Preview Page 852 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Bucs visit Raheem Morris' Falcons in NFC South battle
The host Atlanta Falcons and rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be battling for first place in the NFC South on Thursday in an important early-season matchup.,The winner between Atlanta (2-2) and Tampa Bay (3-1) will own the division's top spot after the franchises meet for the 62nd time. The Bucs lead...

Yordan Alvarez, Astros attempt to even series vs. Tigers
HOUSTON -- Astros manager Joe Espada was pleased with Yordan Alvarez's contributions in Houston's 3-1 loss during Game 1 of the American League wild-card series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.,The Astros need all the help they can get as they attempt to level the best-of-three series Wednesda...

Austin FC must beat Timbers to keep playoff dream alive
Austin FC need a victory to keep their slim MLS Cup playoff hopes alive on Wednesday night when they visit the ninth-place Portland Timbers.,Even a draw would make it impossible for Austin (9-13-9, 36 points) to catch Portland (12-10-9, 45 points), though it would leave FC Dallas (10-14-7, 37 points...

No room for error as D.C. United, Nashville SC chase playoff spots
D.C. United and Nashville SC have no room for error down the final stretch of the MLS regular season.,With both clubs outside playoff position in the Eastern Conference and in search of a much-needed victory, D.C. visits Nashville on Wednesday night.,D.C. United (8-13-10, 34 points) are three points...

Resilient Rapids welcome Galaxy to town
The Colorado Rapids have been stellar at home and have had a knack for bouncing back from losses. They'll need both trends to continue on Wednesday night when they face the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Galaxy in Commerce City, Colo.,The Rapids (15-11-5, 50 points) are 10-2-3 on their own p...

Minnesota United out to defeat RSL, lock up playoff bid
Minnesota United can clinch an MLS Cup playoff berth with a victory when it faces Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night in Sandy, Utah.,The Loons (13-12-6, 45 points) enter the contest in eighth place in the Western Conference, eight points ahead of 10th-place FC Dallas with three matches remaining. Min...

Dynamo 'turn the page' to focus on desperate Revolution
There will still be plenty on the line when the Houston Dynamo host the New England Revolution on Wednesday in a late-season interconference match.,The most likely scenarios are that Houston will be on the road for the first round of the playoffs and the Revolution will be eliminated even if they fi...

Inter Miami can clinch Supporters' Shield by beating Crew
Inter Miami have inched their way toward clinching the MLS Supporters' Shield when they'd rather have sprinted, but they will have the opportunity again to stake their claim as the best team in the regular season when they play at the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.,A win over the Crew (16-5-9, 57 point...

Eyeing East wild-card spot, Toronto FC face slumping Red Bulls
Toronto FC will try to halt a three-match league winless run and take a major step closer to an Eastern Conference wild-card spot when they host a New York Red Bulls side in its own slump on Wednesday night.,The Reds (11-17-4, 37 points) have only one point from their last three league matches, and ...

Union, Orlando City face off in crucial match for both clubs
The Philadelphia Union have yet to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs with three matches remaining, but they hope to take another step closer when they visit Orlando City on Wednesday night.,The Union (9-12-10, 37 points) may feel that they deserved more than a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United on ...

FC Cincinnati, NYCFC clash in matchup of East playoff teams
New York City FC are back in the playoffs after an impressive goal-scoring display.,Facing a short turnaround, NYCFC hopes to keep the offense flowing against one of the Eastern Conference's top teams on Wednesday night when they host third-place FC Cincinnati in Harrison, N.J.,NYCFC (12-11-8, 44 po...

Charlotte FC hope to uplift fans by clinching playoffs vs. Fire
Charlotte FC are in position to clinch a playoff spot and hoping to make giant strides when they take on the visiting Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.,"We are hungry, hungry for more," Charlotte defender Adilson Malanda said. "We know we can achieve a good thing before playoffs.",Charlotte (11-11-9,...

Atlanta United aim to end draw streak vs. CF Montreal
Atlanta United's push toward a playoff spot has been slowed by the club recording draws in its last three matches.,Residing in 11th place in the congested Eastern Conference, the Five Stripes (8-13-10, 34 points) will look for a much-needed win on Wednesday night when they host 10th-place CF Montrea...

UCLA faces tall task against host No. 7 Penn State
UCLA coach DeShaun Foster knew to anticipate facing a physical, defensive-oriented style of play with the Bruins' transition to the Big Ten Conference, and Saturday's visit to State College, Pa., to face No. 7 Penn State promises exactly that.,Bruins first-year coach Foster shows his team classic he...

No. 1 Alabama aims to continue dominance of Vanderbilt
Top-ranked Alabama looks to take another step towards a league title and the College Football Playoff when it travels to Nashville, Tenn., to face Vanderbilt in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday.,It'll be the conference home opener for the Commodores (2-2, 0-1 SEC), and the first conference r...

Undefeated Duke faces ACC foe Georgia Tech
Duke has managed to figure out enough difficult situations in every game to be successful in each outing this season.,Now the Blue Devils will encounter a different type of task -- living up to heightened expectations -- when visiting Georgia Tech for Saturday night's Atlantic Coast Conference game ...

West Virginia enters Oklahoma State game with 'confidence,' not 'momentum'
Coming off its first conference win of the season, West Virginia would love to ride that momentum into Saturday afternoon's Big 12 road game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.,That said, Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said he doesn't believe that momentum carries over through a bye week. He ...

No. 3 Ohio State, dominant in second half this season, meets Iowa
If Iowa hopes to upset No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, it would be wise for the Hawkeyes to get off to a good start.,While the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) have outscored opponents by an average of 42 points (48.8 to 6.8), they have been more vulnerable in the first half before ma...

BC bids to stifle Virginia rushing attack in ACC matchup
Boston College will try to slow Virginia's resurgent running game when the teams meet on Saturday afternoon for an Atlantic Coast Conference contest in Charlottesville, Va.,The Cavaliers (3-1, 1-0) are coming off a bye week after rushing for a whopping 384 yards in a 43-24 victory at previously unbe...

Houston hoping to snap scoring drought at TCU
TCU looks to build on its best performance of the year when it hosts reeling Houston on Friday evening in a Big 12 Conference clash in Fort Worth, Texas.,The Horned Frogs (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) head home after a rousing 38-27 win at Kansas on Saturday that snapped a two-game losing skid. Josh Hoover pass...