unique in that there’s no frills. A lot of stadiums have, whether it’s good or bad, kind of become less about the actual baseball game and more just about an entertainment product,” slugger Brent Rooker said. “What the Coliseum offers is, ‘Here’s just a bunch of seats, and here’s a field and there’s going to be a baseball game happening.’ And that’s really cool.”

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Collier tied Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry for the 42-point record when she made 1 of 2 free throws with 3:18 left in the fourth quarter. It was one of just two misses from the free-throw line in 14 attempts for Collier, who was subbed out with 58.3 seconds left.

Collier, who scored a career-high 38 points in Game 1, became the first player in WNBA history with 38-plus points in back-to-back playoff games. She also set a WNBA record for the most points (80) through the first two games of a playoff series. Collier reached 38 points in Game 2 with 5:55 left in the fourth.

Minnesota plays again on Sunday against Connecticut, which advanced to its sixth consecutive semifinals after an 87-81 victory over Indiana earlier Wednesday.

Phoenix’s season ends with Diana Taurasi potentially playing her final game, as speculation about her potential retirement continues.

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Jake Cronenworth hit an early two-run homer for the streaking Padres, assured at least a National League wild card with five games left in the regular season. They moved within two games of Los Angeles, with two games remaining in their critical series at Dodger Stadium.

After the Dodgers scored once in the ninth inning, they had runners at first and second when Miguel Rojas hit a sharp grounder to Machado at third base. He stepped on the bag and went around the horn for a triple play that ended it.

San Diego’s celebration was delayed when the Dodgers challenged the out call at second base, but the ruling was upheld following a replay review.

The second-place Padres have won four in a row and nine of 10. San Diego owns the tiebreaker against Los Angeles with an 8-3 record in head-to-head matchups.

The Dodgers’ magic number remained four to clinch the division title.

San Diego’s four runs came with two outs in front of 50,369 fans who created a playoff atmosphere for the opener of the huge three-game series. They chanted “MVP! MVP!” at Shohei Ohtani while mercilessly booing Fernando Tatis Jr. and Machado, a former Dodger.

Cronenworth had no RBIs in September until producing three against the Padres’ biggest rivals, including his 12th career homer against the Dodgers. He had been without an extra-base hit in his previous 50 at-bats.

Padres starter Michael King (13-9) allowed one unearned run and three hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.

San Diego extended its lead to 4-1 in the fourth on Xander Bogaerts’ RBI single and Cronenworth’s RBI double.

The Dodgers got on the board in the first on Bogaerts’ throwing error at shortstop that scored Ohtani, who led off with a ground-rule double on the first pitch he saw. It was his 95th extra-base hit of the season, a franchise record.

Mookie Betts was safe at first when Bogaerts’ throw on a routine grounder went into the Padres’ dugout, allowing Betts to take second.

Rookie starter Landon Knack (3-5) gave up four runs and five hits in four innings for Los Angeles. He struck out four and walked one.

The right-hander unraveled in the fourth, when he needed 39 pitches after throwing just 38 through the first three innings. Knack had a balk and a wild pitch, and the Padres stole a base in the inning.

The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the second when Betts struck out swinging.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Transferred RHP Gavin Stone (right shoulder) to the 60-day IL. … LHP Anthony Banda (broken left hand) threw a bullpen and is on track to return in the next couple of days. … LHP Clayton Kershaw (toe) won’t face hitters this week.

UP NEXT

Padres: RHP Dylan Cease (14-11, 3.42 ERA) makes his final start before the postseason.

Dodgers: RHP Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.10) is limiting opposing hitters to a .233 average.

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“Felt good to come out swinging and get some runs early,” Harris said. “That’s what we did tonight. Pitching was phenomenal from Schwellenbach. We just have to come out and do the same thing the next two days.”

Marcell Ozuna added his 39th home run for Atlanta, which trails the Mets by one game in the National League playoff race with five remaining. New York began the night a half-game ahead of Arizona for the second of three wild cards, while the Braves were 1 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks.

Arizona hosted San Francisco in a later start.

Schwellenbach (8-7) threw seven strong innings, giving up one run and three hits with four strikeouts. He allowed one run and five hits while striking out 15 batters over 14 innings in two wins against the Mets this season.

“The juices were definitely flowing,” Schwellenbach said. “This is basically the playoffs for us. We need wins.”

Harris finished a triple shy of the cycle and has 13 hits in his last five games. He also made a diving catch in center field to rob Mets rookie Luisangel Acuña of a base hit.

“Good timing,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “It is the right time of year to get hot.”

Acuña was playing his first major league game in front of older brother Ronald Acuña Jr., who watched from the Atlanta dugout. The star Braves outfielder and reigning NL MVP is out for the season with a knee injury. The siblings exchanged jerseys before the game.

Luis Severino (11-7) took the loss, giving up four runs in four innings. He permitted seven hits and a walk while striking out five.

New York was coming off a 6-1 homestand.

Mark Vientos hit his 26th home run for the Mets, and Jose Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 17 games.

“We still have a chance to win a series here,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We didn’t play well. We didn’t make a play a couple of times. We missed a cutoff man one time. We’ve got to turn the page. I know it is going to be a story because it is here in Atlanta. We’ve got to go out and do it.”

The Braves pushed across three runs in the third, when Harris doubled home Orlando Arcia and then scored on a single from Ozzie Albies. With two outs, Ramón Laureano knocked in Albies with a soft single.

Harris extended the lead to 4-0 with a 422-foot homer to left field in the fourth, and Ozuna’s shot made it 5-0 in the fifth.

Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Helene are forecast for the Atlanta area on Wednesday and Thursday, which might make it difficult to get the games in and could potentially force a makeup situation next Monday, one day after the regular season is scheduled to be completed. The Mets are at Milwaukee starting Friday, and the Braves will host the Royals.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Star shortstop Francisco Lindor missed his eighth straight game with a sore back. He worked out beforehand and was available to pinch hit. Lindor was on deck when the game ended, and Mendoza said the switch-hitter “could be in play for (Wednesday).” Lindor had a bone scan Monday that revealed no structural damage to his back.

Braves: 3B Austin Riley was ruled out for the year after a CT scan Monday showed his broken right hand had not healed sufficiently. Riley was hit by a pitch on Aug. 18 and initially ruled out for six to eight weeks, leaving some hope he could return for the postseason if the Braves make it. … Snitker said RHP Reynaldo López threw a side session and could be activated from the injured list this week. He is eligible to return Thursday.

UP NEXT

Weather permitting, Mets LHP David Peterson (9-3, 3.08 ERA) will face LHP Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38) in the middle game of the series Wednesday night.

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After Daniels completed 21 of 23 passes and Washington carved up the Bengals defense for 356 yards in a 38-33 victory Monday night, the young cornerback chalked it up to “those quick throws.” But Daniels also had all the time in the world in the pocket, thanks to improved offensive line play and balance provided by running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.

The No. 2 draft pick out of LSU and reigning Heisman Trophy winner made the most of it. And Kingsbury rides into a game Sunday at the NFL team he coached from 2019-22, the Arizona Cardinals, on a high with Washington now 2-1.

“Kliff has done an incredible job,” starting left guard Nick Allegretti said. “I feel like he just kind of shoots from the hip, and he lives in the moment. He may set up one, two, three in a row, but situation by situation he’s ready with the play call, and it’s really impressive how we were able to mix the run and the pass and read option.”

Daniels was responsible for 293 yards — 254 passing and 39 rushing — and he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Robinson and Ekeler each also got into the end zone.

After going 0 for 6 in the red zone with five false start penalties and needing seven field goals from Austin Seibert to beat the New York Giants at home in Week 2, Washington went 3 for 3 at Cincinnati.

“We knew third down in the red zone was going to be a really big part of this,” coach Dan Quinn said. “(Kliff Kingsbury) and the staff had a really clear understanding of what we had to do. You have those moments that come up and you take your shot and deliver and they weren’t going to miss it.”

While Daniels’ average time to throw was 3.13 seconds per passing attempt, according to Pro Football Focus, Joe Burrow had 2.06 seconds — a testament to Washington’s pass rush and a rebuke of Cincinnati’s. But that should not take away from Daniels completing 91.3% of passes — a rookie record.

“That kid has poise,” said receiver Terry McLaurin, who caught a 27-yard TD pass from Daniels. “He’s been doing a great job in camp making those throws, but to come out here and do it when you’ve got to have it with the game on the line — that’s what great players are about, and I think he’s going to be well on his way if he continues to work.”

What else is working to help Kliff Kingsbury’s Commanders offense

Along with the offense, Washington got a boost from its special teams in the form of a 62-yard kickoff return by Ekeler and a 25-yarder by Noah Igbinoghene.

“He gave us the field position that changes everything,” Quinn said of Ekeler’s return at the start of the second half. “He has such a unique ability to make guys miss in space.”

What needs help

The defense is still an area of concern after allowing Burrow and the Bengals to rack up 436 yards. Washington ranks 29th out of 32 teams overall on that side of the ball and 31st against the pass, which is worrisome with Arizona’s Kyler Murray looking to bounce back from a flat showing in a loss to Detroit.

“Thank God for our offense,” defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said. “They won it for us today. Defense, we’ve got to be better. No other way around it.”

Stock up for Jayden Daniels’ top target

McLaurin had the breakout game he was hoping for after making just eight catches for 39 yards through the first two weeks of the season. The TD was part of a four-catch, 100-yard performance.

“It felt good,” Daniels said. “We continue to work. We’ll still face some adversity. It’s not smooth sailing from the jump. There will be ups and downs but just staying even keel, keep working and improving.”

Stock down

Punter Tress Way might need to get in some extra practice time after not seeing any action the past two games. Of course, the Commanders will take it if the offense continues producing on every drive.

Injuries

Ekeler did not travel with the team to Arizona because of a concussion. His status bears watching, especially given the short week.

Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes could return after missing the past two games following surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb.

Key number

5 — Consecutive fourth-down attempts Washington has converted in as many tries to start the season.

Next steps

The Commanders hope that not returning home and instead practicing this week in Tempe helps them acclimate to the Pacific Time Zone. They opened as 3 1/2-point underdogs at the Cardinals on BetMGM Sportsbook.

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The Brewers trailed 8-0 in the third before chipping away and tying that game at 9-9 by scoring three runs with two outs in the eighth inning. Jackson Chourio walked, took second on Blake Perkins’ single and scored on Garrett Mitchell’s RBI single to make it 9-7. Justin Martinez (5-6) relieved Joe Mantiply and Rhys Hoskins tied it with a two-run single to left.

Willy Adames doubled and Hoskins advanced to third base before pinch hitter Jake Bauers hit the go-ahead slow-rolling grounder for a single to the left side.

“The Brewers don’t shut down with two outs,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “They get even more stubborn with two outs. They did it to us for several days at Chase (Field) and it continued today.”

Jared Koenig (9-4) earned the win and the Brewers’ Devin Williams worked a scoreless ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.

“If you slice it up any possible way, you can’t give up seven runs in three innings,” Lovullo said. “You’re going to lose a lot of baseball that way, if that’s what is coming out of your bullpen. That is not our bullpen. They’re going to pick it up.”

Arizona (87-69) entered Sunday two games behind San Diego for the top NL Wild Card, and a game in front of the New York Mets, who play Sunday night against Philadelphia. Milwaukee (89-67), which clinched the NL Central title Wednesday, remained the only team in the major leagues this season without a losing streak of four or more games.

Randal Grichuk’s pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth off Koenig put Arizona up 9-6. Mitchell answered with an RBI single in the bottom half.

Josh Bell and Eugenio Suárez homered in a seven-run third inning off Milwaukee starter Frankie Montas (7-12), who lasted just 2.2 innings. Geraldo Perdomo tripled into the corner in right field with one out and raced home on an errant throw by second baseman Brice Turang.

Arizona loaded the bases on a single, walk and catcher’s interference. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed with an RBI ground-out and Jake McCarthy delivered a two-run single to right, giving Arizona a 5-0 lead.

Bell followed with his 19th homer, a 436-foot shot to center, and Suarez added his 29th homer to put the Diamondbacks in front 8-0.

Montas was tagged for eight runs, seven earned, on six hits, with two walks and four strikeouts.

Ketel Marte put the Diamondbacks up 1-0 with one out in the first with his career-high 35th home run.

Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno was removed in the fourth inning with left adductor tightness.

Diamondbacks’ next game

Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (3-3, 5:09 ERA) starts for Arizona on Monday in the opener of a three-game series against San Francisco, opposed by right-hander Hayden Birdsong (4-5, 4.74).

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Wilson became the first player in league history to score more than 1,000 points in a season, and she averaged a record 26.9 points. Clark broke the league’s single-season assist mark and scored the most points ever for a rookie.

So it’s no surprise the two were honored Sunday as the unanimous choices for the AP Player and Rookie of the Year awards, respectively, by a 15-member media panel. The Las Vegas Aces star was named the league’s MVP earlier Sunday, also unanimously. The WNBA will announce the rest of its awards over the course of the postseason, which begins Sunday.

Wilson finished the regular season with 1,021 points and 451 rebounds and led the league with 98 blocks. She finished third in the WNBA MVP voting last season, receiving one fourth-place vote that she said fueled her in the offseason to get better.

“It propelled me a little bit as I started my offseason workouts, but around February I was over it,” Wilson said. “I didn’t want to give that person that energy, that’s when I started to lock in.”

Clark came into the league with quite possibly more hype than any rookie ever and she delivered, leading the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. She broke the WNBA single-season record with 337 assists, including a league-record 19 in one game. She also broke the single-season rookie scoring mark as she averaged 19.2 points.

“This is a tremendous honor to be named The Associated Press Rookie of the Year,” she said. “This recognition wouldn’t be possible without an incredible group of teammates and coaches, and we are looking forward to continuing an exciting regular season in the postseason.”

Off the court she helped lift the WNBA to record ratings and attendance.

Clark headlined the all-rookie team along with Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, who broke the rebounds-per-game record by averaging 13.1. She would have had the overall rebounding record as well had she not gotten hurt at the end of the season. Other rookies on the team were New York’s Leonie Fiebich, Los Angeles’ Rickea Jackson and Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso.

Wilson’s teammate Tiffany Hayes earned AP Sixth Woman of the Year honors.

AP’s All-WNBA teams

Wilson and Clark headlined the AP All-WNBA first team. They were joined by Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas. Sabrina Ionescu, Kahleah Copper, Nneka Ogwumike, Kayla McBride and Arike Ogunbowale were on the second team.

More AP WNBA award winners

Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve. She helped Minnesota finish second in the regular season with a team that was picked ninth in the preseason. The Lynx won the Commissioner’s Cup and finished the regular season with 13 wins in their final 15 games.

Comeback Player of the Year: Skylar Diggins-Smith. The Seattle Storm guard missed last season after giving birth to her second child. Diggins-Smith averaged 15.1 points and 6.4 assists this season.

Most Improved Player: Dearica Hamby. The Los Angeles Sparks forward made a huge jump this season by averaging 17.3 points — 8.4 more than last season. She also improved her rebounding by more than three a game. Hamby edged Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington by one vote.

Defensive Player: Collier. The Lynx star had an incredible season on both ends of the court, but she was an anchor especially for Minnesota’s stellar defense. The team had the best defense in the WNBA this season and Collier’s play was the main reason why. Wilson finished second, three votes behind Collier.

“I’m so proud of Phee’s defensive work in 2024. Her commitment to all aspects of our defense — deflections, denials, steals, blocks, rebounds — anchored one of the top defensive teams in the league and led to her best season yet as a pro,” Reeve said.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks moved into sole possession of the NL’s second Wild Card spot on Friday by taking a one-game lead over the New York Mets, who lost 12-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Atlanta Braves, who lost 4-3 at Miami, are three games behind the Diamondbacks and two games behind the Mets.

The Diamondbacks (86-68) bounced back after blowing a four-run lead and beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 on Friday night.

The Phillies wrapped up their third straight playoff berth in style by blowing out the Mets. Philadelphia’s victory coupled with Atlanta’s loss in Miami eliminated the Braves (83-71) from contention for the NL East crown — ending their six-year reign atop the division.

The Phillies (92-62) extended their NL East lead to seven games over the second-place Mets (85-69) with eight to play.

Assured at least a National League Wild Card, the Phillies can secure their first division title since 2011 with one more win this weekend against the rival Mets at Citi Field.

New York, which had won four in a row and 16 of 20, remained two games ahead of Atlanta for the final NL playoff spot.

Mets lose to Phillies

Alec Bohm had four hits and four RBIs, including a three-run homer, Nick Castellanos recorded three hits and two RBIs and J.T. Realmuto added a two-run homer for the Phillies against New York. Philadelphia outhit the Mets 17-4.

The Phillies stole five bases — four in a six-run fourth inning capped by Bohm’s homer off reliever Adam Ottavino.

Starter Cristopher Sánchez overcame a shaky start and five walks in five innings for the win.

With the division crown so close, Philadelphia planned a mellow celebration following Friday night’s game — hoping to let loose soon with a boozy clubhouse bash after locking up first place.

New York’s J.D. Martinez went 0-for-3 with a walk and is hitless in 31 at-bats.

Braves stumble in Miami

Marlins starter Valente Bellozo allowed three runs and seven hits in 5.1 innings. Anthony Bender, Lake Bachar, Declan Cronin and Jesus Tinoco combined for two-hit relief. Tinoco got three straight outs for his second save.

Atlanta’s Charlie Morton gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings and threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the fifth.

Miami’s Jake Burger hit a run-scoring ground-rule double in a three-run first that included Kyle Stowers’ RBI single and Jonah Bride’s sacrifice fly.

“The story of that game was the first inning,” Morton said. “If I walk a couple guys, give up a couple hits, run my pitch count up or whatever, that’s fine. Got to the fifth inning and I felt like I was in a position where I could limit that run, and I didn’t.”

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, a switch-hitter batting right-handed only, was 0-for-4 in his return from a fractured left wrist that had sidelined him since July 21.

Wild Card race look ahead to Saturday

RHP Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.00 ERA) pitches for the Diamondbacks and RHP Aaron Civale (7-8, 4.48) starts for the Brewers when their four-game series continues Saturday.

Philadelphia All-Star lefty Ranger Suárez (12-7, 3.13) will pitch Saturday against Mets LHP Sean Manaea (11-5, 3.26), who has lasted at least 6.2 innings in seven consecutive outings.

Atlanta LHP Max Fried (9-10, 3.49) will start the second game of the series for the Braves on Saturday against Marlins RHP Adam Oller (1-4, 5.40).

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The Brewers’ clubhouse emptied of players with one out to go in the ninth inning in Chicago a couple of hours before Milwaukee’s scheduled first pitch against Philadelphia. A muffled cheer could be hear after the final out when the Brewers won their first consecutive division title for since 1981-82.

The Brewers will host the Arizona Diamondbacks for four games starting Thursday with an opportunity to compete for a Wild Card series bye. The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Wednesday two games ahead of Milwaukee for the second seed in the NL.

Milwaukee took two of three games at Chase Field last weekend.

This marks the Brewers’ sixth postseason berth in the last seven years, a remarkable accomplishment for a team that made the playoffs just twice in a 35-year stretch from 1983-2017. But this run to the playoffs has been a little different from the rest.

Although the Brewers have grown accustomed to outperforming preseason expectations, the odds seemed stacked against them even more than usual this year.

Craig Counsell, the winningest manager in Brewers history, left for the rival Cubs. Corbin Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, was traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

Two-time All-Star right-hander Brandon Woodruff didn’t pitch all year as he recovered from shoulder surgery and two-time NL reliever of the year Devin Williams missed the first half of the season with stress fractures in his back. All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich and pitchers Wade Miley and Robert Gasser suffered season-ending injuries.

None of it mattered.

How did the Brewers win the NL Central?

The Brewers took over first place for good at the end of April and never looked back. They lived up to the comments Yelich made at spring training amid speculation Milwaukee would take a step backward without Counsell.

“Even when we’ve been good these last few years, no one ever picks us to be good just because we’re the Brewers,” Yelich said at the time. “It is what it is. But I think we have a chance to really surprise some people with the talent in this room.”

That’s just what they’ve done.

The Brewers benefited from the leadership of Pat Murphy, who had been Counsell’s bench coach since 2016. Rather than following Counsell to Chicago, Murphy stayed in Milwaukee and got his first full-time opportunity as a major league manager two weeks before his 65th birthday. Murphy’s only previous MLB managerial experience had come as an interim manager with San Diego in 2015.

Murphy has kept the locker room loose while guiding a team that hasn’t suffered more than three straight losses at any point this season. The Brewers are the only team that hasn’t had a losing streak of at least four games.

“I heard about what people were saying,” Murphy said this week. “A lot of people laughed at us, (said) this is a rebuild, said things like that.”

“You look at the names of the guys in this locker room,” third baseman Joey Ortiz said. “We’ve got Christian Yelich, Willy Adames, (William) Contreras, Rhys Hoskins — great leaders on this team making sure we’re locked in every single day.”

The Brewers have succeeded with what Murphy refers to as an “all-hands-on-deck” approach.

Milwaukee’s had 17 different pitchers start games this season (only the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels had more). Twelve different Brewers pitchers have collected a save, just two shy of the record of 14 set by the 2021 Tampa Bay Rays. Milwaukee entered Wednesday with a 3.65 ERA that ranked fourth in the majors.

The Brewers relied largely on their pitching the last few seasons and ultimately came up short in the playoffs, as they’ve lost nine of their last 10 postseason games. This year’s Brewers lineup appears to pack more punch.

Milwaukee entered Wednesday ranked fourth in total runs scored (733) and 11th in OPS (.735) after finishing 17th in runs (728) and 23rd in OPS (.704) last year.

Yelich was leading the NL in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) before back issues ended his season in late July. Contreras has developed into one of the game’s best hitting catchers. Adames is the first Brewers shortstop to have a 30-homer, 100-RBI season, something even Hall of Famer Robin Yount never accomplished in Milwaukee. Jackson Chourio, who doesn’t turn 21 until next spring, is the youngest player ever to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in one season.

“They just took on that attitude: ‘This is who we are, warts and all. We’re going to go after it and we’re going to fight.’” Murphy said Tuesday.

They’ve fought their way back into the postseason.

Now they want to keep proving people wrong all the way through October by doing something this franchise has never accomplished.

“The thought is not about clinching,” pitcher Frankie Montas said Tuesday. “It’s about going all the way and trying to win a World Series.”

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The Hall announced 167 modern-era candidates for the class on Wednesday, which included 16 players nominated for the first time, including two-time All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda.

A screening committee will reduce the list of nominees to 50 players next month. Then the full 50-person selection committee will cut the list down to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern-era candidates.

There will also be three senior candidates, grouped with one coach and contributor with at least one and no more than three of those finalists getting in based on voting.

Arizona connections in the Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee class

Suggs, who went to Hamilton High School in Chandler and then Arizona State for college, was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in 1982.

Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles.

He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in 2019, splitting time with the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped the latter win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

The other first-time candidates are offensive linemen Travis Frederick, Ryan Kalil and Joe Staley; running back Darren Sproles; receiver Demaryius Thomas; tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker; and defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas.

Bethea played for the Cardinals from 2017-18 before finishing his career in 2019 with the Giants.

Fellow former Cardinal and receiver Anquan Boldin returns as a nominee after he tallied 7,520 receiving yards — out of 13,779 for his entire NFL career — with Arizona from 2003-09.

Boldin was a semifinalist in last year’s class.

Pass rushers Simeon Rice (1996-2000) and John Abraham (2013-14), plus kicker Jeff Feagles (1994-97) are among other candidates who spent time with the Cardinals in their careers.

There are also 10 players back under consideration who were finalists a year ago with tight end Antonio Gates, receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; defensive lineman Jared Allen; and running back Fred Taylor back on the list.

Woodson went to Phoenix’s Maryvale High School and played his college ball at Arizona State (1988-1992).

The Arizona Wildcats are represented by linebackers Tedy Bruschi (1995) and Lance Briggs (2003), who were both third-round picks out of college.

The top new names on the list

Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute.

He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls with eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted.

Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted along with more recent players such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren’t eligible.

Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season but finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs.

His best moments were in those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards.

Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011.

Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times in his eight-year career with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).

Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl titles during New England’s dynasty.

He helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in OT to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.

He then made a 41-yarder two years later to give the Patriots a 32-29 win in the Super Bowl against Carolina. Vinatieri also won Super Bowls in 2004 with New England and in the 2006 season with Indianapolis.

Vinatieri is the NFL’s all-time leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.

Yanda was a member of the 2010s all-decade team as a key of Baltimore’s success. He also was selected second-team All-Pro five times and made the Pro Bowl in eight of his final seasons, missing in 2017 when he played only two games of an injury.

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2025 class candidates

QUARTERBACKS (10): Marc Bulger, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Doug Flutie, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Steve McNair, Tony Romo

RUNNING BACKS (31): Shaun Alexander, Terry Allen, Jamal Anderson, Tiki Barber, Larry Centers (FB), Jamaal Charles, Stephen Davis, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Charlie Garner, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, John Kuhn (FB), Vonta Leach, Dorsey Levens, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Glyn Milburn (also WR), Lorenzo Neal (FB), Clinton Portis, Tony Richardson (FB), Robert Smith, Darren Sproles (also PR/KR), Fred Taylor*, Chris Warren, Ricky Watters, Ricky Williams

WIDE RECEIVERS (21): Anquan Boldin, Donald Driver, Antonio Freeman, Irving Fryar, Torry Holt*, Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Andre Rison, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Demaryius Thomas, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne*, Wes Welker, Roddy White

TIGHT ENDS (6): Ben Coates, Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates*, Jeremy Shockey, Delanie Walker, Wesley Walls

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (26): Willie Anderson* (T), Bruce Armstrong (T/G), Matt Birk (C), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Jahri Evans* (G), Travis Frederick (C), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (C), Lincoln Kennedy (T), Olin Kreutz (C), T.J. Lang (G/T), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), Tom Nalen (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Mark Schlereth (G/C), Josh Sitton (G), Chris Snee (G), Joe Staley (T), Dave Szott (G), Brian Waters (G), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), Marshal Yanda (G)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (18): John Abraham (DE also LB), Jared Allen* (DE), La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Casey Hampton (DT/NT), Robert Mathis (DE), Chester McGlockton (DT), Haloti Ngata (DT), Simeon Rice (DE), Clyde Simmons (DE/DT), Justin Smith (DE), Neil Smith (DE), Henry Thomas (DT/NT), Justin Tuck (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Jamal Williams (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT), Pat Williams (DT)

LINEBACKERS (20): Jessie Armstead, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Cornelius Bennett, Lance Briggs, Keith Brooking, NaVorro Bowman, Tedy Bruschi, Donnie Edwards, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luke Kuechly, Willie McGinest (also DE), Ken Norton Jr., Julian Peterson, Bill Romanowski, Takeo Spikes, Terrell Suggs, Mike Vrabel, Lee Woodall

DEFENSIVE BACKS (18): Eric Allen* (CB), Eric Berry (DB), Antoine Bethea (S), Dré Bly (DB), Kam Chancellor (S), Nick Collins (DB), Antonio Cromartie (CB), DeAngelo Hall (DB), Rodney Harrison* (S), Eugene Robinson (DB), Samari Rolle (DB), Allen Rossum (DB), Bob Sanders (S), Aqib Talib (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), Darren Woodson* (S)

PUNTERS/KICKERS (15): David Akers (K), Gary Anderson (K), Darren Bennett (P), Jason Elam (K), Jeff Feagles (P), Jason Hanson (K), John Kasay (K), Sean Landeta (P), Shane Lechler (P), Pat McAfee (P), Brian Moorman (P), Matt Stover (K), Matt Turk (P), Mike Vanderjagt (K), Adam Vinatieri (K)

SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB)

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Wojnarowski will oversee a wide range of responsibilities while working alongside coach Mark Schmidt and his staff.

His duties will include focusing on name, image and likeness opportunities, transfer portal management, recruiting and alumni player relationships.

-30- pic.twitter.com/bFeFL61s1c

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 18, 2024

“I’m thrilled and humbled to return to St. Bonaventure with an opportunity to serve the university,” Wojnarowski said in a statement released by the school in Allegany, New York. “I’m hopeful to share with members of our community some best practices learned from the most successful franchises and minds in the NBA and committed to opening doors globally for our players both on and off the court.”

Wojnarowski graduated from St. Bonaventure with a journalism degree in 1991 and received an honorary doctorate from the school in 2022.

The 55-year-old has worked at ESPN since 2017, and his decision to retire came even while he was still under a contract he signed with the broadcaster in 2022.

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After the game, Mercury star Diana Taurasi spoke of her own future with one regular season game left.

Because the Mercury found out before the game they would play second-seeded Minnesota when the playoffs open on Sunday, that became the biggest item of note.

“I don’t know,” Taurasi told reporters in Los Angeles. “The last couple of weeks have been a little nerve-racking for myself. I don’t want to make any emotional, rash decisions. I know the end is near. When that is, I don’t know.

“I’ve always been a person that just concentrates on what’s next. And that’s practice tomorrow and then [versus] Seattle on Thursday. I guess when the season’s over, I’ll reflect and I’ll get advice from the people that are closest to my heart.”

Griner and Sparks standout rookie Rickea Jackson were thrown out after exchanging shoves while in rebounding position following a Mercury free throw in the closing seconds of the first half.

Natasha Cloud had 13 points and 12 assists and Sophia Cunningham scored 14 points for the Mercury (19-20). Taurasi added 13 and Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan had 10.

Dearica Hamby had 21 points for the last-place Sparks (7-32), who lost their eighth straight in an injury-plagued season. Li Yueru scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Kia Nurse had 10 points.

Phoenix turned 20 turnovers into 31 points to offset a 49-25 rebounding deficit.

Natasha Mack’s three-point play had the Mercury up 71-56 with 7:32 to play but the Sparks reeled off 10 straight points, pulling within five on Hamby’s layup with five minutes to go.

Cunningham pushed the lead to 13 with a 3-pointer with 3:44 left but Hamby hit a 3 that made it 79-74 with two minutes to play. Herbert-Harrigan ended that threat with a 3 and the Mercury closed it out.

The game was tied at 14 after one quarter before the Sparks raced to a 44-36 lead at the half.

It was after Celeste Taylor made a free throw for Phoenix, cutting the lead to 43-36, that Griner and Jackson got tangled up, exchanged words and shoves and appeared ready for more before others intervened. After review, both players were ejected and L.A.’s Crystal Dangerfield and Cunningham were given technical fouls.

Griner was 7 of 8 for 14 points in 14 minutes and Jackson played all but those last 18.8 seconds and was 2 of 11 with four free throws.

Phoenix scored the first seven points of the second half, tied the game at 46 on Taurasi’s 3-pointer and took the lead for good on her free throw as she started her own run of five straight points that made it 53-48.

The Mercury led by as many as 14 and took a 64-54 lead into the fourth quarter after outscoring the Sparks 28-10. Phoenix was 9 of 18 in the quarter to 4 of 18 for the Sparks, who had nine turnovers.

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The increase announced Tuesday morning in an email to season-ticket holders notes a new 10% talent fee for all invoices to “help fund the proposed revenue share” for athletes and help Tennessee attract and keep the best talent. A video link features athletic director Danny White explaining the reason for the price hike per seat across Neyland Stadium.

“As the collegiate model changes, we have to remain flexible,” White said of the price hike, which includes a 4.5% increase on top of the 10% talent fee. “We have to continue leading the way. That connection between resources and competitiveness has never been tighter. Only now we have the ability to share these resources with our athletes. We can generate revenue that will go directly to our players. This will give our teams the best chance to be successful and bring championships home to Rocky Top.”

The increase comes with Tennessee off to a 3-0 and ranked sixth in the AP Top 25.

The announcement also includes a link to updates on talks between the NCAA and major college conferences trying to settle three antitrust lawsuits related to athlete compensation for name, image and likeness. They have a settlement agreement in place to pay $2.78 billion in damages to hundreds of thousands of college athletes, dating back to 2016.

At a hearing last week, the federal judge overseeing those cases declined to grant preliminary approval of the deal and kicked it back to attorneys to address her concerns with certain aspects of the agreement.

The NCAA changed its rules in 2021 to allow athletes to cash in on their fame through sponsorship and endorsement deals after decades of prohibition.

Tennessee has been working to be at the front of the changing landscape supporting athletes. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was a prized recruit who signed with the NIL collective supporting Tennessee athletes, the Volunteer Club founded by Spyre Sports Group. It was among the first and most well-organized to emerge around the country after the NCAA lifted its ban on athletes making money off their fame.

That deal prompted a meeting between NCAA investigators and Tennessee officials in January followed by a scathing letter from Chancellor Donde Plowman to NCAA President Charlie Baker. She ripped the NCAA for creating “extraordinary chaos” by failing to provide clear rules for name, image and likeness for both universities and athletes.

The attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA a day after Plowman’s letter was released. A federal judge granted the AGs a preliminary injunction Feb. 23 barring the NCAA from enforcing NIL rules.

White cited NIL for creating an even closer connection between resources and competitive success. Tuesday’s announcement notes the current settlement projections could take effect as early as July 1, and the athletic director said Tennessee wants to be as transparent as possible with a fan base that has helped build the nation’s best athletic department. White said the ticket fee is a big key to continuing that success.

“We want to be a leader in college sports. that means we want to be a leader in revenue sharing,” White said. “We want to have the very best experience for our athletes right here on Rocky Top.”

White, whose latest contract extension was announced in August, credited fans for selling out 102,000 seats at Neyland Stadium for a third straight year with a waiting list of 15,000 for season tickets. He said that comes as other programs around the country are talking about downsizing stadiums that they can’t fill. Tennessee fans can start renewing tickets for 2025 on Thursday with a deadline of Feb. 27 with the option of a 10-month payment plan to handle the cost.

Tennessee won the SEC regular-season title in men’s basketball and the program’s first national championship in baseball in June.

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Andy Dalton will take over as the starter for Carolina’s next game on Sunday at Las Vegas.

Young has completed just 31 of 56 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions as the Panthers have started 0-2 this season and been outscored 73-13 by the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. Young has run for one touchdown, the only one of the season for Carolina, which is the Week 16 opponent of the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 22.

Dave Canales declines to say what role David Tepper had in the Bryce Young decision. pic.twitter.com/NR92UujGe4

— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 16, 2024

Young is 2-16 as a starter since the Panthers traded up eight spots in the NFL Draft in 2023 to get him. The Panthers made a significant investment in that deal with Chicago, sending wide receiver D.J. Moore and four draft picks to the Bears — one of which turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft after the Panthers finished a league-worst 2-15 last season.

First-year head coach Dave Canales had said after Sunday’s 26-3 loss to the Chargers that Young would remain his starter.

But that changed on Monday.

Panthers QB Bryce Young enters disturbing territory as a first overall pick

Young hasn’t looked much like a No. 1 overall pick since his arrival, continually looking flustered in the pocket and often making poor decisions and throwing into double coverage.

He becomes the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the common draft era starting in 1967 to be benched for non-injury reasons in his second season.

His first throw this season was an interception against the Saints in the opener and things only seem to have gotten worse.

Young was booed repeatedly by the home crowd on Sunday after the offense stalled time and time again.

Carolina was 1 of 12 on third down conversions and the Panthers were outgained 349-159.

When asked about his confidence after the game, Young said, “I draw my confidence from the Lord. I’m very blessed. I’m grateful for this challenge. Not an ideal start, but God does everything for a reason. I have faith in that.”

Young said he needed to do a better job with his decision-making.

“You always want to make a play. You want to do something,” Young said. “Obviously, part of the position is being the game manager. Some bad instances of that on film today. I definitely take accountability for that.”

Dalton is 83-78-2 as a starting quarterback in the NFL, including one last season with the Panthers. He has thrown 246 touchdown passes and 144 interceptions since coming into the league in 2011 with Cincinnati.

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The loss, Chicago’s eighth in the last 10 games, leaves the Sky (13-25) in a tie with Washington and Atlanta in the battle for the league’s eighth playoff spot. Chicago plays at Atlanta on Tuesday with the winner having the upper hand for the final playoff spot. Washington hosts league-leading New York on Tuesday.

Taurasi hit two jumpers off the dribble and Griner rolled through the paint for a layup, giving Phoenix a 91-86 lead with less than two minutes remaining. Phoenix forced the Sky into a number of difficult shots before Rachel Banham drew a foul on a 3-point try with 7.6 seconds remaining.

Banham made two free throws for a 91-88 deficit. The Mercury’s Sophie Cunningham made two free throws for a five-point lead and the Mercury forced Chicago into a difficult shot as time expired.

Chicago played without several key players, among them star rookie Angel Reese who has been sidelined by a wrist injury.

Natasha Cloud had 18 points and 11 assists for Phoenix (18-20) and Cunningham added 13 points. Griner had 10 rebounds and five assists.

Chennedy Carter had 20 points, Michaela Onyenwere 18, Banham 17, Dana Evans 13 and Isabelle Harrison 10 for Chicago. Onyenwere added nine rebounds.

Banham hit four of her first five 3-point tries and Carter’s floater in the lane gave Chicago a 36-30 lead early in the second quarter. Griner then scored six points and Taurasi hit a 3-pointer while Phoenix went back ahead 39-38.

Neither team led by more than three points the remainder of the high-scoring half, with Chicago out front 57-55 at the break. Both teams shot better than 55% and Chicago made 10 of 14 3-pointers.

The Sky went ahead 64-59 in the third quarter, but Phoenix went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes. Still, Chicago regrouped and trailed only 77-76 heading to the fourth.

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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams’ defense, still adjusting to playing without Aaron Donald, had no answer for Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.

The offense, decimated by injuries on the line, had little hope of creating running holes or protecting quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The result: a 41-10 blowout loss to the Cardinals on Sunday that ended Los Angeles’ nine-game winning streak in the desert.

“There’s nothing positive about it,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “The only positive thing is that this game is over now and we can move forward.

“It was an incredibly humbling three-hour window. They did what they wanted to do from the start and we didn’t do anything to give ourselves a chance.”

The Rams (0-2) had dominated the series against the Cardinals (1-1) since McVay took over in 2017, winning 13 of 15, including nine straight in Glendale.

A slew of injuries — particularly to the offensive line — and breakdowns left the Rams whirling around State Farm Stadium like a dissipating dust devil.

Sean McVay isn’t the only Rams leader taking the Cardinals game hard

“That’s not how we want to look and that’s not who we are,” Rams defensive end Kobie Turner said.

The Rams’ offense had some good moments against Detroit last week despite numerous offensive line injuries, pushing the Lions to overtime before losing 26-20.

Los Angeles’ patchwork offensive line was no match for the Cardinals on an ugly Sunday in the desert.

Arizona’s shifting defense caused all kinds of problems, quickly closing holes before Rams runners could get there. Los Angeles finished with 53 yards rushing on 20 carries.

More concerning was the pressure put on quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Cardinals got off blocks so quickly Stafford had little time to decipher the defense, much less make downfield throws. Outside of a 42-yard completion on a broken play in the second quarter, Stafford was repeatedly forced to throw underneath, finishing with 216 yards on 19-of-27 passing.

Stafford also was sacked five times — three by Dennis Gardeck — and lost a fumble.

“I had some opportunities to get the ball out of my hands and didn’t,” Stafford said. “It’s frustrating as a player to do that.”

The retirement of Donald, one of the best defensive players of a generation, left a huge hole, but the Rams had some good moments against the Lions last week.

Nothing seemed to go right against the Cardinals.

The shifty Murray repeatedly escaped pressure to extend plays, giving his receivers time to break free. He hit Marvin Harrison Jr. on a 60-yard touchdown on a rollout late in the first quarter and dodged three tackles in the second before hitting Elijah Higgins in the back of the end zone for an 18-yard TD that put Arizona up 21-0.

Murray also scrambled for 59 yards rushing on five carries, while James Conner gouged the Rams for 122 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

“He was moving around the pocket, doing Kyler Murray things, scrambling around,” Rams linebacker Michael Hoecht said. “We’ve just got to keep him bottled up, continue to take one more step, get him on the ground and not let him extend plays because that’s when he’s Kyler Murray.”

Even when the Rams got something right, it went wrong.

With Arizona driving, Rams linebacker Jared Verse stripped Conner around the 4-yard line for a fumble. The ball rolled forward and tight end Trey McBride fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown that put the Cardinals up 41-10 early in the fourth quarter.

“This was one of those days that was really humbling,” McVay said.

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The Arizona Wildcats fell out of The Associated Press Top 25 college football rankings for the first time this season after a loss to then-No. 14 Kansas State.

Meanwhile, rival ASU received three votes for consideration, still fewer than Arizona’s 15 but a sign the national view of the Sun Devils is turning after a 3-0 start thanks to a Thursday victory against Texas State. It’s the first time ASU has received votes in the AP poll since head coach Kenny Dillingham took over at the start of the 2023 season.

Arizona was ranked No. 20 the past two weeks.

Texas is No. 1 in the AP college football rankings for the first time in 16 years, replacing Georgia on Sunday after the Bulldogs struggled to remain unbeaten.

The Longhorns moved up a spot from No. 2 and received 35 first-place votes and 1,540 points. The Bulldogs, who have been No. 1 since the preseason poll, received 23 first-place votes and 1,518 points.

Ohio State received five first-place votes and stayed at No. 3 during an off week. No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Mississippi held their places and Tennessee moved up a spot to No. 6, flip-flopping with Southeastern Conference rival Missouri.

The last time the Longhorns were No. 1 was the middle of the 2008 season, when they spent three weeks at the top of the polls before losing a memorable game at Texas Tech in early November. The Longhorns are likely to settle into the top spot for at least another week with a home game against Louisiana-Monroe up next, possibly with Arch Manning as the starting quarterback.

Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, stepped in Saturday night against UTSA when Quinn Ewers went out with an abdomen injury that coach Steve Sarkisian said was not serious.

“There’s nothing like being in the game. Playing in front of 105,000 people is not the easiest thing to do. I’m really proud of Arch,” Sarkisian said.

A week after the SEC became the first conference to hold six of the first seven spots, the league repeated the feat.

There was some shuffling at the back of the top 10, with No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Miami each moving up a spot and Penn State slipping back to No. 10.

In and out

Boston College joined fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech in the brief-stay-after-a-long-drought club. The Eagles lost at Missouri and fell out of the rankings after moving in last week for the first time since 2018.

Arizona is also out for the first time this season after getting thumped by Kansas State.

Moving in for the first time this season was Illinois at No. 24. Texas A&M jumped back into the rankings at No. 25.

Conference call

The 18-team Big Ten matched a conference record (reached 11 times previously) with seven ranked teams.

SEC — 9 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 25).

Big Ten — 7 (Nos. 3, 9, 10, 11, 18, 22, 24).

Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 12, 13, 14, 20).

ACC — 3 (Nos. 8, 19, 21).

MAC — 1 (No. 23).

Independent — 1 (No. 17).

AP college football rankings top 25 – Sept. 15

Others receiving votes: Memphis 77, Boise St. 62, Syracuse 62, UNLV 54, Boston College 47, Washington St. 30, Arizona 15, Iowa 15, Indiana 13, California 11, Liberty 10, Toledo 9, UCF 6, South Carolina 3, North Carolina 3, Arizona St. 3, BYU 2, Pittsburgh 1.

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Was it poor form for Deion Sanders to post pictures of himself on social media the next day?

And did “Coach Prime” really instruct the CU band to hold off playing the fight song after quarterback son Shedeur scores a touchdown so the song Shedeur recorded, “Perfect Timing,” can be played over the Folsom Field loudspeakers? The university issued a statement to say that wasn’t true; Sanders called the notion “idiotic.”

With the Buffs coming off their ninth loss in 11 games, and the Sanders brand the identity of the program, those were the subjects debated this week by their frustrated fans and the haters.

The bottom line is that CU (1-1) looks pretty much the same as last season’s four-win team and fans’ patience could be wearing thin. Now comes the Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado State (1-1), a rivalry game with a nasty history that will be played in Fort Collins on Saturday for the first time since 1996.

CSU led last year’s game in Boulder 28-17 with eight minutes left in regulation and ended up losing 43-35 in overtime. Things got ugly when Rams safety Henry Blackburn, who is still on the team, received death threats for a late hit that sent Travis Hunter to the hospital with a lacerated liver. Blackburn and Hunter went bowling together a couple weeks later to show there were no hard feelings.

Last week’s game at Nebraska was billed as a referendum on the jobs second-year coaches Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule are doing, and the way they are going about them. Advantage Rhule. The 28-10 loss raises the stakes for the Buffs’ short trip to Fort Collins. CU is a 7 1/2-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

There are three other important in-state rivalry games.

No. 9 Oregon (2-0) visits Oregon State (2-0) and Washington (2-0) visits Washington State (2-0) for their first meetings since the disintegration of the Pac-12. If it seems early for the Apple Cup and the formerly named Civil War, you’re right, and both Oregon State and Washington State would love nothing better than grabbing bragging rights this particular season.

The Ducks are coming off close calls against Idaho and Boise State and have lost the last two times they visited Corvallis. The Huskies have won their first two games under new coach Jedd Fisch, but the emergence of Cougars quarterback John Mateer makes the trip to Pullman tricky.

No. 12 Utah (2-0) has allowed a combined 12 points in two games heading into its game at Utah State (1-1), which lost 48-0 at No. 11 Southern California last week and will be playing back-to-back Top 25 opponents for the first time since 2013.

Best game in college football this week: No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State

Friday, 8 p.m. ET (Fox)

Yes, Arizona is in the Big 12 now, but this meeting and next year’s in Tucson will be nonconference games. The home-and-home series was put on the schedule eight years ago, and neither school could find replacement nonconference games after Arizona was invited to join the Big 12 in August 2023.

This is the first big test for first-year Arizona coach Brent Brennan. QB Noah Fifita and star WR Tetairoa McMillan will be a handful for a K-State pass defense that allowed 342 yards against Tulane last week, but the duo was particularly off in a 22-10 win for Arizona against NAU.

Heisman watch

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, who led his team to four straight fourth-quarter touchdowns to break open a close game with South Florida, can become a serious contender with a strong performance at Wisconsin.

Milroe, sixth in 2023 Heisman Trophy voting, has accounted for nine touchdowns for the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide. His four rushing TDs are most by any FBS quarterback, and his five through the air rank fourth.

Numbers to know

9 — Teams averaging at least 50 points per game through Week 2, including four from the SEC.

47 — Oklahoma’s consecutive wins against unranked nonconference opponents entering its home game against Tulane.

106 — Previous meetings between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, with the Panthers leading the Backyard Brawl rivalry 62-41-3.

1968 — The last time Indiana, which visits UCLA, played in the Rose Bowl stadium.

1992 — The last time Florida (1-1), which hosts Texas A&M, lost two of three games to open a season.

Under the radar

The fact Florida State coach Mike Norvell is facing Memphis, the school he left in 2020, makes for an interesting matchup. The fact the Seminoles are in desperate need of a win adds to the intrigue.

The Tigers head to FSU as 6 1/2-point underdogs and 2-2 in their last four games against power-conference opponents.

Memphis fourth-year starting quarterback Seth Henigan won’t be intimidated at Doak Walker Stadium. The question is whether FSU’s struggling DJ Uiagalelei will feel comfortable in front of the antsy home fans.

Hot seat

It was only three years ago Baylor won the Big 12 championship and was in the top 10 after going 12-2 under Dave Aranda. The next two years saw the Bears collapse the second half of the season, and they go into Saturday’s home game against Air Force with losses in 10 of their last 14 games.

Air Force traditionally causes problems because of its rarely seen triple-option offense. The good news for Aranda is that this does not appear to be a vintage Falcons ground game. Air Force had only two plays from scrimmage go for more than 8 yards in a loss to San Jose State.

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The additions rob the Mountain West of four of its more prominent schools and successful football programs, most notably Boise State, and still leave the Pac-12 two schools short of the eight it needs to have in place in two years to be recognized as a conference by NCAA rule.

The Pac-12 and the departing schools will likely be on the hook for about $110 million in exit fees and penalties to the Mountain West.

Still, it is a remarkable comeback for a conference left for dead a year ago when 10 members scattered to competitors across the country after it was unable to secure a media rights deal that schools believed would not keep them competitive with other leagues.

“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” Commissioner Teresa Gould stated. “We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes.

“An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”

The Pac-12 said it evaluated potential new members using five criteria: academics and athletics performance; media and brand evaluation; commitment to athletics success; geography and logistics; culture and student-athlete welfare.

Pac-12’s remaining Pac-2 welcome incoming members from Mountain West

Oregon State President Jayathi Murthy and Washington State President Kirk Schulz welcomed their new conference mates in a joint statement.

“We eagerly anticipate their uniquely insightful contributions during this transformative era for the conference and collegiate athletics,” they said.

The Pac-12 is currently operating as a two-school conference, with Oregon State and Washington State the only remaining members, taking advantage of NCAA rules that allow for a two-year grace period.

Oregon State and Washington State have a football scheduling agreement in place this season with the Mountain West, giving them six opponents from the league. The Sept. 1 first deadline for renewal of the agreement passed without a deal getting done.

Part of that deal included millions of dollars in additional fees for the Pac-12 if it poached Mountain West schools.

Oregon State and Washington State should be able to afford it. While the schools have publicly downplayed having a warchest of funds, they do have tens of millions of dollars at their disposal to work with from the two remaining years of the current College Football Playoff agreement and a contract with the Rose Bowl that will expire after the 2025 football season. Plus, they have revenue accrued by Pac-12 teams in recent years from NCAA men’s basketball tournament units and Pac-12 Network assets.

Oregon State and Washington State also have an affiliate membership in place for this school year and next with the West Coast Conference for men’s and women’s basketball and other Olympic sports.

Best of the rest

Leaders at Oregon State and Washington State have insisted since the Pac-12 collapsed that unless an invitation came from a power conference their priority was to rebuild and now that has begun.

Whether the Pac-12 will be considered a power conference again, on par with the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12, seems unlikely, but the league is trying to position itself as the best of the rest — especially in football.

Boise State is the most notable addition as the strongest and most consistent football program outside of the power conferences for more than two decades. The Broncos have 16 double-digit victory seasons since 2002, when they were members of the Western Athletic Conference.

“What a great day to be a Bronco!” Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said.

Boise State is finally moving up, but the Pac-12 it enters hardly resembles the Conference of Champions it was for more than 100 years following the departures of 10 members last year — including Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten.

The collapse of the Pac-12 was the culmination of three tumultuous years of conference realignment in college sports, all of which went into affect this year and ushered in the superconference era.

The Big Ten now has 18 schools, spanning from coast-to-coast. The ACC has 17 football-playing members, including former Pac-12 schools Stanford and California. The SEC and Big 12 each have 16 schools.

The Pac-12 appears to be taking a different approach, trying to build a slimmed-down conference instead of just merging with the full, 12-member Mountain West.

Left behind
The Mountain West will be left with Air Force, UNLV, Nevada, Utah State, New Mexico, Wyoming, San Jose State and Hawaii and an uncertain future.

Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement late Wednesday night after the news of the Pac-12’s move leaked that the MW’s board of directors was meeting to discuss the next steps.

“All members will be held to conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart,” she said. ”The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members.”

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In the Big 12, their new league that had a national-high six returning 1,000-yard rushers and added two more from the transfer portal, Skattebo is the early rushing leader after a breakout performance.

“That looked like a Sunday player,” coach Kenny Dillingham said after Skattebo had 33 carries for 262 yards and team highs with three catches and 35 yards receiving in the Sun Devils’ win over Mississippi State. He was honored as the AP national player of the week.

The Big 12 is off to another running start, with a Division I-best six players averaging at least 100 yards through the first two games. That group is topped by Skattebo (155.5 yards per game) and includes Arizona’s Quali Conley (101 ypg), who came to 20th-ranked Arizona from San Jose State with new Wildcats coach Brent Brennan, though neither of those league newcomers were coming off 1,000-yard seasons.

“I have a lot of history with that young man,” Brennan said. “Seeing the confidence that Quali is playing with is really exciting.”

Big 12 returning 1,000-yard rushers RJ Harvey from UCF, DJ Giddens from No. 14 Kansas State and Devin Neal from Kansas have all gone over 100 yards in both games this season. Harvey’s six rushing touchdowns lead all Power Four players. Cincinnati’s Corey Kiner is right at 100 yards a game after following a 51-yard opener with 149 yards on 20 carries against Pittsburgh.

Noticeably absent from that list are the Big 12’s top two rushers last season: AP All-American, reigning Doak Walker Award winner and 2023 national rushing champion Ollie Gordon II from 13th-ranked Oklahoma State and injured fifth-year Texas Tech back Tahj Brooks.

After running for 126 yards and three touchdowns against defending FCS champion South Dakota State in the season opener, Gordon was limited to 49 yards on 17 carries against Arkansas when his only score was the game-winning touchdown before adding the 2-point conversion in double overtime. He has a league-high 45 rushing attempts, but is averaging only 3.9 yards per carry — down from 6.1 last season — and is seventh in the league at 87.5 yards per game.

“Not getting going early, that’s not really good,” Gordon said. “But you have teammates like I do, it’s great for the team, so you’re good.”

Gordon got off to an even slower start last season as a sophomore, with only 109 yards rushing total in the Cowboys’ three non-conference games. He averaged 163 yards a game in their nine regular-season Big 12 games and finished with 1,732 yards and 21 TDs rushing.

Brooks missed last week’s game at Washington State because of an arm injury after running for 153 yards in Tech’s opener. Coach Joey McGuire indicated that he could return Saturday against North Texas if there are no setbacks in practice.

The Big 12 finished with eight 1,000-yard rushers last year, while the Sun Belt had six. The MAC matched the ACC and SEC with five each.

All five of those from the MAC are still playing, but three are now in different leagues. That includes Peny Boone going from Toledo to UCF, where he is part of a backfield with Harvey for the top Division I rushing offense (419 yards per game).

Only one of the five the SEC had last year is still playing: Quinshon Judkins transferred from Ole Miss to Ohio State in the Big Ten, where Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai was the only returning 1,000-yard rusher. Marcus Carroll went from Georgia State in the Sun Belt to Missouri.

Skattebo transferred from Sacramento State to Arizona State, where in his only Pac-12 season last year he ran for 793 yards and nine touchdowns, had 286 yards and a touchdown receiving and in 50 snaps at quarterback was 6-of-15 passing for 130 yards with a TD and an interception. He also averaged 42.3 yards on eight punts.

His 262 yards rushing against Mississippi State was he second-most ever for the Sun Devils. He had 93 yards in the fourth quarter, and his longest run was 39 yards on his final carry.

“I’m always expecting to have it in my backpack, but it’s not an every-week thing, and this week it was,” Skattebo said. “I’m glad I was able to do that. I’m glad these guys trust me to be able to do that.”

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