preview Page 14 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

No. 24 USF, North Texas meet in bout of surprise heavyweights
No. 24 South Florida is back in the Top 25 once and North Texas is on the verge of being ranked as the two sides prepare to clash Friday night in American Conference play at Denton, Tex.,The Bulls (4-1, 1-0 in American) are coming off back-to-back wins over South Carolina State and Charlotte followi...

Capitals open against Bruins as Alex Ovechkin nears 900 goals
The Washington Capitals enter the 2025-26 season aiming to build on their Eastern Conference-best record a year ago, while the Boston Bruins embark on a new era following their first playoff miss since 2016.,Though the two teams are largely projected to be at opposite ends of the standings, hope spr...

Motivated Leafs face rising Habs in season-opening rivalry game
The Toronto Maple Leafs will begin to experience life without Mitchell Marner Wednesday night in their season opener against the visiting Montreal Canadiens.,Marner, a Maple Leafs stalwart since the 2016-17 season, was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal when the sides could no...

Roles reversed as No. 6 Oklahoma takes on Texas
Texas is the team that entered this season with all of the hype.,Oklahoma came into the season with plenty of questions on both sides of the ball.,But entering Saturday afternoon's Red River Rivalry showdown between the programs at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, the roles have been reversed.,The Sooners...

No. 17 Illinois prepares for 'tremendous challenge' vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck didn't mince words when describing how to defend Ohio State's multi-faceted offense.,"You're picking your poison," he said.,He's right because the No. 1 Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) rolled to a 42-3 win over Minnesota last Saturday.,Now, No. 17 Illinois (5-1, 2-1) will try ...

Aces, Mercury both leaning on resilience as Finals shift to Phoenix
PHOENIX -- The Las Vegas Aces defended home court to take an early lead in the WNBA Finals. To remain viable, the Mercury must do the same as the series shifts to Phoenix.,Four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and the Aces bring a 2-0 series edge to Arizona for Game 3 Wednesday. Game 4 of the league's firs...

No. 25 Florida State 'angry' over recent play, takes aim at Pitt
More swiftly than Florida State rose from unranked to the top 10, the Seminoles have plummeted the last two weeks.,After a second straight defeat -- Saturday's 28-22 home loss to No. 3 Miami -- Florida State (3-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) clings to the 25th and final spot in this week's AP pol...

Tigers, Mariners expect another nail-biter as series shifts to Detroit
Not much has separated the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers over the first two games of the American League Division Series.,Both clubs won a game with a 3-2 final score, and the tightness of series figures to continue when the Mariners battle the Tigers in Game 3 on Tuesday in Detroit.,The Tiger...

Phillies eager to 'dust it off' in NLDS Game 2 vs. Dodgers
There's no doubt the Los Angeles Dodgers like seeing someone with Hernandez stitched across the back of the jersey walking up to the plate in the postseason.,Two swings of the bat by two players named Hernandez provided all of Los Angeles' runs in Game 1, and now the Dodgers will look to take a 2-0 ...

Mariners, Cal Raleigh ready for Tigers to open rare playoff trip
A little more than six months ago, catcher Cal Raleigh sat in an interview room at T-Mobile Park to discuss the six-year, $105 million contract extension he signed with the Seattle Mariners.,He was back in the same spot Friday, talking about his record-setting season and the best-of-five American Le...

Ryan Gauld makes MLS return as Whitecaps host Earthquakes
Vancouver Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld experienced an emotional boost on Wednesday, scoring a goal to celebrate his return from a near-seven-month absence due to a knee injury.,Gauld aims to make another move forward Sunday when Vancouver (16-6-9, 57 points) hosts the San Jose Earthquakes (10-14-8, ...

LAFC out to continue goal-scoring spree against Atlanta United
With a chance to bolster its position in the top four of the Western Conference table, Los Angeles FC hosts Atlanta United on Saturday in its penultimate regular-season home game.,Los Angeles FC (15-7-8, 53 points) is riding a season-high four-game winning streak and trails third-seeded Minnesota Un...

Mariners, Cal Raleigh ready to face Tigers to open rare playoff trip
A little more than six months ago, catcher Cal Raleigh sat in an interview room at T-Mobile Park to discuss the six-year, $105 million contract extension he signed with the Seattle Mariners.,He was back in the same spot Friday, talking about his record-setting season and the best-of-five American Le...

Blue Jays hold key edges vs. Yankees, try to shake recent playoff history
TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays will have two advantages going into the opener of their best-of-five American League Division Series against the New York Yankees on Saturday.,They will have home-park advantage with a loud crowd behind them, and they will also have an edge in rest.,The Blue Jays hav...

Ex-Brewer Craig Counsell guides rival Cubs into NLDS showdown
MILWAUKEE -- The well-rested Milwaukee Brewers will turn to ace right-hander Freddy Peralta as they look to snap their playoff drought when they host the archrival Chicago Cubs on Saturday in the opener of the National League Division Series.,Former Brewers manager Craig Counsell led the Cubs to a 3...

BC looks to clinch playoff spot against struggling Calgary
Sole possession of second place in the West Division is on the line Saturday when the Calgary Stampeders visit the BC Lions in Vancouver.,The Stampeders (8-6) have lost three in a row to see their lead over both the Lions (8-7) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-7) reduced to a half-game. The Blue Bombers...

Cowboys, winless Jets feel urgency to win in Week 5
The New York Jets are one of three teams buried under a 0-4 start and are the only squad in the league not to force a turnover.,New York takes another shot at its first win in the Aaron Glenn era when it battles the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon at East Rutherford, N.J.,Dallas (1-2-1) has troub...

Inter Miami press for rebound against Revolution
Inter Miami will look to shake off their worst defensive performance of the season while the New England Revolution attempt to play spoiler when the sides meet on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,Although they have qualified for the postseason, the window for Inter Miami to climb as high as p...

Aces, Mercury reshaped rosters en route to berths in WNBA Finals
LAS VEGAS -- In an era of women's basketball largely defined by new blood, the WNBA Finals will feature two familiar franchises in the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury that are no strangers to collecting hardware.,However, they were no lock to reach this year's finals, a best-of-seven series begin...

Upstart Jaguars face true Monday night test against Chiefs
In terms of "Monday Night Football" appearances, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs have been at opposite ends of the spectrum of late.,Jacksonville has played a Monday night game in each of the last two seasons. Before that, there was a 12-year gap between appearances, dating back to 2...