preview Page 7 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Michigan State motivated to shift trajectory, readies for Western Michigan
When Michigan State kicks off its season Friday night in East Lansing against visiting Western Michigan, it won't just be the start of another fall campaign. It'll be a litmus test for Jonathan Smith, who kicks off his second year as head coach of the Spartans.,After his team lost four of its last f...

No. 7 Oregon embraces fresh start, giving dangerous FCS foe due attention
With 17 new starters and an opponent Oregon last played in the 1940s, Ducks head coach Dan Lanning is embracing the novelty factor around the opening game of the 2025 season on Saturday in Eugene. ,The last time he prepared for a game, Lanning and the Ducks were undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the Co...

No. 2 Penn State points power-packed backfield at Nevada
Second-ranked Penn State is on the short list of national championship contenders as the Nittany Lions roar into the 2025 opener.,Penn State is propelled by a roster loaded with experience and returnees from a 13-3 season that ended in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Nittany Lions are r...

New QBs pilot Minnesota, Buffalo into 2025 season
Drake Lindsey spent his freshman season watching and learning from the sidelines.,One year later, Lindsey is ready to take the reins for Minnesota. The sophomore quarterback will make his starting debut when the Golden Gophers face Buffalo in the season opener for both teams Thursday evening in Minn...

Marcel Reed leads No. 19 Texas A&M against all-new UTSA defense
No. 19 Texas A&M will look to make an early statement against a quality Group of Five opponent when it battles UTSA on Saturday in the season opener for both teams in College Station, Texas.,The Aggies begin their second campaign under coach Mike Elko with dynamic signal-caller Marcel Reed again ope...

Rutgers, Ohio match potent, proven offenses
After posting back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in more than a decade, Rutgers aims for greater success in 2025.,The Scarlet Knights open their season Thursday when they host Ohio in a nonconference matchup in Piscataway, N.J.,Rutgers went 7-6 last season while averaging 28.9 points --...

Wisconsin unveils new QB, RB and OC against Miami (Ohio)
Visiting Miami (Ohio) should provide a solid measuring stick for the Wisconsin Badgers and coach Luke Fickell, looking to bounce back from a disappointing season, in the nonconference opener for both teams Thursday night in Madison, Wis.,Wisconsin dropped its final five games last season to finish 5...

Oklahoma State hopes to begin major turnaround vs. UT Martin
The college football season cannot start soon enough for Oklahoma State, and it gets going Thursday night when the Big 12 side welcomes UT Martin to Stillwater, Okla. for the first game of the nonconference slate.,Over 19 seasons leading Oklahoma State, head coach Mike Gundy had one losing season --...

Duke embracing newfound football tradition ahead of opener with Elon
Duke will always be a basketball school at heart. But the football team is making a case for consideration as it looks to continue one of the better runs in program history entering the 2025 season.,It begins for the Blue Devils Thursday night in Durham, N.C when they host the Elon Phoenix from the ...

Missouri plans to juggle QBs vs. Central Arkansas
Missouri's season opener Thursday night against visiting Central Arkansas also will serve as a tryout of sorts for the quarterback position.,Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and holdover backup Sam Horn will split time under center and coach Eli Drinkwitz said one of them will be the starter for the...

East Carolina, NC State to renew heated in-state rivalry
A matchup between East Carolina and North Carolina State needs no extra hype.,But there's additional fuel for this Thursday night clash in Raleigh, N.C., after the teams ended the 2024 season with a heated bowl game.,East Carolina beat the Wolfpack 26-21 in the Military Bowl, which included a late-g...

No. 8 Alabama, QB Ty Simpson open with rare road game at Florida State
Kalen DeBoer's first season leading the Alabama football program had some high highs and some low lows.,The home victory over then-No. 2 Georgia and the 42-13 road thrashing of then-No. 14 LSU were impressive, Nick Saban-esque moments. The losses to unranked conference opponents Vanderbilt and Oklah...

Helpful Giants hope to help themselves vs. Cubs
Having aided the Chicago Cubs' hopes of winning the National League Central title, the San Francisco Giants now set their sights on the NL wild-card leader when the playoff hopefuls begin a three-game series Tuesday night in California.,The set kicks off with an intriguing matchup of Cubs left-hande...

Astros finally getting healthier as Rockies come to town
The Houston Astros can see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding their season-long battle with poor injury luck, with right-handers Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr. having recently returned from stints on the injured list.,When the Astros open a three-game interleag...

Storm try for first four-game win streak of season, visit Fever
Coming off a riveting victory, the Seattle Storm will aim for a season-best four-game winning streak when they face the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.,Nneka Ogwumike's buzzer-beating jumper from right inside the free-throw line lifted the Storm (20-18) to an 84-82 victory against th...

No. 25 Boise State to feature 1-2 RB punch at USF
No. 25 Boise State is out to show there's plenty of life in the program after Ashton Jeanty.,Moving on from the Heisman Trophy runner-up who recorded one of the top running back seasons in college football history is no easy task, but the Broncos start the process Thursday night when they play South...

QB Sam Leavitt driving as No. 11 Arizona State begins Big 12 repeat bid
No. 11 Arizona State kicks off the 2025 season at home in Tempe against Northern Arizona, and head coach Kenny Dillingham has heard all he can handle about how difficult it will be to repeat in the Big 12.,History does support the idea of the steep degree of difficulty in going back-to-back in the c...

Inconsistent Yankees turn to steady rookie Cam Schlittler vs. Nats
Rookie Cam Schlittler was nearly perfect in his seventh career start and the New York Yankees were riding the highs of eight wins in 10 games last Wednesday.,What followed was a frustrating weekend for the Yankees at home against the Boston Red Sox. Schlittler will be on the mound Monday night when ...

Injury-plagued Braves try to turn around season in opener vs. Marlins
Since winning the World Series in 2021, the Atlanta Braves have not won a playoff series.,Worse yet, this year's Braves are on pace to miss the postseason for the first time since 2017.,The Braves on Monday are set to start a 10-game road trip -- three at the Miami Marlins, four at the Philadelphia ...

Fresh off series win, Red Sox take aim at Orioles
The Boston Red Sox didn't get everything they wanted while in New York to face the Yankees, but they still ought to be encouraged entering their next series.,That begins Monday night against the host Baltimore Orioles to start a four-game series.,"Three out of four, that's the business we're in," Re...